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21st Century Reading
Jan. 8th, 2010 09:28 pmI've been starting the year off properly with a whole heck of a lot of reading.
I got two main reading materials for Christmas: The Kindle and the latest Wheel of Time hardcover, The Gathering Storm. The Kindle has been tremendously enjoyable. I immediately bought two books that I wanted, The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham and The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. Both of them are the last book of a series and I took previous books from each series with me on my honeymoon.
I started reading the Daniel Abraham book but it's too good to start with; I decided to save the best for last. So I started on The Hero of Ages, only to be distracted by a completely different book I got from J's collection, Inside, Inside by James Lipton of Inside The Actor's Studio. That actually turned out to be fantastic and I read it at the exclusion of everything else and finished it in a matter of days. As it was the first book I've read in it's entirety on the Kindle I think I can give a fairly concrete opinion of the e-reader.
To put it simply, I really like it. The compact nature of it and the ease of carrying around all these books is fabulous. It's easy to use, very clear to read as long as you've got light (even in the sun) and the battery power has been fantastic for me so far. The only thing that I really feel that I miss is the ability to easily flip back through a book to re-examine something I've already read. I think I'll be able to resolve that over time as I learn to take advantage of the bookmark capabilities.
I also got started on the Wheel of Time book and I've found it to be a pretty odd experience. So far it's not bad really, though I think Sanderson has made some real mistakes with some of the characters. But what's really made a large impression on me is the difference between "Showing" and "Telling" when used as a writer's tool. I never realized it before but Jordan was quite good at showing. Sanderson, on the other hand, isn't nearly as accomplished. It annoys me at times but I also appreciate the lesson.
I feel a little sorry for Sanderson. I kind of think that The Wheel of Time could only truly be successfully finished by a writer of real caliber of a level he hasn't yet reached. Unfortunately, I don't think any such writer would actually be willing to take on another writer's story. I realize that's a rather controversial notion and one that will likely get me in trouble. In the end, Sanderson will get the job done and it'll make him far more successful than he might otherwise have been. I think it'll also make him a better writer. But I'll always wish it had been someone else who had been chosen to finish the books.
Of course, there's also the matter of dragging around the massive hardcover that The Gathering Storm is. Compared to the Kindle it's a big freaking albatross. On the other hand, compared to Stephen King's Under the Dome it's practically a lightweight. For a while I was taking the Kindle with me to work and reading on it during my lunch break and reading the hardcover at home. Today I decided to just bring the hardcover with me to work because I kind of want to get it done already. It's difficult not talking about it with others who have already read it.
The best part is, once I finish WoT and The Hero of Ages I'll be able to settle in with The Price of Spring. Abraham is a remarkably talented (and thus far unappreciated) writer and whenever I put one of his books next to Sanderson's, it's like comparing a high school essay with a graduate school one. There aren't many writers I'd put at Abraham's level, particularly not new ones and it's always a real pleasure to discover.
Anyway, I think it's always a great start to the year to have good books to read and that aspect of 2010 I'm enjoying tremendously.
I got two main reading materials for Christmas: The Kindle and the latest Wheel of Time hardcover, The Gathering Storm. The Kindle has been tremendously enjoyable. I immediately bought two books that I wanted, The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham and The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. Both of them are the last book of a series and I took previous books from each series with me on my honeymoon.
I started reading the Daniel Abraham book but it's too good to start with; I decided to save the best for last. So I started on The Hero of Ages, only to be distracted by a completely different book I got from J's collection, Inside, Inside by James Lipton of Inside The Actor's Studio. That actually turned out to be fantastic and I read it at the exclusion of everything else and finished it in a matter of days. As it was the first book I've read in it's entirety on the Kindle I think I can give a fairly concrete opinion of the e-reader.
To put it simply, I really like it. The compact nature of it and the ease of carrying around all these books is fabulous. It's easy to use, very clear to read as long as you've got light (even in the sun) and the battery power has been fantastic for me so far. The only thing that I really feel that I miss is the ability to easily flip back through a book to re-examine something I've already read. I think I'll be able to resolve that over time as I learn to take advantage of the bookmark capabilities.
I also got started on the Wheel of Time book and I've found it to be a pretty odd experience. So far it's not bad really, though I think Sanderson has made some real mistakes with some of the characters. But what's really made a large impression on me is the difference between "Showing" and "Telling" when used as a writer's tool. I never realized it before but Jordan was quite good at showing. Sanderson, on the other hand, isn't nearly as accomplished. It annoys me at times but I also appreciate the lesson.
I feel a little sorry for Sanderson. I kind of think that The Wheel of Time could only truly be successfully finished by a writer of real caliber of a level he hasn't yet reached. Unfortunately, I don't think any such writer would actually be willing to take on another writer's story. I realize that's a rather controversial notion and one that will likely get me in trouble. In the end, Sanderson will get the job done and it'll make him far more successful than he might otherwise have been. I think it'll also make him a better writer. But I'll always wish it had been someone else who had been chosen to finish the books.
Of course, there's also the matter of dragging around the massive hardcover that The Gathering Storm is. Compared to the Kindle it's a big freaking albatross. On the other hand, compared to Stephen King's Under the Dome it's practically a lightweight. For a while I was taking the Kindle with me to work and reading on it during my lunch break and reading the hardcover at home. Today I decided to just bring the hardcover with me to work because I kind of want to get it done already. It's difficult not talking about it with others who have already read it.
The best part is, once I finish WoT and The Hero of Ages I'll be able to settle in with The Price of Spring. Abraham is a remarkably talented (and thus far unappreciated) writer and whenever I put one of his books next to Sanderson's, it's like comparing a high school essay with a graduate school one. There aren't many writers I'd put at Abraham's level, particularly not new ones and it's always a real pleasure to discover.
Anyway, I think it's always a great start to the year to have good books to read and that aspect of 2010 I'm enjoying tremendously.
