Mar 9, 2011
Mar 6, 2011
The Kindle Edition
Last May I had a bit of fun with CrimespreeJon and announced to the world on twitter he had just purchased his first cell phone. Replies came in that went rather like this, "Next thing you know he'll set up the indoor plumbing"
So, with head hung low I announce today that I have joined the world of Kindle. Those who know me know that for me, reading is a very tactile experience. To paraphrase a man with whom I share a birthday, "The book's the thing." And so it has always been.
It isn't that I haven't always been curious about e-readers. I remember being allowed to touch Sally Fellow's in Baltimore and liking the simplicity of the gadget. I also liked the first Nook and the first Sony readers I saw.
Two years ago my brother bought his wife a Kindle for Christmas because they have no more room in their house for books. So there's a practicality to the e-reader I understand.
None other than the great Barbara Peters perhaps defined for me what an e-reader could and would be for me. A great way to bring a lot of books on a trip but don't forget to bring a couple of "real books" in case you get stuck on the runway.
Finally, I decided I wanted one. Sure we have a desk top, a lap top, a net book, an Ipod and a smart phone with the kindle app but hey, I love gadgets. It's why we have twenty different whisks in our house.
Still, I hovered, wavered and procrastinated. Because, well, I love books. I love the paper and the binding and the text. I love that at anytime, anywhere and without a power source I can have four hours of an entirely different world at my finger tips.
The kindle arrived two weeks ago. A thoughtful gift from a thoughtful husband. I also suspect he financially justified it as I brought home my fourth pair of reading glasses in two months. You can change the text size! You can read in the dark!! I made sure I knew how to charge it, download materials and turn it on and off. I really liked turning it on and off because different pictures come up when you do.
Yesterday I read on my kindle for the first time. Up first was SERIAL by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch, because how could I not read something from Joe Konrath first. He's become synonymous with e-readers. Great story, warped guys. I cannot believe I've slept while they were awake in the next room.
Next I read THE HUNTERS from Jason Pinter. A novella interlude set between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS. This series featuring reporter Henry Parker is making a lot of noise and THE HUNTERS introduces you to Pinter's characters and series... Gives you just a taste. This might be the best use for the Kindle. Or it might be the availability of back lists for the completists amongst us.
But I suspect my third read really tells the story. I'm reading THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN next. The man himself might hate the idea of the kindle but a kindle weighs a whole lot less than that book.
In short, I love my kindle.
As for the tactile? I will shop very carefully for my kindle cover. I was downright giddy to find four pages of choices on Google. This may take me awhile.
Next up in the Jordan house? we might get that new gadget everyone's talking about, the radio.
Ruth
So, with head hung low I announce today that I have joined the world of Kindle. Those who know me know that for me, reading is a very tactile experience. To paraphrase a man with whom I share a birthday, "The book's the thing." And so it has always been.
It isn't that I haven't always been curious about e-readers. I remember being allowed to touch Sally Fellow's in Baltimore and liking the simplicity of the gadget. I also liked the first Nook and the first Sony readers I saw.
Two years ago my brother bought his wife a Kindle for Christmas because they have no more room in their house for books. So there's a practicality to the e-reader I understand.
None other than the great Barbara Peters perhaps defined for me what an e-reader could and would be for me. A great way to bring a lot of books on a trip but don't forget to bring a couple of "real books" in case you get stuck on the runway.
Finally, I decided I wanted one. Sure we have a desk top, a lap top, a net book, an Ipod and a smart phone with the kindle app but hey, I love gadgets. It's why we have twenty different whisks in our house.
Still, I hovered, wavered and procrastinated. Because, well, I love books. I love the paper and the binding and the text. I love that at anytime, anywhere and without a power source I can have four hours of an entirely different world at my finger tips.
The kindle arrived two weeks ago. A thoughtful gift from a thoughtful husband. I also suspect he financially justified it as I brought home my fourth pair of reading glasses in two months. You can change the text size! You can read in the dark!! I made sure I knew how to charge it, download materials and turn it on and off. I really liked turning it on and off because different pictures come up when you do.
Yesterday I read on my kindle for the first time. Up first was SERIAL by Jack Kilborn and Blake Crouch, because how could I not read something from Joe Konrath first. He's become synonymous with e-readers. Great story, warped guys. I cannot believe I've slept while they were awake in the next room.
Next I read THE HUNTERS from Jason Pinter. A novella interlude set between THE FURY and THE DARKNESS. This series featuring reporter Henry Parker is making a lot of noise and THE HUNTERS introduces you to Pinter's characters and series... Gives you just a taste. This might be the best use for the Kindle. Or it might be the availability of back lists for the completists amongst us.
But I suspect my third read really tells the story. I'm reading THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN next. The man himself might hate the idea of the kindle but a kindle weighs a whole lot less than that book.
In short, I love my kindle.
As for the tactile? I will shop very carefully for my kindle cover. I was downright giddy to find four pages of choices on Google. This may take me awhile.
Next up in the Jordan house? we might get that new gadget everyone's talking about, the radio.
Ruth
Feb 14, 2011
We Love Our Readers
What makes Crimespree work is our readers. Without them, we're kind lof like that guy walking by himself in New York talking to himself.So as a thank you, anyone subscribing to the magazine or renewing their subscription will get an extra copy if they do so between now and next Monday, the 28th
Feb 4, 2011
Serious news from Vince Flynn.
Some serious news from Vince Flynn:
My heart goes out to Vince and his family. Cancer is a scary thing, but Vince is a tough guy and I have no doubt he can beat it. Having seen Lee (or Crimespree Cinema) battle lung cancer and win, I know that there is always hope and that determination and a positive attitude are essential. Both of those things Vince has in spades.
I first met Vince when he self published TERM LIMITS. He went to EVERY bookstore in the Twin Cities right before a WCCO appearance and convinced us to order the book. The next week, we were sold out and scrambling to find more copies. While many vilify self-publishing, Vince showed that it can be a good tool to establish yourself and gain a better bargaining position.
I think I speak for the entire Crimespree family when I say that Vince is in our thoughts.
In November, at the end of my last tour, I was diagnosed with Stage III metastatic prostate cancer. Just a few years ago, this diagnosis would have been a death sentence. Today, specialists are making great strides in the areas of hormone therapy and immune response, and there are several very promising drug trials that are changing the landscape of how prostate cancer is treated.
My treatments are working very well, and my near term prognosis is extremely good. In other words, I have more than a few Rapp novels left in me. My attitude is strong, and I feel better than I have in years. I am blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful wife, family, and great friends who have been extremely supportive. My faith has seen me through the darkest moments, and early on, when the diagnosis was not entirely accurate, things were very dark indeed. I am also blessed that I live in a part of the country that is known for great medical care. I have a wonderful group of doctors who are confident that I can beat this thing. For those of you who have gotten to know me, it will not be a surprise to you that this is a battle I do not plan on losing. As with any cancer, this is serious, but the good news is that I have lots of options for slowing this thing down, and then hopefully killing it.
I am currently working with Brian Haig on our joint novel and have started the next Rapp novel that should be out in October of 2011. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers, and I will try to keep you posted as things progress.
Keep the Faith,
Vince Flynn
My heart goes out to Vince and his family. Cancer is a scary thing, but Vince is a tough guy and I have no doubt he can beat it. Having seen Lee (or Crimespree Cinema) battle lung cancer and win, I know that there is always hope and that determination and a positive attitude are essential. Both of those things Vince has in spades.
I first met Vince when he self published TERM LIMITS. He went to EVERY bookstore in the Twin Cities right before a WCCO appearance and convinced us to order the book. The next week, we were sold out and scrambling to find more copies. While many vilify self-publishing, Vince showed that it can be a good tool to establish yourself and gain a better bargaining position.
I think I speak for the entire Crimespree family when I say that Vince is in our thoughts.
Feb 2, 2011
The indie bookstore and you
The mystery community lost another bookstore this week. The Mystery Bookstore in LA has shut it's doors. I'm not exaggerating when I say people are mourning the loss.
Indie stores are vital to the genre of crime fiction. It's where new authors and smaller presses can break out. The people who run them read, a lot. They take it personal, they aren't just moving product, they are trying to sell you something they truly want you to enjoy, and they want to share the enjoyment with you.
As a consumer I understand the allure of shopping places whee things are cheaper. I mean who wants to pay more for something they can get cheaper somewhere else?
But there is also a bigger picture here. If all the indies go out, where will we discover the next Michael Connelly? Walmart and the big chains didn't care to much about his first couple of books. And I certainly don't want to rely on the internet for book recommendations. Not by itself anyway. The best way to learn about books is from other people, and in person if possible. I discovered more authors due to recommendations from book store owners than any other place. And I've never met an author on a website, but the mystery stores bring in authors and the publishers have sent them out to us, and as a result I have met some wonderful writers I may never have read.
So lets look at this realistically. Money is tight, but you want books. I think it's worth a little more to support the indies. If you buy 5 books a month, get one of them from and bookstore that can use the sales. if you only use the library, go out and pick up one or two paperbacks. And while you're at it, buy books by authors who can use the sales. James Patterson won't feel a bump in sales one way or the other, but there are a lot of midlist authors who having sold an extra couple hundred books could make a difference when it comes time to sign a new contract.
I shop amazon, and I like amazon. But I make an effort to spend at least half my book buying money with mystery bookstores.If we don't support the genre we may find ourselves with very few choices, and personally I want more to choose from than just Patricia Cornwell and Dan Brown.I just would not be happy with the choices that the chains want to give me.
If you love the genre, support the genre. If you love reading indie comics and creator owned comics, show your support by shopping at comic shops that carry the books you want to read. Go to mystery bookstores that introduce you to new authors and love the same books the way you do. Bookstores do more than just try to make money, they have a place in our community as a place to meet and share a love of something.
Indie stores are vital to the genre of crime fiction. It's where new authors and smaller presses can break out. The people who run them read, a lot. They take it personal, they aren't just moving product, they are trying to sell you something they truly want you to enjoy, and they want to share the enjoyment with you.
As a consumer I understand the allure of shopping places whee things are cheaper. I mean who wants to pay more for something they can get cheaper somewhere else?
But there is also a bigger picture here. If all the indies go out, where will we discover the next Michael Connelly? Walmart and the big chains didn't care to much about his first couple of books. And I certainly don't want to rely on the internet for book recommendations. Not by itself anyway. The best way to learn about books is from other people, and in person if possible. I discovered more authors due to recommendations from book store owners than any other place. And I've never met an author on a website, but the mystery stores bring in authors and the publishers have sent them out to us, and as a result I have met some wonderful writers I may never have read.
So lets look at this realistically. Money is tight, but you want books. I think it's worth a little more to support the indies. If you buy 5 books a month, get one of them from and bookstore that can use the sales. if you only use the library, go out and pick up one or two paperbacks. And while you're at it, buy books by authors who can use the sales. James Patterson won't feel a bump in sales one way or the other, but there are a lot of midlist authors who having sold an extra couple hundred books could make a difference when it comes time to sign a new contract.
I shop amazon, and I like amazon. But I make an effort to spend at least half my book buying money with mystery bookstores.If we don't support the genre we may find ourselves with very few choices, and personally I want more to choose from than just Patricia Cornwell and Dan Brown.I just would not be happy with the choices that the chains want to give me.
If you love the genre, support the genre. If you love reading indie comics and creator owned comics, show your support by shopping at comic shops that carry the books you want to read. Go to mystery bookstores that introduce you to new authors and love the same books the way you do. Bookstores do more than just try to make money, they have a place in our community as a place to meet and share a love of something.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)