Random

Reading Technology

So one of the most exciting things about being a reader in the 21st century are all of the changes! From E-books (electronic) to e-books (enhanced as Michael from Books on the Night Stand said in their most recent podcast) to interactive books on tablets and books with fold out maps and postcards and interactive graphic novels what more could we possible want? If you haven’t seen it yet the Boston based start up Spritz created the new “holy-shit” technology that could impact how everyone reads in the near future. I’m not going to go into the pros and cons of this, I just thought it was super cool and wanted to share it. (Thanks Matt!)

Image via the HuffPost and Elite Daily articles below.

Imagine being able to read a book at 600 words per minute with NO training. Look at the image to the right if you haven’t already, can you read it? As you can see that’s 500 words pre minute! My roommate, Matt, posted this on Facebook today and I was fascinated. I read super fast on my own and this completely captivated me.

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Updates

February 2014 Recap

The Monday of 2014 has come to an end. January and February are always the hardest months of the year, to me at least. Winter has dragged on for four months and the daylight, even though it’s incrementally getting longer, feels like it’s all been sapped from the world.

I mean look at it. Would you want to go out in that? Would you want to get out of your cozy warm bed to shower and then have to go out in that weather?!? It seriously makes exercising and going to work a chore and even makes interacting with friends a pain because no one loves it. But that is slowly coming to an end! The last weekend in February I was actually able to have my windows open and it was great! The temperature did proceed to drop down to 12ºF again, and we had a random snow shower on Thursday, but baby steps!

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2014 Challenges, Books

Book 255: The French Lieutenant’s Woman – John Fowles

So I finally got around to reading The French Lieutenant’s Woman. I won this book as part of Robert’s blogoversary give away almost two years ago back in August of 2012. And all I have to say is shame on me for waiting this long to read it. Not only am I ashamed because it was such a wonderful book, but I am ashamed because it inspired one of my favorite posts of 101 Books of all time: 101 Books Guide to Carrying an Embarrassing Book in Public.

I’d love to say that Fowles’ mentioning of Jane Austen didn’t sway me, but of course it did a little, but overall that was minuscule compared to the mastery Fowles showed in this novel and he mentioned Austen and her works MULTIPLE times! But it wasn’t this that made the book so great, it was the omniscient unidentified narrator and the breaking of the fourth wall (I guess it’s called that in reading as well).

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Updates

December (and 2013) Recap

First, HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE! Not that you’re reading this on NYE, but I’m scheduling it to post on New Years Eve 😀 So YAY! I hope you’ve all had fun holidays and time spent with friends and family! I know I have and am exhausted but so glad to have the time with my family.

Second, as with last year I just want to thank all of you that read and interact with me on my little spot of the internet. Those of you that blog with me are amazing and make life difficult by talking about all of these amazing books that I want to read. I can’t believe I’ve stuck with this blog as long as I have, but you all definitely make it worth it for me! I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings!

Click here to see my Challenge Wrap-Ups and Top Books of 2013

2014 Challenges, Random, Updates

2014 Challenge Announcement! (Or Not…)

2014 Books

(Don’t you love the image?!?! I found the book image via Google and then I made the overlap—I am art!)

If you haven’t noticed I have been missing again for a while. I’m slowly working my way through Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace as my final 2013 Challenge Read and am (surprisingly) thoroughly enjoying it.

I’ve known for a while I wouldn’t do any challenges next year, but I hadn’t officially decided until recently. I feel bad abandoning the three challenges I’ve done for two years now, but I think I need the distance and freedom to read what I want when I want without restrictions other than those I put on myself. So far the only thing I’ve decided to read next year are more library books, re-read a few books that I haven’t made time for in years and just to have fun. In addition to the no challenges I am currently debating on the format my blog will take in 2014 but won’t make any major decisions until I do my 2013 recap.

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