Long story short: I bought a Nook! The bottom line: it has some cons, but overall, I love it! (This is to spare you all the tl;dr to follow. Apparently, I can wax verbose when it comes to my shiny toys.)

Short story long: ok, before I even start, I know B&N calls this thing the ‘nook’ (lowercase)…that’s the proper spelling, but it’s just habit for me to capitalize it since that’s its name and I always capitalize names…ok, just wanted to throw that out there!

I got my tax refund recently and knew I’d have quite a bit more than I normally get back. Since I’m finishing up my last semester of college, I was able to claim my tuition and get an educational tax credit, or whatever it’s called. So after paying off a couple of bills and squirreling away the rest of my refund, I decided to buy a Nook e-reader.

Backstory: When the Amazon Kindle first came out, I had little to no interest in it. I’ve always been a very tactile reader: I love the feel of the pages turning, the sensation of holding the book, and most importantly (and I know I’m not alone in this), the smell of a new book. As the Kindle became more popular, I saw the advantages to e-readers: e-books are generally much cheaper than their print counterparts and you can store thousands of titles on the device, effectively toting your entire library around with you, if you wish. But I was kind of frustrated since I couldn’t test a Kindle in person to see whether I’d be willing to invest that much money in it (and at the time, I didn’t know anyone who owned one, so that I could test drive theirs). Also, aesthetically speaking, I never really liked the look of the Kindle (mainly the buttons; now that I’ve converted to the iPhone, I’ve become very fond of touchscreens).

Barnes & Noble released their e-reader, the Nook, and my interest was peaked. I liked the look of it, but more importantly, I liked its main advantages over the Kindle: the Nook has touchscreen navigation, a removable battery, expandable memory, and the ability to lend titles. When I found out about the Nook, it was still on backorder around Christmastime, so I waited to see the reviews roll in. In general, I liked what I heard.

When Apple released their (rather unfortunately named) iPad, I was glad that I didn’t see a need for it. As I said, I have an iPhone, so the iPad was a no-go for me. The only feature that really sparked my interest was the iBooks application, which reminded me of my interest in an e-reader. However, the iPad, as with the iPhone and iPod Touch, is backlit. I stare at a computer screen eight hours a day at work, so staring at a backlit e-reader screen would definitely put extra strain on my eyes. I remembered that the Nook (and the Kindle, as well) is not backlit; it uses something called e-ink, which is much easier on the eyes, especially after reading for long periods of time. Funnily enough, it was the iPad’s release that prompted me to take another look at the Nook.

After reading the pros and cons of the Nook, I decided to go ahead and get one. By this time, B&N was shipping them consistently and had them in stock in their stores. I went to my local B&N, tested one, and liked it, so I bought one that evening. That was about two weeks ago. I’ve been using it since then and these are my main impressions so far:

Pros:

• It’s a bit of an adjustment to get used to not having a backlight, but once I got used to it, I was very comfortable. The e-ink, by nature, doesn’t strain my eyes at all. It’s very easy to read on the Nook screen.
• The device feels good in hand. It’s tapered on the back cover and the locations of the page turn buttons makes sense. I tend to use the page turn buttons, rather than the touchscreen swipe. It’s just easier to press a button instead of wake up the touchscreen every couple of minutes or so.
• The Nook has several font sizes for reading. I have mine set at large, which is probably closer to a large print font size. I think part of this is psychological because it feels like I’m turning pages faster (and thereby reading faster, even though I’m really not).
• The Nook is highly customizable. It has a nice selection of pre-loaded wallpapers and screen savers. I was able to add my own very easily, too. Imagine my delight when I selected the pre-installed “Authors” screen saver and Edgar Allan Poe showed up! I was seriously thrilled. He shows up from time to time, but other authors include the Bronte sisters, Kurt Vonnegut, Homer, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, and other awesome people. (btw, in device preferences, you have the option of giving your Nook a name–of course, I named mine Edgar. )
• So far, I haven’t purchased any books because my Nook came with two free titles (Dracula and Pride and Prejudice). I’ve also been downloading free books that are in the public domain, so I haven’t had to pay for a book yet. Eventually, I’ll move on to contemporary titles, but for now it’s nice to download free books.
• Battery life is really good. I keep referencing the iPhone, but in comparison, the Nook has amazing battery life. I’m used to plugging in my iPhone at the end of the night and letting it charge until morning. Since the Nook only has a backlight on the touchscreen portion, which is asleep while reading, the battery life is very good. I’ve only charged it a few times since I bought it.

Not many so far, but there are some Cons:

• My Nook has frozen several times. At first, it seemed to happen when I was browsing titles in the store, so I thought maybe I was getting impatient and turning pages too quickly. But it also froze when I was reading–I’d press the page turn button, and nothing would happen. In both cases, I’ve had to do a hard reset (similar to the iPhone, again): hold the sleep/wake button until the unit restarts itself. It works, but it’s kind of fiddly. I’m hoping that as the Nook software continues to be developed, this bug will be fixed.
• While browsing in the store on the Nook, it’s tough to distinguish duplicate titles from each other. For example, I was looking for another public domain book, Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant. There are dozens of versions provided by Google Books, so I chose one of the first results and downloaded it for free. However, when I opened the book, I discovered it was in French. I needed an English translation, but it wasn’t immediately apparent which were in French and which were in English. Eventually, I ended up going to B&N’s eBooks store on my computer and figuring out which versions were in English. Then I downloaded it on my Nook. I guess this would only be a problem for public domain titles (which have dozens, if not more, versions available) and titles that weren’t originally printed in English. Also, some titles have a book description, whereas others don’t have one at all; this makes choosing a version kind of difficult.
• This is a small gripe, but it was really important to me at the time! The packaging is INSANE. It was rather obvious to me that B&N has modeled its box after Apple’s packaging. The plastic design reminded me very much of the iPod Touch package. But for the life of me, I could not get my Nook out of the box. lol It was crazy! I must have wrestled with the box for 15 minutes (and enlisted M’s help) before I finally got it out. I was so worried I was going to scratch it or break it taking it out, but it was totally fine. Seriously, though, B&N needs to rethink the package design. It was so frustrating.
• Another small gripe, but relevant, I think–my local B&N had the Nook itself in stock, but none of the accessories. NONE. No cases, no clip-on light, nada. That bothered me, especially since device protection is big with me and I had to have a case. (I’m always afraid of dropping my devices.) I ended up going on bn.com and ordering a case, along with the light since I like to read in bed before I go to sleep. Also frustrating? bn.com has many cases on their site, but the majority of them are either out of stock, or haven’t been released yet. Of course, the prettiest cases I wanted aren’t available yet. Again, small gripe, but just pointing it out.

This is the case I ordered (the Bronte cover in turquoise). It has this window in which you can put your own photo, but I haven’t changed mine yet. The Nook fits very snugly inside–here’s a pic of the case when it’s open. From the pic on the B&N site, I wasn’t sure if I’d like the case material, but it’s very smooth and comfy to hold while reading.

In summary (omg why is this post so long? Wrap it up, self!), the Nook has some cons, but in my opinion, the pros definitely outnumber them. Again, I’ve never used a Kindle so I’m not discounting it, by any means. Judging by its popularity, it can certainly hold its own in the e-reader market. I guess I should also mention that I never really considered the Sony Reader; the reviews I’d read all recommended both the Kindle and Nook over the Sony. I guess I should also mention that the Nook runs on the Android platform, if that’s a big selling point for you.

At first, I thought the Nook was pricey, but actually, it’ll pay for itself after a few (ok, maybe a couple dozen) purchases. Given the number of books I read last year and the number I’ll likely read this year, I figured an e-reader would be a good investment. So far, it has been.

Friday Five–February 26, 2010

1) What’s your favorite magazine?
The only magazines I read are knitting magazines, but it’s tough to say. Interweave Knits used to be my favorite, but I haven’t loved their issues since they switched editors a little while back. I like Knitscene (which is published by Interweave Press) and usually Knit.1, which is published by Vogue Knitting (the latter of which is hit and miss, for me). So that’s a really long way of saying that while I read many knitting magazines, I don’t really have a favorite. lol

2) What book are you currently reading?
I’m reading two books! yay for reading multitasking, even though it’s something I don’t normally do. In print, I’m reading Shadowland: The Immortals #3 by Alyson Noel, a young adult supernatural story. On my Nook (yes, Nook! I need to do a Nook post, don’t I?), I’m reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. I figured it was time I read this famous classic, and learned what real vampires are like.

3) What’s the worst book you ever read?
eh, worst is such a harsh word, no? ok, I’ll bite. I’ll pick something I read last year since that’s what’s fresh in my mind. I HATED Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet. My review says it all.

4) What makes a book perfect for you?
Hmm. I don’t know about perfect, but a book I love is one that has characters who stay with me. In other words, a book I want to return to later, or characters/plots that stay in my memory long after I’ve read the book. Those are the keepers for me. I’ve read plenty of books, but many are forgettable. The better ones are hard to find, but when you do, it’s a great experience as a reader.

5) If you could buy any book right now, which one would it be?
Well, I’m still working my way through my book stash–somewhat–so I’ve been downloading free books on the Nook. But if it were released, I’d buy Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. It’s being published later this summer, and I can’t wait to find out how this trilogy ends.

Blue Moon is the sequel to Evermore. Coupled with Evermore, it’s the second in the Immortals series. I like the supernatural elements–they’re slightly hokey, but not too bad. Without posting any spoilers, I will say that I liked this book.

The thing that struck me the most is that there are several scenes that I related to, which I can only refer to as High School Hell. I really empathized with the main character, and felt drawn in to the plot. For a sequel, the story is still interesting, although there are a few moments toward the end that seem too neatly wrapped up. Then again, I don’t expect too much from a young adult novel, lol.

Once I got to the end, I found out that there is a third book in the series, Shadowland, which I plan to read. (I thought it was going to be released in February 2010 since that’s what it said in the back of my copy of Blue Moon. But I looked up Shadowland on Amazon, and it shows the pub date as November 2009. Anyway, Shadowland has been released, and I found it locally at Borders.)

I’m assuming this is a trilogy, which is ok with me. I’d like to see the story wrapped up. The characters are likeable, but I’m not so attached to them that I don’t want the series to end. I’m hoping I’ll find resolution in the third book.

This is another young adult supernatural novel. Prior to reading this, I had just read Hush, Hush and really liked it, so I was hoping that Evermore would be as enjoyable.

The protagonist is a teenage girl named Ever. She recently lost her parents, sister, and family dog (Buttercup, how cute is that) in a car accident. Ever alone survived. However, after the accident, she can now see people’s auras and hear their thoughts. Her internal world is a mess of noise and chaos.

Then Ever meets Damen, whose thoughts she can’t read. In addition, whenever she talks with him or is touched by him, other people’s voices and auras disappear. With Damen, she’s somewhat normal again. Predictably, Ever falls in love with Damen, but that’s hardly the main plot.

The story takes a few turns that I didn’t expect, and these parts weren’t too cheesy. They were just fantastic enough to keep me reading, though the book wasn’t the all-night page turner I had expected. Regardless, I enjoyed the ending and the book overall. There’s a sequel, and I’m interested to find out what happens next. As always, it’s interesting to see if the sequel can live up to the first book.

It’s the last day of the year, and you know what that means … nostalgia and looking back. What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.)

I read more books in 2009 than I had in 2008, so I have quite a few to choose from. Here are my favorites from this year:

• Harry Potter book 1 (and the rest of the series) by J. K. Rowling
  I finally read HP! I don’t really know why I waited so long, because once I read the books, I loved them, as well as the film adaptations. This is one case where the books lived up to all the hype surrounding them. I totally get it now.
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
  I loved everything about this book–the characters, the writing style, the story. The subject matter is pretty grim, but told in a powerful way. These are characters who have stayed with me, months after I’ve read the book.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (and the sequel)
  I wasn’t sure if I’d like this one too much, but I’m so glad I read it. It’s filled with action and suspense, but underneath is a striking morality tale–kind of like HP, but without the wizardry, maybe? I can’t wait for the third novel, which comes out later in 2010.

#33 of 52 – 52 Books in (Slightly More Than) 52 Weeks

Slightly spoilery post follows, but mostly it’s a comparison/contrast between this book and Twilight.

I heard that this book was like Twilight, but with angels instead of vampires. I figured I’d give it a try. Young adult fiction is so fun to read. For one thing, it’s easy to read, which means the reading tends to go by rather quickly. Reading YA novels is like knitting a hat with chunky yarn: instant gratification. And of course, it’s no secret that I’m Twilight obsessed.

I have to say, Hush, Hush is pretty similar to Twilight. There’s a teenage girl, Nora, who is drawn to a mysterious boy at school, Patch. But he’s got a secret that’s he’s keeping from her and everyone else in town. Oh, and it’s obvious that he’s a fallen angel–just look at the book cover (which is rather awesome, by the way). The official “reveal,” though, doesn’t take place until late in the story.

The climax of the novel was kind of iffy for me. I sped through the first half to two-thirds of the book, but slowed down just when the plot was being fully revealed. I think the story lost some momentum at that point. Also, I wasn’t crazy about the ending–it felt kind of flat and wasn’t very well written. But again, overall the book is a nice bit of fluff, and I did enjoy it.

Maybe I shouldn’t keep comparing it to Twilight, but I guess it’s kind of unavoidable when both books seem to follow the same formula. Nora is definitely less annoying than Bella Swan. Nora’s not as needy and whiny, though she does make questionable choices. She is headstrong, but she’s feisty in a way that Bella just isn’t. Book Bella is just ridiculous sometimes (some would say, all the time). Bella’s way too old-fashioned and unrealistic (”Holy crow!”), whereas Nora clearly lives in the 21st century. In other words, in the Bella vs. Nora smackdown, my money is on Nora.

Also: no sparkly vampires in this book. Sexy fallen angels, yes. By the way–Hush, Hush is much spicier than Twilight. There’s no full-on sexin’, but there’s a blessed lack of Twilight’s super cheese, i.e. “marble skin,” “scintillating arms,” etc., etc. Thank goodness.

Apparently, there’s going to be a sequel to Hush, Hush called Crescendo, which I’m sure I’ll read. Sometimes, fluffy fiction is all I want, and this book definitely served its purpose. It’s somewhat mindless entertainment, and good fun.

#32 of 52 – 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Slightly spoilery post follows.

It took me a few weeks to get through this. I wanted to like this book, I really did. Mainly because I enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife so much. However, Her Fearful Symmetry is a very different type of novel in comparison. It has a supernatural element, and I love a good ghost story. It also has a great ensemble cast of characters (though some are certainly more sympathetic than others). Despite all this, I just couldn’t quite “get into” the book.

The story revolves largely around Valentina and Julia, twin sisters who move to London when their aunt Elspeth dies. She has left them her flat and most of her belongings, though they never knew her. Their mother, Edie, was Elspeth’s twin sister, but they were estranged during the years that Valentina and Julia were growing up.

If you’re slightly confused already, don’t feel too bad because I spent much of the book feeling confused. At first, I found the twins’ (Valentina and Julia, that is) relationship very strange. To me, there is something very creepy about 21-year-olds dressing exactly alike and being practically attached at the hip constantly. One never goes anywhere or does anything without the other. I feel more sympathetic toward Valentina, who is a sensitive, introspective girl. Julia can be caring, but she also has an underlying selfishness and immaturity that bothered me quite a bit at first. That changes, but not in the manner I expected.

Another character I liked is Martin, who lives in the flat above Valentina and Julia’s. He has obsessive-compulsive disorder and because of this, I felt nothing but pity for him at first. Throughout the course of the story, however, my feelings toward him warmed and I came to like his character very much. I was also satisfied with the resolution of his storyline.

There’s a twist ending, I suppose you could call it, but it’s kind of odd. When the climax of the novel is revealed, I wasn’t entirely surprised by it. I had guessed part of it early on–maybe a few chapters in?–and the other part of the twist really, really annoyed me. I was not happy with it. In fact, when I got to the last page of the book, I turned it in expectation I’d continue reading because I expected another chapter that might clarify, help explain what I just read. I just wasn’t happy with the way the story was wrapped up. To me, it felt like the first third of the book was intriguing, the middle was slow, and the final third was slightly…random. And not in a good way.

As I said before, I love supernatural stories, but the ending of this one just bugged me because it didn’t seem to have been planned out well. Compared with the rest of the book, the final few chapters felt off balance–not as fully developed.

Overall, sadly, I didn’t enjoy the book. However, I do like Niffenegger’s writing style–The Time Traveler’s Wife is such a compelling read. For this reason, I’m sure I’ll read her future books. After I finished HFS, I read some reviews online, and opinions of the book are rather mixed. Readers either loved the book, or had the same feeling about it that I had. I wouldn’t say I hated it, but I had higher expectations for it, given the quality of her debut novel.