#452 ~ New Beginnings

New Beginnings by Fern Britton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars








Reading time at the moment is a precious, precious thing, and therefore I was surprised to find out that this book by Fern Britton was 400 pages long; it seemed like a quick read.

I'm not suggesting or one moment that the quality was tip-top/first class/top drawer, but it was sufficiently okay.

I was intrigued to see how a fairly well known Z list celeb would handle the change to writer ... they all seem to be doing it don't they? ... and was actually pleasantly surprised.

I can't say that I would actively seek out more of her work, but if I ever get the chance to lounge by a pool, this would be the kind of un-demanding read that would make a perfect read a bit, sip a bit, read a bit more.


Product details

400 pages; Kindle Download; Contemporary, Romance

I borrowed an electronic copy from my local Library and used Overdrive to read it on Baby (Kindle Fire HD).


The good ... the bad ... the ugly

Good:  With a Kindle fire, borrowing ebooks from the local library is a breeze with the Overdrive app.  However, it does limit features such as bookmarking.

The standard of grammar was acceptable.

Bad:  Nothing outright bad I am pleased to report.

Ugly:  A few formatting errors, for example missing capital letters at the start of chapters etc.  Not many.

Happy reading.

Kay

#436 Linger

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars





Mercy Falls Series #Book 2



I will admit that I didn't read the first book in the series, but actually it probably would not have changed my opinion on this one.

As it was a busy time at work, I decided that I would be able to listen to this rather than be slower and read a copy, so I borrowed my copy from the local library. Was the difference between listening and reading any different?

Not really. In point of fact the narration was very good, and it didn't detract from the reading experience.

Towards the end I did find that the teenage angst in the plot began to grate a little, however it was a reasonable offering of Young Adult fiction.

I also should comment on the weird German quote at the beginning - I couldn't see the point of it, and didn't feel it added to the tone of the book at all.

I will give the third book in the Mercy Falls series a go, just to see how it all pans out.



Product Details

I borrowed it from the local library as an audio book, and listened to it on Baby (my Kindle Fire HD), but it's available HERE in all formats.

369 Pages
Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult, Werewolves
Scholastic Fiction (Aug 2011)



Errors/Bug Bears

As mentioned above, I wasn't a fan of the German quote at the beginning.


Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay 

#428 ~ Almost Perfect

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






I chose this book, in audio version, with no fore-thought. It was simply available at the time on the limited selection of audio books that East Sussex Library has to offer.

It was purely meant to be an auditory vehicle for getting through the working day.

I am delighted to give it 5 stars though, it was simply a beautiful story; told in a beautiful and simple way.

This book was "Almost Perfect" ... it was perfect.

The narration was also outstandingly done. All credit to Kirby Heyborne he did a magical job, and has the most lovely voice.

I realise that the subject matter might not be for everybody. However, try to let go of any prejudice, and see it for the lovely piece of literature that lies beyond the plot.

Actually, it managed to up root one of my own prejudices, in that I haven't truly believed until this moment that a man can write anything but shoot 'em up or spy tales. I am wrong, and will not make that mistake again.


Product Details

I borrowed the Audio Book Version from the local library, via my OverDrive app (click here to see my post about getting it to work on Kindle Fire in the UK).  Perfect for a bit of easy listening on the train @RailBookClub Members.

10 hours and 40 minutes
MP3 Audiobook Format
Narrated by Kirby Heyborne

I think I will get myself a Kindle copy of this, as it is definitely a book that I would read again and again.

You can pick up a copy HERE for £3.71 - now, that is an excellent price in my opinion.

370 pages
Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (13 Oct 2009)



Errors/Bug Bears

NONE - have you any idea how happy that makes me?


Happy reading.

Reading UK Library Books on your Kindle

Kindle Store > Apps > Reading > Android

I only recently found out that it was possible to borrow ebooks from the UK Libraries via Overdrive.   However, when I read up about it was was really disappointed to find out that it was for Nook, Kobo and other e-Readers other than Kindle (which was only available for US Libraries).

However, when I went just by chance to my Local Library to enrol after moving to East Sussex, the lovely lady advised me that she thought it was possible to borrow ebooks and audio books from them on a Kindle Fire.

I did a bit of research last night, and yep, it's possible if you download the Overdrive App from the Kindle Store HERE.

Actually, for a techo retard like me it was quite easy .... although I will admit to a bit of huffing, puffing and general language to rival a dockside trollop trying to work out how to do it!

I will attempt to give you brief instructions, and please forgive me if I miss bits out, as it was trial and error.

You will need:

• Your Kindle Fire
• Your Library Card and PIN number
• Overdrive Media Console App - installed and registered - you will need an Adobe Account for that.
• A wireless connection to the internet

Make sure you are connected to the internet:

• Wake up your Kindle
• Check you are connected to the internet:  touch the Wireless symbol in the upper right hand corner; then touch wireless or Wifi and make sure set to on; if you are not connected touch the wireless network you would like to join; enter the password if needed and touch connect - you should now be connected to the internet.
• Touch the House button to go back to the Home page

Now let's get a book from the Library:

• On your Carousel Items find the Overdrive App Icon and touch to open
• Newer model Kindle touch the Get Books Icon at top right of screen (older verisions it at the bottom centre of screen)
• Now touch the Add a Library icon - newer Kindlesit's at the top/older at the bottom
• You can search the Library you require by name, post code, etc. or you can use the "Search" function.
• Find your Library and tap the star next to its Name to save it as a favourite
• Touch your Library Name to go to the site
• When the site opens browse to find a title you would like to read
• Ensure that you are signed in with your library number and PIN
• Tap Download to start the download - NB:  it's clunky, not nearly so fast as usual Kindle download - I actually thought mine wasn't working .... be patient
• It will eventually appear on your Bookshelf in the app
• Tap to start reading - you can alter the text type and size, and navigate around in a similar fashion to the normal Kindle reading experience.

Here's a video for American Kindle library borrowing, but it's fairly similar to the steps I've set out above:

I hope you find all of the above helpful .... I'm now reading The Help, which is my Hailsham Book Club choice this month, saves having to hold a book and suffer really small print. LOL.

Hugs

Kay