I would just like to point out that over Christmas I purchased four e-books for my own personal reading pleasure.
The new Lee Child.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
Faithful Place
And I'm glad I did; they were all awesome (although the new Lee Child felt oddly sadistic to me, even for Reacher). Point being, would I have gone out and bought those four books at a bookstore over the same period of time? No way--I never have time to shop and also they would have cost a lot more in hardcover.
I seriously think all will be well in the state of publishing--give it a few years and it's going to even out again.
Jenny, entering the New Year in a spirit of optimism. And look for my official New Years post coming soon.
You may have a point.
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading _Major Pettigrew_ (absolutely delightful!), having downloaded it to my iPad on Christmas Eve as the plane was taxiing away from the gate. Would never have had time to buy the hard copy. I will buy more books, more impulsively, in this medium. Please don't tell anyone. XXOO, H
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing about the latest Reacher book - a few times I even cringed and I normally cheer when he's kicking butt!
ReplyDeleteOh. Faithful Place. LOVED. IT. I read the first chapter of "Bird by Bird" by Ann LaMott then immediately sat down and ordered the rest of her nonfiction. AND read Faery Tale by Signe Pike, great read. Glad I'm not the only one who still wants to read books, regardless of the format!
ReplyDeleteGood, simple thought. And I agree.
ReplyDeleteAlso just finished Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - loved it! (Borrowed it from the library.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the state of publishing. In the end it'll be OK.
ReplyDeleteLove the positive outlook!
ReplyDeleteHow funny - I was actually just thinking that this morning. It's just so easy to read about a book online, click over to Amazon, and have it sent to my Kindle - all from the comfy armchair where I now sit with my laptop. And you never have to worry about having a minimum order to qualify for free shipping. I've always bought tons of books (probably a lot more than I should) but now I find myself buying even more. And since we can't easily share them (though I hear that feature is coming soon) or sell them used, if others want to read the book they have to buy a copy, too.
ReplyDeleteI have "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand," though I've yet to read it. It sounds delightful, though, and I've heard it's very well-written.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to Alice Hoffmann's latest, "The Red Garden," though I haven't read "Blackbird House" yet. It's still waiting patiently on my shelves as I finish up Adam Foulds' "The Quickening Maze." Poetic, but it doesn't draw me in.
A lot of people I know who didn't consider themselves readers do now thanks to the convenience of e-readers. It gives me hope, too.
ReplyDeleteI listened to Major Pettigrew on CD a few months ago and really liked it. It could have fallen into a hundred traps where everyone and everything became a politically correct stereotype,making me feel as if I was reading a novel I'd read 10 times before, but it didn't. The characters were genuinely touching.
ReplyDeleteI just downloaded two free novels to my ereader and have two I've bought that I haven't gotten to. I love my Kindle.
I agree. Since I received my Kindle, I've bought more books than I did before. Now, I live even further from a bookstore, about 40 minutes, so without my Kindle, my book buying would be reduced to garage sale finds. lol. Instead, I'm lying in bed on a Sunday morning looking for my next read, and one-clicking when I find it. So easy!
ReplyDeleteI did love to know what your take on the modern day poet is, with so many poetry blogs out there and many more internet poetry communities, how does the good poet make it past the wilderness
ReplyDeleteFaithful Place is on my list to read this year. I just read The Likeness a few weeks ago and loved it.
ReplyDeleteM.P.,
ReplyDeleteSame here. Before my Kindle, I'd go to the library for the books I wanted to read, but rarely bought them. Now, I buy everything. And if I love it (Hunger Games trilogy, The Passage, The Book Thief), I buy a hardcopy for my bookshelf.