EPub, Kindle, and a new to me author

My iPad does many things, and it has become my reader of choice. After playing with it for a day or two, I began downloading eBook reading "apps" and right now, Kindle for iPad is beating out iBooks. In part, that is due to the vast selection of books at Amazon, but in part, it is due to the way Amazon can zero in on what I enjoy reading.

Within the last couple of weeks I have read two novels by D. A. Boulter, both purchased from Amazon. Indeed, Amazon Digital Services is listed as his publisher. For $2.99 one would be hard pressed to find a better novel than his Courtesan. Now, readers of romance or erotica, do not get excited. It isn't that sort of book at all. If anything, it reminds me of early Elizabeth Moon space operas, and that is a complement. As the story opens, Jaswinder Saroya is on the run. The author sprinkles in enough back story to create suspense, but not so much as to give away his plot line too soon. There are not so many scenes and characters that a reader has to work too hard, either. I suppose I would have to call this lighter science fiction. But, the plot would be just as welcome in a more tech savvy thriller, and I rather liked it just the way it unfolded.


Having enjoyed Courtesan so very much, I went back to the Kindle store and purchased a book which seemed to inhabit the same "universe" but with different characters, Pelgraff. This one was also entertaining, but I did not find it to be as much fun to read as Courtesan. If anything, the world building in Pelgraff is better, because it is set on that planet, whereas, Courtesan is set mostly onboard a space going vessel. But the characters are not nearly so engaging in Pelgraff, and the plot is mostly fight, withdraw, fight some more. Still, it is a war story, so that is how it goes.


I'm sure I will read more of D.A. Boulter, but for now, I am rating Courtesan four and a half stars and Pelgraff is a solid three star read. Either one is well worth the asking price, and with an eBook, there is nothing to sell at a yard sale or try to trade at the used book store.


I am loving the iPad, and I would like to see my own works in ePub format so that other eBook readers will be able to enjoy them.

Bible Babel— a review

Last Christmas, one of my sisters gave me an autographed copy of Kristin Swinson's latest book, Bible Babel, Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time. Professor Swinson's goal is to make some sense of what the Bible says, and what people say about it. That's an almost impossible task, but the author makes a good effort, and the result is a highly readable book with a really interesting cover. One of my favorite passages is in the introduction:
"...many think that the Adam and Eve story in Genesis equates its talking snake with Satan, that the fateful fruit was specifically an apple, and that to this day men have one less rib than women. None of these are true..."

Some books are to be read at a fast pace, such as the latest thriller on someone's best seller list, but others are worthy of more thought, and Bible Babel falls into that category. With a blend of pop culture usage (think DaVinci Code in the movies), and common concepts and misconceptions used as a springboard for topics, the author attempts to blend history, linguistics, scholarly research, and the good book itself to explain what it says, and why everyone seems to think it says something else. The table of contents reflects the varied topics she addresses, including "As It Is Written" History and the Bible...." and "Quotes and Misquotes...." and even "Flora, Fauna, Etcetera...."

As one of the best selling books of all time, and one of the least read, the Bible is constantly alluded to, but many of those who say, "it says in the Bible ________" could not give a book, chapter, and verse for the rest of the sentence. That's because their "reading" isn't reading at all, but they have heard something, somewhere, which was purported to have come from the Bible. Those readers who believe, for instance, that the Bible says, "God helps those who help themselves" are not Bible readers, but are instead, have been educated by proxy. Bible Babel is written for such readers, as an introduction to what the Bible does say, and in what context. Those who have read and studied the Bible may be bored with passages which explain that the Jewish Bible is the basis for the Christian Bible, or that Paul is the author of much of the New Testament. And those Christians who believe that Jesus spoke in Elizabethan English, as recorded in the King James Version, will be a bit disappointed as well.

But, for those who are religious, the author is quite respectful. For those who are skeptical, there is plenty of fuel for their skepticism. While I fall into the former category, my brain is still working, so I enjoyed both aspects of this book. If you have ever wondered why the scripture seems to be in conflict with itself, at least some of the time, or if you simply want to know more about one of the foundations of western world literature, then do read Bible Babel. Just carve out some time, because, like its subject matter, it is worthy of more than a casual reading.

Reading (rather than writing)

Since my last post, I have been reading, reading, reading. First there were research papers, and while that is work, it is work I mostly enjoy. Over the four going on five years I have taught at the post secondary level, I have read papers on welding, auto repair, hair coloring, the history of perfumes, heat pumps, dirigibles, the physics of guitars, and even drag racing. There is much to learn in life, and those who stop learning must be really sad people. Anyway, I learn quite a lot when I read student papers.

When the quarter break came, we did some historical traveling, including a visit to the "Little White House" in Warm Springs, and the POW museum at Andersonville. At each of these spots, there are, of course, many many plaques and brochures to read, so I just kept on with my reading. Among the things I needed a refresher on were the vast number of progressive programs which began under FDR, including the "Rural Electrification Act." Most everyone associates social security and with Roosevelt's New Deal, but how many realize that without his direct input, farmers might have gone for many more decades without affordable electrical power? Another stop was the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, Georgia. There, visitors can see a number of artifacts from WWII, including a reconstructed stable, which housed troops in England, prior to the invasion of Normandy.

Also, a writer's group in North Georgia has asked me to judge a category in their annual contest, which means more reading. While these entries won't be like my research papers, I do look forward to reading the submissions.

Yes, I am really behind on writing, but I've been reading like crazy, and some writing will follow. (I hope so, anyway.)