Simon: I, uh... I never-never shot anyone before. Book: I was there, son. I'm fair sure you haven't shot anyone yet.

'War Stories'


Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.

There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."


Toddson - Jan 06, 2012 6:52:13 am PST #17357 of 28276
Friends don't let friends read "Atlas Shrugged"

I saw a favorable review of a new-ish collection of short stories by Maureen McHugh (she wrote China Mountain Zhang). It's called After the Apocalypse (that word gets used a lot here, doesn't it?).


Liese S. - Jan 06, 2012 6:52:51 am PST #17358 of 28276
"Faded like the lilac, he thought."

I read by chunks, paragraphs at a time, and then I have to skim back sometimes if I've managed to miss something important. I read really fast and have good comprehension, though, in general.

And I do miss the tactile thing of paper books where I kinda gauge the denouement by how thick the bit in my right hand is. Which is a problem for things like Pratchett where they give a sample of the next book at the end of the current book. But obvs, that's something I can't do on the Nook at all.

What I wish is that they used the graphic of the cover of the book I'm currently reading as the screensaver. That would bring me back to it more quickly than the way I use it now.


DavidS - Jan 06, 2012 6:52:59 am PST #17359 of 28276
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

that word gets used a lot here, doesn't it?

As Buffy noted, she needed a plural for "apocalypse."


Steph L. - Jan 06, 2012 6:58:58 am PST #17360 of 28276
I look more rad than Lutheranism

the story, if it's a good one*, just starts to happen around me, and the pages disappear. When I'm finished, I can quote from the text and seem to have most of the story in my head. (*some stories, my eyes just slide right the hell off, and I can't finish them at ALL. And some I feel the urge to take a red pen to instead of reading.)

Does anyone else read like that?

That's pretty much exactly how I read.


meara - Jan 06, 2012 7:03:53 am PST #17361 of 28276

I read by chunks, paragraphs at a time, and then I have to skim back sometimes if I've managed to miss something important. I read really fast and have good comprehension, though, in general.

This is me. And he idea of the current book cover as screensaver is awesome!! I wish I could do that.


Amy - Jan 06, 2012 7:08:19 am PST #17362 of 28276
Because books.

Stupidly, that's one thing I don't love about the Kindle Fire. The screensavers are all sort of cool, but I'd love to have my own on there.


§ ita § - Jan 06, 2012 7:20:12 am PST #17363 of 28276
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I used to have my own screensavers on my Nook, but then I had it replaced and I fell behind. It's dodgy because it's B&W, so I have to watch for conversion quality, but thanks for reminding me.

I'm pretty sure someone has worked out how to hack the screensavers on the Kindles, especially the new ones. Though the book cover idea is *sweet*. Someone should work on that...


Amy - Jan 06, 2012 7:29:25 am PST #17364 of 28276
Because books.

I still need to get a micro USB to sideload stuff, because my phone cord won't work, and I don't have anything else that fits.


Volans - Jan 06, 2012 7:35:49 am PST #17365 of 28276
move out and draw fire

That's also how I read, the immersion...except not totally, because when I want to go back and look at a passage again, I remember where it was on the page (upper right, second para down on left page, etc). Kindle, and Kindle for iPad, BITES for that. The pagination flows differently as you move forward and backward.

I've started habitually checking the progress slider, also.


Amy - Jan 06, 2012 7:38:02 am PST #17366 of 28276
Because books.

Hey, Raq, the books came! That was quick. I'm hoping to get to the post office tomorrow.