I have been very busy the past week doing Christmas shopping and hosting Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties and whatnot (are they truly ugly if we all wear them in defiance and we rock it?). This is a crazy post where I tell you all that has happened in the past week.
So we are doing Secret Santa at work and I bought my coworker the coolest present but I can’t say what it is because they might read my blog (I don’t know if they do but will not take the chance :P). Let’s just say it involves your head and warmth…and is nerdy. Ok that’s all you get.
I also have been chatting with an author and have maybe got my first victim for an author interview! I’m not sure how that will go because I have never conducted an interview for an author before but we will see 🙂
In the meantime, I picked up Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda because of a recommendation and have been reading that at the same time as my other book. I do have to say that is is very well written and I am enjoying it.
Let me know what you guys are reading and what your plans are for the holidays in the comments below! I want to know all about your lives 😀
Talk to you later bookworms.
I’ll have to look for that book now. I have quite a few already for this month but never hurts to add more (thank goodness for library e-books–I’d be broke and crowded out of the house if I had to buy paperbacks).
For fiction I picked up some of the books from that Guardian article of recommended books: Under the Pendulum Sun, The Stone Sky. An Unkindess of Ghosts, New York 2140. Also have some quicker reading such as Thomas Perry novels (The Old Man, Shadow Woman), Koontz (The Silent Corner), Sanderson (The Way of Kings). Then will try some new authors (Paige Orwin The Interminables, Immortal Architects), Peter Hamilton (The Mandel Files, Volume I). Will also try Magicians Impossible, The Dwarves, The Last Ship, and another In Death book. Oh, came across one book that you might like too–The Spoonbenders. I haven’t read it yet, but the blurb sounds good.
For non-fiction I have The Woman Who Smashed Codes (the people who invented the modern science of cryptography and helped uncover Nazi spies) (and I have Hidden Figures to read too), Improbable Destinies (convergence and contingency in evolution), A Mind for Numbers (improving math skills), and A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived (as told through our genes). And I have some non-science books (Silent Compassion: Finding God in Contemplation, and Everything Belongs, both by Richard Rohr, not to be confused with the Goodkind character Richard Rahl).
Also, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face: My Adventures In The Art And Science Of Communicating by Alan Alda (I need to improve my communication skills).
btw, halfway through the last Red Rising book now. Oh so good.
I’m really glad you like the series! I have someone who will be equally excited for Iron Gold to come out in January 😀 The Spoonbenders actually looks very interesting, I’m going to the mall on Wednesday so I will see if its there or maybe get a copy of it through Netgalley. You have quite a list, usually I can only handle 2 (maybe 3 at a time) lol.
I don’t read them all at once. :-)) I don’t start another fiction book until I’m done the first one.
Didn’t know there was a fourth one coming out. Yep, I’m excited for that too!!
If you’re wanting to save money you can download the books from the library and read them on your preferred e-reader/tablet/iPad/phone. You need to have Adobe Digital Editions on your computer, and Overdrive installed on phones/ipads, and for your computer I’d highly recommend Calibre for all your sorting and converting needs if you’re going to start keeping e-books.
You can also link add-ons to Calibre that make sure the e-books you buy are yours to keep. For example, when you buy books from Amazon you’re basically just renting them. If they say you violate terms of service, even if you don’t, they can freeze all your books. When you die and your account is deactivated all those books you bought are gone. If the supplier stops supporting e-books, your e-books are gone (see link). And if you hang onto your e-reader at some point it’ll not be compatible with the new file formats and then you can’t read your books.
With the Calibre add-on you can strip the DRM (digital rights management) off the books, and then they’re yours to read on any device you want, in any format, and they can’t be frozen or removed from your device by Amazon.
Here’s a link talking about DRMs and why you should remove them from your books that you buy. As he says, it isn’t for pirating or mass distribution of books–it is just to ensure you have permanent access to the items you’ve properly purchased.
https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/ebooks-formats-drm-and-you-%E2%80%94-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/
That is very good to know! I will check that out since I already have Adobe Digital Editions
*Here goes*
I loooove ugly Christmas sweaters! Imagine my horror that I have to admit I don’t own any.. Like.. I don’t? I did point out one to my boyfriend so I’m hoping he got the clue and ordered one as a Christmas gift but.. Yeah.. Ugh.
If not, I’ll have to order it myself, ha. 😀 It was a Nightmare before Christmas one and I loooooved it.
Hope you get tons and tons of Christmas gifts! Oh, and good luck with the author interview. Haven’t done one of those myself yet but it does sound interesting. 😀
Haha yes these sweaters are the best! I think I will just be sending him a list of questions to answer and then make a post once he sends his responses back.
I think the trick is finding some original questions. There are so many standard questions out there; original ones make it more interesting, no? 😀
Exactly I have to come up with a good list of questions for sure. I feel for this author and they have had a hard time so I want to help them out.
Definitely nice of you! Looking forward to seeing that interview pop up. 🙂