World eBook Fair Top 20 eBooks

The World eBook Fair has been tracking what people download and here are the preliminary results in order of popularity:

1       Emma, By Jane Austen
2       Linux Complete Command
3       Little Woman, by Lousia May Alcott
4       Nostromo, by Joseph Conrad.
5       Workbook in Higher Algebra
6       A Child's Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson
7       A Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne
8       The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio
9       Overview of Servlets and JavaServer
10      RedHat Linux Unleashed
11      Win XP Pro
12      Cousin Bette, by Honore de Balzac
13      The Beautiful Book Of Nursery Rhymes, by Frank Adams
14      Workbook in Higher Algebra
15      C+ Programming
16      MY SQL manual
17      Colonel Chabert, by Honore de Balzac
18      The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, by  Arthur Conan Doyle
19      The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
20      The Time Machine, by Herbert George Wells

This is a fascinating mix of literature and technology. I am sure there there is a message or at the very least some interesting conclusions to be drawn from looking at this list.  I am still trying to figure them out.  Any ideas?

In the meantime remember this:

eBooks About Everything and the World eBook Fair are offering a 15% discount on any book in the store. Remember that new books and the best sellers are already discounted 10% which means a 25% discount on those categories.

Just use this coupon code at check out -- z9WebF4

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J.R.R.Tolkien's eBooks Discounted This Week

This week we are discounting all Tolkien's eBooks.  The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings (individually and collectively) and the Children of Hurin.

             

It took six year to convince the J.R.R. Tolkien's estate to put these great books into eBook format.  That is "more than half as long as the author needed to complete his Lord of the Rings trilogy" according to the Associated Press (via USA Today).

"The Tolkien estate wanted to be absolutely confident that e-books were not something ephemeral," said David Brawn, publishing operations director at HarperCollins UK. "We were finally able to convince the Tolkien estate that the e-book is a legitimate, widespread format."

It's simple:

• Click here to see all of these great titles
• Add them to your shopping cart
• Use coupon code jRrT59 at check out to get a 20% discount
• Start reading

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Black Ops by W.E.B Griffin eBook edition

Henri shares his latest reading experience.

I’ve been on a reading binge and filling my spare time with books that stir up emotions around the themes of war, heroism, and patriotism.  The latest is Black Ops by W.E.B. Griffin.  He has been an author of note for nearly as long as I have been reading.

Griffin entered the military in 1946 and combines his experience with his considerable talent to draw plots and characters that compel you to keep reading.

Griffin’s main character is a blend of virtues and vices that compel me to like him. He is the son of two wealthy families who was raised in Europe and Texas. He has language skills and other capacities that made him stand out in the military roles he played but now he has become a Special Ops Warrior. How Griffin makes all of this work is a mystery to me but it works marvelously.

With Griffin you always feel like you have a seat at the big table and are watching significant events unfold. Black Ops is no exception. I bought it immediately and read it in two sessions separated only by family obligations. As usual it left me hungry for the next novel in the series.

I really enjoy reading novels that explore human values and the strengths and weaknesses of various social and political approaches to life. They do have to ring true in my ear past the fact that they are obviously only works of fantasy. Griffin’s latest book does ring true.

It comes down to something as simple as this, I read fiction to be entertained and if I am happy I chose that book at the end that is all I can ask of any author.

Black Ops delivers.

Here is the publishers take:

The Russian bear is stirring and its hungry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series thrilling fifth novel.The first disturbing reports reached Delta Force Lieutenant Colonel Charley Castillo in the form of backchannel messages concerning covert U.S. intelligence assets working for a variety of agencies suddenly gone missing and then, suddenly, inexplicably, found dying. Or dead. One in Budapest, Hungary. One in Kiev, Ukraine. One in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, mere klicks from the Iran border. And then one in Virginia, along the Potomac River, practically in the shadow of CIA headquarters.Castillo finds the information both infuriating and fascinating, particularly after a recent experience with two CIA traitors whose own deaths were swift and suspicious.

Despite there being some similarities, though, he thinks there's something different with these new cases, something he can't quite put his finger on. At first, its an idle thought, but Castillo expects it's only a matter of time before the commander in chief assigns him and his group of troubleshooters in the innocuously named Office of Organizational Analysis to look into the deaths while all those intel agencies fight among themselves trying to put the pieces together.

Meanwhile, Castillo has problems of his own; fallout from recent missions involving a clandestine rescue of a DEA agent from South American drug runners, and the confiscation of some fifty million dollars from thieves in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal. He's made more than a few enemies, he knows both foreign and domestic. And then comes another back-channel message, this one delivered personally by his lethal friend, the Russian mobster arms dealer. All that has happened so far, he says, is just a warm-up for what's about to come out of the Kremlin.

Could sabers be rattling for a new Cold War? Or worse? Presidential Agent C. G. Castillo is about to find out. . . .

Filled with Griffin's trademark rich characters and cutting-edge drama, this is another exceptional novel in an exceptional series.

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The Lost Recipe for Happiness eBook editions

Ghost stories are not my thing.  Nor, frankly are lonely, deeply damaged individuals.  And yet, I was entranced by Barbara O'Neal's The Lost Recipe for Happiness.

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon.  A nap seemed like the thing so I picked this book up as something to read myself to sleep by.  Six hours later, ravenously hungry and snuffling slightly I put the book down with a sigh.  Seems I read the whole thing in one sitting.

The writing is fluid, the plot tight and the characters surprisingly complicated with out being terribly convoluted even if all of the characters are damaged in some way.  On some level, you have to admire them because they have found ways to function and cope. 

These are quintessentially lonely people who almost in spite of themselves begin to recover.  At some point each of them realizes that somehow happiness has crept up on them.  Even when they know that happiness never lasts.

As a sideline, one of my favorite aspects of the book are the recipes between the chapters.  They are bound to make you salivate -- especially if you love good Southwestern/Mexican cooking the way I do.  I might actually try a couple of them. 

O'Neal not only loves food, but she obviously loves the Southwest; particularly Colorado and New Mexico.  Her descriptions of the scenery are beautiful and evocative.  Made me want to take a quick trip to Aspen and/or Santa Fe.

This is a story of recovery, new starts and taking chances.  It will make you laugh and cry.  And I guarantee you these characters will haunt you long after you finish the last chapter. This is a great read; don't miss it!

Here are the publishers notes:

In this sumptuous new novel, Barbara O’Neal offers readers a celebration of food, family, and love as a woman searches for the elusive ingredient we’re all hoping to find….

It’s the opportunity Elena Alvarez has been waiting for–the challenge of running her own kitchen in a world-class restaurant. Haunted by an accident of which she was the lone survivor, Elena knows better than anyone how to survive the odds. With her faithful dog, Alvin, and her grandmother’s recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is–and a man whose passionate approach to food and life rivals her own.

Owner Julian Liswood is a name many people know but a man few do. He’s come to Aspen with a troubled teenage daughter and a dream of the kind of stability and love only a family can provide. But for Elena, old ghosts don’t die quietly, yet a chance to find happiness at last is worth the risk.

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Revolutionary Road eBook edition

When I was in college, Revolutionary Road was one of those books that was considered de rigeur for anyone with intellectual pretensions.  Reading it gave you entrée into an exclusive club dedicated to disparaging the lives our parents lead.

Of course, I read it.

What I remembered was how dreary the book was.  These were dreary characters living in a dreary world.  The had boring, meaningless jobs and lives and were totally unlikable.  Reading it was like being smothered in a thick gray cloud.

So, you can imagine my surprise when the title popped us as a "must see" movie.  And now it is an Awards contender.  I will grudgingly admit that a DiCaprio/Winslett pairing is probably noteworthy, but Revolutionary Road??

Only one thing to do:  I bought and downloaded the book last week.  If nothing else, I wanted to see if my memory was failing.

Well, it turns out my memory was not exactly failing.  But it also turns out that there is a big difference between my young reading self and the adult I turned out to be which should probably be a relief.

What I failed to understand as a young person is the power of Yates' writing.  The vivid and stark simplicity of his narrative, the tight dialog and his quiet, relentless perceptiveness.  My biggest surprise was how humorous some of the dialog really is.  My younger self evidently totally missed that aspect of his writing.

Reading it this time, I actually found myself empathizing with these characters.  I know exactly what it is like to get caught up in a role, how subtly it all happens.  And how you wake up one day and wonder how you got here from there.   That particular theme is timeless -- not some relic of a 50s style American dream.  Surprisingly, the novel is as relevant to life today as it was when it was written.

Revolutionary Road got me to thinking about the subtle ways in which we differentiate ourselves from our circumstances.  The ways in which we hold ourselves above the reality of our daily lives.  And the tyranny of the belief that we are somehow special and different.

My adult self recommends this book for its narrative, dialog and social commentary.  In fact, I am going to got see it tomorrow and find out if Hollywood does it justice.

Here are the publisher notes:

In the hopeful 1950s, Frank and April Wheeler appear to be a model couple: bright, beautiful, talented, with two young children and a starter home in the suburbs. Perhaps they married too young and started a family too early. Maybe Frank's job is dull. And April never saw herself as a housewife. Yet they have always lived on the assumption that greatness is only just around the corner. But now that certainty is about to crumble.

With heartbreaking compassion and remorseless clarity, Richard Yates shows how Frank and April mortgage their spiritual birthright, betraying not only each other, but their best selves.

 

From the moment of its publication in 1961, Revolutionary Road was hailed as a masterpiece of realistic fiction and as the most evocative portrayal of the opulent desolation of the American suburbs. .

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'Tis The Season! A Novel by Lorna Landvik

Once I read Patty Jane's House of Curl, that was it. I was a Lorna Landvik fan. Whenever I see that she has a new book on the way, I impatiently wait for it to be released.

When I saw the title of her latest book -- 'Tis the Season -- I was disappointed. Christmas, after all, is not my favorite time of year. And I have a philosophical problem with books released to capture some sort of of cheap holiday sentiment.

I read the synopsis in Publishers Weekly. This is a book about a 26 year old Paris Hilton like celebrity. Now I was very disappointed.

But even worse, I saw that the novel was written as a series of email exchanges. I don't know about you, but I read more email each day then I want to. Who needs to read more for leisure? Now, I was bitterly disappointed.

Three strikes and your out, right? This was one Landvik novel I was going to take a pass on. Too bad, she used to be such a fun writer.

But then, I hurt my hand. I was in pain, I couldn't type and was totally out of sorts. I might have even been missing email (a little). So in spite of myself, I downloaded and started reading this novel.

Here is where I eat a little humble pie.

For the next 4 or 5 hours I was totally engrossed. Forgot about my hand. Forgot I hate email. Forgot my philosophical objects. Forgot to be annoyed by Christmas. Even forgot that I have no natural way to relate to a 26 year old spoiled heiress.

I admit it. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Is it great literature? No!

Is it up to Landvik's usual writing standards? No.

Is it a great way to escape for a few hours. Oh yes!

All I can say, is download, read and enjoy. In many ways it is the perfect remedy for the Holiday Blues.

Here's the publishers blurb:

Heiress Caroline Dixon has managed to alienate nearly everyone with her alcohol-fueled antics, which have also provided near-constant fodder for the poison-pen tabloids and their gossip-hungry readers. But like so many girls-behaving-badly, the twenty-six-year-old socialite gets her comeuppance, followed by a newfound attempt to live a saner existence, or at least one more firmly rooted in the real world.

As Caro tentatively begins atoning for past misdeeds, she reaches out to two wonderful people who years ago brought meaning to her life: her former nanny, Astrid Brevald, now living in Norway and Arizona dude ranch owner, Cyril Dale. While Astrid fondly remembers Caro as a special, sweet little girl left in her charge, Cyril recalls how he and his late wife were quite taken with the quick-witted teenager Caro had become when she spent a difficult period in her life at the ranch as her father was dying.

In a series of e-mail exchanges, Caro reveals the depth of her pain and the lengths she went to hide it. In turn, Astrid and Cyril share their own stories of challenging times and offer the unconditional support this young woman has never known. The correspondence leads to the promise of a reunion, just in time for Christmas. But the holiday brings unexpected revelations that change the way everyone sees themselves and one another.

At once heartfelt and witty, ’Tis the Season bears good tidings of great joy about the human condition–that down and out doesn’t mean over and done, that the things we need most are closer than we know, and that the true measure of one’s worth rests in the boundless depths of the soul.

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The New York Times Reports A New E-Newspaper Reader Echoes Look of the Paper

Yesterday Plastic Logic Corporation unveiled it's latest (and as yet unnamed) device:  a big light-weight plastic screen version of an eNewspaper.  Its light, portable and constantly updated.  The device should be on the market early next year.

The screen is close to 81/2 x 11 inches and is continually updated by a wireless link (where wireless is available).  Hundreds of pages can be stored to read at leisure for those who do not want to keep up to the minute.

The device is easy to read since it uses eInk technology.  The is the same technology that is used for Bookeen's Cybook, the Sony PRC reader, Irex Illad and other eBook readers. 

It will be fascinating to see which news organizations will be the first to implement.  Hearst already distributes versions of it's paper on the Kindle.  I have been wondering about that -- as a daily reader of the New York Times and Washington Post online, it would take a lot to convince me to buy an expensive device to view what I can now see for free.  But evidently Kindle and Hearst believe there is a market out there and are pushing ahead.

The more I think about it the more I am able to relegate it to an Interesting idea and fun technology.  But the real question for me is much more urgent:  Do any of us need one more device? 

I am the proud owner of a Cybook, an Irex Illiad, an eBookwise reader, a Palm, a Nokia based cell phone, a Blackberry, an ultra-mobile pc and 2 laptops.  Do I really need one more thing to carry around?  It has gotten to the point that when I travel I practically need a separate suitcase just to carry my cords, cradles and cables. 

None of the above mentioned devices is close to ideal for eBook reading let alone eNewspaper.  The eInk devices are nice but don't accommodate color and are not backlit.  The Blackberry, cellphone and Palm work fine, but the screen is way small.  The UMPC is heavy and overkill as are the laptops. 

I find that the device I read from most often in my Palm.  It is backlit, has beautiful color with a great touch screen, connects to the Internet from almost anywhere and has multiple useful programs and functions besides. I can even hook up to skype and use it as a phone.  My only complaint is the size of the screen -- very small. 

Makes me think that it is easy to get gadget blind and lose track of the real objective -- information!

 

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Thrumpton Hall eBook edition

Thrumpton Hall by Miranda Seymour was one of those books that took me forever to finish.  I'm not even sure why.  Henri suggested that it was because it is the quintessential British book.  Nothing happens for something like 300 pages.  But that really isn't the reason. 

This is a very odd and oddly affecting book. I found it beautifully written and deeply unsettling.  I am always attracted and repulsed by stories of great obsession.  From Romeo and Juliet to George Seymour and Thrumpton Hall, the power of obsession is both fascinating and repulsive. 

This is the story of a house, a fading way of life and an entire family.  The story is always dominated by George Seymour. He is a priggish snob and a self aggrandizing jerk.  A study in eccentricity and total self obsession.  He wants to be an aristocrat but the closest he can get is to being a bastard descendant of Charles II.  He wants a title but wasn't born to it and didn't have enough money to buy one.  In the beginning I tried to be be at least marginally non-judgmental.  By the end, I just flat out hated him.

The story is saved by Miranda Seymour's writing skill.  She does not spare her father or herself.  And the story is infinitely humanized by the interwoven narrative of her Mother and her mother's memories. 

Miranda Seymour is a fine writer and I am a fan which is why I picked up the book in the first place.  I find it fascinating that today she is living at Thrumpton Hall.  She rents it out for weddings, movie shoots and even as a vacation spot just to keep it.  In many ways she is as tied to the house as he.   In Thrumpton Hall she has proven that not only is she a fine writer but that (as her Mother points out) she is much like her father. 

The official stuff:

Dear Thrumpton, how I miss you tonight, wrote twenty-one-year-old George Seymour in 1944. But the object of his affection was not a young woman but a house—ownership of which was then a distant dream. But he did eventually acquire Thrumpton, a beautiful country house in Nottinghamshire, and it was in this idyllic home that Miranda Seymour was raised.

Her upbringing was far from idyllic, however, as life revolved around her father's capriciousness. The house took priority and everything else was secondary, even his wife. Until, that is, the day when George Seymour, already in his golden years, took to wearing black leather and riding powerful motorbikes around the countryside in the company of a young male friend. Had he taken leave of his senses? Or had he finally found them? And how did this sea change affect his wife and daughter?

Both biography and family memoir, this sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story—told in a voice as unforgettable as it is moving—is a riveting and ultimately shocking portrait of desire and the devastating consequences of misplaced love.

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The Way We'll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream eBook edition

Perhaps it is the result of growing up as an expat, but I have always had a fascination with American society and social systems.  When I heard about this book at Book Expo, I knew it was a "must read."  And now, I have just finished it.

Some of the info is fascinating, some of it verifies my opinions and makes me feel smart, some of it made me feel like I was slogging through, just to finish. 

This is a book well worth investing in.  I am not sure it is one to read the way I did -- linearly from cover to cover.  It is probably better read in fits and starts as the spirit moves you. 

I am by nature an optimist, although my views have been tempered by reality over the years.  Zogby seems to be all optimist. And for the most part paints a much rosier picture of the future than I the one I see.

I like the idea that the generation coming up will change America and American politics.  Because of their beliefs Americans will become more tolerant, authentic and informed.  I like the idea that we will become more cohesive, agreeable, rational and global in our thinking.

Maybe it is all true, I hope so; but I wonder if human nature is really going to undergo that profound change within a generation.  I guess only time will tell!

Interesting and well worth the time and money to investigate! 

Here is what the publisher says:

According to super pollster John Zogby, whom The Washington Post calls “the maverick predictor,” the conventional wisdom about the United States–that we’re isolated from the world, politically fragmented, and inclined toward material pleasure–isn’t just flawed; it may be 180 degrees from the truth.

In this far-reaching and illuminating look at contemporary American life, Zogby reveals nothing less than The Way We’ll Be. Drawing on thousands of in-depth surveys conducted especially for the book, Zogby points out where we’re headed–politically, culturally, and spiritually.

The American dream is in transition; it is rapidly being redefined by four meta-movements: living with limits as consumers and citizens; embracing diversity of views and ways of life; looking inward to find spiritual comfort; and demanding authenticity from the media, our leaders, and leading institutions.

Spearheaded by today’s eighteen-to-twenty-nine-year-olds–the “First Global” generation–Americans are becoming more internationalist, consensus-oriented, and environmentally conscious and less willing to identify themselves by the things they do to earn or spend their money. But this is more than a youth tide. Americans of all ages are moving beyond old divides–red state/blue state, pro-life/pro-choice, beer drinker/wine connoisseur–to form a new national consensus that will shape the nation for decades to come. Zogby’s cogent analysis of the data yields an astonishing perspective on Americans’ thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, now and in coming years.

Understanding this emerging reality will be key for

• leaders in all fields who want to reach audiences that are more media-savvy, better informed, and more technologically enabled than ever before
• individuals in search of rewarding and fulfilling careers in tomorrow’s growth fields 
• politicians and CEOs looking to marry policies and practices to the rising demand for social responsibility 
• anyone who wants to market to the emerging new American consensus

Beyond telling a fascinating story, the conclusions in this book are a must-read for everyone from Main Street to Madison Avenue to Capitol Hill. Filled with expert analysis and insight from one of today’s most successful predictors and trend spotters, The Way We’ll Be will redefine how we view America’s future.

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Bitter is the New Black eBook Edition

Jen Lancaster is sarcastic, self-involved, shallow and condescending. She is also direct, clever and funny.

It should come as no surprise that I had a little trouble in the beginning.  The title says it all:  Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass.   Guess what?  She isn't kidding. 

The first part of the book is a view into her high powered job and  self-reported extravagant lifestyle. Maybe I am just too old to be impressed by designer clothes, Prada handbags, expensive restaurants and spas and "everyone who is anyone in Chicago". 

Things begin to change when she gets downsized.  Resumes, interviews, unemployment and temp jobs.  Moving, selling shoes on eBay, car repo and all.  Great material for her wit and and snappy one liners. 

The first time you see the other side of Jen is when she volunteers to be a dog walker for an animal rescue organization.  She ends up with two of the dogs because she can't bare to let them go.  Behind the wisecracks and cynicism there is a woman who is loyal and cares about her family and friends.  A committed partner in her marriage, a dutiful daughter and a caring aunt.  OK, so sometimes the caring comes out sideways, but she does care; deeply.  Little by little I began to see behind the tough facade.

Months go by and life becomes harder and harder; yet Jen manages to keep her sense of humor and not take herself to seriously (most of the time).  Whatever character flaws she may have, she is frank and painfully honest about her sense of losing herself.  After all, what happens when you lose all the things that make your identity -- your wonderful apartment, your high powered job and your bank account?

What happened for Jen was a serious evaluation of her choices, her priorities, her career choices and ultimately her toughness.  She is a creative survivor and by the end of the book I developed an admiration for both she and her husband Fletch.

Great book to read on the patio, by the pool or beach or on a plane.  Jen will make you laugh, cry and reflect.

Here is the publisher's words:

Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb. She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice. This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good. Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.

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J D Robb and In Death eBooks

 This week Henri talks about J. D. Robb from a man's point of view.

Nora Roberts apparently wrote this series as J D Robb for some reason not associated with the qualities of her writing or her audience's perceptions. After all, with more than 150 novels and 250 million books sold she hardly needs to do anything to improve her success but simply keep writing.

Her books use a formula and a model that works for her basic audience and stands behind her success as a writer. But her insight and depth as a writer is not as limited as that analysis implies. I like her characters. Even her villains are consistent with the social and moral models she portrays in her work. I am always looking for another author to fill my insatiable need for books to read. Imagine my surprise when I tried one of her books and got hooked on the "In Death" novels.

Now I am commonly disposed to dismiss as Chick lit or even Chick  lite any books that suffer from the appellation Romance Novel. Of course I read so much socially unredeeming and unredeemed Sci Fi and Mystery fiction that I am hardly a paragon of the literate reader of myth and legend. So I finally picked up one of the series in question here and viola I was absolutely compelled to keep reading until I finished the series.

I am virtually certain that if I took a look at the Internet a whole brigade of fans of J. D. Robb would appear. Before I started reading this series I would never have guessed that I would actually like these books. So much for machismo and the art of creating entertaining characters.

Nora Roberts' main character in these  books is a woman detective with more angst and controlled violence in her little finger than most male detectives ever experience. The psychological foundations of the character are well built on a fantasy of abuse and mistreatment generating a need for certainty, right and the law to reign triumphant. I have yet to see that happen in the real world but it makes for a compelling character.

Obviously I like books where the good guys win, but not without a great deal of effort and some real challenges to overcome. Eve Dallas, the main character in this series has a fine set of villains to overcome and a great cast of people around her that make it all possible. Even if the sex scenes are a bit too intense for most of us more sensitive men; even if the ideas behind the curtain tend toward the romantic rather than the masculine, these books are actually fun to read.

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A Place Called Canterbury: Tales of the New Old Age in America eBook edition

A Place called Canterbury is a humorous and sometimes touching, meditation on how today's elderly live.

When his mother moved to a Tampa Bay Life Care Retirement Community, Canterbury Tower, Dudley Clendinen got an up close and very personal look at retirement and old age in America. 

The average age of the Canterbury Tower resident is 86,  The same age as my mother is now.  I used to think that 86 was ancient.  I could barely imagine anyone living that long.  These days, not only can I imagine it, I am watching a whole generation of my family living into their 80s and 90s.

My mother at 86 has barely slowed down.  She has a more active social life than I do.  My Dad's oldest sister is 90+ and (except for her hearing) is going strong.  Based on my heredity I am going to be around for a very long time. It is fair to say that for me A Place Called Canterbury is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale.

Let's face it.  Stories about old people have a predictable ending.  Too often they are by turns depressing or maudlin. A Place Called Canterbury is anything but. There are poignant stories that made me tear up.  There are stories that made me laugh out loud.  There are stories that made me think.  There were stories that put me to sleep. In the end these tales are not so much a chronicle of old age but a celebration of what it means to be human.

Canterbury Towers, as described by Clendinen, is full of fascinating characters who refuse grow old.  They are committed to living life to its fullest; they forget things, they tell funny stories, they snack after sex, they drink martinis and have wonderful social debates.  Clendinen reports it all. 

He says that in writing this book he "set out to be diarist and chronicler."  He did his job well.  His Mother, if she could read this book, would be proud. 

You probably do not want to read this book on an empty stomach -- all the descriptions of food will send you to the freezer for ice cream.  And as I read, I couldn't help but think of my Dad who used to say -- "The best thing about old age is that it beats the alternative. "  

This book is certainly not everyone's cup of tea.  It is only recommended for anyone who is aging or has an aging Mother.

OK -- here is what the publisher says:

In 1994 New York Times writer Dudley Clendinen's mother-a Southern matron of iron will but creaking bones-sold her house and moved to Canterbury Tower, a geriatric apartment building with full services and a nursing wing in Tampa Bay.

There she landed in a microcosm of the New Old Age. Canterbury was filled not just with old Tampa neighbors but also with strangers from across the country. Wealthy, middle class, or barely afloat; Christian, Jewish, or faithless; proud, widowed, or still married; grumpy or dear-they had all come together, at the average age of eighty-six, in search of a last place to live and die.

A Place Called Canterbury is a beautifully written, often hilarious, deeply moving look at how the oldest Americans are living with the reality of living longer. Peopled by brave, daffy, memorable characters determined to grow old with dignity-and to help one another avoid the dreaded nursing wing-A Place Called Canterbury is a kind of soap opera.

Likewise, it is a poignant chronicle of the last years of the Greatest Generation and their children, the Boomers, as they are drawn into old age with their parents. A Place Called Canterbury is an essential read for anyone with aging parents and anyone wondering what their own old age will look like.

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Kyra eBook edition

Have you ever had the experience of reading a book that you aren't even sure you like, but somehow can't but it down?

 Kyra by Carol Gillian was like that for me.  Part of my brain kept thinking, "why am I reading this, it is boring and painful".  But I still couldn't put it down.  I actually read the whole thing in one long lazy Saturday afternoon.

On the face of it, there isn't a reason that I should have even picked the book up, much less been unable to put it down.  I know almost nothing about architecture or urban planning and possibly less about opera.  I am not in the habit of analyzing cultures, music or art.  Mainly, I am not big on suffering for love.  Yet with all of those strikes against it, Kyra was a strangely compelling book.

Gilmore is a graceful and fluent writer.  She has a tremendous grasp of her subject matter -- architecture, opera and therapy.  Somehow (against all odds), she seamlessly weaves these complex themes into a kind of love story.  Interestingly enough, a love story with a "happily ever after" end.

The characters, Kyra and Andreas, are complex and have extremely complicated lives.  They are both sophisticated, brilliant and creative.  Their careers serve as the ballast for the emotional life.  As they work together and fall in love, everything they believe begins to morph into something different. 

This story of how they fall in love is strangely academic and cerebral.  It shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

Kyra is more than a love story but less than a romance.  Difficult to explain.  This is a book you need to experience.

I suspect that urban planners and opera fans would find this book a treasure trove of ideas and sensations.  Psychologist and people familiar with psychotherapy would find it challenging.  And yet it also works for the casual reader.  Certainly, it is not everyone's cup of tea.

This is a great book club selection.  The story and themes are great discussion material.  And yet, you don't need to belong to a book club to read and enjoy this book.

Here is the publishers synopsis:

An unforgettable novel about love–and the first work of fiction by the author of the groundbreaking nonfiction bestseller In a Different Voice

Kyra is an architect, involved in a project to design a new city. Andreas, a theater director, is staging an innovative production of the opera Tosca. Both have come through political upheaval and personal loss. Neither wants to fall in love. Yet when she asks him, “What is the opposite of losing?” and he says, “Finding,” it galvanizes a powerful attraction, and they risk opening themselves to love once again.

When their love affair leads to a shocking betrayal, Kyra’s fierce determination to see under the surface, to know what was true and real, brings her to Greta, a remarkable therapist. As the therapy itself repeats the themes of love and loss, Kyra challenges its structure, and the struggle that ensues between the two women opens the way to a larger understanding.

Passionate and revolutionary, Kyra is an exquisitely written love story, imbued with gentle humor. This is an extraordinary work of fiction by one of the most brilliant writers of our time.

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Certain Girls (eBook Edition)

I loved Good in Bed. It is raw, funny, honest and wise. As a woman who has struggled with her body image, I certainly relate to Cannie Shaprio.  Most women can. 

Six months ago I read the advance review for the sequel, Certain Girls.  I could hardly wait to get my hands on it.  Usually that kind of anticipation is a set up for disappointment.  Happily, Certain Girls not only did not disappoint.  It actually surpassed my expectations.

In Certain Girls Jennifer Weiner beautifully captures the complexity, pain and joy of motherhood, daughterhood, sisterhood and marriage. 

At the heart of this story is the relationship between a teenage daughter and her mother.  This is arguably, the most difficult and intricate relationship on the planet.  It is exceedingly problematic even in the most "normal" family.  Cannie and Joy, however, most definitively do not have anything as bland as a normal family. 

Joy is a teenager who alternatively loves and hates her Mom.  Cannie is a Mom struggling to let her baby grow up.  The story line alternates between their points of view as they war over Cannie's (fictionalized) past, their daily interactions and Joy's upcoming Bat Mitzvah. 

Joy's Bat Mitzvah is the overarching and powerful symbol of Joy's entry into adulthood. As she makes the transition she is overcome with the need to make sense of her convoluted family tree.  She wants to know all about her Mom's and Dad's secrets, her biological Dad's new family and her very absent Grandfather.

Cannie is still working out the complicated relationships she has with her over the top lesbian Mom and ditzy but lovable little sister, Elle. And to complicate thing further, just as she is letting go of one child, her husband is lobbying for a baby. 

Weiner's ear for dialogue, her wit and compassion are all on display as she examines these complicated relationships and events.

Too often Weiner is categorized as just  a "chick-lit" writer.  The pink cover certainly reinforces that impression.   Don't be fooled.  This is not a fluffy, girly book. This is a nitty gritty account of coming to terms with the messy, complex web of family. 

The Publishers says:

Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine.

Now Cannie's back. After her debut novel -- a fictionalized (and highly sexualized) version of her life -- became an overnight bestseller, she dropped out of the public eye and turned to writing science fiction under a pseudonym. She's happily married to the tall, charming diet doctor Peter Krushelevansky and has settled into a life that she finds wonderfully predictable -- knitting in the front row of her daughter Joy's drama rehearsals, volunteering at the library, and taking over-forty yoga classes with her best friend Samantha.

As preparations for Joy's bat mitzvah begin, everything seems right in Cannie's world. Then Joy discovers the novel Cannie wrote years before and suddenly finds herself faced with what she thinks is the truth about her own conception -- the story her mother hid from her all her life. When Peter surprises his wife by saying he wants to have a baby, the family is forced to reconsider its history, its future, and what it means to be truly happy.

Radiantly funny and disarmingly tender, with Weiner's whip-smart dialogue and sharp observations of modern life, Certain Girls is an unforgettable story about love, loss, and the enduring bonds of family.

Highly recommended.

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Deep Dish (eBook edition)

 

Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews is my favorite kind of chick lit.  You take a spunky woman who's life has taken a turn for the worse and pair her with an impossibly charming and handsome guy, add witty dialogue and watch the sparks fly.

It doesn't hurt that this particular novel is about food and even features a very cute puppy.  And if that isn't enough, there is the ex who is still hanging around and the Mom who can't quit calling.

There is absolutely no good reason to read a book like this except for pure escape and enjoyment.  It doesn't tax your brain or require any work to follow the plot.  And yet, the dialog and the juxtaposition of people and situations will make you laugh.

For some reason I am a sucker for Southern authors -- Anne Rivers Siddons, Dorothea Benton Frank or Rebecca Wells.  I am not from the South and if fact have only visited there a couple of times. I am a Westerner and it would be very hard to have a more different life experience.  And yet I always love these authors.

Perhaps the secret is in the sheer humanity of heroine.  We all have bad hair days, pesky relatives, annoying co-workers and major set back and there is something cathartic in seeing them conquered with guts, humor and absurdity.

You can always count on Mary Kay Andrews to write an enjoyable novel. She has a great ear for dialog, a wonderful sense of the absurd and a keen understanding of her audience. 

This is a feel good novel, this is a lot of fun.  The publisher synopsis pretty much tells the story:

Chef extraordinaire Gina Foxton doesn't expect anything to be handed to her on a platter. After years of hard work, the former runner-up Miss Teen Vidalia Onion is now the host of her own local Georgia public television show called Fresh Start, and she's dating the show's producer.

But when her show gets canceled—and she catches her boyfriend in flagrante delicto with the boss's wife—Gina realizes that she's meant for bigger and better things. Namely, a gig on national television.

The Cooking Channel is looking for its next big star, and Gina is certain that she fits the bill. Trouble is, the execs also have their eyes on Mr. "Kill It and Grill It" Tate Moody, the star of a hunting, fishing, and cooking show named Vittles. Tate is the ultimate man's man, with a dog named Moonpie and a penchant for flannel shirts. He's also a tasty side of beef with a swooning female fan base. All Gina has on her side are a free-spirited, college-dropout sister and a mother who calls every single day.

Little does Gina know, though, that she and Tate are soon to embark on the cook-off of their lives, spiced up by a little ingredient called love.

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A Beast In Paradise eBook Edition

Every once in a while I get a review sent to me for approval that peaks my interest in a book I have never noticed before.  

I received this one in my mail box the other morning.  It came in as from an anonymous reviewer.  I suspect the reviewer is actually the author, but the review did peak my interest so I am posting it here.

While I was in China I saw a huge billboard poster and ad with excepts about  "A BEAST IN PARADISE," by Jess Symlar. 

Almost everyone that I meet, is either reading the book or talking about it.  The book is stylish, high tech, realistic and extremely visual.  It takes place in the near future, but moves meticulously on a journey between the past, present and future. 

The story is told in first person, through the eyes of the protagonist and main character, Dr. Jerome Hendricks.  What is discovered while journeying through the world of Dr. Hendricks, is that treating his patients from a deadly disease called symbionic withdrawal, is being caused by the misuse of a banned symbionic chip. 

His investigation reveals that this lethal and addictive chip is based on an ancient science, which enabled the early alchemists to use over 90 percent of their minds to accomplish unbelievable deeds. It doesn't take long before Hendricks determines that the chips are being illegally distributed by a powerful conspiracy. 

The stakes are high and only members of a secret society known as the Disciples of Sef can interpret the shrouded messages, which can neutralize the mental effects of the chips. 

This  prompts Hendricks to write a bestselling book about it, which describes symbionic psychology as the cure for symbionic withdrawal.  As a result, he becomes a threat to Eric Krill a wealthy businessman who seeks to distribute symbionic chips to control powerful people. 

In order to stop Krill, Hendricks enlists the help of Dr. Deborah Hilter who is an expert biotechnologist and a member of the Disciples of Sef.  Together they devise a plan and embark on a mission to prevent the illegal mass distribution of symbionic chips worldwide.

Since the book is written in first person, it creates an engaging effect, based on an array of clues and clarity, which appeals to the senses and keeps the reader interested and willing to go forward to know what will be the final outcome.

The other reason to post this is to remind you that you get points worth a quarter ($ .25) for each review you post. 

If I had been posting reviews instead blogging I would have earned enough to buy a couple of new books. 

del.icio.us Tags: ebooks,e-books,ebook review,e-book review,Beast in Paradise,Symlar

The Spare Wife eBook edition

The Spare Wife by Alex Witchel is one of those books that I categorize as the perfect beach read.  Light and fluffy as a souffle and just about as substantial.

Of course I read every word.

It is an interesting quirk of the human psyche that we delight in reading about the folly of the ruling class. Thousand of pages are written (and read) each year about Princesses, Princes, Dukes, Ladies and Counts.  And most of us have never even seen one. 

In the US we have apparently substituted the ultra rich of New York as our own special brand of American aristocracy.  These thin, rich, powerful and presumably beautiful Upper East side denizen serve as the ruling class that we love to hate.  From The Great Gatsby to The Nanny Diaries we are alternatively amused and horrified by a rarified life style that has absolutely nothing to do with our daily lives. 

Most of us are not super thin, super rich or super connected, but for a few hours we can escape to a world that is exceedingly seductive. And there is something immensely satisfying in cutting them down to size.  After all, they may have all the advantages but, obliviously, they are deeply flawed.

Yes, the characters are self absorbed and shallow.  Yes, the the plot is trite and predictable.  So what? It is great fun. 

Take my word for it, this is a great read for a cold winter day!  You don't need to wait for summer.

The publisher tells all:

A sophisticated, witty, sexy story that exposes the world of upper-class New Yorkers and the media that perpetuate their myth. Ponce Morris is a beautiful, rich widow who's been dubbed "the spare wife" because she's the perfect companion to the wealthy, powerful couples she socializes with. She'll go to sports events with the husbands and throw elegant dinner parties and shop with the wives. She's cool and nonthreatening because the two things everyone knows for sure are that Ponce doesn't like sex and doesn't have a romantic bone in her body. Over the years, she has managed other people's lives--and her own--perfectly. Ponce has everything under control, exactly the way she likes it. Until...Babette Steele, an ambitious aspiring journalist, finds out that Ponce is having an affair with a socially prominent and very married man and decides to break the scandal in a juicy magazine piece.

For Ponce's circle, day-to-day existence quickly becomes a complicated game of social and professional chicken--whoever outsmarts and outmanipulates the other will win. And there is a lot at stake, not only for Ponce but for her friends, all of whom are in the midst of crises of their own: a philandering novelist who hasn't been able to write since his breakout Wall Street best seller, an aging billionaire who can't seem to resist young women (the younger the better), a legendary news show producer on the decline, a big-name political journalist looking to rebound from his wife's death, and an editor at a glitzy magazine that covers the worlds of politics, fashion, and Hollywood. As Ponce's life threatens to come apart at the seams, the author takes us into a world she knows intimately: a dynamic Manhattan filled with opinion makers and social fakers.

This is a vibrant, trenchant novel about ambition, love, friendship, and the intoxicating allure of getting ahead...and trying to stay there.

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The Middle Place (eBook Edition)

The Middle Place is one of those books that will stay with me for a very long time.  I identified at  a deep level:  I  had a larger than life Father. I was  a "Daddy's girl". My Dad had a long and lingering illness.  During his last couple of years we got the chance to redefine our relationship.

Kelly Corrigan weaves together three compelling stories: her childhood, her fight with breast cancer, and her father's illness (cancer). 

This is not a "disease of the month" memoir. This is a vital and honest account of family with all of it's divisions, loyalties and alliances.  Over the course of the book you get to enjoy and know the entire family:  Father, Mother, siblings, husband and children. 

Kelly Corrigan is a graceful writer with a wonderful sense of the absurdity of life and family.  After all who else can make you that mad even while you depend on them?

Corrigan captures the joy of childhood and the angst of the teen years.  She expresses the frustration of watching your parent rely on the familiar and trusted when better medical help is available.  The pain of being told to butt out after all the hard work of finding a new therapy, medication or physician.  The anger at the "well spouse" (her Mother) as they try to hide how bad things really are.

Her story underlines the importance of family, friends and laughter in the process of acceptance and recovery. 

Read this book!  It doesn't matter if you are an Easterner from Philly, a Californian or an Irish Catholic.  You don't have to come from a large family.  You don't need to have cancer or have someone in your family who has cancer.  This is a story with the universal themes of hope, healing and letting go. 

The official book information:

"The thing you need to know about me is that I am George Corrigan's daughter, his only daughter." So begins this beautifully written memoir, in which Kelly Corrigan intertwines her own story with that of her larger-than-life, Irish-American, born-salesman father's, and illustrates both an unbelievably powerful and healing father/daughter relationship and the unbreakable bonds of family. Writing with candor and a surprising amount of graceful humor, Kelly alternates the tale of growing up Corrigan with her life and her father's today, as they each-successfully, for now-battle cancer. Throughout, she explores the framework of illness and what it means when the one person who has been your source of strength is in need of some himself. Uplifting without shying away from the realities of life with cancer, this highly personal story ultimately examines the universal theme of family, both those we create and those that created us. The Middle Place is about the bittersweet moment between childhood and adulthood-when you're a devoted wife and mother, but you'll always be daddy's girl. In fresh, insightful prose, Kelly explores and ultimately embraces that "middle place," bringing to light the wonderful opportunity of coming to know who you are and where you truly belong.

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Oprah's Pick: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle (We Have the eBook Edition)

Yesterday, Oprah announced her latest book club pick: A New Earth by Echhart Tolle. You will be happy to know that she's gone whole hog this time. This is not a mere book recommendation. Oh no, she has added a webinar. Just think for the next ten week on Monday night you can watch Oprah and Eckhart are co-teach a class about finding your life purpose.

I admit, I have never gotten the whole Eckhart Tolle thing.

A friend of mine thrust The Power of Now on me as a "gotta read" book. I tried to read it. I really, really tried! But after fifty or so pages I gave it up in disgust. Not only is there nothing new in what he has to say, but he is pedantic and even worse, boring. The guy is an awful writer; and yes, I know that English is his second language.

When I finally confessed to my friend that I couldn't make myself read any more she insisted on loaning me the audio version.

The next morning I decide to give it a try. Listening to books is one of my favorite to pass time on the treadmill, so what the hell. I promised myself to listen to at least a half hour and to try to keep an open mind. It was with great resolve, that I got on the treadmill, placed the CD in the player and plugged in my head phones.

After fifteen minutes of listening to some guy tell me what I should do with a really bad Arnold-like accent I wanted to scream. Fifteen minutes later I wanted to pull my hair out and shriek!

At the end of a half hour I was done!! In kindness to those around me, I restrained my self, stifled the shriek and settled on throwing the headphones to the ground.

As luck would have it the real Arnold was on the overhead TV talking about "Cal-ee-for-nee-ah." Sometimes you have to admit, it is just not your day!

These types of books and spiritual teachers set my teeth on edge anyway. The only way I know to learn how to "live a day at a time" is to practice doing it. Reading about how to do it, talking about how you should do it and chasing the latest guru won't do it.

I am not sure that Oprah and Tolle have much to say that applies to most of us. Oprah has found her life purpose: a popular talk show host and philanthropist. Tolle has found his: making money trafficing off people's quest for a better life.

You can bet, come Monday night I will be otherwise occupied!

Technorati Tags: ebooks,e-books,Oprah,Tolle,Oprah book club,book review

Discounted eBooks - January 29, 2008

New titles top the agenda this week. Advice, Biography, SciFi, Romance and a Technology -- should keep you busy and informed for the next weeK!. Use coupon code C3KL9 at check out to get a 10% discount on any or all of these titles. Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us. REMEMBER all Best Sellers and New Releases are always discounted by 10% -- no coupons needed

live Rich eBook edition byPollan, Stephan In Live Rich, he now concentrates on the earning side--with the compelling observation that living rich has less to do with net worth and everything to do with freedom. You can live the life you want by adhering to the four tenets of the Live Rich philosophy: Make Money: Don't Grow, Change; Take Charge and Become a Mercenary. Revolutionary workplace ideals, as well as a detailed action plan, you can apply this philosophy to every facet of your life and truly Live Rich. More Info List Price : $l10.95 Your price $8.43 (Using your 10% discount and $ .441 points in eBook Reward points)

Mermaids in the Basement eBook Edition by: West, Michael Lee Reeling from the loss of her mother, plagued with a bad case of writer's block (and don't even talk about that extra twenty pounds), Renata DeChavannes feels as though everything is just plain wrong. And that was before the tabloids caught her sweetheart, filmmaker Ferg Lauderdale, sharing an intimate squeeze with Hollywood's hottest young tamale More Info List Price : $18.95 Your price $14.59 (Using your 10% discount and $ .77 iin eBook Reward points)

Glamour Interrupted eBook edition by Cojocaru, Steven Before Steven Cojocaru was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease, he could never have imagined himself living anything other than a high-glam Hollywood lifestyle. A bon vivant on two coasts, he held jobs as both the red carpet guru for Entertainment Tonight and the fashion correspondent for the Today show, hauling his suitcase full of flat irons and designer boots from New York to Los Angeles and back again, every week. He was Cojo, professional glamour boy with a barbed tongue who went shopping with J.Lo and traded fashion tips with Gwyneth. More Info List Price : $18.95 Your price $14.59 (Using your 10% discount and $ .77 points in eBook Reward points)

Moonseed eBook edition by: Baxter Stephen It Eats Planets. And It's Here. It starts when Venus explodes into a brilliant cloud of dust and debris, showering Earth with radiation and bizarre particles that wipe out all the crops and half the life in the oceans, and fry the ozone layer. Days later, a few specks of moon rock kicked up from the last Apollo mission fall upon a lava crag in Scotland. That's all it takes . . . Suddenly, the ground itself begins melting into pools of dust that grow larger every day. For what has demolished Venus, and now threatens Earth itself, is part machine, part life-form: a nano-virus, dubbed Moonseed, that attacks planets. More Info List Price : $7.19 Your price $6.15 (Using your 10% discount and $ .32 in eBook Reward points)

ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed eBook edition by: Walther, Stephen ASP.NET 3.5 Unleashed is the most comprehensive book on the Microsoft ASP.NET 3.5 Framework, covering all aspects of the ASP.NET 3.5 Framework -- no matter how advanced. This edition covers all the new features of ASP.NET 3.5. It explains Microsoft LINQ to SQL in detail. It includes a chapter on the two new data access controls introduced with the ASP.NET 3.5 Framework: the ListView and DataPager controls. More Info List Price : $47.99 Your price $41.03 (Using your 10% discount and $2.16 in eBook Reward points)

Check here next week for the February Special Author and get 10% off on any of his/her titles.