Sunday Salon | Fairytales and Kindles
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This week I’m reading Goose Girl by Shannon Hale - I was introduced to this book by a number of book bloggers and managed to secure it as a swap on readitswapit.co.uk. My first impressions are positive - Hale does a good job of setting the scene and helping you understand the characters. And its always good to lose yourself in a fairytale right? I can’t wait to see how this one turns out.
I’ll hopefully be sharing the review as part of Nymeth’s upcoming Fairytale Carnival. If you know of any other good fairytale reads please post a comment and let me know.
Should I buy a Kindle?
I read about this device with intrigue when they were first launched last year - but the hefty $399 price tag stopped me from rushing out and buying one. I am still tempted though - the thought of being able to fit hundreds of books into one little hand held unit is an attractive one - it would certainly save on bookshelves - and dusting! But then there is something about the feel of a book that is part of the reading experience and I’m not sure whether it would take something away if I were to read the book on a screen instead.
Here in the UK we are also spoiled by cheap paperbacks - supermarkets sell the top ten bestsellers for £3.75 each (about $8) and that seems to be cheaper than the Kindle downloads. Of course if you want to spread your wings wider than the top 10 bestsellers list the Kindle could win.
So help me out here - does anyone own a Kindle already? What do you think of it? Does it live up to the hype - and the price tag!
Maybe you’re thinking of buying one - what research have you done? Has anyone done a break even analysis - ie how many Kindle books do you need to buy before you offset the cost of the unit itself?
I’d love some help in this purchasing decision - post your thoughts in the comments.
Until next Sunday 
Mrs S
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@John - I left a post on your blog with the link to Nymeth’s carnival - and thanks for the link to Cotton Timer.
@Gautami - I think I would miss the feel of the paper - but then I still have a lot of books to read that would keep me going alongside the kindle for a few years *lol*
@J. Kaye - I’m not good with screen reading - I understand the kindle is less shiny than a normal screen… It is a good idea though.
@Hsien - hello! I just read your post and left you a message. I am more tempted after reading your thoughts!
@Irish -its the price that’s holding me back currently! Thanks for the book recommendations I’ll be sure to check them out
@Megan - it is a pain that the wifi doesn’t work here - I’d love to be able to access my blogs on the move. You are right about the cost of the books on top of the unit - I feel they should be much cheaper… after all they don’t have any production costs!
@Julie - you’re right - the library is free - but I have a thing about reading books that have been read by someone else so I tend to avoid libraries…
@Bethany - I think the screen is what was putting me off most (along with the price) but as Hsien says it’s actually quite easy on the eye - and you can adjust the typeface to suit (some books do have such small text they’re hard to read!)
@Kim - I loved the Goose Girl - be sure to read the review - and will look into the novels you’ve mentioned - I’ve never read a graphic book before so it would take me out of another comfort zone
@Nymeth - I loved it - and have emailed you the link for the carnival - and Briar Rose is on my wish list so I may have to buy it sooner than later
Thanks for all the help everyone - I think I may do some more research around actual costs - and maybe cross ref my growing wish list to see which I could buy on the kindle instead. Ooh I sense a project coming on! I’ll post an update when I make a decision either way.
I’m glad you’re enjoying The Goose Girl and even more glad to hear you’ll be submitting your review for the Carnival!
A great fairy tale retelling is Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose. It’s different from most, actually…it’s Sleeping Beauty and a Holocaust story all in one. But the result is an extremely powerful book that I think everyone should read.
Personally I’m too cheap for Kindle, but it sounds interesting. I’m just not ready to give up real books just yet.
I hope you like The Goose Girl. I thought it was pretty good. If you like graphic novels, I just finished Fables 1&2 by Bill Willingham, and they were pretty good. They are about fables from all sorts of fairy tales that are living amongst us in New York.
Kim Ls last blog post..We Have a Winner!
yeh, nope for me too. Not that that is what you should do, but there is just something about me that feels that soon people will discover that staring at a screen for so many hours is not good for anyone. My eyes hurt sometimes after blogging and commenting for a while. Anyway, I just love the smell of an good ‘ol book too much to make the switch, and the price tag…another strike against it for me!
bethany canfields last blog post..in memory of SUnDaY sALOn
I don’t know. I love to hold books in my hands almost as much as I love to read them. Plus, they’re free from the library. The Kindle just doesn’t appeal to me at all.
I just can’t see spending that much for a Kindle and then paying for the books on top of it. I think this would be fabulous if I traveled a lot. But I don’t. And like to touch my books and not just while I am reading them. I buy almost all of my books used so even $8 for a Kindle download is A LOT more than I usually spend. But if you do go for it and need a place to send you books and bookshelves to I know someone who
needswants them.I have read a lot of great things about how the Kindle is really easy to read off of. I think that is great. If anyone just wants to give me one, I will be more than happy to read using it! I think it would be great to read blogs with. I think about how many times I go to the computer just to check on a blog. But from what I understand the wireless features aren’t available in the UK?
Megans last blog post..The Sunday Salon - Lock and Key
I have flirted with the idea of getting an electronic reader….but the price has always held me back. That and the fact that there is just something so wonderfully comforting about turning the page of a book. I know that is something that I wouldn’t be able to give up…and so would probably still buy just as many books as before.
As for fantasy retellings there is Frank Beddor’s series of books called ‘The Looking Glass Wars’, which is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Mercedes Lackey in her 500 Kingdoms series takes on many fairy tales, including Cinderella, the snow queen (coming soon), a russian fairy tale and a retelling of one of the greek myths with Andromeda.
I also recently picked up the book ‘The Swan Kingdom’ by Zoe Marriott which is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans. Gail Carsen Levine bases many of her YA books on various fairy tales as well.
Irishs last blog post..Sunday Salon: That Warm Fuzzy Feeling of Nostalgia
John beat me to the punch! Was going to tell you I’ve written a few posts about my Kindle (do a search at my site for Kindle). Since getting it a few weeks ago, I’ve spent several hours a day reading on it and have to say that if I had to choose between reading the same book in paper form or Kindle form, I’d pick the Kindle. Far more portable and easy on the eyes.
Hsien Leis last blog post..On the Hunt for LEGO at Flea Markets
Five people I have spoken to love theirs. Personally, I can’t see doing it. I plan on purchasing a notebook for the less. That way, I can do more than just read on it. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00114T9WY/ref=pd_cp_pc_2?pf_rd_p=250314501&pf_rd_s=center-41&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000YEMKGY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=093E3GSF1D08JSC400M8
Right now, I ca’nt afford a kindle! Too pricey for me. THen I can hold and smell books!
gautami tripathys last blog post..Weekly Geeks #5—Tell a story!
Hi a RISI member as well. A UK kindle owner blogged about it last Sunday http://www.cottontimer.com/2008/05/18/sunday-salon-reading-on-the-kindle so may help. I am interested in Fairy story’s (I do story telling)so how can I track down Nymeth?s upcoming Fairytale Carnival? Hope you have a nice sunday