strange and random happenstance

To Kindle or not to Kindle, that is the question. It could be the end of proper publishing or the beginning of more wide spread dissemination of literature to those less likely to pick up a book and more likely to have an iphone. I will just have to see, I am new to the Kindle (I just got it for my birthday), but I gotta say, everything ever written by Wilkie Collins for $4.79!?! I'm over the freakin' moon!

My Pros:
Coolest packaging ever! The box is matte black but spirally out from the kindle logo, all done in glossy black, are letters and symbols. So freakin' cool.

Classic books that are out of print or hard to find available for next to nothing because they are in the public domain, ie Wilkie Collins, Baroness Orczy, the Brontes, Jane Austen, the list goes on and on.

Light, compact library in your hands, great for travel.

Books that are almost too heavy to hold, like Richardson's Clarissa, one of the longest novels in the English language, now fits in the palm of your hand for only $1.20.

The screen really does read like real paper. I thought that maybe they were exaggerating, but really, it's amazing.

I love that you can order right on the Kindle or on the Amazon website and it goes straight to the device.

Books that are more trashy or guilty pleasures, almost throw away novels, are easier to get and cheaper. I think the Kindle will lead to an increase in romance sales, being able to automatically download what you might be too embarrassed to get at a counter, obviously a plus.

All the shelf space I will save.

The books are generally cheaper than printed books.

When the Kindle goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity you see awesome pictures of authors, so far I have seen Edgar Allen Poe twice, Thomas Moore twice, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Oscar Wilde, some really cool Roman lady, John Milton, Lewis Carroll, The Book of Kells, I think Dante, Emily Dickinson and finally Jane Austen. And yes, I have been letting it go to sleep to see the pictures, of course I also found by flicking the power switch you can see them too.

If I want to read a book before picking up a signed edition at the events I love to frequent, now I can buy the Kindle version and not have to spend so much money twice.

Cons:
I will probably still be buying printed books and now have double the income drain.

I love printed books, the feel and way they look on your shelf. You don't really get the feel or grandeur of a "library" with Kindle's library.

Being battery powered means that the battery could run out and a printed book never runs out of power.

The move to a paperless world. I would be heartbroken if someday, during my lifetime, that books ceased to be printed and became only available digitally. (Of course this could circumvent the horrible incidents with the Vashta Nerada as seen on Dr. Who...in other words, the only advantage to not having paper books exists in a fictional tv show, ie there is no advantage).

Lack of footnotes. The Kindle is notorious for omitting footnotes. With authors like Lisa Lutz, and in particular Terry Pratchett this is horrific! Some of their best material is in the footnotes.

Not having a hardcopy of a book. Having it only exist in digital format makes me worry about what will happen in the future, when this technology is outmoded, which it will be, what will happen to my "books"?

Slow connection to get the books depending on where you are.

To Sum Up:
I am thrilled with it so far. At first it took a little time getting used to the controls, but they aren't overly complicated at all. I also accidentally voided the first purchase I made and then it took me a few hours to get it back. But I have gotten a wicked lot of classic for almost nothing and I look forward to reading them all. So, I'll have to get back to you all on final thoughts once I play with it and read on it some more, but I would love to hear what you think about this newest form of technology that is sweeping the globe.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:53 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Amazon, Baroness Orczy, Bronte, Clarissa, Dr. Who, Emily Dickinson, iphone, Jane Austen, Kindle, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Richardson, Wilkie Collins

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters
Published by: Grand Central
Publication Date: 1975
Format: Paperback, 262 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Crocodile on the Sandbank is the first in the beloved Amelia Peabody series. Literally for years every author I love and whose opinions I respect, from Charlaine Harris to Lauren Willig to Colleen Gleason to R.L. LaFevers, have said that these books are dear to their hearts. With so much to recommend it, along with the fact I love Egypt you'd think I'd have picked the series up sooner. Well you'd think that, but sometimes when everyone's on the bandwagon, I like to be over to the side, thinking, I'm sure I won't like it, the covers are so tacky, I'm sure everyone is wrong. Well those days of doubt are over. I love Amelia Peabody! While everyone says, it's basically a female Indiana Jones, I find the writing style is more reminiscent of Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone or The Woman in White, so moody and Victorian.

The book starts with our erstwhile heroine, Amelia, inheriting her fathers estate, which turned out to be quite significant. She's a no-nonsense, parasol wielding, intelligent woman of 32, which makes her think of herself as a spinster. She decides to embark on a grand voyage to see all that she and her father read about in books. From Rome to Egypt, she wants to see it all. She hires herself a companion, one who's a little frail because she likes to mother people, only to have her frailty leave Amelia sans companion by the time she's in Rome. She literally stumbles upon Evelyn, a once wealthy and beautiful girl brought to the verge of suicide by running away with an Italian drawing instructor. Well Amelia doesn't give a fig about the "ruined" label and takes Evelyn on as her companion as they travel to Egypt.

Once in Egypt they encounter the Emerson brothers. The sweet Walter and the gruff yet suspiciously Darcy-esque Radcliffe who are planning on excavating at Amarna on the banks of the Nile. Evelyn and Walter fall instantly and madly in love, though Evelyn vows to never burden Walter by marrying him, due to her despoiling. Before Amelia and Evelyn leave Cairo, Evelyn's cousin, Lucas, arrives to tell her of their Grandfather's death due to the shock of Evelyn leaving. Lucas declares that though he inherited the family fortune because of Evelyn's fall from grace, he would love her to become his wife and share the fortune that should have rightfully been hers. She rejects him but he vows to follow them down the Nile and convince her.

Amelia and Evelyn's journey down the Nile is brought to an abrupt halt when they reach Amarna. Walter meets them and tells them Emerson is deathly sick. Amelia, medical kit in hand saves his life and then saves his archeological discoveries. While Emerson convalesces Amelia is having the time of her life playing at archeologist and Evelyn is having the time of her life with Walter. But strange things start to happen when a mummy is discovered. First it disappears, then the hired locals desert the site saying it's cursed. Finally the mummy starts nighttime perambulations. But this spectre couldn't possibly be supernatural? Could it? And what does it want? Are they to abandon the dig site because it is possessive of it? Or does the mummy really want Evelyn? The strange happenings keep on coming, even after the arrival of Lucas. But despite injury and terror everything works out in the end for our protagonists.

While the plot was predictable to a certain extent and I was able to figure out what was happening long before the characters, this was by no means a flaw. The book is written in such an interesting first person narrative that despite being sure I knew what was going on I was still gripped to the edge of my seat. I found that Evelyn maybe fainted one too many times, but the women are by no means weak, especially if Amelia's parasol is nearby! (This has to be where Lady Gwen gets her parasol in Lauren Willig's books.) I also found it very helpful that I had studied Art History because I knew all about the dig at Amarna and the ruler who believed in the one true God, the Sun. Who knew that I could find such enjoyable entertainment from Ancient to Renaissance Art classes? I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Egyptology, even if your interest has only been The Mummy movies so far!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amarna, Amelia Peabody, Book Review, Charlaine Harris, Collen Gleason, Darcy, Egypt, Elizabeth Peters, Emerson, Lauren Willig, Mummy, Mystery, Nile, Parasol, R. L. R. L. LaFevers

Due to the fact that there are no new books being released this week that even mildly interest me I thought that I'd debut a new post entitled "Great Finds." This will be a random post for whenever I've been out battling the book buying hordes and return triumphant from the fray clutching my latest find. The thing with having a severe book buying addiction is to find ways to maximize your resources. Therefore when I buy books from the big box stores I use coupons and wait for the percent off to be great enough to justify the purchase. All other times I shop used. Shopping used is also good for me because a lot of the books I search for are out of print. But, I find, you get a greater joy shopping used, it's like a game or a hunt. Can you find a certain book, at a certain price, in a certain condition. Plus, unlike most bookstores, the inventory is constantly changing, so your chance of success is helped or hindered every week. Plus there are many people out there who will sell and get ride of something you might hold dear. While I tend to think of them as idiots for parting with something that I've been looking for, they probably think of me the same for wanting it.

The things I always look for in used books are condition and quality as well as price. The first thing is overall appearance, does it look in good condition. The second, is the binding still tight and clean, because, even cheap, you want your book to not fall apart. Thirdly, smell. Books have an odor, sometimes musty, sometimes not, but if that book has been around some weird odors it will absorb them, and you don't want the book stinking up your house. Lastly comes the price, because if it's passed all other criteria the price determines if I'll get it. On a rare occurrence price will eliminate it immediately, but, there are always exceptions.... All these reasons are why it's best to buy used books in person, because you really can't determine this over the internet, and people sometimes think you are weird asking questions about how the book smells to them.

So what do I have to crow about this week? Well...I was at Half Priced Books, and someone who was an Arthur Conan Doyle buff must be moving, or just decided they no longer wanted his books, because I got seven of the nine volume Book of the Month Club Sherlock Holmes. Gorgeous hardcovers with wonderful endpapers and fully illustrated. They also look as if they have never been opened let alone read! They were cheaper than paperback editions and I had a 15% off coupon as well. As soon as I get the final two volumes I will, for the first time in my life, have the complete Sherlock Holmes! I also found a great copy of The Bronte Myth by Lucasta Miller at Frugal Muse for only a few dollars, and to think I was going to pay full price!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:01 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Arthur Conan Doyle, Book of the Month Club, Bronte, Frugal Muse, Great Finds, Sherlock Holmes, Used Bookstores

For the Madisonians who read my blog I have exciting news. The new Frugal Muse opened today! For years Frugal Muse has been hands down the best used bookstore in Madison, and I don't think this is likely to change anytime soon. They have the nicest and most knowledgeable staff, as well as the fastest turnover rate for books, meaning new finds are possible every week. I still fondly recall finding the numbered Penguin Trollope there and hold out hope to one day find the rest, the person who owned the first half has to have the second half and may one day sell it! Their move is still a little bittersweet for me, I loved their old west side location behind Barnes & Noble and next to Westfield Comics. The rambling nature of the store and the feeling you could easily get lost. Their new location next to Old Navy and Target is bigger and sleeker, but I think what makes it work is that the bigger means there's more room for books. So while the old location will still hold a certain nostalgia, the added space for books sways me. If only I could get added space for my books too?

The new location is shaped more like a shoebox and is very logically laid out. The Childrens section seems to be smaller but conveniently located near the registers. But the Young Adult section appears to have expanded, which I am so in favor of. The Mystery and Science Fiction Hardcovers are interestingly nestled within the end of the alphabet in Fiction. The shelves currently have a lot of space left, meaning more books to come! But I think the most important thing about the move being over is that I no longer have my favorite bookstore at half power. The last few months have been depressing seeing the old store slowly being emptied, almost as if they were going out of business. But now that my store is back, all the hours to spend searching the shelves...in fact maybe it's not a good idea the location opened, I have to re-factor in the time suck and the extra shelving needed! Go enjoy perusing the shelves the grand opening is still to come!

Frugal Muse
235 Junction Road (The Prairie Towne Shopping Center next to Old Navy)
608-833-8668
Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm
Sunday 10am-5pm

Posted by Miss Eliza at 5:31 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Anthony Trollope, Bookstores, Frugal Muse, Used Bookstores, Westfield Comics

Back in February the book group I belong to chose Emma by Jane Austen as it's selection. I had not read Emma in over a decade and thought it was long overdue to revisit the inhabitants of Highbury. I had a really hard time getting back into the book, which for me is odd. I love Austen and Emma used to be in the top three (previous Austen ranking being: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey). I think it's just been too long since I've read this and I'm older and, to an extent, more mature. When I was younger I thought wouldn't it be cool to be Emma trying to control everybody and move them around like her own chess pieces or living dolls. But now that I'm older, no thank you! (She's a little bit of a bitch). But after the re-reading, I thought lets watch the Andrew Davies adaptation again. I personally favor the Gwyneth Paltrow version with Jeremy Notham and Alan Cumming, but it's Andrew Davies, so it's worth another try. I still did not really like it. The adaptation was enjoyable, and I like seeing my favorite actors but I had some issues (see below for detailed list), also I personally think Andrew Davies' issues with Emma also color the adaptation. He doesn't like Emma and thinks Knightly a creep and Frank Churchill psychotic, and he's got a point. In his introduction to the Emma re-issue by Max Literary Classics, he says flat out Emma is a spoiled brat and that it's plain creepy how Mr. Knightly is attracted to a girl he held in his arms as a baby and was attracted to when she was about 13, making him the Humbert Humbert of his day. This prejudice of his, while I agree is a valid interpretation, leads to Mr. Knightly discussing how he held her as a baby twice in the film, which isn't exactly a romantic thought. But he devotes the majority of his introduction to Frank Churchill, the man who continually insults the woman he loves for all to hear. Traditionally, Jane Fairfax is more of an Austen heroine, she's poor and gets secretly engaged, yet all works out for her...but does it. To marry a man so taciturn and so willing to commit deceit to get what he wants, even if it hurts those he loves, is not exactly a happily ever after. She's really marrying a mental case, I mean at the root here is someone who gave Jane deep pain despite saying he loves her! Also she tries to break it off to no avail. Poor poor Jane. This dislike of Frank also leads to their relationship being a little less romantic in this adaptation and a little more a psychological game. All in all I don't think there yet exists a perfect version of Emma, but there is hope, the new version will be longer and has a great cast, so cling to that. Till then, this is enjoyable, but not the perfect happiness one would like. My Main Problems: Mark Strong as Mr. Knightly. He is a fine actor, but, I'm sorry, even if Mr. Knightly is far older than Emma, a receding hairline is not attractive. Samantha Morton's wig. She has yet another atrocious wig job, she had quite a few around this period, also she was heavily overused, being in Tom Jones to Jane Eyre, some working better than others. Lucy Robinson's accent as Mrs. E. And what the hell is that accent supposed to be? It's like weird posh meets badly done broad American. It's too rural, with focusing on the chickens and farmers. Only 90 minutes! At this length the book is done in such broad strokes, yet it seems to randomly jump about, like they weren't sure of how the overall thing worked so it feels patched together. Things I love:(Or maybe I should have said thing). The servants! Just watch the poor put upon servants in every scene, they are priceless. From having to carry large furniture up Box Hill to having to provide knee pads so Mr. Knightly's guests can pick strawberries "like in nature". If only nature provided be-wigged footmen holding my fruit picking basket and providing a nice cushion so I wouldn't soil my clothes. Also for anyone interested my current Austen Ranking is: Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Emma.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Cumming, Andrew Davies, eckinsale, Emma, Emma Woodhouse, Frank Churchill, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Austen, Jane Fairfax, Jeremy Notham, Kate Beckinsale, Lucy Robinson, Mr. Knightly, Samantha Morton

Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison
Published by: HarperCollins Childrens (Uk), HarperTeen (US)
Publication Date: June 2009 (UK), October 6th, 2009 (US)
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (UK)
To Preorder (US)

In the tenth and final installment of Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series, Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? Georgia is once again on the rack of luurve. I have always been a big supporter of these books with it's witty protagonist and inventive use of the English language, but, I am also glad to say the series has come it's end (in it's current incarnation). This last installment seemed a little stale. Georgia is once again trying to find where she stands with a Luurve God and with Dave the Laugh. But haven't we been here before? The jokes have been used one too many times and the situations are a little frayed around the edges. While we have been spending ten years reading the exploits of Georgie only two years have passed in her world. The lack of time is occasionally frustrating, because the first and second book were the only two with a distinct time lapse, the rest have been under a month! So while it seems Georgie has been on the rack for awhile, it's actually early days for her yet. But I did enjoy the fact that she seems to be gaining some maturiosity. She comes to realize that with a boyfriend like Masimo she doesn't have that much in common other than the snogging, so what do you do with a boyfriend like that? Well how about upgrade to a guy who is not only cute but funny, who you aren't nervous around and who you don't pretend to be someone you're not around and who likes you and thinks you're beautiful? Maybe Dave? We also get to see another hilarious Billy Shakespeare adaptation, this time Rom and Jul, with Georgia playing Merc-Lurk-io. Jas also becomes less of a spaz and tries to be a little less clingy when it comes to Tom. Also was there this much German in earlier books?

The one thought I have is, what would happen to Georgia later in life? While the current teen aspect has run its course what would happen if Louise Rennison decided to relaunch the series later in Georgia's life. This isn't a far fetched idea either. Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend was a huge success in the 80s and later she decided to continue his tale later in his life. He started out as 13 3/4s in 1983 but by 2004 he was 34. I personally think this would work for Georgia, plus she could give Bridget Jones a run for her money, especially seeing as they are making yet another film (why I ask, why!?! The second was awful and in my mind hurt the perfection of the original).

As a final note, I loved the Rowan Atkinson quote (I think it's from Blackadder, but I was also watching The Thin Blue Line recently, so one of those): "You wouldn't get it if it came in a large bag marked IT!"

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:24 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adrian Mole, Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?, Blackadder, Book Review, Georgie Nicholson, Louise Rennison, Sue Townsend

Bloody Right: Brytewood Book 3 by Georgia Evans
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 4th, 2009
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It will take all of Brytewood's Others to save their village from destruction in the climax of a Georgia Evans' supernatural trilogy.

Gryffyth Pendragon has done his bit for the war effort when he comes back to sleepy Brytewood from the battlefront at Trondheim. It cost him a leg, and his chance to use his dragon's strength against the Nazis—or so he thinks. Until he finds out that his little village is facing a plague of vampire spies set on delivering it to the Third Reich. They've come up with a plan that, if they can pull it off, might break all of Britain's will to fight.

But there are more allies for Gryffyth in Brytewood than he'd ever imagined, and while a doctor, a nurse, a schoolteacher, and a couple of sexagenarians doesn't sound like much of a battle force to him, there's more to his cohorts than meets the eye. Against ancient and impossibly powerful agents of evil, they will need every man, woman, and dragon-shifter they can get."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 3:11 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bloody Awful, Bloody Good, Bloody Right, Georgia Evans, Sookie Stackhouse, Southern Vampire Series, Tuesday Tomorrow, Vampires

Forest Born by Shannon Hale
Published by: Bloomsbury
ARC Provided by a Friend
Publication Date: September 15th, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Preorder

"Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure."

Shannon Hale has been a very busy writer, since her last Bayern book was released in 2006. She has written two adult books, another adaptation of a fairy tale and a graphic novel. But with Forest Born she finally gives us readers what we have been waiting for, a return to Bayern. In this book we follow Rin, Razo's little sister. Her abilities are far different to any of the "fire sisters" we have seen before, which also leads to a new more free flowing, train of thought writing when we are in Rin's mind. We see all the characters we love and learn what has been happening in their lives. But I had problems with Rin as the focal point of all these intertwined lives. Rin is such a non-character, in the beginning, and she was obviously written as such. She is quite literally a shadow who eventually takes form. But it is hard to befriend a shadow. It is hard to identify with a wraith. It is hard to take a girl into your heart who you aren't sure who she is. But then again she doesn't know who she is either, and therefore your unease with her mirrors her own feelings about herself very well. I found Rin and her powers fascinating, but I think her progress could have been more rapid in parts. It takes awhile to face your demons, but sometimes narratively they should be faced faster.

The journeys contained within the book, both of body and mind lead our characters to Kel. There they do valiant deeds and Rin discovers more about herself than she originally bargained for when she followed Razo to the great city. I will not spoil anything as per the author's request, but I felt that Shannon Hale relied too much on a few cliched conventions in this book then her previous ventures. When I went to WisCon back in May I attended a panel entitled "Kick Ass Moms" wherein the authors discussed the habit of when you have a mother the cliched thing to do is to put that child in danger. Baby jeopardy is a big theme which is overused, and Shannon Hale does use this in Forest Born. She does handle it better than I was expecting, but still, I'm not sure it works as a driving plot force for a teen book. Also she uses the old trick of old enemies always return for the sequel. It felt a bit like that last scene in Bruce Campbell's film, My Name is Bruce, where they have just defeated Guan-Di, and then the sequel set-up is literally two seconds later. While the end result is great, it still felt a little worn.

But in the final analysis I loved seeing where our friends in Bayern have ended up and even if I wasn't wild about Forest Born the first read-through, it got the same rating I gave Enna Burning the first time, and I now love Enna! So Forest Born might grow on me to be a four star review, now that I know Rin more I'd be willing to give it another chance. But it is strongly recommended for all those who love the denizens of Bayern.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:40 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bayern, Book Review, Bruce Campbell, Enna Burning, Forest Born, Goose Girl, My Name is Bruce, River Secrets, Shannon Hale