Reading versus the Internet

INTERNET (Photo credit: fisakov)

I don’t know about anyone else, but i personally find that it’s harder to make myself read a book now i have easy access to the internet, whether on my laptop or my phone.

I always loved reading since i was little, and even though i’ve gone through stages of reading lots and reading very little at all over the years, i always come back to  reading a book eventually.

However, since the Internet invaded my life and became a fact of everyday life, i find it harder to open a book and read. There are so many distractions online, from social networks and instant messaging, to addictive online games and blogs. I am easily distracted these days, as proved by my frequent bouts of procrastination when i was at university for 4 years. There were days when i knew i should have been studying, but found myself playing games into the small hours of the morning. Oops.

These days, i am working 5 days a week during the day, and as i finish about 3pm, i have a lot of free time leftover. I try to read and i try to write blog posts here, but lately i find myself playing Tetris instead, determined to beat my best time and beat other people to a higher level of skill. It’s a little bit sad!

I have a large pile of books on my shelf waiting to be read, yet sometimes i find myself scrolling through the book pages of Amazon looking for ebooks to download onto my Kindle instead of picking up a physical book! And this is the girl who said she would never accept the Kindle as book replacement!

I still like physical books, but my Kindle means i can take a dozen books on long train journeys and switch between them if i get bored of one. That said, i still find myself listening to music on trains or playing on the internet on my phone. There it is again: the Internet!

Sometimes i wonder what would happen if i got rid of my phone and my laptop (and my Kindle!), and forced myself to find other forms of entertainment. I guess i would pick up a paper book! I will always return to the physical book!

Book Review: Replica

I have just finished reading “Replica” by Lexi Revellian. I found this ebook for free on Amazon and thought it sounded interesting.

Replica – Lexi Revellian (via Amazon)

The blurb reads:

“Beth Chandler, bright, attractive but unassertive, is accidentally replicated in a flawed experiment at the government research institute where she works. A second Beth comes into being, complete with all her memories. To Sir Peter Ellis, MI5 chief, the replica is an embarrassment that must be hushed up and disposed of. Overhearing him, Beth Two goes on the run. With no official existence, homeless, penniless and pursued by Sir Peter’s agents, she has to find the inner strength and aggression to survive on icy London streets. 

Meanwhile the original Beth, unaware of what has happened, becomes romantically involved with Nick Cavanagh, the spec op she believes is there to protect her. In fact, he’s hunting her double. Nick refuses to face his moral doubts about Beth Two – as far as he’s concerned, it’s not his problem. As events unfold, and the situation grows more complicated, he has to decide whose side he is on.”

The story is a fast-paced thriller with romantic elements which is really gripping! The idea of human clones is rather controversial and i wasn’t sure how i felt about it when i started reading. At first i thought Beth was a bit pathetic with a loser boyfriend who isn’t right for her but she keeps him in her life for reasons i can’t fathom! When she gets replicated, it gets interesting because we have her clone and we get to see what Beth is like when forced to go on the run to save herself. Beth Two is gradually shown to be different to the original Beth, although they share the same memories, knowledge and looks, their temperaments seem to be a bit different: Beth Two is more angry and has a strong sense of self-preservation, especially when she manages to outwit her would-be-captors.

Talking of captors, we meet Nick, the agent tasked with protecting the original Beth and tracking down her double. He develops a closer relationship with Beth while working out how to catch Beth Two.  It gets a little confusing: you wonder how he manages to differentiate between Beth who he has feelings for, and Beth Two who he wants to capture. Nick is an interesting character who seems very attractive from the way he is portrayed!

It gets complicated when the two Beths finally end up face to face and go public with their story, as we don’t get all the information about what really happened when they were received by the world. There is a rather sad element to this, but i won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t read it yet!

I give “Replica” a big 9/10 because it had me gripped from the beginning, and i got really annoyed when things happened which i didn’t want to happen (i guess they were inevitable!), which always makes for interesting reading! It is such a great plot, and it makes you question how far you can go with the ethics of human cloning. I really recommend it if you like something a bit different or controversial.

NOTE: I read this on my Kindle, and had no problems with the ebook at all. At the time of publishing this review, the ebook was still free on Amazon!

A sneak peek…. at my Kindle reading list

Although i am still in love with print books, i am growing increasingly fond of my little Kindle, with its amazing capacity for holding many, many ebooks! I am harbouring a slight addiction to downloading paid for and free ebooks and the fact that it is instantaneous!

Here is a little sneak peek at some of the books sitting on my Kindle reading list:

My Kindle reading list

I have read all of the titles shown, except for “H10N1″ and most of the plays by Shakespeare!

Book Review: The Book of Lost Souls

I have been reading “The Book of Lost Souls” by Michelle Muto. It’s quite good, and easy to read if you want a fast read.

The Book of Lost Souls - Michelle Muto (via Amazon)

I wasn’t sure at first when it started describing how the protagonist, Ivy, is a witch and is friends with vampires and werewolves, felt a little bit Twilight-y there, and then we get the added bonus of demons, trolls and zombies, and so it’s a full house of supernatural creatures!

The plot is quite good, although it felt a little tame, but then it seems to be for a younger age group. It reminded me a little bit of the “Wicca” series by Cate Tiernan with the whole witch-trying-to-prove-she’s-not-evil-like-her-black-magic-abusing-father. The father is a very mysterious guy and although we don’t know all the details of what happened before he disappeared, despite him not being there his influence is felt as Ivy tries to fight her feelings for the son of her father’s friend and tries to convince everyone that she is nothing like her father.

Ivy has some problems to sort out after turning a lizard into a Halloween party date, especially when everyone thinks she’s abusing her powers. She is very aware of what others may or may not be thinking of her, and she tries so hard to fit in, or rather just be invisible. Her best friends keep her on the straight and narrow as much as they can, and they know her so well that they know Ivy better than she knows herself at times. Ivy seems to argue with herself, constantly questioning her motives and feelings, and i felt that i could relate to her character fairly well.

It’s a good story of friendships, love and loyalty, but the strange happenings which occur throughout the book test Ivy and her friends. The supernatural element is quite nice as it is more true to the original traits, with no vampires trying to be sparkly or ‘vegetarian’ (Twilight), although toned down as it’s for a young audience.

I enjoyed the story and it is quite gripping with the ressurrection of two very evil historical criminals which cause havoc in the town when Ivy and her friends live. It’s a typical supernatural story where teenager and friends fight evil and ignore advice of the grownups and make mistakes, like Buffy, like Harry Potter, bit like Twilight (although Bella is a human with no powers).

I’ll give it 7/10 as it is a good read, written well and the characters are believable. I recommend it to any teenagers and fans of the supernatual, although if you’re older than that like me, then maybe you won’t feel it is the best book for you. Nevertheless, it is a good read, and i want to know a bit more about the characters!

Note: I read this on my Kindle, as it was free for a limited time on Amazon! (BTW, I’m not a cheapskate, it’s just nice to have some free every now and then!)

Book Review: Grimm’s Fairy Stories

I have been reading Grimm’s Fairy Stories on my Kindle and really enjoyed re-reading stories from my childhood!

Grimm's Fairy Stories - Brothers Grimm (via Amazon)

These are the early versions of the stories we know and love, although they are a bit darker than the modern Disney versions we know, but that makes them much better i think!

My favourite stories include: “Catherine and Frederick”, “Briar Rose” and “The Six Swans”.

It’s funny how a lot of them have evil stepsisters and stepmothers! And they all seem to be rescued by a prince or a king! No hint of fairy godmothers though, that must be the Disney influence!

I love these old stories: they reward the hardworking underdog and punish the lazy and jealous people!

10/10!

Note: I read this on my Kindle as it was free, and there are a few little niggles with the ebook – the stories are all stuck together and don’t start on a new page; you can’t navigate to one particular story; and my version is supposed to be illustrated but there aren’t any. There are also a few mistakes grammatically, and a few other errors, which ruin the ebook a bit.

The search for the perfect Kindle cover

I recently acquired a Kindle 4 for Christmas and am eager to avoid it ending up scratched and bashed like everything else (phone, mp3 player, etc all blighted by unsightly dents and blemishes) because i live by my personal mantra: “if it ain’t tough, it won’t survive”! So clearly it is very important to find a case which both protects my new gadget but is also not boring!

I have looked around and found some frankly rather boring Kindle cases provided by Amazon itself and a few others. Although i think they’re supposed to be more like a book cover, I’m concerned that cases like the one below will not protect the edges of my Kindle and will accidently open in a bag:

Kindle Leather Cover, Wine Purple (via Amazon)

This case style isn’t one i’m willing to waste my money on, even if it is my favourite colour purple! Amazon seems to charge a stupid amount of money for these cases, nearly half what the Kindle costs! There is also this one which isn’t too bad colourwise and has a nice clippy thing to keep the case closed, but i’m still not sure about it:

New Kindle Purple SD Folio Case – SD Tabletwear (via Amazon)

I did find some nice, less boring versions of that style, such as this Kate Spade one which is quite funky:

Kate Spade New York Kindle Cover (via Amazon)

There are the quite nice but extremely pricey designer ones, as shown on Pretty Shiny Sparkly’s blog:

Reader Chic: Designer Kindle Cases

Even though i’m not sure on this style, i do actually LOVE the pattern on this one:

Wild Rose Kindle 4 Cover – Oberon Design

It’s really beautiful, and they have many more different designs on their website for all Kindle models and also cases for other devices too, see Oberondesign.com.

And maybe this one is quite nice too:

Flower Kindle case – Lente Designs (via Amazon)

And then there are the sleeves for Kindle, such as this amusing one inspired by “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mixalot! (and that song got stuck in my head when i saw this!):

I LIke Big Books Kindle Sleeve – Cafepress.co.uk

Or maybe this simple one:

Belkin Knit sleeve for Kindle (via Tesco)

I would rather have a slip-on case which covers the whole thing and keeps it all safe and bash-free, maybe one like this:

SD TabletWear Leather Style Amazon Kindle Slip Pouch – Purple (via Gearzap.com)

Or there is this nifty reversible black and red one:

Forefront Cases NEW KINDLE 4 Black / Red Reversible Neoprene Case (via Amazon)

I am still undecided as to what to buy as i haven’t found anything that i like enough to buy. If there is nothing i can find that i like then i may have to design my own, either through one of these websites, medgestore.com, or bagsoflove.co.uk. Or i might just sew my own (looking like the easiest and cheapest option to get something personal and more attractive!

I will keep looking for now though, you never know when someone will bring something nice out!

Book Review: Handling The Undead

I have just finished reading “Handling The Undead” by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Handling The Undead - John Ajvide Lindqvist (via Amazon)

In the city of Stockholm, the dead are coming back to life. The novel questions: how to handle the restless Reliving, who just want to come back home?

As can be expected, this plot throws up all sorts of issues, from the human rights of the Reliving, to questioning people’s religious beliefs, to trying to interact with the Reliving. The various characters we meet all have a connection to the Reliving and their relationships are all very different. These characters are all processing some kind of grief as they  confront the return of their loved ones whom they had recently buried. They are all fleshed out really well, with their stories being unique but connected by this one event. One character story is a little chilling, with the grandfather, Mahler, who digs up his Reliving grandson and hides him from the government. My favourite character is Flora, a teenager who has a special power of being able to sense things which others can’t.

You may call them zombies, but they are not the stereotypical idea of zombies which we all know: the groaning, half-decomposed, flesh-eating, walking bodies. They are simply bodies in varying states of decomposition (depending on the nature of the cause of death) which walk and, in one case, talk.  Yes, this novel explores the dead themselves, but it mainly focuses on the reactions of the living. There are some interesting thoughts about death, what counts as death, and questions what happens to the soul after death, if such a thing really exists. It makes you think about the lengths people will go to to protect their deceased loved ones, and how people really cope when the laws of nature are turned upside down. This is the sort of novel which explores and pushes the boundaries of subjects which we actually know little about. It basically just shows us ways in which humans cope with the unexpected.

The book is really well written, with great description of the people, places and events. It focuses on the emotional aspect of the story, and develops the characters’ stories by telling us about their pasts as well as showing their emotional reaction to the Reliving.

My only problem with the novel is that it doesn’t answer WHY the dead suddenly rise, or why its only those who died within the last few months who come back. Just as we start getting answers about how their souls can escape the body, the novel ends (rather abruptly i thought).

I give it 8/10 because it is a very good novel and its great to read something which more than just another zombie story.  It is really thought-provoking and disturbing.

It might have been a 10/10, but the ending is not really up to the standard of the rest of it. I was disappointed how suddenly it ended, without answering the vital questions. Nevertheless, i would still recommend it, as Linqvist is a brilliant writer!

Note: I read this on my Kindle, and it was a different experience to reading a print book, but i quite enjoyed it! My only issue with the ebook of this novel is that there seemed to be a few mistakes within the text, with dialogue of different characters getting mixed up on the same line, which got confusing, and a few other little niggles.

New Year, New Books, New Kindle!

Happy New Year!

Last year one of my resolutions was to keep track of the books i read and review, and to read as many as i could during 2011. On reflection, i managed to read a grand total of 27 books! It’s quite good considering i was busy studying for at least 8 months of the year! (And before anyone points it out, i haven’t counted the fact that i read the Twilight novels twice!) See My Reading List 2011 for the list of books and my reviews!

This year, i will aim to read more books, with my goal being 50!

It may or may not be easier now i am the proud owner of an Amazon Kindle, which my parents bought me for Christmas. It was a surprise because i didn’t ask for one, nor did i particularly want one as i’m not sold on the digital thing, but its actually grown on me and i quite like having one!

Amazon Kindle 4 (via Amazon)

I am currently looking for a cover or case for mine, as i don’t want it to get scratched when i take it out. At the moment, it lives in the packaging it came in when i got it! Unfortunately most of the covers and cases on offer cost a fortune or are not very nice-looking, or plain boring. I may have to search further afield! Or make my own!

Kindle is actually quite easy to use, and it doesn’t feel too strange reading off it. It is quite comfortable to hold, less fiddly than a physical book. It doesn’t hurt my eyes because there’s no glare from a backlight. It’s so easy to download books if you have wifi and an Amazon account!

I’m currently reading “Handling The Undead” by John Ajvide Lindqvist on my Kindle, which is a good novel, although i keep finding little bits of the text being a bit messy with the wrong punctuation. I don’t know if this is the Kindle’s fault or the ebook’s flaws but it shouldn’t be like that.

Nevertheless, i’m quite enjoying using my Kindle!

For Christmas, i also got two physical books, “Harbour” by John Ajvide Lindqvist (my current favourite author) and “Before I Go To Sleep” by SJ Watson.

Harbour - John Ajvide Lindqvist (via Amazon)

Before I Go To Sleep - SJ Watson (via Amazon)

I’ve started “Harbour” but not got very far as i started reading the Kindle book, and i’m also in the middle of reading “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon ( the copy i got from World Book Night, which has been sitting on my shelf for months!), so that’s a nice start to 2012′s reading challenge!