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Book Groups

Book Groups

Place to come and discuss great books, authors, etc.
Debby Lucken
Ahsan Ali
Ebook of "Free" by Chris Anderson on Scribd. - http://www.scribd.com/doc...
Pity it's not downloadable, though they say that will follow soon. I wouldn't like to read 288 page on scribd. Give us a PDF, please. - Ahsan Ali from Bookmarklet
Ahsan Ali
What your thoughts on E-Book readers ? Kindle, Sony, iLiad, CyGen, etc. Do you have one ? Would you buy one ?
Amazon-Kindle-DX-754575.jpg
When they sell for under $100 bucks I'm there. - William McCamment
The Kindle DX especially is over the top in pricing ! - Ahsan Ali
I have the kindle and kindle 2 ... Awesome for travel. - Jonathan Greene from iPhone
I think the future of literature is audiobooks, not e-readers. I am an avid reader and over half of my reading is now done through audio, because I can do something else while listening... run the treadmill, commute, cut the grass, etc. It's all about multi-talking now, and an e-reader is simply a lit book. That's not evolution. =^] - Sean MacDhai
Jonathan, how does it handle PDFs ? Zoom or Reflow of text ? - Ahsan Ali
I now use the Kindle for iPhone. I had the original Kindle, but didn't like carrying the extra device. - Jeremy Malin
i listen to tons of podiobooks & serialized podcasts - but i also read via kindle app in my iphone which i love - i own a sony reader, have for years but i don't carry it when traveling anymore... - mike "glemak" dunn
mike, Jeremy, I don't have an iphone but I wonder if it would be as comfortable for reading novel-length books ? Isn't _e-ink_ the differentiating factor for ebook readers ? - Ahsan Ali
i have zero problems reading novels on my iphone but yes for dedicated ereaders, eink is the key (disclosure: my company has an investment in eink so biased i suppose)... - mike "glemak" dunn
Mike, that's interesting. Do you have some insights into why the readers are so expensive ? Is it something to do with the cost of e-ink technology ? - Ahsan Ali
will never use one until the books are cheaper than paper books e,g, half price ? - Adrian
lol ahsan, no comment on specifics but all devices are the sum of all components & associated biz models to support them - mike "glemak" dunn
Thanks Mike - that can be interpreted in several ways, but let's leave it that ;) - Ahsan Ali
So Kindle DX is 359$ (only US) and books are priced 50% cheaper than print (most popular books seen on http://www.amazon.com/dp...). Would consider it with cheaper device although higher prices on books. - Bertrand Doux
The biggest issue with reading on the iPhone is that, with the default font size, you don't get a lot per page. It probably comes to about 5-6 lines per page. It's just a lot of flipping. Still easier than carrying a bunch of books or another device. - Jeremy Malin
i'll be waiting for Amazon to make an Android kindle app. Until then I'll listen to the podcasts that are back logged. Thinking about audiobooks too. - Mike VanLare (slayerboy)
My wifes sony reader just died.. and she was heartbroken.. she absolutely loves the thing. It really is amazing, and worth the money if you read. - Tim Hoeck
The kindle dx is awesome - j1m
Kindle and Sony mentioned so far. Has anyone tried the alternatives - someone from Europe/UK perhaps ? Cool-er, iLiad, CyGen, Borders' custom reader ? - Ahsan Ali
I am an autjor and want to publish my last book on one of them? For a publisher which one is easy ? how why? - Atif
have to agree wiv William under 100 - eric
I think e-readers are definitely the future, though I don't want yet another gadget, I want the capability built into a PMP. As for the concept, I'm not a fan at all. Paperbacks can be bought for less than $3 used, and I can share them with others when finished. Most books in my home are recycled, and much of my reading material comes from friends. Nope, I won't be jumping ship to e-readers until the same model can be applied. - jcunwired
I have a Kindle 2 and I like it a lot. I can't say anything about the others. I haven't tried them. I do think one should only buy one now if you either have an absolute need for it (which I don't) or want to experience "the future" ahead of time. I think the screen technology is still very immature. I think that in two years it will start to make sense for more use cases. In any case I've said farewell to paper books. :) - Meryn Stol
I tend to avoid buying one-purpose devices. These days that's not too hard to do. My netbook is my e-book reader. - Jack Carlson
"books are priced 50% cheaper than print" Bertrand, that's not my experience. Maybe for fiction? If you're lucky, there's a 20% discount or so on the recent non-fiction titles. Often, the discount is even less. As a European I do save a lot on shipping though, and I don't have to wait for weeks for books to arrive. But Kindle books are not cheap at all. I actually am a little disappointed by it. I feel like I'm being ripped off. You have to keep in mind that Amazon generally has low prices of course. - Meryn Stol
No and no. - Melanie Reed
really like the kindle, but the iphone kindle could have better search tool - Ricardo Pietrobon
Ahsan Ali
"calibre is meant to be a complete e-library solution and thus includes library management, format conversion, news feeds to ebook conversion, as well as e-book reader sync features and an integrated e-book viewer." - Ahsan Ali from Bookmarklet
joneilortiz
Is it OK to run an illegal library from my locker at school? - Yahoo! Answers - http://answers.yahoo.com/questio...
"I go to a private school that is rather strict. Recently, the principal and school teacher council released a (very long) list of books we're not allowed to read. I was absolutely appalled, because a large number of the books were classics and others that are my favorites. One of my personal favorites, The Catcher in the Rye, was on the list, so I decided to bring it to school to see if I would really get in trouble. Well... I did but not too much. Then (surprise!) a boy in my English class asked if he could borrow the book, because he heard it was very good AND it was banned! This happened a lot and my locker got to overflowing with the banned books, so I decided to put the unoccupied locker next to me to a good use. I now have 62 books in that locker, about half of what was on the list. I took care only to bring the books with literary quality. Some of these books are:" - joneilortiz from Bookmarklet
I absolutely adore Paradise Lost. I can see why a private school would ban it as it makes satan a sympathetic character and doesn't necessarily place all the blame of humanity's woes on Eve, among, many other things. - Clark the Kittensquisher
I personally think this is wonderful. Of course she could get in a lot of trouble, but I still think it's fantastic. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
The Qu'ran and Canterbury Tales. - joneilortiz
I am surprised they banned CINR considering it was a summer read at my catholic school many years ago. - gerald miller
It is pretty crappy the school wants to train students to think like them, but a couple of things jumped out. She censored the list again for "literary quality" and don't they have a public library in this community? - Dave - SustainedEuphoria
Peter
io9 - Science Fiction Books That Launched Their Own Genres - Books - http://io9.com/5302367...
io9 - Science Fiction Books That Launched Their Own Genres - Books
io9 - Science Fiction Books That Launched Their Own Genres - Books
io9 - Science Fiction Books That Launched Their Own Genres - Books
Peter
Dezeen » Blog Archive » Dezeen podcast: Penguin Covers Then and Now - http://www.dezeen.com/2009...
Dezeen » Blog Archive » Dezeen podcast: Penguin Covers Then and Now
Dezeen » Blog Archive » Dezeen podcast: Penguin Covers Then and Now
Dezeen » Blog Archive » Dezeen podcast: Penguin Covers Then and Now
Ahsan Ali
It's so difficult to read ebooks on a normal screen. I really need an ebook reader, preferably one that preserves PDF layouts. But it's going to take ages for the Kindle to come here, in the Middle-east...
HCIBooks.com
If you have a dog, you should read this book! * The family that learns the true meaning of Christmas when their Lab needs medical care during the holidays. * The intimidating Doberman who becomes a loving mother to an orphaned duckling. * The homeless man whose life is changed when he meets a special dog. * The pocket-size assistance dog who dials...
dog lovers soup.jpg
Ahsan Ali
Alright. I've decided I love http://feedbooks.com, which probably has less texts than Project Gutenberg, but the books are formatted beautifully.
feedbooks.png
I've created a FriendFeed Group for Feedbooks: http://friendfeed.com/feedboo... - Ahsan Ali
Ksana
The Book of Runes, 25th Anniversary Edition: Ralph H. Blum: - http://www.amazon.com/Book-Ru...
The Book of Runes, 25th Anniversary Edition: Ralph H. Blum:
Last year i've made my own runes from wood...and blood;) - Ksana from Bookmarklet
Ksana
Sogyal Rinpoche: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. - http://www.amazon.com/Tibetan...
Sogyal Rinpoche: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.
"In 1927, Walter Evans-Wentz published his translation of an obscure Tibetan Nyingma text and called it the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Popular Tibetan teacher Sogyal Rinpoche has transformed that ancient text, conveying a perennial philosophy that is at once religious, scientific, and practical. Through extraordinary anecdotes and stories from religious traditions East and West, Rinpoche introduces the reader to the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism, moving gradually to the topics of death and dying." - Ksana from Bookmarklet
Ksana
Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films (Cappella Books): Joseph Lanza. - http://www.amazon.com/Phallic...
Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films (Cappella Books): Joseph Lanza.
"Joseph Lanza knows more about my life than I do!" —Ken Russell" - Ksana from Bookmarklet
Ksana
Shaman, Healer, Sage: How to Heal Yourself and Others with the Energy Medicine of the Americas: Alberto Villoldo Ph.D.: Books - http://www.amazon.com/Shaman-... (via http://friendfeed.com/ksana)
Shaman, Healer, Sage: How to Heal Yourself and Others with the Energy Medicine of the Americas: Alberto Villoldo Ph.D.: Books - http://www.amazon.com/Shaman-Healer-Sage-Yourself-Medicine/dp/0609605445/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245620801&sr=1-1 (via http://ff.im/4gk9B)
Ksana
Ksana
Moura: The Dangerous Life of the Baroness Budberg: Nina Berberova, Marian Schwartz, Richard D. Sylvester: Books - http://www.amazon.com/Moura-D... (via http://friendfeed.com/ksana)
Peter McLean
Hi all. I'm new to FF. Avid reader and writer of poetry. Currenty reading "Abbe Mouret's Transgression" by Emile Zola via a site called DailyLit. Does anyone else know of or use this site? It sends you instalments of a book every day, each of which can be read in 10 minutes or so.
Great idea. never tried it. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
Peter
"ARTICLE 20: THE RIGHT TO BE IN-BETWEEN - This article enshrines inalienably the right to alienation for those who want it: Republicans of the in-between, celebrants of the glorious prefix trans and all its panoply of cognates: cousins, second cousins, siblings, half-siblings, in-laws and out, the neither/nor, the both/and, the none of the above, the signatories of the dotted sideline, citizens of the hard-shoulder, the terrain vague, the inside-out and outside-in, the bi-, the semi-, the demi-, the ambi-, the half-blood, the half-cast, the rainbow-shades of grey, the entre deux-guerres and the entre-deux-mers, the slipstream and the tributary, the river that changes its name, the visa that’s all in the vista and the port that’s all in the passing. [...] " - Peter
"[...] De Europese Grondwet in Verzen: een lang gedicht waarin Europees enthousiasme wordt genuanceerd door kritische zin, het grote gebaar aanschurkt tegen poëtische intimiteit en de nodige sérieux zich laat rijmen met satire. [...]" - Peter
Thanks for the post. I bookmarked the site. - Peter McLean
Jen (SquirrelGirl)
"The world of fantasy literature has lost one of its modern giants. David Eddings, best known for his Malloreon series and The Belgariad,  passed away Tuesday at the age of 77. Eddings enjoyed a long career of writing popular books of fantasy, many with his wife Leigh, who passed away in 2007 after a stroke. He freely admitted that he got into writing fantasy for the money, after seeing a copy of The Lord of the Rings in its 73rd printing. Whatever his reasons, however, he delivered well-written books that captivated readers with rich characterizations built on familiar plots. He never pretended to be an author of great literature, preferring rather to think of himself as a storyteller. Eddings passed away in his hometown of Carson City, Nevada of an undisclosed cause. His works will almost certainly live on well after his death to entertain readers for generations to come. All of us at GeekDad mourn his loss." - Jen (SquirrelGirl) from Bookmarklet
Loved both the Malloreon and the Belgariad series. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
Never read any of his stuff but I know a lot of my friends were really into him. - Akiva Moskovitz
The Elenium was always my favorite. He will be missed. - Alex Scrivener
The Belgariad takes me back ... - Chris Munro
Martha Owens
Starting a new summer reading program from my local library. My kids are even involved. I read as much as I can. Keeps my mind sharp
Peter
Why is this group called "Book Groups". Is it about books, or about book groups?
Peter
Why do (Dutch) bookstores put sf and fantasy in the same section, and then make you search for sf like it's a needle in a haystack? Why is there never a horror section?
Jen (SquirrelGirl)
Got through half of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami before I had to return it to the library. Someone had it on hold. Very annoying. Was so good - bought it on Amazon. So far, I'd highly recommend it. - http://www.amazon.com/Wind-Up...
Got through half of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami before I had to return it to the library. Someone had it on hold. Very annoying. Was so good - bought it on Amazon. So far, I'd highly recommend it.
I loved that book. Definitely not a three-week library book, though. Took me a while to get through it. - Jason Packham
I think it lacked a storyline that goes somewhere. I prefer "Kafka on the Shore", and "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World". But all books of Murakami, you can't put them away unfinished. - Peter
Michael R. Bernstein
I just launched a new web app that displays the books that a FF user has commented on or liked. Please let me know what you think, and how it could be made more useful for you. - Michael R. Bernstein
I'm new to FF--how do you comment on books? Just click the 'I like' button, or do you write a review in a book group? - Stacy
I don't get it. - Peter
Peter Stuifzand
Is anybody reading any interesting books at the moment?
I'm enjoying the newest Ender book by Orson Scott Card. Called Ender in Exile, it takes place right after the events in Ender's Game. - Kisholi
I haven't read that yet. I think I will after I'm ready with the pile of books I currently have lying around. - Peter Stuifzand
Just finished the Uglies/Pretties/Specials series by Scott Westerfield. Despite being targeted at a YA audience, I really enjoyed them. Listening to the audiobook of "Rescuing the Spectacled Bear" by Steven Fry which is great. And, slowly working my way through "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesterton - which is surprisingly funny. - Elizabeth Parmeter
Just started Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - very interesting so far. Love the writing. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
Just finished Rachel Resnick's Love Junkie (a memoir); now reading Word Crime by John Olsson - Stacy
Just finished Murikami's "Dance, dance, dance", not Murakami's best I think. Started in Jonathan Goldstein's "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible!", that's funny. - Peter
Shevonne
Toni Morrison On Bondage And A Post-Racial Age : NPR - http://www.npr.org/templat...
Toni Morrison On Bondage And A Post-Racial Age : NPR
lizzie march
I am new to the group. I hope you will check out our website and give me some feedback on what you see there http://www.marchbooks.com. Our first two novels ('Nightsweats in Bigelow Hollow' and 'The Little Insanity') are due for release in August
Adam Helweh
Does anyone here attend any book groups?
Not in real life. - Peter Stuifzand
I do not have the time ... job does not permit it. I have to be satisfied with just reading ... - Robert Couture
Would you join a book group if it was virtual... meaning online? Does the discussion element of book groups hold any value for you or is reading a book yourself as far as it needs to go? - Adam Helweh
I suppose an online group would work. Again, my time is limited and it varies on when I am available. This pretty much excludes real-time groups for the most part. But discussing a book would be nice to expand one's understanding of the book. - Robert Couture
I have tried, but I am having a hard time finding people who like the same type of books that I like. Most people in groups like books that are more literary focused than I like - Douglas L. Perry
Try Sunday Salon http://friendfeed.com/rooms.... Bloggers write on a Sunday about a book they are reading, tagging their post Sunday Salon. Posts are captured in Yahoo pipes and in the FF URL I've provided. About 200 bloggers are signed up now. - Maxine
I have an online one. Been doing it for over six years. At first, folks were all over the globe. We did one book a month and discussed it on Yahoo Groups. That got to be too much, so we went one book a quarter. It has now become a club in which we discuss sport, politics, film, music, and sometimes books. I still love it, even though we have devolved. - Bryan R. Adams
I have to read life book groups I belong to - one focuses on crime fiction (which is the genre I mainly read) and one is an 'anything and everything' group. I'm also a member of several online book groups but I have to admit I don't find the discussions there nearly as satisfying. I like those groups for recommondations and general chat but having a really good discussion about a book requires face to face meeting in my experience - Bernadette
I have 2 RL book groups I attend and really enjoy both of them. I also tried to get involved in a SciFi book club on Goodreads.com but it was just too hard to keep up with it. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
I have tried a few RL book groups with varied success. The best group that I ever attended was actually a poetry group that had an open mike every time they met. This was a great way for me to be able to bounce new chapters of my novels off of a group of eager listeners. It also go me writing some poetry (for good or bad, lol). - lizzie march
gerald miller
Now reading Tried By War by James M. McPherson
Kisholi
Stephen King completes epic novel after 25 years - http://feeds.guardian.co.uk/~r...
I'm not so sure I want to read this. Even though I consider myself quite a fan, his books have been getting undeniably worse over the years. - Kisholi
Sounds interesting though. I haven't read him in years, but I might be drawn in by this. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
It was a while since I read any of Stephen King, but one of his latest, Duma Key was EXCELLENT!!! If you get a chance read it, or listen to it. This is one on his best. - David's View
I've heard that about Duma Key. I should check it out. Thanks. - Jen (SquirrelGirl)
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