More books, and my Kindle's battery's running low
I wonder how long a Kindle battery last? Can you overuse it? At Christmas my shiny new Kindle would work for two weeks without recharging--a delight since I didn't have to worry about it running out in the middle of a trip, or the middle of a book. But last week it lasted from Monday to Saturday, and this week it needed recharging on Monday again. Help! I'll soon be plugging it in like my phone every night. Given how much power it takes to download books, I'd better be careful only to switch the WiFi on when it's plugged in.
Still, even a couple of days is long enough to finish a few books. So this weekend's collection includes three "real" books and three on Kindle. Half-and-half I guess.
As usual, click on the blue links for longer Gather reviews, and read the coffee recommendations as flavors, not ratings. (I still don't like ratings.)
I'll start with a book I'd been seriously looking forward to reading, Lee Harmon's Revelation, the way it happened: A book that mixes fascinating in-depth research with a fictional account of father and son reading a new piece of writing from the apostle John. The result gives and intriguingly different view of how the famous Bible book would have first been perceived, with lots of great detail about the fall of Jerusalem, the rise of Josephus, and the geography and politics of the first century. Brew some balance full-flavored 3-star coffee before you read this one--you'll need several cups.
Another book that's spent too long on my to-read list is Backstop, by J. Conrad Guest. I was lucky enough to win a copy of another of the author's books--One Hot January--and the author kindly sent me a copy of Backstop at the same time. The baseball reference didn't really intrigue me since baseball's not a British sport, but the picture of a woman's hand the promise of a love story in nine innings caught my eye. Now I know lots more about baseball, more about sports in general, and I have more sympathy for the nature of man. A nicely told tale, to be read with a 3-star balanced smooth coffee.
Next comes the Velvet Thorn, by Olivia Villa-Real,a story of a priest committed to his vows and a woman committed to her marriage, and the way love's thorn comes to pierce both their sides. There's a memoir type feel to this one, with events that ride the tide of accident, best read with a 2-star light easy-drinking cup of coffee.
Another unconventional love story is In a Celandine World, by Catherine Thorpe. Here a young woman has fallen in love with her imaginary friend, but perhaps there's more to she and he than the eye perceives. Moving to a Wiltshire village in England (with intricately rendered dialect), Willow finds her love and many other things only imagined before. Read with a 1-star mild, light, crisp coffee, and stay awake for some surprises.
Another paranormal world is offered in L.A. Jones' Tales of Aradia: the Last Witch. A neat cross between Superman and Twilight, it tells of a high school girl in search of her identity, in a high school where many identities are curiously hidden. Read this one with a 2-star easy-drinking coffee--it's a fun read.
And finally there's a collection of short stories, LA Noire, as noir and as compelling as the game seems from all the ads, and a delightful reminder of those noir movies that created the genre. You'll need a 5-star bold dark coffee for this intense collection.
Still, even a couple of days is long enough to finish a few books. So this weekend's collection includes three "real" books and three on Kindle. Half-and-half I guess.
As usual, click on the blue links for longer Gather reviews, and read the coffee recommendations as flavors, not ratings. (I still don't like ratings.)
I'll start with a book I'd been seriously looking forward to reading, Lee Harmon's Revelation, the way it happened: A book that mixes fascinating in-depth research with a fictional account of father and son reading a new piece of writing from the apostle John. The result gives and intriguingly different view of how the famous Bible book would have first been perceived, with lots of great detail about the fall of Jerusalem, the rise of Josephus, and the geography and politics of the first century. Brew some balance full-flavored 3-star coffee before you read this one--you'll need several cups.
Another book that's spent too long on my to-read list is Backstop, by J. Conrad Guest. I was lucky enough to win a copy of another of the author's books--One Hot January--and the author kindly sent me a copy of Backstop at the same time. The baseball reference didn't really intrigue me since baseball's not a British sport, but the picture of a woman's hand the promise of a love story in nine innings caught my eye. Now I know lots more about baseball, more about sports in general, and I have more sympathy for the nature of man. A nicely told tale, to be read with a 3-star balanced smooth coffee.
Next comes the Velvet Thorn, by Olivia Villa-Real,a story of a priest committed to his vows and a woman committed to her marriage, and the way love's thorn comes to pierce both their sides. There's a memoir type feel to this one, with events that ride the tide of accident, best read with a 2-star light easy-drinking cup of coffee.
Another unconventional love story is In a Celandine World, by Catherine Thorpe. Here a young woman has fallen in love with her imaginary friend, but perhaps there's more to she and he than the eye perceives. Moving to a Wiltshire village in England (with intricately rendered dialect), Willow finds her love and many other things only imagined before. Read with a 1-star mild, light, crisp coffee, and stay awake for some surprises.
Another paranormal world is offered in L.A. Jones' Tales of Aradia: the Last Witch. A neat cross between Superman and Twilight, it tells of a high school girl in search of her identity, in a high school where many identities are curiously hidden. Read this one with a 2-star easy-drinking coffee--it's a fun read.
And finally there's a collection of short stories, LA Noire, as noir and as compelling as the game seems from all the ads, and a delightful reminder of those noir movies that created the genre. You'll need a 5-star bold dark coffee for this intense collection.
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