When I first heard about Amazon's new "Netflix for books" program, Kindle Unlimited, I thought it sounded crazy. Who would pay nearly $10 a month, every month, for all the Kindle books you can read? I read through a few of the lists Amazon was using to promote their new feature and didn't see any of interest to me.
Then I looked again and thought, Well, maybe that one...And there's Life of Pi, I never did read it...And I love The Hobbit, I could read it again...and so forth until I clicked on the free trial. One month free to try it out. You can download any books regardless of price as long as they're listed on Kindle Unlimited. You keep up to 10 at a time, so if I have 10 and want another, a pop up shows your list and asks if you'd like to return one.
Amazon says 600,000 books are available on Kindle Unlimited right now. Not very many when you figure there's 2 million Kindle books. However, I'm looking for quality, and so far I've been able to find some pretty amazing books.
If I lived in the States, I'm not sure I'd go for it with the availability of libraries. But where I am, I can't run to the library and check out a stack of books-- in English. So when my free trial ends, I'll keep paying $10 a month for Kindle Unlimited. We pay $9 a month for Netflix and I don't watch as many movies as I read books. As long as they have good titles I want to read, it makes sense to me.
Have any of you tried Kindle Unlimited yet? Do you plan to?
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I Love Books
I am in love. With books. It's true. They are my passion, my life, my compass. I have other things I love, too, of course, like husband, family, God-- you know, the usual. But books!! Without them, I can't imagine who or what or where I would be in this life.
The fact that I can be one small part of the grand and glorious process of reading, writing, publishing, buying and selling books makes my skin tingle.
The fact that I can be one small part of the grand and glorious process of reading, writing, publishing, buying and selling books makes my skin tingle.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Love to Read? Join Goodreads!
I joined Goodreads a few years ago but didn't keep up my account. At the time it seemed like too much trouble, and I wasn't reading much then. (I go through phases, sometimes consuming a book a day and other times going all year without finishing a single one.)
Recently I hit a frantic reading pace, and when I got a Goodreads friend request from a new acquaintance, I said yes, started following her reviews and filled out my own long-neglected list. It was fun. Here was a place to record everything I read, all the books from ages past, and the ones I want to read.
So for anyone out there who isn't yet on Goodreads-- here's the link to my home page. I will happily be your first friend. Or if you're already a member, let's connect and share books and reviews.
If you are a published author who has not yet set up a Goodreads profile page, get busy! It's easy-- one more place to get your mug out there. AND--They now offer this really awesome widget, where visitors to your site can add your book with one click. After a lot of experimentation, I think I've got it. Check it out, yo.
The widgets to add my books to your list are under the twitter thingy on my sidebar. They're looking a bit lonely and neglected right now but hopefully will have many smiling faces showing up soon :) What I don't like about these widgets is that anyone who added a book previously on their Goodreads list, has to redo it here for it to show up. Fix that soon will ya Goodreads people? Because I like to see the pretty faces.
.
Goodreads is awesome! Books rock! We should read more books!
Recently I hit a frantic reading pace, and when I got a Goodreads friend request from a new acquaintance, I said yes, started following her reviews and filled out my own long-neglected list. It was fun. Here was a place to record everything I read, all the books from ages past, and the ones I want to read.
So for anyone out there who isn't yet on Goodreads-- here's the link to my home page. I will happily be your first friend. Or if you're already a member, let's connect and share books and reviews.
If you are a published author who has not yet set up a Goodreads profile page, get busy! It's easy-- one more place to get your mug out there. AND--They now offer this really awesome widget, where visitors to your site can add your book with one click. After a lot of experimentation, I think I've got it. Check it out, yo.
The widgets to add my books to your list are under the twitter thingy on my sidebar. They're looking a bit lonely and neglected right now but hopefully will have many smiling faces showing up soon :) What I don't like about these widgets is that anyone who added a book previously on their Goodreads list, has to redo it here for it to show up. Fix that soon will ya Goodreads people? Because I like to see the pretty faces.
.
Goodreads is awesome! Books rock! We should read more books!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
First Readers
Most of us writerly types need an audience. It takes readers for us to feel complete. We aren't content to just write, put it away and write some more. We need feedback, we need readers, we need validation. Since it takes courage to show our work, we often start with those guaranteed to be supportive, like family members.
I remember a scene from a film of about 20 years ago, when the main character (a journalist) played by Chevy Chase, moves to the country where he plans to write a novel. When it's finished, he takes his wife out to a wonderful inn for their anniversary, and then leads her to a comfortable chair next to the fire for the big surprise. Voila! He hands her his finished ms.
"Read it!" he says.
"Right now?" she asks. She's all dressed up for a night on the town.
"Yes!" he replies. "Go ahead. We have all night. I'll wait right here." And he watches her every move and expression while she reads the entire thing.
Yep, that's us writers! Almost pathetic in our eagerness to get readers. I used to read my stories out loud to my kids, picking those choice moments when they would be a willing/captive audience. Like when they didn't want to go to bed. "I'll let you stay up longer if you listen to this story I wrote!"
Once that final draft is done, the writer needs a reader. It's a must have. For Stephen King, it's his wife Tabitha. He writes all his books with her in mind, and she's the first one to read his final draft. Mine is my daughter, who is also now an editor (I guess I trained her well back in the day!)
Who is your first reader? Who makes up your favorite first audience once the final draft is done?
I remember a scene from a film of about 20 years ago, when the main character (a journalist) played by Chevy Chase, moves to the country where he plans to write a novel. When it's finished, he takes his wife out to a wonderful inn for their anniversary, and then leads her to a comfortable chair next to the fire for the big surprise. Voila! He hands her his finished ms.
"Read it!" he says.
"Right now?" she asks. She's all dressed up for a night on the town.
"Yes!" he replies. "Go ahead. We have all night. I'll wait right here." And he watches her every move and expression while she reads the entire thing.
Yep, that's us writers! Almost pathetic in our eagerness to get readers. I used to read my stories out loud to my kids, picking those choice moments when they would be a willing/captive audience. Like when they didn't want to go to bed. "I'll let you stay up longer if you listen to this story I wrote!"
Once that final draft is done, the writer needs a reader. It's a must have. For Stephen King, it's his wife Tabitha. He writes all his books with her in mind, and she's the first one to read his final draft. Mine is my daughter, who is also now an editor (I guess I trained her well back in the day!)
Who is your first reader? Who makes up your favorite first audience once the final draft is done?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Are you here for the writing or the reading?
In my six months of being here in blog land, I've come across quite a few categories of bloggers. Outside of the *experts* with their hundreds and thousands of fans and followers, there's a fairly common pattern that distinguishes blogger-types. Here's what I've noticed, have you any to add?
Some people sign up mainly for the reading. They have their favorite blogs, rush to the new posts and read every word plus all the comments. These reading bloggers write posts, which may be very good but quite short. For them, the reading is more enjoyable than the writing. When they find a new, intriguing blog they like, they're quick to add it to their blogroll, so they don't miss any new posts. They follow more people than follow them.
And there's the non-blogging readers who will never comment or subscribe. Like my mom, husband and son-in-law, who start by reading my posts, then all the comments, then all the blogs in the side bar, and all those posts and comments. My son-in-law came over one day anguished. He had spent 6 hours of his only day off that week reading blogs. Never again, he vowed. Ha, that's what he says.
Then there are the bloggers who are here to write. They post often, sometimes every day, sometimes quite long posts. Because they love to write. They're obsessed about getting new followers/readers, since writers need readers, writers crave readers. What's the point if there are no readers? That's like cooking dinner and no one comes to eat it. These writer bloggers have their favorites too, but they may skim over the reading of posts and still comment. After all, they're here for the writing-- posting, commenting, whatever.
Finally, there's a few blogger/writers who don't read, follow anyone, make any comments or respond to the comments that others make on their posts. A minority, since most bloggers like to interact with others. Some of these types might have followers and commenters, but not as many as they could have if they were more interactive. They're like a rare species of bird that no one ever sees outside its normal habitat.
These are the main categories I've noticed in the blogging world. What kind of blogger are you? Are your here for the writing or the reading? Or are you a nicely balanced blend of both? Or perhaps some entirely new species altogether?
Some people sign up mainly for the reading. They have their favorite blogs, rush to the new posts and read every word plus all the comments. These reading bloggers write posts, which may be very good but quite short. For them, the reading is more enjoyable than the writing. When they find a new, intriguing blog they like, they're quick to add it to their blogroll, so they don't miss any new posts. They follow more people than follow them.
And there's the non-blogging readers who will never comment or subscribe. Like my mom, husband and son-in-law, who start by reading my posts, then all the comments, then all the blogs in the side bar, and all those posts and comments. My son-in-law came over one day anguished. He had spent 6 hours of his only day off that week reading blogs. Never again, he vowed. Ha, that's what he says.
Then there are the bloggers who are here to write. They post often, sometimes every day, sometimes quite long posts. Because they love to write. They're obsessed about getting new followers/readers, since writers need readers, writers crave readers. What's the point if there are no readers? That's like cooking dinner and no one comes to eat it. These writer bloggers have their favorites too, but they may skim over the reading of posts and still comment. After all, they're here for the writing-- posting, commenting, whatever.
Finally, there's a few blogger/writers who don't read, follow anyone, make any comments or respond to the comments that others make on their posts. A minority, since most bloggers like to interact with others. Some of these types might have followers and commenters, but not as many as they could have if they were more interactive. They're like a rare species of bird that no one ever sees outside its normal habitat.
These are the main categories I've noticed in the blogging world. What kind of blogger are you? Are your here for the writing or the reading? Or are you a nicely balanced blend of both? Or perhaps some entirely new species altogether?
Monday, January 18, 2010
What tickles your writing bone?
Most writers I know also love to read. Reading, along with a few other sedentary activities, tickles my writing bone, and then I have to shut out the world and go work on my wip.
Here's my list of most motivational writing tools:
1. Reading a poorly-written book. I can do better than that, I say, let me at it!
2. Reading a well-written book. It teaches me by example and I want to have a go.
3. Reading the biography or memoir of an author. I want to be just like them.
4. Movies about authors, books and writing. Just seeing a writer in action makes me want to write!
5. Pretty much any Woody Allen movie, because the dialogue is so stimulating.
I wish I could say taking a long walk in the woods, or running 20 minutes on the treadmill, or cleaning house inspired me. That would help my fitness level.
What is it that most inspires your writing? Do you have a list of your own?
Here's my list of most motivational writing tools:
1. Reading a poorly-written book. I can do better than that, I say, let me at it!
2. Reading a well-written book. It teaches me by example and I want to have a go.
3. Reading the biography or memoir of an author. I want to be just like them.
4. Movies about authors, books and writing. Just seeing a writer in action makes me want to write!
5. Pretty much any Woody Allen movie, because the dialogue is so stimulating.
I wish I could say taking a long walk in the woods, or running 20 minutes on the treadmill, or cleaning house inspired me. That would help my fitness level.
What is it that most inspires your writing? Do you have a list of your own?
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