On my Radar

Here's just a random post with a couple of e-books by Maya Banks that I can't wait to read!!

The iPad? I still say let's wait and see

Well it's been revealed - the ever so hyped and discussed Apple tablet PC. The online world is already inundated with articles talking about how it will affect netbooks, Kindles, smartphones - pretty much every hand held device you can think of. Almost 10inches long, it's of course touch screen and looks most like a bigger than average iPod. But let's consider this (from my point of view of course)-

1. I realize it doesn't affect the usefulness of the device, but iPad? Really Apple? Did no one raise their hands and suggest that just maybe that wasn't the best name to go with? Every other comment I've seen on Facebook seems to deal with how men and women alike can only visualize feminine products when they hear the name. Somehow it makes me think that Apple isn't quite getting its message across....

2. Since this device offers (supposedly) better than average internet browsing capabilities, the iPad will be available in conjunction with different phone companies to offer wireless coverage. Without that the device will cost around $699 - a hefty sum for most people. That in and of itself is going to be a big deterrant for me. I can't imagine paying between $400 and $700 or beyond for something that is really an above-average iPod. I like my iPod. It does its job very well I think and my phone does its job too. And neither are all that big so I don't feel like my life is incredibly inconvienced because I carry both at the same time.

3. Again with the fact that I don't see myself browing the internet all that much with this, I don't like the fact that I'm going to be tied down to another monthly payment with the iPad. Comcast gets my money, VerizonWireless gets my money, countless credit cards get my money - isn't this enough? Do I have to pay monthly for the privilige of downloading the movies and ebooks I already own onto a device that would make them portable?

I think at least right now, with the information available, I don't see an iPad in my future. At least until I get my hands on a nook to test it out, I'd rather just consider the Sony e-Reader my best bet for a portable book reading device. Yes it would have been cool to be able to watch movies in addition to reading while in transit, but I'm just not willing to be sucked in to another contract. It's not worth it. I just want to be free from any particular company affiliation and be able to transfer files I already have to a device I can take with me. That's smaller than a laptop - or netbook. Ideally I'd rather just have a bigger iPod. But I can tell that that's not going to happen any time soon, if at all. In the end each person is going to have to make that decision for themselves, but do your research! Don't let the shiny new Apple product abduct your wallet and run away giggling!

I Want One! The Barnes and Noble Nook

I don't know how behind the times I am, could be a lot, but after seeing a reference to it in my newspaper I looked up the Barnes and Nook and damn do I want one! Yes I have to fight against an almost irresistible urge to own the newest and brightest thing in ebook technology, but I have to admit that this one sounds pretty fantastic. With brand new Touch screen technology built into the unit, you can browse through your library (full color) looking at the covers of the books you own and choose your reading material from there. Like the Sony eReader you can download your own PDF's onto the device, a big step up from the Amazon Kindle in my opinion, or you can download free or priced titles from BarnesandNoble.com. None of the eReaders currently available have back light capabilities, though for its own release Barnes and Noble describe this as a way to do away with the eye fatigue usually brought on my computer use. I still say that I'd rather have the back light option, because if I'm reading in bed or on a train or something, that would be more convenient than having to clip on a book light.

There are some other differences between the Nook and the Kindle 2, including that fact the Nook is on AT&T and has virtually unlimited expandable memory, but I appreciate B&N also being upfront with the similarities. The screen size, initial memory, price of new releases, etc. - all of these are the same between the two devices (though isn't it interesting that the website only has the comparison between the Nook and the Kindle 2 up? I guess B&N doesn't consider the Sony eReader competition). The other main difference that's being talked about is the ability to bookmark, highlight, and make notes on what you're reading - though those features are exclusive to titles purchased from B&N.com. I'm not totally sold on those options, mainly because as a bibliophile I don't like doing any of those things to my books - but maybe having the ability to do it but not feel like I'm irreparably harming a piece of beloved literature will make me enjoy it more. We'll see.

It's still mostly out of my budget at $259 but GOD I wish I had some well up relative or fairy godmother who could get me one. It's available for pre-order now, to be officially released in November, and I'm excited to see what happens. Of course, I'm more excited for it to be November 30th and for me to be able to go into a store and play with it in person. Oooh yes, feel that technology goodness.

MY BAD - here's the link to Barnes and Noble website on the Nook, where you can examine all the specs and features.

This means you too - I see you! (A Random Author Rant)

Do you know what I hate? I hate when eBook authors all of a sudden make it big (read 'published in print'), revamp their website, and LEAVE OUT every eBook they've ever had before and only include the new books coming out in the near and far future. This means you Christine Warren - and you too Shelly Laurenston! I see you! I bought your stories LONG before your first print book and I don't think it's very fair that you've abruptly decided that nothing created before the print version exisits! Do you know how long it takes to get a book printed? If you don't - what's wrong with you?!?! Don't tell me that you're publishing the first book in a series and then let me find out that it's actually related to about 15 other books that you've already released (that's you Lora Leigh).

Also, don't show me the books that you've published before and then tell me that 'Oops! Can't get them anymore! Even though they came out years ago online, you'll have to wait another few years before you can get them in print!' That's bullshit! I'm one of those freaks that you have a very good chance of taunting into purchasing the print copy anyway! When you've started messing with my series by publishing the latest novel in print, it's hard for me to fight the urge to go ahead and buy the reprints to see what else you've added to the new version or to keep my bookshelves consistent.

Finally - along that same point - how the hell am I supposed to recommend a series to people if the only thing they can get is the latest novel? What about all the back story, all the emotion and history that works to make a particular series so memorable? Give me a break here! I love recommending things to people but I don't want to break the law and forward on my own copy- I bought it to support you and I want other people to buy it too! The whole thing drives me crazy. Give me a chance here to increase your numbers! I'm pretty sure the extra income couldn't hurt.

So yes authors - when you get the chance to make that jump from eBook to print, please don't forget the readers who've gotten you there. Those who have purchased, recommended, and purchased again. We're not stupid - a little respect for our powers of observation and I would be a lot less annoyed about the whole thing.

P.S. - Another side note to this? An author changing to a pseudonym for one of her series when it goes into print but leaving her name alone for others. If it's all marketed to pretty much the same audience, who the hell wants to go about all the work of making sure they've caught the newest thing? Authors - you suck enough money out of readers on a month to month basis that maybe you could throw us a bone and stick to one name at time. K, thanks.

eBook Top 10 - not as fun as Letterman's, but still good!

169. I own ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE eBooks. I'm sure that's indicative of some kind of emotional or psychological problem. I mean come on, does that sound normal to you? Well I thought that I could do some kind of quick little review for most of my books and give everyone a glimpse of the types of stories that are out there. But that number is too intimidating even for me, thus I'm going to have think of another way to do this. I could try charts. Or.... maybe diagrams? There's just so much material to cover (hypothetically, thinking I wanted to cover them all) that's it's probably impossible to do everything justice. OK - I got it! We're gonna do a Top 10 eBooks, ranging from really good to REALLY bad. That way I can talk a bit about a few different titles and you can take the time to make your own decisions.



10. Descendants of Darkness
This one was so bad I didn't even FINISH it! You probably can't imagine how bad something has to be for that to happen. I didn't even bother to skip to the end to see what happened - I didn't care. Either way, this one is supposed to follow the tales of these 4 vampires and the women who 'save them from the darkness' or whatever. You want to know what these are? The worst written imitations of Christine Feehan in creation. I'm surprised she didn't sue them! They even call the women 'life mates'. Not worth your time or money, just walk away and find a book by Feehan to fill your time.

9. Date With Destiny
I wrote about this book in a previous review, so I'm not gonna repeat myself too much. Let me just say that this book is filled with the most unconvincing romance/erotica tale ever. I understand that for some authors fun sex is the whole point of the story, but this is trying to take the whole 'opposites attract' thing way too far. The characters don't seem to make any kind of personal connection before saying they're going to be with each other forever, and even for shape shifters. And I didn't learn enough or feel emotionally attached to either of the characters to care if they were happy or not.

8. Laila's Bargain
When I was younger and used to read more Harlequin Presents romances, it didn't take me long to notice how often the books were centered around jack-ass guys and the women who forgave them in the end and took them back. I've definitely grown out of tolerating that genre, so this book tripped quite a few triggers for me. Laila goes back to her ex to get help finding her kidnapped brother, but instead of just helping with only a few snide comments, Matthew proceeds to do the generic 'sleep with me and I'll help'. Strange sexual antics ensue and it works on my nerve about what's consensual and what's not - what Laila wants to do and what she feels forced to do. Maybe this was supposed to more of an exploration of BDSM and the varieties of how dominance/submission shows up in the bedroom, but it just was not my cup of tea and I do not recommend it.

7. Stalked
Stalked was just creepy. It's one of Ellora's Cave's quickies, and I just wasn't ready for it. It starts off being what you think is a rape story, with a woman who eventually gives in and enjoys it. Which is weird enough as it is but then you get to the end and it's the woman and her husband playing sex games. Ugh. Better than Laila's Bargain because the husband isn't actually being a jerk rapist, but weird because that's what the readers are confronted with at first glance.



6. Not in Kansas
I put Not in Kansas in the middle because it is only mediocre. Not a great story - not a horrible one either- it's a homosexual re-imagining of the Wizard of Oz. Kansas (the main character) get's swept up in a twister and lands in Oz, a land filled with slightly sex-obsessed, but amusing, characters. He goes to the castle, meets the King and through some actually pretty tame sex ends up falling in love. Yeah I decided the whole thing was not that exciting but I've reread it because it's still cute!

5. Bakra Bride
This is the second book in a series that I think is actually surprisingly good. It takes place in another land, one that the heroines reach through a magic tapestry, where lack of women has changed the culture so each woman is involved with two men. But instead of it being a place where women are kidnapped and held hostage until they agree, in this one the women are wooed by 1 or 2 sets of men and she picks who she wants to be with or if she'd rather go home. It's the thoroughness of the characters themselves that sets this book apart from the others I think. The reader sympathizes with Jane and her honest desire to do the right thing, and after she's transported you root for Zaren and his brother, because you can really feel how much they need her. Definitely recommended and if you're inclined, I would buy the whole series!

4. Fairy Dust
I think I loved this one so much because it's just such fun. Who hasn't thought about what happens after the 'happily ever after'? Marlena is a fairy godmother with an attitude, one who wants her charges to feel more than just true love's kiss - she wants them to feel every bump and grind, every real and dirty touch and emotion that comes from being in love. Then it gets even better when Marlena is sent into the fairy tales themselves to try and remember why the innocent and more 'pure' endings are important. Of course chaos ensues and the whole thing is a wild ride - Highly Recommended!

3. Fur Factor
Christine Warren is always a great read! The second book in her Fantasy Fix stories (which actually have a different series name in print) it follows Missy and Graham on the road to relationship bliss. I love a good alpha male werewolf story, and the chemistry between these two jump off the page, so combining that with a bit of mystery and horror? I was set! It's a fun book, and I think if you're willing to suspend reality a bit and just go with the flow of the story it makes a great tale and one I've reread a million times. Unfortunately, since Warren is making the jump from eBook to print, this title is no longer available from Ellora's Cave but look for it in your local book store soon!

2. Making Chase
This the last and my favorite of Lauren Dane's Chase brother stories. It's just such a great, honest, down-to-earth love story. Tate is a women with a complicated past and family history, and the type of body image issues that everyone can identify with. Yes it's very much the romance story when she falls in love with the hottest guy in town, but the ups an downs of their emotions is what makes it believable. They don't just fall into their happily ever after, they have to work on it and each person has to get past their own issues. I think that, along with an incredible family that you just love reading about, is what makes this such a great story to me. It's real and you feel like so many things are possible after reading it that you can't help but be happy.

1. Here Kitty Kitty
What kind of romance story has a heroine that hits the hero in the face with a toilet seat? A Shelly Laurenston kind of romance, that's what! The reason I put this as my number one eBook is that there's nothing like a kick ass heroine and the alpha male who ends up loving her. Laurenston always seems to write the perfect combination of strength and vulnerability into her heroines, and the antics in this one are ridiculous. Angelina starts off being kidnapped by a couple of were-tigers in this one and it's after she wakes up at their house in NC that things get really crazy. Nikolai (hero, also were-tiger) is just so hot! Maybe I have a thing for Southern boys, who knows, I just know that he is so cool and so perfect for Angelina. Again the sparks fly and the whole book is just them pushing at(really knocking down) each other's boundaries to get what they want. I've reread it a billion times and it's like my go to story for when I don't know what I want. JUST READ IT! GO! READ NOW!
Side Note - Laurenston is also making the jump from eBook to print so look for this title in local bookstores soon!



Addendum - Places to buy eBooks. I primarily purchase romance books, so these websites have to be taken with a grain of salt. Always check out where an author's website says you can get the books and don't forget to check out the main pages for your local library system because sometimes they have eBooks for free!

1) Ellora's Cave
2) Changeling Press
3) Diesal eBooks
4) Samhain Publishing
5) My Bookstore and More
4) Your Local Library!

eBooks and Books

Sorry it took me so long to write this post! It was sitting in my mind and then somehow laziness and new books took over - I blame my job, because it leaves me with enough free time to read at the desk!

The question, or topic, that I'd like to tackle today is why do we read what we read - books or eBooks? There are pros and cons to both mediums; physical books have at their core the emotional attachment that I think comes, in part, from the tactile sensation of having a book in your hands and reading it. The ability to run your fingers across the pages, or make notes in the margins - in effect, the reader's ability to make the book their own. And with time, physical books take on the look and smell of their history. Men and women can remember their past, the good and the bad, through the books they've read. The reality of their existence and the tangible proof that books can provide of the times.

eBooks have a different type of appeal - convenience. The convenience of having thousands of titles at your fingertips, no waiting with no worrying about space. However much computer memory you have, that's how much you can fill with things to read. And with the creation of the Amazon Kindle, eBook proponents have an even bigger motivation - the Kindles are lighter and even easier to carry around with you than regular books. Where a good sized hardcover might be responsible for an aching shoulder and an over packed bag, the Kindle is compact and durable. Even more than that, technologies like the Kindle appeal to the present consumer's need for instant gratification. At a person's whim they can have at their fingertips newspapers, magazines, AND books. It's amazing the kind of emotional bond a person would be willing to forgo for that type of convenience.

The picture I used here isn't really an example of my own opinion though. I love ALL books. No lie. And in college I found myself understanding the appeal of the eBook. I just didn't have the same kind of access to books in college. No car and with just an academic library nearby, the situation left me without almost any other avenue to explore. Luckily, I can say I found some great things; authors and titles that I know have enriched my reading experience. On the other end of the spectrum I've also found books that weren't worth my time, and the rare one or two that I wouldn't even finish reading (something has to be REALLY bad for that to happen).

Still, at the end of the day, I love curling up in my bed with a book. To lie down and look at a favorite and see the wear and tear of my usage. Books even have a smell that has been incorporated into my sense understanding and attachment to the activity. I've even been known to print out eBooks, the urge to hold it in my hands has been so strong. So I might have been lying before and print books might be my favorite. BUT eBooks are never left out in the cold, and it's been my joy to say I've seen some of the best authors make the leap from virtual to print - because while legitimacy doesn't come from the printed word, a readily recognizable name and popularity are increased by the consumers ability to browse. And that's one thing I think print books definitely have over eBooks - there's nothing like running your fingertips across the spines of books in your bookstore or library. eBooks have nothing on that.

DSK Jewelry Contest Results!!

So you remember the post from a few weeks ago, where I answered a bunch of questions and even made a YouTube video for DSK Jewelry's contest? Well I won 3rd place! Woohoo! And that's not too shabby considering that Stephanie had 54 people enter her contest. It kind of inspire's me to enter another one, this time a contest put up by Judy from itsjudytime.

But I won't lie, you always hope when you enter something like this that you'll get first place (or why do you bother?) but I'm still happy I placed! Hopefully I'll just do better next time! I won a pair of Swaorvski crystal star earrings ($15 value) and a few other little things that I'm really excited to get in the mail. I decided to go with the earrings in CLEAR AB just cause I want them to be just big and sparkly and something I can wear whenever. You can see them here -

Check back soon because I've decided to do a series of posts on the world of eBooks and physical books and some of the authors/stories that I've found there that have either been incredible or somewhat of a disappointment. Stay tuned!