Ebooks to Paper

For several years, I purchased mostly ebooks and audiobooks (at least when it comes to fiction--I've always preferred my game books in print). But after seeing how much Batgirl continued to enjoy print books after being an early ebook supporter, too, I tried an analog paper book about 6 months ago. And you know what? It was magic.

Since then, I've stepped off the ebook revolution bus. I've been reading mostly paper novels, as I did before there was such a thing as ebooks; witness my already overflowing shelves, pictured above. Anyway, reading in analog has continued to be amazing. I recommend it. If you've found yourself reading less lately, try a paper novel for fifteen minutes. Nothing is quite so relaxing and stress deflating as reading a solid, physical book.

Of course, this is just one annecdotal report. It turns out, though, there is quite a bit of evidence behind the idea that reading paper books has advantages over e-reading.

(Aside: You know what goes great with paper novels? Light, my friends. Like this little clip-on book lamp. Instead of putting reading lamps behind the couch, behind my favorite chair, and next to the bed, I just clip the lamp to the book. I know, I know, lots of you already do this. I USED to do this years ago. But I got out of the habit; lost my old clip-on lamp. This is just a reminder to those of you, like me, who may have forgot some of the joy reading print can bring.)

Media Blitz

I am snowed under by media to be read, listened to, watched, played, or written. I'm currently reading 2 books on my kindle app (on phone and mac), listening to an audio book on my phone, in the middle of watching a couple different HBO shows via netflix streaming, and have a couple hard-copy books and DVDs lent to me by friends that I look forward to watching/reading.

Not to mention the huge backlog of podcasts I listen to fairly regularly. Which I'm behind on because of the aforementioned audiobook. As it happens, I signed up for the 1 audiobook a month plan at audible.com, so I've got a lot more audiobooks in my future.

I'm also writing a novel in my free time (and if I could say more about that, I would), and proofing Key of Stars (due back to editor May 3rd).

And as it turns out, I'm also trying to teach myself Objective C, which is great fun. When I can find the time to sit down with my manual!

Time was I used to play Xbox 360, and I was up to date on all the games. No more. Not enough time. Though I suppose when the next must-have title emerges, that'll change. Starcraft II I think. If it ever comes out . . .

So like I said, I've got a lot of media to consume (and produce). Some days, such as right now when I've got a cold to drag me down, I feel burdened. Like it's just too much of a first world problem. So maybe I should give another $25 to Kiva, chuck the rest, and re-read my old copy of The Hobbit for the 20th time.  Sounding pretty good...

Ebook wars

I love to read, and as I was recently surprised to find out, I love to read ebooks on my phone; the fit is just right. Which means, I love ebooks. As an author of a few novels, with hopefully many more on the horizon, I'm interested in seeing my novels come out in this format. However, all is not rosy in the world of ebook publishing.

It seems that Amazon, in its bid to sew up the industry, may be doing things that harm the author's ability to get paid a reasonable sum for writing (and an author's publisher, too). My being an author aside, this also means that in the medium- and long-term, these activities could impact the number and quality of books I get to read.

An excerpt from Charles Stross's recent blog on the topic:

Last Friday, Amazon.com unilaterally pulled most or all of Macmillan's books from their online store. (You can still find them via afilliates or second-hand stores, but Amazon themselves won't sell them to you. Note that this only affects me via my Merchant Princes books — published by Tor, a Macmillan subsidiary — in the US Amazon store. My Ace titles are safe ... for now.)

Read the entire blog here. Looks like I have another reason to hope Apple's bookstore gets off the ground!

-http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/01/amazon-macmillan-an-outsiders.html

Successfully Sinister?

As I noted earlier, I've started reading the book Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister Stole My Mother's Boyfriend. So far, it's a fascinating read.

Here's a chestnut from the book (an oversimplification to be sure, but possibly relevant):

There are two ways to get ahead: be the cream, or be the scum.

Regardless of which you think you are, you probably share some traits with the other. But not all! To be the 'scum' you have to fully embrace ethics first put on paper by Machiavelli.

Try this "Mach" test developed by psychologists to see how closely you resemble Machiavelli's 16th century political screed.

Improve Your Life By Reading

This sounds good at first blush:

The National Endowment for the Arts finds in a current report, To Read or Not To Read, that frequent readers are more likely to vote, participate in sports, visit museums and get high-paying jobs [...]

The problem is, the quote goes on to say:

[...]-- but that with cable TV and internet competition, the rate of "literary reading" (i.e., reading books out of interest and for personal pleasure, rather than because one must read them for school or work) is falling in all American age-groups.

Turns out that reading rates in America have dropped 10% in a little over two decades. Read the rather depressing report here. Let's hope that we've found a new bottom, and that it's not a trend that'll continue too much further.

Unless of course this report fails to take into account all the reading people do online. I wonder what the statics for voting, high paying jobs, and museum visits are for folks who spend an hour or so a day reading blogs, news sites, and writing there own?