Dana Did It To Me Again

Posted on 04/04/2012 by Grumpa Joe

A Must ReadMy grand-daughter did it to me again. I often ask what she is reading, and that is where I go wrong, I read what she reads. The latest is “Hunger Games.” I hadn’t heard of this story until the movie came out and splashed the headlines with the ginormous money it took in at the box office. How can that be? Am I so out of touch with reality as to miss such a popular book until a movie comes out about it? I guess I am because quite frankly, I didn’t even know there was a book until the movie.

I watched a trailer on Hunger Games which did not tell me anything about the plot. Another fantasy story, I told myself. That explains why Dana is so excited about it.

I downloaded the book to the Kindle and started the read. Ten hours later I put the damn thing away. I was in total awe. The story line is a natural for a movie. The setting reminded me of the Planet of the Apes. North America has been re-invented by horrible events, and the country does not resemble the USA in any way. Instead it is now a primitive totalitarian state called Panem divided into eleven Districts. The government instituted games to make life more interesting. The premise of the games is definitely savage, and the winner is the last man standing.

The number of characters in the story are all necessary to tell the story. Author Suzanne Collins makes a bunch of unbelievable characters very believable, but she must have sipped some hallucinogenic tea to come up with story. Now, I must go to the movie just to see how Hollywood uses modern technology to convey the far out advanced concepts used in the narrative.

Hunger Games is the first of three books needed to tell the entire story. I have already loaded the second one “Catching the Fire,” to the Kindle for more reading pleasure.

Thanks Dana for another great read.

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I’ve Been Kindlized

Posted on 29/12/2011 by Grumpa Joe
The back of the Amazon Kindle 2

Image via Wikipedia

Peggy reads a lot and spends time perusing library book sales to buy hard cover books of her favorite authors. She has several large boxes filled with bargain books. She keeps a log of those she buys and takes it with her when she shops a sale to avoid duplications.   She always carries a book to read during wait times wherever we go for appointments. She has been on the same book for a year. Often reading only a paragraph or two while sitting in a doctor’s waiting room.

This Christmas, one of her beautiful grand daughters gifted her with a Kindle. It remained in the box for several days. She had no interest. I finally asked her to let me see it. I wanted to learn how to use it so when she did get ready to use it, I could teach her how. It took me about an hour to learn to navigate its functions, to set it up on the wireless network, and link it to my Amazon account. Now when the darn thing fires up it says “Joe’s Kindle.”

To get things rolling, I downloaded a sample of the number one book on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book is “The List” by J.A. Konrath and Jack Kilborn. It appeared on the device within minutes.

Peggy watched me play with the buttons and flip from one page in the Kindle Store to another. She told me she would get started using the thing right after she finished the book she was reading.

The next morning, I learned how to enlarge the print to something I could see without any strain. I began the read. The story started out with action, and I found myself immersed. At Chapter Six the sample ended, oh no! The promise I made to myself the night before to not spend any money on books ended. I went into the Kindle Store and hit the Buy Now button. By the time, I finished my first cup of coffee the complete book was there.

The reading began and I never put the damn thing down. Even though I had to push the page button hundreds of times to get me through the large print, I couldn’t read fast enough. The story held my interest but reading on the device seemed more comfortable than reading a paper book. I finished in one day. Never have I completed a book in one day.

Peggy may own the Kindle but it is mine to use.

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