Book Nook Cafe discussion

Here is the thread to discuss Kindles, Nooks, e-Reading, and audiobooks.

Share your thoughts and tips right here. :)

Read a good book on your eReader? Listened to a terrific audiobook? Did you find a terrific audiobook reader? Have an audiobook or eReader book you want to warn others away from? Dish here ! :)

Find any good deals on eBooks or audio books?

We want to hear all about it.

---- Find Me
by André Aciman; narrated by Michael Stuhlbarg

What it is: a follow-up to the bestselling Call Me By Your Name, which picks up years later as Elio, his father Samuel, and Elio's first love Oliver start -- and end -- relationships.

Narration: In this AudioFile Earphones Award-winning recording, actor Michael Stuhlbarg (who portrayed Samuel in the 2017 film adaptation of Call Me By Your Name) offers a warm and contemplative reading.



---- Ninth House
by Leigh Bardugo; narrated by Lauren Fortgang and Michael David Axtell

What it's about: Alex Stern, a high school dropout with the ability to see ghosts, receives a full scholarship to Yale, where she's tasked with monitoring the university's secret societies. She soon discovers that the elite institution is willing to turn a blind eye to their occult transgressions.

Narration: Lauren Fortgang's commanding, leisurely paced narration elevates the intrigue and suspense; Michael David Axtell gives an expressive reading as Darlington, Alex's mentor who has disappeared.



---- Where the Light Enters
by Sara Donati; narrated by Kate Reading

The short version: The pursuit of justice brings the Savard cousins together in this sequel to The Gilded Hour, set in 1880s Manhattan.

Narration: Kate Reading's dramatic narration complements author Sara Donati's evocative prose.



---- The Spotted Dog
by Kerry Greenwood; narrated by Jennifer Vuletic

What happens: When a Scottish veteran suffering from PTSD enlists her ex-Mossad agent boyfriend Daniel to find his kidnapped dog, baker and amateur sleuth Corinna helps investigate.

Narration: Jennifer Vuletic breezily narrates this 7th entry in the Australian-set Corinna Chapman cozy mystery series.



----- How We Fight for Our Lives
by Saeed Jones; narrated by Saeed Jones

What it's about: Award-winning poet Saeed Jones reflects on his fraught coming-of-age and his struggle to make a life for himself.

Narration: Jones narrates his poignant Kirkus Prize-winning memoir with candor and intimacy.



----- Slay
by Brittney Morris; narrated by Kiersey Clemons, Michael Boatman, Alexandra Grey, Dominic Hoffman, and Sisi Aisha Johnson

What it’s about: No one knows that 17-year-old Kiera is the developer behind SLAY, an online role-playing game she created as a refuge for black gamers. But her anonymity is threatened when the murder of a SLAY player puts the game under fire from the media and Kiera has to defend her creation.

Narration: Actress Kiersey Clemons' emotional reading as Kiera conveys the mounting stakes of this own voices debut; a handful of other narrators briefly portray the diverse group of gamers drawn to SLAY.


---- High School
by Sara Quin and Tegan Quin; narrated by Sara Quin and Tegan Quin

What it is: a moody coming-of-age memoir from Canadian indie pop duo (and identical twins) Tegan and Sara.

Narration: Alternating narrative duties throughout, the pair offer an intimate glimpse into their career beginnings; audio from home videos and the duo's early song recordings make this a must-listen for fans.



----- The Deep
by Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes; narrated by Daveed Diggs

The premise: Descended from pregnant African women thrown overboard by slavers, the wajinru (their name means "chorus of the deep") are an aquatic people united by the history they elect to forget.

Narration: Tony Award-winning Hamilton star Daveed Diggs employs a range of character voices in this fantasy novella inspired by a song he co-wrote with his hip hop group Clipping.



----- Nothing to See Here
by Kevin Wilson; narrated by Marin Ireland

What it's about: Lillian has agreed to watch her friend Madison's stepchildren for the summer. Twist: they burst into flames when upset.

Narration: In this AudioFile Earphones Award-winning recording, Marin Ireland deftly portrays the novel's quirky cast of relatable Southern-accented characters with distinct voices and tones.

I like that the Quin sisters narrated their own book, each according to her own sections. Clever move.

I thought this might be a good place to mention an issue specific to ebooks...

I have a book that's recently been showing barely 50% completed on my Kindle. Frankly, while it's decent, another 50% would make a very long slog indeed! Turns out that the index, etc. takes up around 35% of the space, so that I'm where I'd like to be in terms of the text itself. I suppose a massive print book might be similar, but it's easier to flip through it to get a feel.

I find that frustrating too, John. One sure sign the book is moving too slowly is if i stop to see where the last chapter ends & notes begin. Then i do the math to see if I’m willing to continue. For most books i am but if i learned I was only 50%through the prose itself, I’d probably stop reading.

Spying on the South: Travels with Frederick Law Olmsted in a Fractured Land is the book, which the system wouldn't link to earlier.

John wrote: "I thought this might be a good place to mention an issue specific to ebooks...

I have a book that's recently been showing barely 50% completed on my Kindle. Frankly, while it's decent, another 50%..."

Good point. I try to look at the table of contents if there is one to get a feel for the book.

My husband was e-reading his first Project Gutenberg book yesterday, George Gissing’s By the Ionian Sea. Thinking he had 30 or so more pages, he suddenly reached the end, the rest was page after page of Pro. Gutenberg legal notices. Of course i had to tell him about this discussion.

John wrote: "Spying on the South: Travels with Frederick Law Olmsted in a Fractured Land is the book, which the system wouldn't link to earlier."

John, I’ve forgotten, did you read this book? Frederick Law Olmsted is known for so many landscaping projects that i forgot he wrote other things. As we travel in the U.S. South we randomly see mention of him in brochures and historic markers, so this might be a good starting point. I rather liked Tony Horwitz’s Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War with his look at the South.

madrano wrote: "John wrote: "Spying on the South: Travels with Frederick Law Olmsted in a Fractured Land is the book, which the system wouldn't link to earlier."

John, I’ve forgotten, did you read..."

I had set the book aside, leaving part of it for later, which meant that I finished the book earlier today (63% completed showing at the end of the actual text/story). Thought of you as the more familiar one is with Texas, culture and landscapes, the more meaning the reader should get out of it.

Curious how things work. Having declared i was unaware of Frederick Law Olmsted’s writing, i ran across referee to one, the Texas one. I was trying to decide whether i wanted to read Off the Beaten Page: The Best Trips for Lit Lovers, Book Clubs, and Girls on Getaways by Terri Peterson Smith. She wrote about visiting US cities with a rich book history—that is books written about them or authors from there. (I opted not to read it, btw.)For Austin she mentioned O’s A Journey Through Texas; Or, a Saddle-Trip on the Southwestern Frontier.

Familiarity does indeed make a book more appealing to me, John, which is why i imagine I’ll seek out the Olmsted. Thanks again for the title to both his & Horowitz’s books.

I'm curious whether any others here have started to read (or considered) a print book, but switched to the e-book edition due to disliking the published font, or finding the physical book just difficult or awkward to work with?

I have kept the print book while simultaneously reading an e-book due to the size & awkwardness of the print version. Because the print had numerous photos of art & people, i kept it as reference while reading the other.

I don’t recall font bothering me in the past but in my dotage I find small print tires my eyes, so i have tried to locate larger print versions. Too often, however, the problem book is old & i’ve been unable to switch. Often i just surrender the attempt.

Has this happened to you recently, John?

Yes, both have happened. One book that I looked into on the library shelf was basically square-shaped which is rather awkward to hold and read for me. I've run across books where the paper used causes slight glare issues for me.

I read a Little Women anthology which was huge. Problem is that I do most of my reading in bed and boy that book was so awkward to hold-I had to lay on my side to read it. Heaven forbid I would fall asleep and have the book come crashing down on my head. I did finish it but I would think twice now about getting such a big book to read.

I've read the eBook version for some longer fiction books due to their size and ease of bringing it with me on the subway.

However, many of the history and other non fiction reads I enjoy are usually on the longer side, for those books I prefer to make notes in the books so an e-book is out. Yes, I know I can make a note in a e-book but it just isn't the same for me. I also retain more with a paper book.

One book that I do want to read that I had recommended to a friend for her brother's Christmas gift was These Truths: A History of the United States---Jill Lepore. It's a book I've been waiting for the paperback to read. Unfortunately, my friends brother complained about the tiny font. I'll have to check it out in the book store. If the font is indeed tiny, I may have to take a pass. It's a big book and one I don't want to rush through with the few weeks I get for eBooks from the library and can't renew. Also with a library book I wouldn't have my marginalia.

Glare has caused some problems for me over the years but usually a change of reading locations “cures” that problem. It’s weird because i like glossy pages but there is a limit to how much, i guess.

I no longer read in bed but sometimes i try to read a book while reclining on a sofa & need a lighter book. My arms get too tired.

Alias, i’m with you on the ownership of such books. Where i tend to fail is in completing such books. This is likely because i own the book, so put it down & forget to return to reading it.

I saw these science/nature books on sale for the kindle. I thought they sounded interesting.

The Elephant Whisperer
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
by Lawrence Anthony
$2.99
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse.


Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?
by Bill McKibben
$3.99
Thirty years ago Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about climate change. Now he broadens the warning: the entire human game, he suggests, has begun to play itself out


The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full...
by Dr. Steven Novella
$2.99
The USA TODAY bestseller is now in paperback with a new chapter on Global Warming! This all-encompassing guide to skeptical thinking from podcast host and academic neurologist at Yale University.

Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind
Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind
by Annaka Harris
$1.99
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"If you’ve ever wondered how you have the capacity to wonder, some fascinating insights await you in these pages. ” --Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author...


Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us
Slime: How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us
by Ruth Kassinger
$2.99
“No organisms are more important to life as we know it than algae. In Slime, Ruth Kassinger gives this under-appreciated group its due. ” —Elizabeth Kolbert Say “algae” and most people think of...


The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019 (The Best American Series ®)
by Sy Montgomery
$2.99
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER Sy Montgomery, New York Times best-selling author and recipient of numerous awards, edits this year’s volume of the finest science and nature writing.


Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent
Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent
by Gabrielle Walker
$2.99
Antarctica is the most alien place on the planet, the only part of the earth where humans could never survive unaided. Out of our fascination with it have come many books, most of which focus on only one aspect of its unique strangeness. None has managed to capture the whole story—until now.


That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands
That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands
by Mark Kenyon
$1.99
From prominent outdoorsman and nature writer Mark Kenyon comes an engrossing reflection on the past and future battles over our most revered landscapes—America’s public lands.

Did you purchase any, Alias? While most of the topics interested me, i didn’t think i would actually read any of them. Being a skeptic, Steven Novella’s book sounds good but i too often find myself either angry or depressed reading on the topic.

madrano wrote: "Did you purchase any, Alias? While most of the topics interested me, i didn’t think i would actually read any of them. Being a skeptic, Steven Novella’s book sounds good but i too ..."

No, I'm trying to be good and not buy so many books.

I do enjoy the
The Best American ...... series of books.

Those do sound like a good addition to libraries, imo.

Wasn't sure about my current audiobook French Exit, but the second part (after they leave NYC) is much easier to get into.

John wrote: "Wasn't sure about my current audiobook French Exit, but the second part (after they leave NYC) is much easier to get into."

I find it often pays off to stick with a book.

I am toying with getting Kindle Unlimited. You can get a free month trial. After that it is $10. There might be a 6 months sign up contract I'm not sure.

What is making me consider this is that it also includes audio books. I wasn't aware of that. I thought it was only kindle books. And generally speaking, I prefer paper books to eBooks. But now since I am in lock-down for who knows how long, I think I would enjoy the audio books on my exercise walks. I do like eBooks on my subway ride. Though I guess I won't be on mass trasit for who knows how long. :( I can't even think about that right now, it all is too much for me to wrap my brain around.

I have to see if I can see what types of books are offered. If it is a lot of romance and chick lit I'm not interested. Not that there is anything wrong with those genre. They are just not my cup of tea.

I saw this online.
"None of the major publishing houses have made their books available on Kindle Unlimited. That means no Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, HarperCollins, or Simon & Schuster. If you have a favorite author, there’s a good chance their work is published by one of these “Big Five”.

"Right now, there are more than 1.4 million books available on Kindle Unlimited. Of those, almost 1.3 million books are Amazon Exclusives. This means they’re not available for sale anywhere else; in other words, they’re all self-published"
https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/kindle-...

ANYway, does anyone here have Kindle Unlimited? Your thoughts?

Maybe, I'll just stick with the eBooks and audio books I can get from my library.

I used the Kindle Unlimited subset of Kindle lending library from the Kindle Prime, with which I'm generally satisfied. Currently, I'm reading a historical mystery that's pretty good Murder in the Crypt, and I liked last month's Swallows & Robins - The Guests In My Garden, not at all romance! Throw in unlimited access to audiobooks and it sounds like a great trial.

John, I have Amazon Prime and I know about the monthly choice of a few books. Honestly, I rarely get them. Is Kindle Lending library something else ?

There is an Amazon Prime benefit, I believe, where one can choose from a few titles that are some sort of new releases? Kindle lending library is a feature available to all Amazon Prime members who own either a Fire tablet or a Kindle e-reader device: a subsection of Kindle unlimited titles, I believe the number is roughly a thousand or so, is available for a one book per month (you don't get another in the same month if you finish it quickly); you can keep that book longer if you like, but cannot borrow the following month's title until that one has been returned.

Thanks. I have a kindle fire and am Prime. I see if I can find more info.

I found this online. I check it out tomorrow.
Thanks again !

To borrow a book, Open the Amazon Kindle Store on your eReader, Fire tablet or Fire Phone, and from the Settings menu select Lending Library. You'll be presented with a range of genres, so select the one that takes your fancy. Then scroll down the list presented and tap the book you'd like to borrow.May 16, 2016

Just to let you know that i think all of us here learn from such exchanges of info. So, thanks for not just emailing this info. Occasionally we think about going Amazon routes but end up talking ourselves out of it for now. We promise ourselves someday...when we will make the time to figure it all out. OR when our nephew will be able to help us out. LOL!

Since we are in lock-down and my gym is closed, walking is my main exercise at this time, I downloaded an audio book from the library to help make the time pass.

Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss- Rajeev Balasubramanyam

So far I'm enjoying it.

Reviews/synopsis

“Searingly funny, uplifting, and wonderful . . . Professor Chandra is as unbending a curmudgeon as one could wish to find scowling from the pages of a novel.”—Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand and The Summer Before the War

Professor Chandra is an internationally renowned economist, divorced father of three (quite frankly baffling) children, recent victim of a bicycle hit-and-run—but so much more than the sum of his parts.

In the moments after the accident, Professor Chandra doesn’t see his life flash before his eyes but his life’s work. He’s just narrowly missed the Nobel Prize (again), and even though he knows he should get straight back to his pie charts, his doctor has other ideas.

All this work. All this success. All this stress. It’s killing him. He needs to take a break, start enjoying himself. In short, says his doctor, he should follow his bliss. Professor Chandra doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

Praise for Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss

“Professor Chandra is a wonderful character—stodgy, flawed, contentious, contemptuous—yet vulnerable, insecure, lonely, repentant, and ridiculous enough to win our sympathy. . . . In the end, Balasubramanyam’s novel is a sort of Christmas Carol for a new age.”—NPR

“Impressively, Balasubramanyam . . . balances satire and self-enlightenment [in] a surprisingly soulful family tale that echoes Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections in its witty exploration of three children trying to free themselves from the influence of their parents.”—The Guardian

“Funny from start to finish . . . Spending time with Professor Chandra feels like you’ve been in therapy, in a good way.”—Irish Times

“Funny, affecting . . . Chandra is a delightful creation: peevish, intolerant, intellectually exacting, unwittingly eccentric, nerdy, needy yet lovable. The book, like its picaresque hero, is a one-off.”—The Sunday Times

Great that it's working out for you! Do you listen on a phone using Overdrive (Libby) app?

I use overdrive on my iPod Touch.

This sounds like a good book. Thanks for the intro, Alias.

As something distracting for the next couple of weeks, I've downloaded Dickens' Our Mutual Friend (31 hours), which I bought at Audible a few years back. Simon Vance is an outstanding narrator for these books, and as I don't recall anything much of the plot it should prove a great re-read!

John wrote: "As something distracting for the next couple of weeks, I've downloaded Dickens' Our Mutual Friend (31 hours), which I bought at Audible a few years back. Simon Vance is an outstanding ..."

I haven't read that one.

The narrator can make all the difference.

Curiouser and curiouser... as Alice in Wonderland would have said... It seems there are actually three different ebook benefits with Kindle Prime, which are not mutually exclusive...

Kindle First, which is apparently a choice among a half-dozen titles from first-time authors? Kindle Lending Library, one book per month as mentioned above, and Kindle Reading(?), up to ten titles at a time from that (separate) list.

I have not yet returned my March selection from Kindle Lending Library, so when I ran across a book that interested me showing Read Now (for free), I clicked it assuming it would be the sample; but no, the whole book immediately appeared on my Kindle: A Woman in Jerusalem. I had planned on reading the ebook from the library, but if they're going to make the $12 official Kindle item available for nothing, I'll read this one instead!

I don't blame you, John. What a great benefit, particularly those who like contemporary fiction.

While i recall that i enjoyed that Charles Dickens novel, i couldn't remember much about it when you posted, John. This despite the fact i read it only 15 years ago. Reading the GR info, it came flooding back to me. Fascinating look at the newbies.

John wrote: "Curiouser and curiouser... as Alice in Wonderland would have said... It seems there are actually three different ebook benefits with Kindle Prime, which are not mutually exclusive..."

I know about the monthly choice of books. Amazon usually sends me an email. I've only selected a few.

I have randomly run across books that are free for Prime members.

I was totally unaware of the 3 separate options that you mentioned. I don't know why Amazon doesn't make this clear. I would think the more benefits of Prime that they can clearly offer would help them retain members and acquire new ones.

Sometimes if I peruse their bestseller list for eBooks, I will note an older book on the list. Often if I click on that it will be a free or very discounted eBook. So that is one way I find the titles.

I haven't looked at it in a long time, but they also have a bestselling Free ebook list.

The only thing I got was a magazine that I think was on a loan basis. I'm not even sure if it's still on my kindle or I returned it.
My Kindle can be a bit of a black hole. :)

In addition to that Israeli novel, I have a travel narrative book on my Kindle by an author I usually find very humorous (something very much desired in reading these days): The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail. Also, recently I picked up a detective novel in Spanish for $5 as reading practice. I read the first couple of books from the library in English, but the rest of the series hasn't been translated. Kindle has a terrific Spanish - English dictionary.

LOL, Alias, re. that black hole.

John, what great discipline to read books in Spanish. Long ago i purchased a Spanish children's book to see what i could interpret. Very little as it turns out but i still have the book. One word i remember learning was for key, "la llave".

madrano wrote: "LOL, Alias, re. that black hole.

John, what great discipline to read books in Spanish. Long ago i purchased a Spanish children's book to see what i could interpret. Very little as it turns out but..."

Some time back during the Reagan Administration I managed to get a degree in international affairs with a concentration in Spanish. I can generally read it fairly well, and understand it, but I get very nervous trying to speak for fear of making mistakes and not knowing a vocabulary word here and there in the middle of a conversation. So, I do have a couple of dozen books in Spanish to read just so that I don't forget everything, and maybe some of those nasty irregular verb patterns will sink in eventually!

John wrote: "Kindle has a terrific Spanish - English dictionary.."

I'm currently reading the hardcover edition of American Dirt and there are quite a few Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout. I can guess most of them from the context. Still, because I am a nut, I feel compelled to look them up online which is so time consuming. Just this evening I thought this book would have been good to read on the Kindle so I could just tap the word and get a definition.

Well done, John. What a good idea, too. From our travels both my husband & i have been impressed by how much returns to us, even though we never studied languages after high school. The fact so much German returned to him was surprising because he hadn't been there in over 30s when we arrived in '90. We are both determined to attempt to refresh what we now recall and, possibly, learn more.

Our foray into French in '18 was an unfortunate try, as neither of us had ever taken the language. However, by the end of our week class i could translate much of the photos of signs we took while in Paris. This felt good, of course.

Alias, have you ever found yourself reading a paper book & touching an unfamiliar word to get the dictionary? I LOLed when i first tried that but i've caught myself a couple more times. Those handy dictionaries are a pleasure when reading.

madrano wrote: "Alias, have you ever found yourself reading a paper book & touching an unfamiliar word to get the dictionary? I LOLed when i first tried that but i've caught myself a couple more times. Those handy..."

On a related note, I have caught myself a couple of times reaching for the fob on my keychain, that opens the building doors and activates elevator buttons, to get into my locked apartment, which requires an actual key!

madrano wrote: "Alias, have you ever found yourself reading a paper book & touching an unfamiliar word to get the dictionary? I LOLed when i first tried that but i've caught myself a couple more times. Those handy..."

:) No that hasn't happened to me... yet. It is a handy feature and one I could have used for the Spanish words in my current read.

However, for words in English, I prefer to look the words up in my dictionary as I find this is the only way I have any chance of remembering the definition. I highlight the word in my dictionary. If I look up a word and see it highlighted, I put a check mark. If I see a bunch of check marks, it finally gets through my thick skull that this is a common word and I need to make it my business to learn it. Sometimes if I am feeling ambitious and am home, I will write the word and definition in a notebook I keep for just that purpose. Even if I never look at the notebook again, just writing it down sometimes helps my recall. Obsessive much?.... guilty. LOL

How interesting, John. I can't recall any other movements for myself but am intrigued by yours.

Alias, for me, writing things out help me better remember, too. Sadly, i haven't written out a word & definition in years now, despite my awareness of that fact.

madrano wrote: Alias, for me, writing things out help me better remember, too. Sadly, i haven't written out a word & definition in years now, despite my awareness of that fact.p me better remember, too. Sadly, i haven't written out a word ..."

I'm hit and miss with this. Though now I certainly have the time, so I started a nice clean notebook. :)

Nice. A clean notebook is such a wonder! It probably why a stationery shop or aisle at a store makes me smile.