Bookmarking 4 - Egypt

In sixth grade, my homeroom teacher was also my English and history teacher. At the start of the year, she presented every student in the class with a bookmark. On one side, she had printed our names in fancy calligraphy. On the other was a stamped illustration - mine happened to be of a pile of books. Attached at the top was a small carved scarab beetle. A student asked, curious, "Mrs R, what's this?"

She smiled. "Wait until we start studying about Egypt."

Calibre convert

I'm not very good at technology. If programs get to be too complicated, I raise my arms in defeat and forget about it. I like simplicity in the use of technology, complexity in its quality. I am that spawn of the internet age - at once lazy and inquisitive.

On the one hand, this trait made me fairly pleased with Sony's Reader Library when I first started using it. Moving files to my PRS-600 was so simple, downloading and viewing files even more so, and arranging them in bookshelves proved to be surprisingly convenient once I started amassing books. And taking notes on my computer? A cinch. But it's an annoying, frustrating program too. The inability to adjust metadata means that many of the files I've acquired have bizarre/inaccurate titles and authors, making it incredibly difficult to keep track of where my books are at, once on the Reader. I started searching for ways to change the settings, certain there must be some simple solution. Instead, I kept coming across the name Calibre again and again. I finally downloaded it, after using a computer for a couple of weeks that seemed unable to use Sony's program (it turned out the problem was that the Reader Library had been installed on an external drive to the computer that was no longer there...). The results? Calm, blissful, and altogether impressive. I am now a Calibre convert. Sort of.

Calibre doesn't resemble Sony's iTunes-esque library at all. On the one hand, it's simpler, with large, easily recognizable buttons along the top displaying the many available options. On the other hand, it's more complex, because -- it has buttons along the top displaying the many available options. I don't mean the option of "change author", "change title", etc. No, it's "edit metadata" and "convert format", both of which lead to new and seemingly complicated screens. Except there's really nothing to it. Within seconds, I'd managed to figure out how to maneuver Calibre's basic options, even picking up the quick keyboard commands (they're entirely intuitive - v for view, e for edit, c for convert, etc.).

There are two main features that make Calibre worth your while, no matter what eReader program you use otherwise. The first is the ability to convert files. Almost every format can be converted to something else (I think .doc is the exception), so if you've found a great book in PDF but don't like how it looks, hit a couple of keys and bam--ePub it is. I'm not sure if it works for .azw (Kindle) files, but the open screen indicates that it's a Kindle compatible program too (through .mobi, I think). For the rest of us, though, it works like a charm, even if converting PDFs reveals funny glitches like page numbers in the middle of the screen.

The second interesting feature is "Fetch news". Upon command, Calibre connects to the internet and downloads the most recent newspaper or magazine from a multitude of sources (in a multitude of languages), making it possible to read The New England Journal of Medicine and then getting updated with The Chicago Tribune. For those with Kindles who pay for some papers, this feature may seem silly (particularly since one needs to connect the machine and the fact that often the papers are incomplete without a subscription...) but in all honesty it's great for me. I recently took a flight across the Atlantic and instead of buying my typical Economist magazine, I downloaded the free (and mostly complete) version to my Sony and enjoyed it on the flight for no extra charge. Calibre automatically downloads the papers into the suitable format for your device (specified upon installation), complete with internal links to specific articles, to menus and the black-and-white pictures.

It's not a perfect program. Far from it. It's slow, somewhat unorganized at times, and cannot actually be used alongside Sony's Reader Library. Technically. In reality, it's possible to use both by taking advantage of Calibre's useful features and avoiding letting it come into contact with the actual eReader. Still, it's an added step and an added hassle. But for the ability to fix those pesky PDF files that come with crazy metadata (by converting them to ePub with the proper info, or self converting to PDF, as strange as it sounds), for the newspaper feature, and for the ease with which I figured out theoretically complex stuff, I give Calibre my stamp of approval.

Bookmarkeng 3 - Kindergarten

Many might remember those times in kindergarten where the teachers assign "art projects". For my young cousin, one such art project was to make a bookmark, and then to laminate it. On one side, he drew the charming above display. On the other, he drew several colored boxes and attempted to write the name of this humble correspondent. He did not succeed entirely.

Paying it off

When I got my Sony Reader PRS-600, I knew I wasn't going to be spending money on eBooks. The device was to be used exclusively for free reading material. Meant to reduce the costs of my reading habits, it was hoped that the device would "pay itself off" within a reasonable lifespan.

Assume all books cost $12. They don't, but go with it. The device costs $300 (it seemed so much cheaper back in October, but now Sony is much more expensive than competitors... that should change). 300 divided by 12 equals 25. Now look at books costing $15 (close to reality). Now the number is 20. Basically, somewhere between 20-25 free books read on the device "pays it off". And so my silver Sony has given me my money back. Cool.

Zakładka w książce 2 - Zakopane

This week's addition to the Bookmarking series comes from the lovely town of Zakopane, Poland. Even in early autumn, the mountains were snow-capped and the atmosphere quaint. While visiting Poland with a group, it was decided everybody would, in addition to buying gifts for family and friends, get a small trinket for themselves. With ten minutes to go before rendezvous, I found myself darting in and out of the shops, trying to find the one "self gift". About 2 minutes before needing to board the buses, I saw a small display at the front of one of the stores with a series of bookmarks sticking out.

"A message from above," joked one of my fellow travelers, knowing my, ahem, fondness for reading. "1 złoty," the woman behind the counter said. I paid hurriedly and grabbed the first one I saw, a soft, dark green bookmark adorned with flowers and the name of the town: Zakopane. Once aboard the bus, a fellow traveler asked, "So what did you buy yourself?" "A bookmark," I answered plainly.

The fellow traveler raised one eyebrow. "How am I not surprised?"

Br. writes, Bi. types

In response to the "Not the TV Book Group"'s reading of Philippe Claudel's "Brodeck's Report" ("Brodeck" in the U.S.), I wanted to share my thoughts. Verbivore recommended the book, and I was pleased to see it getting more exposure. Realizing, though, that I'd missed the official date (blast!), I thought back to the things I wrote about this novel in June. Among my papers, I also found a typewritten sheet where I'd quoted from the English translation (which is not the one I originally read) and discussed the book at length (but with numerous spoilers). At dovegreyreader scribbles, several commenters discussed the typewritten aspects of the book, suggesting that the occasional blips might be meant to parallel the story itself. The entire discussion is fascinating, and as a hat tip to the interesting points raised, I offer one of my favorite passages from the book (I don't think it's much of a spoiler but I suggest caution anyways), childishly and amateurishly typewritten from a few months ago:

Click to enlarge

Bookmarking 1 - Banned

The bookmarking feature starts out with a free addition to the bookmark collection, courtesy of the ALA:

I picked these up for free this year during Banned Books Week, liking the variety in the colors and style. And what a good bookish motto: Speak. Know. Read.

Gutenb-arr-g

I knew there was a reason why I loved Gutenberg (especially now that I have an eReader): there's a Pirates, Buccaneers, Corsairs, etc. bookshelf.

I have no idea who makes these, but thank you.

Bookmarking - an introduction

One thing I prefer in visiting physical bookstores over the internet variety are the bookmarks. Enter a random store in a random country in a random town and you can find the official store bookmark, either advertising local events, providing information (store hours, locations, etc.), or just random words of wisdom. Even my favorite of booksellers on the internet have so far failed to indulge my obsession.

No longer. The Book Depository is calling for my money for numerous reasons (free international shipping, anyone?), but now there's one more reason on the list urging me to take advantage of their deals - the bookmark competition. Hundreds of very cool looking bookmarks were submitted, with twenty intriguing and varied winners. Of the winners, my favorites are probably Ricardo Reis' and Damien Kavanagh's - both bookmarks would be excellent additions to my collection. Among those that didn't win, a few other great ones (and some other ones):

As a longtime appreciator of bookmarks and a more recent active collector, looking at these charming artistic displays made me ponder the bookmarks I already have, culminating in the following: next week will start a running feature of various bookmarks in my possession (or ones I encounter). While I know mine won't have the charm the Book Depository's entries have, I know there are some funny stories behind them and a couple of real beauties. And even though the Book Depository doesn't exist in the "real" world, it's going to be providing me with tangible evidence of my purchases there, via my collection. Kudos for that.

Salinger storytime

With J. D. Salinger's passing last week, the floodgates opened to obituaries, speculations, and mass reevaluation of his life works. Included in this unsurprising ritual, critics and readers around the world felt the need to announce once again the bond they shared with Holden Caulfield. As a reader who was not taken with "Catcher in the Rye" (in fact, it ranks as one of the most disappointing books I've ever read - not necessarily the worst, but disappointingly bad. And no, I didn't study it in school), I've found myself over the last week avoiding the topic - avoiding Salinger altogether.

What resulted with the obituaries and summaries and essays was one emerging, shining hope: that Salinger continued writing and now, after his reclusive death, many works will come to light. Fans are excited and anticipate excellent stories never brought to light because of the author's deep dislike of actually publishing things (the opposite of most writers today). As a non-fan, it's hard to sympathize with the excitement, even as I recognize it. Instead, I find myself wanting to read Salinger's oft-praised shorter works, if only to understand why I disliked "Catcher in the Rye" so much.

So fans of J. D. Salinger, as you look to the future and the stories that may emerge, I turn to the past and the stories Salinger did publish. Here's to hoping none of us are disappointed by what we find.

And so it begins

Okay Amazon. I know everyone's excited (or not) about the iPad (and unnecessarily so, or do I need to explain for the thousandth time that this isn't an eReader?), but acting like a little annoying kid is only going to make your parents angry. Your parents in this case are probably folks who like buying books from you and don't give a hoot (yet) about eBooks. You guys do realize that you're screwing over your customers, right?

If you're wondering what Amazon's latest drama is, check this out: Amazon has decided to stop selling books by a publisher that went with Apple. And I don't mean they stopped selling Kindle editions, I mean they stopped selling books. Want to laugh especially hard? They haven't stopped selling the Kindle editions (for Wolf Hall, at least). So you know what, Amazon? Now I'm angry because you're screwing me over.

The story is as follows. Publishers don't like Amazon's $9.99 eBook policy. Neither do I, but that's because $10 for less than 1Mb of information is absolute stupidity and incredibly expensive. More on that another time. Point is, publishers think Amazon's prices are unfair, claiming that the downward trend is ruining publishing, blah blah, no money for us, blah, you're paying for content not for format, blah diblah blah. Publishers have jumped at the idea of the "magical" iPad because they think that Apple will fix everything. This is because Apple has consented to sell higher priced eBooks, meaning more money gets back to the publishers. Publishers hope that the saying that "consumers will do what Apple tells them to" will stand here too (and yes, I did just make that up).

Clearly, Amazon is worried. Otherwise, would they really remove titles to "express disappointment" (or disagreement)? Amazon has convinced consumers that it's all right to pay incredible sums of money for eBooks, publishers think even that's not enough, and consumers are taking it lying down (again, more on this later). Now Amazon is acting like they're the victims of some strange nefarious scheme (if someone understands this comment as something else, please let me know and explain it to me - I'm honestly completely baffled), saying that $14 is too expensive for an eBook (which is absolutely true), saying "Oh, well I have to sell it like this because that's what makes me money but not money the way I'd like it but hey I'm getting more money out of it are you confused yet?".

There are other sides to the story as well. Read this account from an author whose book was temporarily removed too - it looks at this whole issue from a different angle that may, given time, make me more sympathetic towards publishers. Regardless, this whole affair is turning out to be exhausting. One conclusion is that Apple's iPad isn't the eReader to solve our problems, but rather is apparently going to cause a furor or two just because of pettiness. These fights will do no one good - Amazon, because of the bad publicity, and the publishers, because of the decrease in sales and old-fashioned mindset - most of all hurting consumers. In the meantime, I'll happily read free literature on my Sony and go shop at the Book Depository*.

*And complete a book blogger survey. Only a few days left!

Pretty price, same device

It's called the iPad and while it's cheaper than those mysterious tech specs speculated, I find myself having to say I told you so.

In a nutshell, Apple has produced a large iPod Touch, which is very spiffy, yes, but not very practical for most people's needs. Curiously, though, those who are unimpressed technologically suggest that the iPad will revolutionize eBooks and challenge the Kindle (and for some odd reason, keep mentioning the lackluster Nook). On one count the iPad may make a difference - magazines. Magazines look great glossy and shiny, and now they'll look even cooler, with the potential for embeded videos, sound clips and more. But eBooks? Just because publishers are excited for the future of eBooks doesn't mean consumers (or the readers of these eBooks) should be. Or as Chad Post of Three Percent so eloquently put it:

[I]f I had one of these things—and I read a hundred plus pages every day—and had the choice between video, gaming, and books, I’ll tell you what I ain’t going to choose . . .

I'll just reiterate my point. This iPad is a curious mashup that seems unlikely to stand on its own. It's not an eReader, as it does not have eInk screen technology and while it allows for reading, that does not mean much. Publishers are eager to get in on this because they think this is what consumers will go for, except consumers and publishers seem to be at odds more and more on this subject (more on that another time). Basically, the whole thing is a mess but some things still stand: the iPad is not an eReader, it shouldn't be a game-changer, and publishers (and consumers as well!) should stop hoping that Apple will magically take care of a system that is in desperate need of an overhaul. It won't.

Quote of the week

Today's quote comes from the excellently titled "A Honeymoon in Space" by George Griffith, and is an exchange between an Englishman and a young American woman. Lord Redgrave says:

"I'm for sound money all the time, if I may be permitted to speak American."

"English is quite good enough for us, Lord Redgrave," said Miss Zaidie a little stiffly. "We may have improved on the old language a bit, still we understand it, and—well, we can forgive its shortcomings.["]

*A small reminder to readers - the book blogger survey is still going on; see here for more details.

Another book thief

This is really more a teaser than anything else, but I just read a very interesting article over at The Millions (hat tip, GalleyCat) about eBook pirating.

In truth, I think it is clear that morally, the act of pirating a product is, in
fact, the moral equivalent of stealing… although that nagging question of what
the person who has been stolen from is missing still lingers. Realistically and
financially, however, I feel the impact of e-piracy is overrated, at least in
terms of ebooks.

It's a fascinating interview, if only because I don't agree with everything the anonymous uploader says. The interviewee compares eBooks to movies and music, looks at who uploaders are, reasons for downloading pirated eBooks, and more. I've been thinking quite a bit about this topic over the last week and this was a timely and interesting find.

Newbery, Caldecott, Printz and... Batchelder?

This is an interesting award:

The Batchelder Award is a citation awarded to an American publisher for a
children's book considered to be the most outstanding of those books originally
published in a language other than English in a country other than the United
States, and subsequently translated into English and published in the United
States.

Everyone always hears about the Newbery, the Printz, and the Caldecott (Stead, Bray, and Pinkney respectively and all other winners: congratulations), but here's a smaller, fairly new childrens' award that is actually quite different. And even though it deals with two facets of literature I quite like, I've never heard of it.

The reason I'm so intrigued by this is because some of my favorite kids books are in translation. Like "The Neverending Story", which though I read belatedly (a few years ago), stands as one of the best kids book I've ever read. Or one of my favorite picture books, "The Little Polar Bear", written by a Dutch author. It's true, few kids books are translated into English but there should be some kind of outlet to recognize the best of them. And isn't it interesting that the award is given specifically to the publisher? A curious award indeed.

Scientific summaries

I decided to have a sci-fi month because I felt that I didn't know enough about the genre. I like science fiction and always have, but it suddenly seemed humiliating that I'd never read anything by Arthur C. Clarke, or anything beyond Asimov's short stories, or... the list goes on. Even though I've never been the biggest fan of organized reading, I thought it might be nice to have a designated "month" that was devoted to the genre (or, more accurately, the general sci-fi-ish field).

The official month has definitely passed. I've enjoyed non-sci-fi books in the last couple of weeks and no longer feel the drive to necessarily seek out only genre books. Here's what's cool, though: I've got so much more reading material than I ever expected. At the library the other day, I found myself walking off with almost 100% science fiction books. To the casual observer, I'd appear to be much more devoted to the genre than I really am.

I know a lot of people don't like science fiction. I know there are all sorts of stereotypes when it comes to sci-fi and I know that sci-fi (like all other genres) has its good and its horrendous. But the last month - studying the evolution of the genre, looking at subjects like women in sci-fi, scrolling through dozens of "best of sci-fi" lists - has done more than give me an opportunity and an excuse to read science fiction. It's made me want to read more. It has, ultimately, educated me as I hoped it would. Sure, I didn't make it to everything I wanted to but I've read some pretty awesome books (the winner is probably the excellent "The Day of the Triffids"). And now I know where I'm going to head to next. In the same way that I've been digging myself deeper with classics over the last four years, now I make my way into the sci-fi realms. So sure, Sci-Fi Month is officially over, but who's to say it won't come back soon?

Take your time

For most book bloggers, the last months have probably been hectic in blogland. The end of the year means more than just a new number to get used to, it means an almost obligatory best of list. I mentioned recently in a post that I'm not a big fan of best of the year lists, but it wasn't until a few days ago that I realized the main reason why: retrospect.

I was going through some old reviews I wrote back in 2007 when something somewhat unpleasant occurred to me (other than the fact that the reviews were terrible) - my ratings (and sometimes opinions) all seemed completely off. Time is a key component in the absorption of literature, a point I often forget. It was only recently I started waiting a little while before writing a review or opinion of a book. I'm often surprised at how much it affects the review - even waiting as little as two or three days.

When compiling a Best of 09 list, there's more than just the "here's a good book--catch" thing going on. There's theorizing about the future, a bit of sneaky guesswork. Compiling best of lists is like trying to predict which books will be remembered from the year that passed. Which is legitimate, yes, but not exactly the same thing. It's at this point that I realized the key. Some books just need time in order to like them (or hate them). As time passes, some books gain points because of how much you find they've affected you and get in your head. Or you later realize that this book was very unoriginal and builds on the success and style of another book.

I know everybody has his/her own ways for reviewing. I know some readers like to get down their immediate sensations before other opinions cloud their own. I know many will disagree with my claims, probably speaking in favor of Best of lists and the importance of the immediate impression (go on, share your thoughts!). Still, every so often people use the phrase: "This is a book I'll remember for a long time to come." In some cases, I only wish they'd take their time to test their theory.

Notes on a survey

For the last couples of months, I've found that instead of just thinking about book blogs as recommendation sites, I've started to wonder a little more about who's on the other end and what exactly most bloggers are doing. I started this page with clear intentions and pretty much knew what I wanted and what I wanted to avoid. I have my own rhythm and style (or so I'd like to think), just like every other blogger has the things he/she does and doesn't do.

This question has been on my mind for quite some time. Originally, I planned to collect data myself and see what came out of it but a couple of days with Google searches and blogroll lists revealed to me that the book blogging world is vast, much larger than most of us realize (or at least, than I realized). Hundreds of people are out there, writing new and relevant posts about books, reading and all manner of things. What to do?

I've written up a fairly quick survey to better understand our book blogging world. It's entirely for curiosity's sake (absolutely no information will be passed on elsewhere) and even filling in "decline to state" answers will help give an impression about book bloggers (but I suspect we'd all prefer as complete answers as possible!). The survey will run for 3 weeks and I hope to discover some interesting stats in the number crunching stage*.

I imagine many of you will be receiving e-mails over the next few days but feel free to fill it out in your spare time. The survey can be found here. An alternate location is here.

*I have never studied statistics. I hope this turns out well.

Through the ages

In the 1966 Encyclopedia Britannica, “science fiction” was defined as having two basic types. The first is science fiction proper, “an almost step-by-step development of possibilities from known scientific or social data.” 1984 was given as an example. The other type is science fantasy, which “can leap directly to whatever farfetched requirement of dramatic plausibility” and “permits the imagination not only to go beyond the known and proved but to contradict it when necessary”. Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles is mentioned as an example. The article goes on to mention that “the two [types] are often combined”.

In 1986, the Encyclopedia Britannica (macromedia) goes into less detail, mentioning the origin of science fiction and defining science fiction as a genre “in which the fiction writer treats how scientific discoveries, technological developments, and future events and societal changes affect human beings. The description of these influences may be a careful and informed extrapolation of scientific facts and principles, or it may range into farfetched areas flatly contradictory of such facts and principles.”

Wikipedia (~2006) is a different case entirely. It plainly starts out not by defining science fiction, but rather saying how sci-fi differs from fantasy, in that “its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation).”

There are, of course, points in common for all three. What's interesting is which of these are shared. For instance, all point to dystopian, apocalyptic and alternative histories as science fiction, three fields which are typically separated from sci-fi. All three list 1984 as science fiction. All three allow some fantastic (from fantasy) leeway. Obviously, each has its own differentials, not including the fact that science fiction developed mostly throughout the 20th century and so it’s quite logical that the articles would be quite different from each other. It's that the similarities are mostly things people assume to be outside the realm of science fiction that has my eyebrows raised.

It's that even Wikipedia sticks to this definition that is most surprising. Not because I think it's an inaccurate way to look at the genre (quite the contrary, actually), but rather that Wikipedia tends to reflect the views of the crowd. And while I may be wrong, it's always appeared to me like the crowd (readers and writers alike) wants to keep dystopian literature far from the phrase "sci-fi" (look at Margaret Atwood and "speculative" - link contains spoilers beyond the directed paragraph). There's something curiously great to the fact that this one key part to sci-fi's definition has remained the same throughout the years. Also interesting to note is the slow move to gender equality in the articles. 1966 has no mention of women sci-fi writers whatsoever. 1986 mentions Frankenstein as the "first" sci-fi book, and Ursula Le Guin among the listed authors. 2006 (Wikipedia) does better in that it provides the king of sci-fi author lists, but it actually disappoints a little too - I'd have expected a packed "Women in Science Fiction" article. No such luck.

Oh one

With the end of the year and decade*, readers everywhere rushed to name their favorite books. Year lists are a little more boring - the same titles seem to repeat fairly frequently and there's not much to discuss with them. Decade lists, though, have sparked some interesting and insightful conversations. There's something nice in looking back at a decade. I thought about that one and discovered a major roadblock.

For me, summarizing the last 10 years of reading is essentially summarizing my entire life in reading. 10 years ago, I was proud to have read a whole Harry Potter book by myself (my first real book, not just a "chapter book"). 9 years ago I read "A Wrinkle in Time" and subsequent sequels with a friend and we spent months acting out scenes from it and quoting from it (instead of Harry Potter, which resulted in a slight schism between us and some of our friends). It was also the year of "The Golden Compass". That was a good year for reading. 8 years ago I read my first abridgment of "The Count of Monte Cristo" (clocking in at 500 pages, so no mean feat). It was awesome.

7: I attempted to read "The Complete Stories of Sherlock Holmes". I made it through two stories before giving up. 6: I read "The Count of Monte Cristo" again. Unabridged. It was awesome. This was also the year I began writing simple online reviews. 5: "Pride and Prejudice", "Of Mice and Men" and "All Quiet on the Western Front". The beginning of the Classics age. 4: "War and Peace", "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "East of Eden" and "Animal Farm". Continuing with classics, "making up" for years of reading "childishly". 3: "1984" (not impressive), "The Neverending Story" (awesome), and "The Bell Jar" (impressive but depressing). 2: I started recording books I'd read, keeping a list, and writing more reviews. "Germinal" the year's winner and while there were many good books in 2008, I seem to have read many, many bad ones.

But this isn't a list of the best of the decade because I don't know enough to be able to do that. This is the decade that raised me as a reader. 10 years ago, I was literally a child, unable to read the vast majority of books in my home library. I started this decade with big books being read to me (like the first two Harry Potters) and ended it with "Vanity Fair" and "War and Peace" under my belt. 10 years ago I read the childish fantasy books that so appealed to my growing imagination - today, I enjoy a Sci-Fi Month to see where else non-realism can take me. This decade has seen my reading styles emerge, but has not yet seen them set in stone. The next ten years can still see much change in what genres I like and what types of books are best suited for me. This is where it gets interesting...

*Happy 2010!