I have always been a book person–I like books in my hands, the ink, the pages, the pleasure of the thing itself. However, I hate reading on a computer. Hate. It. I do it for work, but it’s a drag and a half. I therefore disdained e-reading, virtual books, the whole thing. No battery=no reading=forget it.
Not that I’ve had any time to read in forever (even if college hadn’t made me read so much crap I had to let go of reading novels. It took years before I read a book for pleasure again). And buying books costs an arm and leg, even used. Long story short, it’s been a literary wasteland up in here. But!
Last summer I discovered reading on my phone
(It’s a Note 3 Smartphone on which I draw all the cartoons you see in these posts). The first book was Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, which I <choke> bought via kindle while waiting for a plane, because I couldn’t bear to pay the price of the airport bookstall.
Oh. My. Gosh.
There was even a plug by my seat. I have since read a virtual tsunami of books on my phone. The only problem is that it is almost impossible to read non-fiction on a phone. Which leaves the world of fiction… Oh, snap!
I have officially reverted to my childhood. I read like a junkie, constantly. Even better is the ebook selection of our Public Libraries. I had to stop using the library because I could never get the books back on time, but on my phone? They go back automatically! I now have cards at TWO libraries. I read several books a week (in between games of solitaire, also on my phone). It’s how I’ve coped with life this past year, and it is a thrill to read again. I even listen to audiobooks when I drive.
Because I am constantly trolling for new books, it occurred to me that others might be in the same boat. So I am officially inaugurating this new Books I Love category on the blog and in these posts.
I like fantasy.
Magic, sword and sorcery, other worlds, this world, and so forth, so this is most of what you will see here. I read the entire Narnia cycle in 4th grade. I love mythology, the supernatural (but zombies, werewolves, or vampires only as side characters), Conan comic books, adventure stories. Left to my own devices, I will read a book over watching a video any day (though I am currently engrossed in Breaking Bad, which I watch with my son a couple times a week). I skipped most of my junior high school years to read fantasy books in the library. My tastes have not changed.
So, where to begin? What books will I mention today? One thing I hate like poison is book reports. So you will rarely see much of any descriptions along with any titles, and a lot of the time I will just post authors, because when you have a good author, you have a lot of fun.
I’ll start with the first two authors I began reading on my phone, plus one less known but absolutely stunning.
Neil Gaiman, neilgaiman.com
Richard Kadrey, richardkadrey.com
N.K. Jemisin, nkjemisin.com
All three of these writers have multiple works. They have apparently never published a bad book.
Go forth and enjoy!
Love,
Alia
2 Comments
Alia! I’ve never responded to a blog post before, but as has so often happened in the past, we seem to be sharing a brain (or something). I also have a Note 3 smartphone, but I’ve been thinking it’s so old and idiosyncratic, I should trade it in for something more reliable. I, too, though, have discovered the joy of downloading the library onto my phone! Doing the 10-hour drive to NJ every other week, I can download 3 audiobooks at a time from the library and listen to them through my car radio! I love fantasy and sci fi, too, but I’ve lately been addicted (after reading all the guilty pleasure Outlander books) to historical fiction, especially a trilogy by Ken Follett that begins with the lead-up to WW1 and ends with the Obama inauguration. So good!
Hi, Deb!
Thanks for reading and thanks for responding!
My only complaint about the phone is that the camera is not so good. The new ones are stellar, so maybe in another couple of years I’ll get a used Note 8 and join the modern age, lol. I’m also a fan of historical fiction–changing the setting makes it nearly fantasy; ). I love Karleen Koen, and Tim Powers has a bunch of wonderfully strange books that are both fantasy and HF. On Stranger Tides is a favorite. Plus Bronson Pinchot reads the the audiobook!