Tag Archive | Nook Color

I’m In Love

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I am in love.  I’m in love with the Kindle Fire I received from my parents for my birthday.  Earlier this fall, I came up with the crazy idea that I’d love a Kindle Fire for my birthday.  The idea seemed crazy at first because I received a Nook Color last year.  The thing is that I love my Nook so much I wanted to compare the Kindle Fire, discuss various features, and share everything with all of you.   So, here it goes:

So why do I love my Kindle Fire so much?

The experience of setting up the Kindle Fire blew me away.  All of a sudden I had access to my Amazon.com MP3 collection, which I’d largely forgotten, right on my Kindle Fire.  Free apps such as Kindle Buffet have already helped me create huge library of great books to discover, largely for free.  I also discovered a great, free YouTube video downloader.  All of that is just the beginning.

I have to admit, I haven’t exactly been fair to my Nook Color.  I’m going to have to spend some time exploring some of its capabilities.  Over the last year I largely used it as an e-reader and to play a few games (Words with Friends, etc.).  I’ll do a direct comparison of both devices soon.  I will say this though:  It is hard to compete with Amazon’s selection and service.  I’ve been nothing but happy so far.

 

Summer Reading/Summer Blogging

English: Photo of Bonnie Jo Campbell

English: Photo of Bonnie Jo Campbell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As usual, I’m not sure where to begin.  This summer has personally held some nasty surprises for what passes for my life.  Then again, I suppose I have to start somewhere if I am going to achieve anything at all.  I’ll spare everyone the details for now, so I’ll get right to the point.

Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde has unfortunately suffered as a result.  I’m trying to get things back on track.  It just may take a while.  I’ve sorely neglected the feature that inspired so much this year:  My Life In Pop Culture.  I’ve also neglected to do my part for two new blogging award nominations I received as of late.  Blogging awards are a wonderful way to show appreciation to those bloggers nearest and dearest to your heart.  I’m honored to have received them.  Thank you for the nominations!  I’m looking forward to correcting this error on my part as soon as possible.  Also, I’ve been haphazard in sharing some of my favorite bloggers here.  I’m finding it difficult to balance my own blog posts with reblogging wonderful posts from the likes of Childhood Relived.  I somehow have to strike a balance.  I love creating my own content, of course; at the same time, I come across so many wonderful/funny/inspiring posts, I instinctively want to share it with the most wonderful audience of all:  my readers.  When I reblog, I do it out of sheer admiration.  I just want everyone, readers and bloggers alike, to realize that fact.

And then there are books.  I’m not sure if many of you’ve paid attention to my running reading list stuck to the top of my blog, but I’ve had my nose stuck in various books for the last two months.  It can be blamed on learning how to borrow e-books for my Nook Color from the Bay County Library System.  I’m getting a lot of mileage out of my Nook Color.  I love it to the point where I’m seriously considering asking for a Kindle Fire for Christmas and/or my birthday.  I love to compare/contrast.  It isn’t that I favor e-books over hardcovers or well-loved paperbacks – nothing will ever replace the feel and heft of a physical book – I just read that much more with an e-reader.  My next experiment:  Audio books on my laptop and/or Nook Color.  This may sound stupid, but at times I wish I could commute via Metro instead of having to personally drive 40 minutes each way to work every day.  Think of the reading time I could get in if I lived in a large city!  Ah well.

The books I’ve read so far this summer will have a lasting impact on me, my writing, everything.  I love them that much!  Each one deserves its own post and review.  The problem is that I never feel I do a book justice when I review it.  I always seem to leave something important unsaid – and that infuriates me.  Just don’t be surprised if I finally establish a series of book reviews here.

I hope to soon create a flexible schedule/outline for content.  Stay tuned, as always.  I still plan a series on Linda McCartney’s photography, Paul McCartney himself, and more.  That, of course, doesn’t even begin to cover politics.  I also, regrettably, haven’t written a personal post about Turner Syndrome, outlined my thoughts on reproductive rights, and so much more.  I just need to get organized and go for it.  What saddens me is that people are clicking on those links to Turner Syndrome and Reproductive Rights only to find nothing there.

By the way, I’m well on the way to achieving my reading goals for the year.  I’ve read 17 of the 25+ e-books I pledged to read in 2012.  I’ve read a total of 28 books, both traditional and e-books, out of the 60 I hope to read in 2012.  With five months to go, my goals are in sight!  That is a wonderful feeling after coming so close to my goal of 48 in 2011.  Oh, and congrats to Bonnie Jo Campbell, one my favorite Michigan authors and the author of one of my favorite books, Once Upon A RiverOnce Upon A River was selected as a 2012 Michigan Notable Book!  Well deserved.  I discuss Once Upon A River here.

Reading 2012

You may have noticed that I haven’t read much lately.  As much as I hate to admit this, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins hasn’t let go of my mind as of yet.  Immediately after finishing The Hunger Games Trilogy I read Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein, which is the second book in Author Chris Grabenstein’s John Ceepak series.  I’d never heard of the series before and came across it by accident, literally.  I’d accidentally purchased Mad Mouse for $ .99 on my Nook Color.  This is exactly what I mean when I say I don’t discover great books, they find me.

The strange thing about Mad Mouse is that is it precisely the type of book I devoured as a teenager.  I grew up loving mysteries series, thanks in large part to Nancy Drew.  Once I outgrew Nancy Drew, I then moved on to the Kinsey Millhone mysteries as a young teenager, if not before.  The entire time I read Mad Mouse I couldn’t help but compare John Ceepak, police officer with the Sea Haven, New Jersey police department, with Kinsey Millhone, a California based private detective.  I can only imagine what sparks would fly if they teamed up.  As you can see, Mad Mouse reignited my love of mysteries.

Unfortunately there are just too many good books out there.  I wish I could just let myself delve into every single book of the Kinsey Millhone or John Ceepak mysteries.  My conscious will not let me.  I have too many literary interests, too many amazing books calling my name.  I may have to work in a mystery or two though.  They never really let go of me.

As for The Hunger Games Trilogy, I still have much to say.  I just wish the young adult genre had been this vibrant fifteen years ago.  Thankfully, there is nothing stopping me from reading the best of the young adult genre.  That is a wonderful thing.

Cover of "Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Myster...

Cover of Mad Mouse: A John Ceepak Mystery