Faithful Place, video review

I just finished reading Tana French’s novel, Faithful Place.  Here’s my video review.

I recommend this book for those of you who want to rise above the typical murder mystery. The family drama as well as the location add greater depth and dimension to the genre. Keep reading!

Published in: on February 16, 2012 at 10:38 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Kindle Review

I’ve owned an Amazon Kindle eReader for several years now. The device works very well, especially when you consider that you can download a book in less than a minute. So, after some serious testing, here’s a brief video to show it in action.

Despite the high initial cost of my Kindle, I’ve now downloaded enough books at reduced prices to make up the difference in the price of the unit itself. And, when you consider I didn’t burn any gas driving to the bookstore, I’m definitely ahead. Not that I mind a ride to the bookstore, because I do enjoy perusing the shelves as mentioned in an earlier post. But this is the way the world is going, browsing on the internet instead of inside a building, reading on a tablet as opposed to on paper. For leisure reading, the books that simply entertain and perhaps don’t require space on the shelf, the Kindle more than does the job. When traveling, don’t leave home without it.

Published in: on January 23, 2012 at 6:42 pm  Comments (1)  

No books?

Well, there were some books, but quite a few less, as in less than half. I’m talking about a visit to my local, big-box bookstore. Less than six months ago I was in there, perusing the shelves, looking for something to read and there was an entire floor of shelves stacked edge to edge with reading material. Now? Let’s just say there are games and toys and other bric a brace and precious fewer tomes to tickle the fancy. Disappointed? Yes, I am. The bookstore has always been an adventure, a sort of treasure hunt. Sure, it’s possible to comb through the world wide web but it’s tons more fun to touch the pages, maybe bump into someone who has read something good, or even be told what to avoid. I know, I know,  all the reviews are online. Sterile they are because you can’t look into someone’s eyes and ask questions.

At any rate, the days of the bookstore in the big-box form are numbered. There will be the specialty shops out there, operated by book lovers. And I’ll go looking for them because books are still relevant in whatever form they take. The people involved with them offer some interesting insight, too. Happy reading!

Published in: on January 18, 2012 at 1:37 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Star Walk, app review

After lingering in the 19th and 20th centuries for far too long, I’ve finally entered the 21st by purchasing an iPhone. This is an amazing device, as the rest of the civilized world already knows. For me, it’s more than a new toy. It is a productivity tool which has already earned its keep in any number of ways. At the same time, there are some things on here that are just plain fascinating and one of them is the Star Walk application. It’s like having an astronomer in your shirt pocket. You fire up the application, hold the iPhone up to the sky (usually at night) and it gives a rendering of the firmament above, complete with stars, planets, satellites, and the moon. Then you tap on a particular star and up pops all the info about it. There’s also overlays of the constellations. And you get a photo of the day, something usually incredible. For the few dollars this app cost, you get an entire astronomy course delivered to your handset. I wish I had this unit during my college years; I would have aced that astronomy class.

What’s your favorite app?

Published in: on November 4, 2011 at 10:29 am  Leave a Comment  
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