Free for All Friday, November 11

Who else is happy it's Friday?  The time change has been killing me all week and I'm glad to have this weekend to try to correct my sleeping pattern and what not.  Before I start my weekend, let's run through the usual hodgepodge that makes up Free for All Fridays around here.

By this time next Friday, I'll be snuggled up with the new man in my life.  Though I wish this was who I'm talking about,

the reality is, I'm talking about

That's right!  Someone that feeds my addiction for books and gadgets ordered this for my birthday last month and it should arrive next Thursday.  I'm considering staying up late Thursday night to play with it so I can report back to you next Friday on whether or not upgrading from a regular Kindle to the Fire is worth it.  Meh, we'll see.  At any rate, I'm excited like

In other news, if you're on tumblr, I've started two different accounts.  reads4pleasure.tumblr.com is updated randomly through the day with things I find of interest.  Sometimes it's literary quotes, other times it's songs, pictures of some of my favorites (like Ella Fitzgerald) or just plain foolishness.  If you follow the blog through Facebook, you'll notice that the feed there is updated more frequently.  Facebook fans get the feed from both the blog and the tumblr account.  So if you want to make sure you don't miss out on a thing, follow me on Facebook and/or tumblr.

The other tumblr account, effyeahidris.tumblr.com is all about, you guessed it, my love for Idris. There's really nothing I love more than a good book, but let a picture of Driis cross my screen...let me hear that voice and I'm all

Lastly, I'd like to wish a very special birthday to @GammasWorld.  Today is her big day.  If you see her on Twitter, be sure to sprinkle her with birthday greetings.

Anywho, that's all I've got this week.  What's on your mind?

'Fess Up Friday, January 7, 2011

Captain's Log, Stardate 2011.01.07 I wrote a really cute blog about books and Kindles, but in the middle of making a minor change, Blogger deleted it for me.  So now you get the abbreviated version.

Last year I wrote about my love for the library and how I'd never give it up for an e-reader (Why I'll Never Quit the Library for eBooks).  Back in October my father offered to buy one for my birthday and I was all, "No, DaddyO, just give me some loot."  Needless to say, he treated me like Charlie Brown and I got nothing.  Lesson learned: Never look a gift horse in the mouth or you'll end up with a mouth full of hay.  Wait, what?  It made sense when I said it in my head.

Fast forward to December and I walk into work to two presents on my desk.  I had no clue as to what they might be, but my boss gives really good gifts, so I was hoping for the best.  Don't ask me how I thought she might squeeze Idris Elba into those boxes, but a girl can wish, can't she?  He's all tall and chocolaty and has an English accent and...Ok, I got caught up for a minute.

So I open the first box and see that it has some kind of Kindle holder on the outside, but I figure she's just re-used a box and put something else inside.  But then I opened the second box and, yes ladies and gentlemen, it was a Kindle. Normally I'm cooler than the other side of the pillow. On the outside I was all meh.  But on the inside? I was all:

One of the biggest perks of the Kindle is that I'm able to receive e-galleys and ARCs from publishers, eliminating trips to the post office in hopes that a book I've requested has come in.  The question is, am I ready to quit paper books yet? Heck no, and here's why:

1. Normally I read three to four books a week.  With the Kindle I'm only reading two to three. There's something about the opaque screen that doesn't sit right with me. 
2. Amazon is in the money making business so they try to limit my reading options to pdfs and books I can buy on their site.  My co-worker has a Nook and is able to download books directly from the library.  Of course there's a workaround for Kindle users, but I shouldn't have to jump through hoops just to read a book.
3. I'm easily distracted while using a Kindle.  I don't think my brain has yet learned that it's not just another toy like my iPhone.
4. I love wandering the aisles of the library and bookstores.  What aisles am I wandering on Amazon?
5. I would still miss the cast of characters at the library: Nonchalant Librarian, Intense Librarian, Crotchety Lady Librarian, Sympathetic & Apologetic Librarian and Sterling, my favorite librarian.

So this is my confession.  I've crossed over into the dark side of the Kindlesphere.  Just like the Borg, I knew they'd pull me in somehow.  "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."  And now that I've made two Star Trek references and confirmed my nerdiness, what's your confession?

Repost: Why I'll Never Quit the Library for E-books

I love to read. I guess that's pretty evident by this blog.  But more than loving to read, I love the library. I love the bookstore. I love being surrounded by books.

When the Kindle first came out, a gadget loving friend jumped right on it. While she bragged about how cheap the books were (some as low as $ Free.99), I told myself that I'd never abandon "real" books for eBooks. Fast forward a few months and I made the transition from a Blackberry to an iPhone. If you're an iPhone user you know there's an app for everything. So when I found a "Kindle for iPhone" app, I decided to take the plunge. Wouldn't it be easier to just carry my phone around and read instead of weighing my bag down with books every day?

So last Saturday, instead of packing a book to read while my daughter bowled, I read a book on my iPhone. Guess what? I missed flipping the pages. I know Kindle and iPhone readers will tell me I can still "flip" on the Kindle. Guess what? It's not the same! It doesn't feel the same. It doesn't make the same noise the page makes when I turn it in a "real" book. And I can't dog ear the pages on a Kindle. (Disclaimer: I try to carry a bookmark, but fail miserably. I always straighten the corner out as much as possible before I return my library books so as not to distract other readers).

Thinking that maybe I wasn't giving eBooks enough of a chance, I tried downloading a few other books. Again, I failed. Let's face it, eBooks aren't for everyone. If I switch to eBooks, I'll have no reason to go to the library. And I would miss my librarians dearly.

I'd miss Sterling, the gay librarian, who keeps track of everything I've read in the past 9 years and will not hesitate to say, "Oh no Ms. B, you've already read that! Child, I've saved something else for you to read." I'll admit that sometimes I read so much that I don't remember titles, authors or covers. Without Sterling I'd end up with a stack of already reads.

I'd miss Intense Librarian who always makes a big show of adding up my fines and asking if I'm ready to pay them. No, Ms. Ma'am. I happen to know that I can rack up $ 15 in fines before you cut me off and make me pay. If I was going to pay them right now, I'd have my wallet out, now wouldn't I? And yes, I know how to renew my books online since I requested them online. Yes, I know I could renew them online and save myself fines. Just give me the books already!

I'd miss Sympathetic Librarian who constantly apologizes for the long line at the counter, not knowing where to find the book I'm asking about, and the loud outbursts from the homeless men that hang out at the library.

And I'd even miss Nonchalant Librarian who pretends that he doesn't care what I'm reading, but always asks me about such and such book when I return my latest stack.

While I'll continue to keep a few books on my iPhone to read in case of emergency, I'm not putting down "real" books anytime soon.

Literary News You Can Use

Just wanted to take a minute to share some literary "goings on".

Don't miss Sins of the Mother on the Lifetime Movie Network this Sunday at 8 pm est/7 pm cst. Based on Carleen Brice's Orange Mint and Honey, it stars Jill Scott and Nicole Beharie (American Violet). Be sure to head over to the Lifetime message board to let them know what you think, especially if you'd like to see more of our stories on TV and the big screen.

The sequel to Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale titled Getting to Happy is set to be released some time this fall and catches up with the ladies 10 - 15 years after we last saw them. What do you think? Anyone excited about this or has the interest level in this story expired?

Anchee Min, author of Empress Orchid and The Last Empress is back with a new book about author Pearl Buck. I'm a fan of both women so I'm looking forward to reading Pearl of China when it comes out in March. If I'm really lucky, I'll get a free copy in the mail!

There's finally a Kindle for Blackberry app available and it's free! What does that mean to you? That means you can join the rest of us in reading Bernice McFadden's Keeper of the Keys, available for the low price of $ 1.99. You can also read it on your iPhone or on your computer, using Amazon's new Kindle for PC app. After you've read it, be sure to sign up over on the right for a reminder of our March 10 chat with the author herself.

This has absolutely nothing to do with literature, but it makes me cackle.

That's it for me. What upcoming books and/or literary events are you excited about? Please feel free to share!

Join us for a Special Event in Honor of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Pulled from The Red Pump Project -

As National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS approach, we want people to realize that women are a big part of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and we ought to know how the disease is affecting us directly and indirectly. There are many reasons why it's important for women to know the facts when it comes to HIV. Biologically, we're more susceptible to infection during sex. We're also more likely to get infected through heterosexual sex.

Statistics used are from the Center for Disease Control's website. Although these stats are only taking the United States into account, globally, HIV/AIDS is no less of a problem, especially for women.

HIV/AIDS & Minority Women
------------------------------------------
HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects minority women in the United States. According to the 2005 census, Black and Latina women represent 24% of all US women combined, but account for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.

HIV is the:

• Leading cause of death for Black women (including African American women) aged 25–34 years.

• 3rd leading cause of death for Black women aged 35–44 years.

• 4th leading cause of death for Black women aged 45–54 years.

• 4th leading cause of death for Latina women aged 35–44 years.

• The only diseases causing more deaths of women are cancer and heart disease

• The rate of AIDS diagnosis for Black women was approximately 23 times the rate for white women and 4 times the rate for Latina women

• In 2006, teen girls represented 39% of AIDS cases reported among 13–19 year-olds. Black teens represented 69% of cases reported among 13–19 year-olds; Latino teens represented 19%.

In recognition of National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, I'm pleased to announce that author Bernice McFadden will join us on Wednesday, March 10, for an online discussion of her e-book, Keeper of the Keys.

This moving story of a young woman who considers suicide when she learns she has AIDS is only available through Amazon.com and only in e-format for the low price of $ 1.99. If you don't own a Kindle, you can still join in by reading on your iPhone or on your computer, using Amazon's new Kindle for PC app. Both apps are free.

Please don't miss out on this opportunity to discuss such an important topic in our community. Happy reading and we'll chat Wednesday, March 10 at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST right here.

#BookReview: The Sari Shop Widow - Shobhan Bantwal

Widowed when she was just twenty-seven, Anjali Kapadia moved back in with her parents to run their sari shop and transform it into the boutique she always envisioned. Fast forward 10 years and Anju is still living with them, but the boutique is no longer turning a profit. When her father places a call to his brother in India pleading for financial assistance, Anju and her mother just know that her Uncle Jeevan will come in and run roughshod over them like he always has.

To Anju's surprise, the tyrant formerly known as Uncle Jeevan is somewhat subdued and allows his unannounced partner, Rishi, to make decisions for him. Also unusual for traditional Indian culture, Uncle Jeevan encourages Anju and her mother to give input into his and Rishi's idea to make the sari shop an all-in-one boutique complete with a salon and tea house.

As Anju begins to work more closely with Rishi, the forty-two year old British/Indian businessman, she feels an attraction to him, but is afraid to move beyond the memories of her deceased husband. Uncle Jeevan's secret is the key to moving her forward.

I'm typically not into romances and I might not have read this if I had realized it would take me down this path, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's always fun to read about other cultures and the author certainly brings the reader into the world of a traditional Indian family living in America.

Why I'll Never Quit the Library for eBooks

I love to read. I guess that's pretty evident by this blog. But more than loving to read, I love the library. I love the bookstore. I love being surrounded by books.

When the Kindle first came out, a gadget loving friend jumped right on it. While she bragged about how cheap the books were (some as low as $ Free.99), I told myself that I'd never abandon "real" books for eBooks. Fast forward a few months and I made the transition from a Blackberry to an iPhone. If you're an iPhone user you know there's an app for everything. So when I found a "Kindle for iPhone" app, I decided to take the plunge. Wouldn't it be easier to just carry my phone around and read instead of weighing my bag down with books every day?

So last Saturday, instead of packing a book to read while my daughter bowled, I read a book on my iPhone. Guess what? I missed flipping the pages. I know Kindle and iPhone readers will tell me I can still "flip" on the Kindle. Guess what? It's not the same! It doesn't feel the same. It doesn't make the same noise the page makes when I turn it in a "real" book. And I can't dog ear the pages on a Kindle. (Disclaimer: I try to carry a bookmark, but fail miserably. I always straighten the corner out as much as possible before I return my library books so as not to distract other readers).

Thinking that maybe I wasn't giving eBooks enough of a chance, I tried downloading a few other books. Again, I failed. Let's face it, eBooks aren't for everyone. If I switch to eBooks, I'll have no reason to go to the library. And I would miss my librarians dearly.

I'd miss Sterling, the gay librarian, who keeps track of everything I've read in the past 9 years and will not hesitate to say, "Oh no Ms. B, you've already read that! Child, I've saved something else for you to read." I'll admit that sometimes I read so much that I don't remember titles, authors or covers. Without Sterling I'd end up with a stack of already reads.

I'd miss Intense Librarian who always makes a big show of adding up my fines and asking if I'm ready to pay them. No, Ms. Ma'am. I happen to know that I can rack up $ 15 in fines before you cut me off and make me pay. If I was going to pay them right now, I'd have my wallet out, now wouldn't I? And yes, I know how to renew my books online since I requested them online. Yes, I know I could renew them online and save myself fines. Just give me the books already!

I'd miss Sympathetic Librarian who constantly apologizes for the long line at the counter, not knowing where to find the book I'm asking about, and the loud outbursts from the homeless men that hang out at the library.

And I'd even miss Nonchalant Librarian who pretends that he doesn't care what I'm reading, but always asks me about such and such book when I return my latest stack.

While I'll continue to keep a few books on my iPhone to read in case of emergency, I'm not putting down "real" books anytime soon.