Facebook, Classic Literature, and a Whole Lot of Humor

"Elizabeth threw a sheep at Mr. Darcy."  This is only one of the many hilarious lines from the Sarah Schmelling's book Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float:  Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook.     Schmelling has brilliantly taken our obsession with social networking and applied it to some of our favorite authors and characters from classic literature.  I actually discovered this book after reading a fabulous review of it on English Major's Junk Food.

I must say that I was not disappointed when I decided to purchase it as an eBook for my new Barnes & Noble nook.  Each one of the sections (with titles such as 'Oedipus has some things to talk over with his wife' & 'F. Scott Fitzgerald beat on, a boat against a current, borne back ceaselessly against the past.') contains mini-sections dealing with either authors of books.  And I have to say that Schmelling's interpretation of what these classic people would have said if they had a facebook account is completely accurate.  She even manages to make the not so funny (Romeo & Juliet, for example) hilarious!

I, like many who have read this book, skipped around to read the books and authors that I am familiar with, and the way the book is organized definitely helps with this.  Just so you have a little taste of what this book has to offer, let me give you one of my favorite examples, from the section on Pride & Prejudice:
Mrs. Bennet hacked all of her daughters accounts.
Mrs. Bennet changed all of her daughters' Relationship Statuses to "SINGLE REALLY SINGLE!"
Mr. Darcy is new to Hertfordshire.  Suggest friends for Mr. Darcy.
        Bridget Jones: Me! Me! Me! Me!
        Mr. Darcy: I don't need friends


That's just a quick taste, but I definitely think anyone who enjoys classic lit, teaches lit, or remembers books you read in high school (even if you hated them at the time) will enjoy this book.  Schmelling takes our modern day obsession with technology to a classic level with her book.  I highly recommend it to, well, to anyone!


Coffee & Literature gives this book a solid A.

The eReader Wars Part 2

I knew it would happen eventually, and this week it did.  Barnes & Noble officially released the much anticipated new version of the Nook--the NOOKColor.  And I have to say, the preview of it on the B&N website is quite mouthwatering.  With a 7" color touchscreen (yes, it is a backlit screen) and 8GB 6,000 book capacity (expandable up to 32GB), the newest eReader has infiltrated both the eReader market and tablet market.  Built on Google's Android technology, you know this one will be a hit.  But how does it compare to the current eReader competition, the newest Amazon Kindle? Since the new Nook doesn't have 3G capabilities (which, in my opinion, isn't really a big deal for an eReader or even a tablet--Wi-Fi is everywhere), I'm comparing it to the regular Kindle.  This isn't an actual review of the NOOKColor, nor of the Kindle since I don't yet own either, so I'm going on the specs and what I've seen on the 'Net.  So how does NOOKColor fare?  Let's see...


Amazon Kindle:

• E-Ink® display (claim of 50% better contrast than other eReaders)
• 8.5 ounces
• Stores up to 3,500 books
• Download books via Wi-Fi in 60 seconds
• Web-Kit based browser
• Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright books
• Wi-Fi connects to AT&T hotspots
• Share passages via built-in Twitter and Facebook
• Free 3G wireless
• 4GB internal storage (3G available for user content)
• Price: $139, available at Amazon.com and Target

The Barnes & Noble NookColor :

• 7" VividView™ Color Touchscreen
• Claim of Reduced Glare & optimum brightness for any reading condition
• 8GB (up to 6,000 eBooks) storage, expandable up to 32GB
• Holds 100 hours of audio music, watch videos in MP4 format
• Read for up to 8 hours (wireless off)
• Built-in Wireless
• Personalized wallpaper
• Pandora® internet radio
• Games
• Media Gallery
• Over 2 million titles available
• Newspapers & magazines in color
• Enjoy kids' picture books in color
• LendMe™ Technology
• NOOKfriends™
• NOOKbook Personal Shopping™
• Read NOOKbooks for free in-store
• Color web surfing
• NOOKextras™ (think Andriod apps; NOOKdeveloper™ develops the extras)
• Variety of covers & accessories
• Create, edit and view Microsoft® Office files including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Also transfer PDF and ePub files to NOOKcolor and JPG photos for your own personalized wallpaper.
• Price: $249; available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble; will be available soon at Walmart & BestBuy

So, which one wins in my opinion?  You guessed it (especially if you read the first post on The eReaders Wars)....the NOOKColor!  NOOKColor is modern, sleek, and overall the most impressive eReader out there for 2010 and probably for 2011, too.  It is easily the new leader of the eReader market, in my opinion.  Obviously Barnes & Noble took their time developing it in order to be able to compete with both the growing tablet market & the shrinking eReader market.  Even with the introduction of the new Kindle and with it being available to actually see now (at Target), the Nook is clearly winning, I think, with the new version.  Having tried the original Nook in store, I was always a fan of it over the Kindle simply for that reason.  Having gotten to "try" the Kindle at Target, I was not impressed.  Now with the NOOKColor, I say Barnes & Noble has the hold on the eReader market at the moment, and I don't expect it fall from the top any time soon.  Bravo, B & N!

Now...if only I can get one!!!

Booking Through Thursday (October 7)

Today's Booking Through Thursday question is:

When you travel, how many books do you bring with you?  Has this changed since the arrival of ebooks?

Honestly, that depends on where I am traveling.  This summer when we travelled to the beach, I brought about six books with me.  I read two while relaxing in the warm sun.  If we are just traveling overnight somewhere or if we are going somewhere that I will stay busy with other things, I tend to carry only one or two.  I always end up bringing more books that I will ever read on vacation, partly because I like the comfort of having those books there just in case I finish one.

With eBooks, I've not yet become a part of the eReader family.  As much as I love and am for technology, I have yet to "cross over to the dark side" as some refer to it.  Although, that will change by Christmas as I am planning on getting an eReader.  Once I do that, I'll have plenty of books to read so I won't have to worry about finishing one and not having another.

Weekly Update. Yep, I'm still here!

Just a tiny update to let you know what is coming soon on Coffee & Literature.  I will have reviews on at least three books this week:  Golding's Lord of the Flies, Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, & Plath's The Bell Jar.  Hopefully I'll have those up soon.  Why those three you ask?  Those are the three books I'm currently teaching to my students.  I have several more lined up after those that are some of my own choosing, but many I will be reviewing in the school year will be those that my students are also reading.  I also will be reviewing Sylvia Plath's book of poetry, Ariel, as well.   This week's poetry café will more than likely be a poem from that book.  A note on my eReader decision...I'm almost positive I'm going to either get an iPad or a Nook.  I'm holding out to see if Barnes & Noble comes out with a Nook 2 or if Apple comes out with a different iPad, both of which have been rumored to be released by Christmas, which is when I'm looking to get one.

For those of you who have followed my "What's in Your Bag?" and "Project 365" posts, never fear, I'm still doing those.  I've got a back log of photos to post for Project 365, actually.  Hopefully I can get to those tomorrow since I'm off work.  (Yay, Labor Day!)  I'm also going to do a quick review tonight of a new planner I got that I think book lovers in general will appreciate....the filofax planner that is ever so popular in Europe.  Stay tuned!

Weekly Update...I promise I'm still here!

Hey, everyone!  I realize I've been slacking on posting, but I promise I'm not gone.  I should be catching up to posting the rest of the week and weekend.  With school getting started back and me beginning a teaching job at a different school, I've sort of been playing catch-up with life.  I've got several books lined up to read and review within the next few weeks as well as getting back to my daily posts of poetry, What's in Your Bag?, and others.  So don't forget about me!

I'm also debating on getting a new eReader.  After a LONG time of fighting book technology (and if you know me, I DON'T fight tech, I truly embrace it), I have given in to getting some type of eReader.  So, when the time comes for me to cross to the dark side (yeah, they have cookies), I'll give a review of the one I get.  I'm heavily leaning toward a Nook or even possibly jumping on the iPad craze.  So stay tuned.

Anyway, I just wanted to update everyone on why I've not been on and make sure that you all don't quit reading.  I'll be back in a day or so!

Thanks for reading & keep on lovin' those books!!!

-Kristy

The eReader Wars

It's a war of epic proportions!  Ok, maybe not, but if you are into the latest eReaders, or if you are looking at purchasingan eReader soon, you have noticed the price war going on betweenBarnes & Noble's Nook and the Amazon Kindle.  I have actually been fighting a war within myself on whether or not to get an eReader because I'm such a big fan of actual, physical books.  The Nook, actually started this war with the first price drop, and it is now available for $149 for a Wi-Fi Nook and $199 for a Wi-Fi + 3G Nook.  But Amazon.com has introduced a new Kindle for...wait for it...$10 cheaper than the Nook.  What?!?!?  Yes, that's right for the low, low price of $139 for the Wi-Fi and $189 for the Wi-Fi + 3G Kindle.  When you compare either one of these to the Apple iPad's price range of $499 to $699 for a Wi-Fi iPad and $629 to $829 for a Wi-Fi + 3G iPad (oh, and you have to pay for the 3G plan), unless you want the varied functionality and overall appeal of the iPad, I'm going to bet you will go for the Nook or Kindle.  So, what will you be getting with these?  Let's take a look at the Nook & Kindle (Wi-Fi + 3G, since that's the one most sellers will recommend to you)...

The Barnes & Noble Nook eReader:

• Adjustable text using the E-Ink® display
• You can download books using a Wi-Fi connection (free at B&N or an AT&T Hotspot), your computer (then connect it to the Nook), or a 3G connection that you don't need a data plan for (available on the $199 model only)
• Stores up to 1,500 books, newspapers, & magazines (2GB memory)
• Lending eBooks to friends that have Nooks or the B&N eReader software on their computer or handheld device
• Full color touchscreen navigation on the bottom display
• Wide range of covers
• In-Store use features such as special discounts, news, etc.
• Read over 700 eBooks free in-store
• Many eBooks available for free download anywhere
• Access Web browsers on both touch screen and the E-Ink® display
• Pre-Order books
• Tech Specs: 7.7 H x 4.9 W x 0.5 D; 12.1 ounces for the Wi-Fi + 3G or 11.6  for Wi-Fi; 2GB memory and expandable microSD slot; holds 26 hours of audio so you can use it as an mp3 player; supports several types of eBook files; changeable screensaver; and much more
• Perhaps the best Nook feature:  You can actually try one out in any Barnes & Noble store!
• For a comparison between the two Nooks, check out Barnes & Noble's comparison page.

The Amazon Kindle 3 (available for pre-order, sold-out already, ship date expected to be early September):

• E-Ink® display (claim of 50% better contrast than other eReaders)
• 8.5 ounces
• Stores up to 3,500 books
• Download books via Wi-Fi in 60 seconds
• Web-Kit based browser
• Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright books
• Wi-Fi connects to AT&T hotspots
• Share passages via built-in Twitter and Facebook
• Free 3G wireless
• 4GB internal storage (3G available for user content)
• Many of the same specs as the Nook.  The ones I listed above are the main differences

So, which one appeals to you?  You'll find many reviews that state that, with the new Kindle, that other eReaders (including the Nook) will soon become history.  Personally, I wouldn't be so sure about that.  The new Kindle was just released for pre-order, which, I think, gives Barnes & Noble time to update the Nook fairly quickly before the Kindle can ship many items.  Of course, Amazon is a larger market than Barnes & Noble, but one of the main appeals to me for the Nook was the fact that I could get my hands on one in a Barnes & Noble store, play around with it to see if I liked it, plus I had a Barnes & Noble Nook expert right there in the flesh to answer any questions I might have.  I don't know about you, but I would rather buy something where I could go talk to someone face to face if I had an issue so any questions could be answered right away.  The Nook is also more appealing to the eye than the Kindle is.  Ok, so that isn't a big deal to some, but I'm a big touch screen fan, and the Nook's touchscreen is quite nifty.  For now, I do think the Kindle will be the #1 eReader (other than the iPad) with this new version Amazon has come out with, BUT I wouldn't completely discount the Nook yet.  I look for Barnes & Noble to develop a better Nook within the next few months to compete with the new Kindle.  Also consider the fact that the new Kindle is only $10 cheaper than the Nook, so I'd also expect at least a price drop from Barnes & Noble on the Nook.

If I were to buy an eReader tomorrow, to be hones, I would still most likely go with the Nook if only because I can go to my local Barnes & Noble to get one and have it explained to me right there in the store by an actual person.  With technology, I like to try things out before I buy, and I have a feeling I'm not the only one who likes to do that.  If I was, there would be no such thing as an Apple Store where everyone can try a new Mac before they buy.  If nothing else sells the Nook, I think that simply being available in a store that most people can get to with ease will sell it.

So, whose side are you taking in the big eReader War?  Kindle, Nook, iPad, or will you just stick with a good ole paper book?