Typically British Reading Challenge 2010

Reading Book Challenge!

I'm joining in with a reading challenge... one I hope I don't have too much trouble completing!  It's hosted by another blogger, Book Chick City. And also, the logo is just so like that of my Brit blog that I cannot resist.

Isn't he adorable?

 



Okay, so the rules.....

-  Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

- There are four levels:

• "Put The Kettle On" – Read 2 Typically British novels.

• "Gordon Bennett" – Read 4 Typically British novels.

• "Bob's Your Uncle" – Read 6 Typically British novels.

• "Cream Crackered" – Read 8 Typically British novels.

-  Any book format counts. Must be fiction not non-fiction.

- You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

- Obviously only British authors count!

- Feel free to join in here or at Book Chick City. 

COMPLETED: MY completed books will be listed below. If you have any recommendations of great British reads, and that are available in ebook/ digital format, let me know! 

I am aiming for "Cream Crackered" Status in the next 6 months. Feel free to join in with me!

(Translation: Rhyming slang for knackered, meaning exhausted, tired out
Cream crackers are like cheese biscuits but unrelated to being knackered :-)  )

1. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. What a classic, and I think more fun to read as an adult.  I have a couple of versions of this for my Kindle, and there are free versions out there, but I do like this version: it is very well formatted compared with some of the others, has a clickable Table of Contents, and contains Tennier's brilliant illustrations from the original, not lost at all on the black and white Kindle.

It also have unlimited device usage, meaning you can have it on as many Kindle devices and apps as you have registered to your account.

For $1.99 this one also includes "Through the Looking-Glass" but I haven't read this again yet this year so I shan't include it on my challenge list.

Daughter and I read Alice together during a couple of doctor waiting room sessions :-)

2.The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection [Kindle Edition]

 I think I should get the "Cream Crackered" Award straight off for this!  This is all of Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" books in one. 40,000+ locations, well formatted, interactive table of contents (click Go To beginning to reach it from any page) so you can pick up and read any of the books at any time. All for 99 cents.
There are a few typos; I'm around 60% through the volume and have spotted 4 or 5. But I'm okay with that.

The only thing I would like to add to the Kindle format is the 5-way jump between chapters that some big volumes have. Other than that, it's great. And if you like detective stories, Holmes is surely the place to start.


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If you're thinking about buying a Kindle, WAIT!

Seriously.... wait!  I don't mean "Wait and reconsider." Rather don't buy for delivery next week: instead  pre-order the new Kindle 3 and wait just a few more weeks for its arrival.

Oh I know it's hard! When I bought mine last year I had enough trouble waiting on overnight delivery! It was like waiting for Santa to arrive. Worse, because I knew that I was definitely getting my favorite gift and I had to wait a whole t-w-e-n-t-y f-o-u-r painful hours.

But.... Amazon have recently announced the latest 6 inch Kindle - sleeker, smaller, lighter, faster, sharper and with built in Wi-Fi!  Yup, yup, all that at two fantastic price points: $189 with the regular free 3G PLUS Wi-Fi, and $139 if you just want Wi-Fi.

I guess we're calling it Kindle 3 since it's actually a different sized device, although still with a 6 inch screen. The device itself has been made 21% smaller and even lighter than a typical paperback.

So what else is new with the Kindle?

You mean you want more?  Well lucky for you Amazon brings us more! Some of my favorite new features:

• Longer battery life. I already get 2 weeks from my battery, but the new model touts a whole month usage with wireless off and a couple of weeks with it on. Ooooo! That's great for the days when I forget to turn it off!
• Enhanced PDF..... following on from recent comments debating whether to "pan and zoom" on a PDF or convert to azw, that won't be necessary with the K3! K3 readers will be able to use dictionary lookup as well as make notes and highlights.  (I still plan to write that post about pdf versus azw, for those of us that will have a K2 for a while longer)
• Sharper contrast: Amazon are boasting "50% better contrast than any other e-reader. The clearest text and sharpest images."
• New Font Choices
• A new "Precise 5-Way Controller" - I'd like that. I did accidentally delete a book once because I clicked left instead of pushing
• More storage: holds 3,500 books. That's on top of Amazon's online backup of purchases from them, of course. 
• Not one of my top 10 but I will throw it in: Quieter Page Turn Buttons. Um, I didn't know they were loud to begin with??  

This is all on top of Kindle's already great feature base: 3G to download books anytime and anywhere, no sun glare, portable library.... If you don't already own a Kindle and want to learn more, check out my page "Why I Love My Kindle"

If you simply cannot wait until the launch of Kindle 3, then you can still buy Kindle 2, although apparently Amazon have currently sold out or have stopped selling them as they are listed as "This item is only available from third-party sellers" and  "There is a newer model of this item".

I won't be buying one immediately. I have until October to make the decision about buying a new one for myself and passing mine down, or to keep mine and buy my daughter a K3. I better not let her read this or she'll have 2 months to wear me down!  I wonder when Target will be getting the new models for demo??  If you see one, please let me know!

Book Blogger Hop: July 30 - Aug 2, 2010

It's Friday Blog Hop time... stop into Crazy for Books to see a long list of this weekend's book blogs. Leave a comment to let me know you've visited!

This weeks question:    

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Hard one!  Last year I read some fantastic new-to-me authors. This year I've read lots of series and known-to-me authors, so I am going to pick 2 authors from the 19th Century:

Arthur Conan Doyle... For the first time, I am reading  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (mobi) - the complete collection for Kindle, for only 99 cents!  I've enjoyed it all so far, although taking a short break about half way through this long work!

In the same vein of Victorian writing and mysteries, I loved Wilkie Collins' Woman In White - Amazon have a free version, and this 95 cent version optimized for Kindle. See my previous review.

Let me know if you've just hopped in, or if you're a follower, who is your favorite new-to-you author this year?  I am always looking out for new books to download!

New Kindle coming, Graphite and Wi-Fi...Pre-order!

Oh boy, I have a choice to make! Daughter wants a Kindle and at these prices I cannot refuse!  But what to do.... she'd be happy to have my old one while I jump on a new $189 Graphite Kindle- I'd get a brand new Kindle, even smaller and lighter than my current K2, but with added Wi-Fi as well as free 3G, and international access!
On the other hand, I could get that for her birthday; that or the Wi-Fi only Kindle at the low price of $139!

Both new models are available for pre-order, with a release August 27. Excellent!

Tip #22: Viewing Top 100 Paid Versus Top 100 Free

Up until a few weeks ago, when you visited the Bestselling Kindle books from your Kindle, you would have seen a Top 100 that blended both paid books and free. At any given time, the top 10 to 20 would be dominated by free promos or public domain classics. Many readers complained that there weren't interested in those promos and it was hard to find the "true" bestsellers.

Amazon introduced the Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free kindle editions. By default, the Top 100 paid is shown first but you can easily reach the top 100 free from the same page. I like to browse both, although I have found that free isn't always great!

To view both, turn on whispernet and from the menu click Shop in Kindle Store

At the Kindle Store home page, scroll to bestsellers. Top 100 Paid is default, but scroll to the top right corner to "Top 100 Free". Click, enter and begin browsing!

More Tips and Tricks for Kindle

Back from vacation!

A fly by post as I re-adjust and get back into work. We took a much needed vacation to the seaside and had a very relaxing time. There is not much to beat watching dolphins swim under sun that's setting over the ocean....

So my Kindle came along, of course. After drooling over new covers all year, I never did get a new one, so I zipped my Kindle up in a plastic zippered case that a pillowcase came in!  It worked to keep the sand out. The most awesome thing though?  Being able to sit on the beach and buy a book online and be reading instantly!  And being able to sit in the car on the 8 hour journey home and check out my facebook page and see what my friends had been up to!  How cool is that! No wi-fi needed or USB cable but instant access.

I do love my kindle!

One more Kindle price drop

This time it's the Kindle DX, with a drop from $489 to $379 - and with improved contrast. Pre-order today for shipping from July 7.

Could Kindle 3 be right around the corner??