Hobbies and Crafts

I've finished The Dark Tower IV.

Next is a stand-alone novel 'The Wind Through The Keyhole' which was published some 7 years after volume VII but which, luckily for me, fits in between IV and V.

My niece gave me a WHS voucher for my birthday and I'm looking for any recommendations. I've had a browse on their website (don't like it, I much prefer Amazon) but they don't stock the ones I want; the Jefferson Tayte books and The Marriage Certificate. I guess I'll have to wait until Christmas for those.

Yes I can sync my kindle with both my Ipad2 and my Hudl which is useful. I am dreading my basic kindle packing up because I am not sure how I'd get on with a slide screen. Daughter has one and sometimes she seems to end up a few chapters ahead or behind where she should be. My kindle has played up a few times recently, not charging properly and occasionally refusing to switch on so I am wondering if it is on the way out.

It may be easier for a new user if they bought a cover. It 'bulks' it up, making it more comfortable to hold.

Like SVera says, mine is a basic model. I'm not sure if I'd get on with the slide-screen version. Wouldn't that mean you'd need to use both hands?

When ££ allows, I'm hoping to buy a newer ipad or tablet. (Currrent one is a first generation Hand-Me-Up from an offspring) Apparently you can 'sync' your Kindle with it which would be handy when we go away.

That sounds like an all singing, all dancing model which will be great if you want to spend that sort of money, but the basic model that my daughter bought me a few years back works fine for me.

If you do decide to get one give yourself time to get used to it. The first time I used mine I hated it. It seemed everytime I wanted to turn a page I had to find the bar on the side and press it just right. But I was trying too hard and I very quickly learnt that a flick of the thumb was all that was required and it soon became as automatic as turning a paper page.

The only thing I don't like is that you can't just flick back a few chapters to check something or look at a map as you can with a physical book, but even that may be easier with the more advanced models.

Happy reading :-D

Rumours are that Amazon are launching a new Kindle Voyage 2 shortly.

Few details have emerged yet except that it will probably have a faster processor and animated graphics, though no news (that I could find) if they've sorted the screen colour problems that were a concern for many users - and it could be pushing the £200 barrier when released.

http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/amazon-kindle-voyage-2-to-be-released-november-2015

You could ask if your library 'lends' digital downloads. Our county service does....not that I've tried to access them. From what I can make out, you/we can only 'borrow' them for a couple of weeks.

My local charity shop sells fiction paperbacks for three £1. I try to take three back every time that I buy any. At that price I will try previously unknown authors - often with good results.

I also get a lot of books via the library, a marvellous institution.

I love my kindle which is getting old now, it is one of the original ones, not sure how I'd get on with a swipe screen one. But I do also buy and read books. Mainly if I see one I like in a charity shop or a £1.99 one. And I am still going through four shelves of unread books. I read most sorts except SciFi and fantasy. Although not sure which Genre the Cross stitch series come into, I did like those.

If you get a kindle and still have your books you get the best of both methods of reading. Like most readers I love to have a physical book but a kindle can be very convenient. It's good to take with you if you travel at all and I do a lot of reading lying in bed in the middle of the night and a thick book can be a bit unwieldy.

But I am a bit on the mean side and often look at kindle books and think to myself "Why pay out for that if I can it from the library for free?" I check out the free kindle books every so often and sometimes download a couple but they are mostly not to my taste. I do pay out for kindle books that I know I will keep and read more than once.

I've toyed with the idea of getting a Kindle but I'm not sure I'd take to it too well. I still love physical books. The space thing I understand and I accept they're great for travelling with, but to me, in the end, it's not the same as holding a real book in your hands.

Memo to self........buy a cornflake packet ;-)

I used to spend £££ a year on charity shop books until it got to a point where they were double stacked on the shelves. Then I was given a kindle. Now I go through the free download list and choose several every couple of weeks. Some turn out to be dross, but there are quite a few gems by established authors. Best of all, they don't take up physical space and I can chose out of my comfort genre without throwing away money.

Hi Tess - No I haven't read any of Philip Pullman's books. One day maybe, but I've got so many on the shelf to get through yet. That Barnardos shop is too convenient :-D

Vera - I'm the same, I'll read anything.

I think Det and I have similar tastes. I have a lot of the Terry Pratchett books but prefer the earlier ones; I love Tolkien but I am glad I read the books before I saw the films. I also saw the musical of Lord of the Rings which was instantly forgettable and didn't last long in the West End.

On the fantasy front I like the Chronicles of St Mary's series by Jodie Taylor and the Ben Aaronovitch books.

I like crime/detective novels. I haven't read any of the Falco books but enjoyed the radio serials.

I also enjoy history books whether they are factual or historical novels.

In fact, now I think of it I just enjoy reading and the back of the cornflake packet will do if I haven't got anything else :-D

Stephen - If there is a way to anchor a thread the wrong way up, no one has shared the secret yet ;-)

I couldn't get on with the Lyra books. They seemed to go against my 'indoctrination'.

I'm pretty sure that I've read The Elegance of the Hedgehog". but can't recall the story. Not sure if it is still in a bookcase or if I have passed it o
Have read some Lindsey Davis. Falcon books (the Roman detective). and enjoyed them.

Have never read any Tolkien books, my son had one St my house but I think that he might have given it to his sons, who are both Hobbit ,(film) fans. I keep promising myself that I will read at least one.

Have you read any Philip Pullman books? Think that I've read all the Lyra books. Enjoyed them all.

Det - Yes, that's what I've been doing but wondered if there was a way to set it globally as a preference without having to click it each time I go into a thread. I can't find anything anywhere.

Aah, it's a different Falco to the one I'm thinking of :-S

Stephen - do you see the light blue 'Post date' at the top of the thread? Clicking on that reverses the order of the display.

Open any thread to experiment. Click on the Post Date to show last post first.
............

Is there a TV series about Falco? We'll have to look out for that as I was refering to a series of books.

Hi Ann - thanks, I've been reading the posts for some time as a free member but just renewed last week so I could contribute.

Incidentally, is there a way to set GR to open threads with the latest post first rather than having to do it manually each time?

Hi Det - If you like Tolkien and Terry Brooks' Shannara books then I think you would probably like The Dark Tower. It's a different kind of epic fantasy adventure and is so refreshing in a way because it's not all 'elves and goblins'.

I haven't read any TP books for quite a while so I'm way behind. He's on my list for a catch-up at some point though.

I saw LOTR when it was first released on VHS tape but I haven't seen any of the Hobbit films yet. I think the books are far better than the films; I always like to read the book first as you form your own images in your mind rather than a director's view which often spoils it for me.

I haven't seen any of the Falco series I'm afraid but will watch out for the repeat in the future, it's in mid-run isn't it at the moment. I'm currently watching the repeat of Helix on Spike in anticipation of the second series shortly after. I saw the first series (or was it first and second?) of Falling Skies but it's only been on satellite since so I haven't seen any more. Under The Dome, the first two series were good but then they made a complete mess of it in the third - and it strays wildly from the book anyway which I haven't read (which goes against my principles :-) ).

Dark Tower is being made into a film at the moment, due out in 2017 I think and there's an American TV series called Shannara Chronicles - I don't know if it's going to be anything like the books, though.

I do read other types of books in between e.g. Shadow of the Wind, The Historian, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Before I Go to Sleep. My next 'other' books on my list are The Marriage Certificate and Steve Robinson's Jefferson Tayte mysteries (as recommended on here).

Hello Stephen, not a fan of the type of books you read but nice to see you posting.