Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
Instapaper
I do a lot of reading. I used to read a lot of books and magazines. I would just read about anything. And I still enjoy it. I can still read almost anything. But with a family, I don’t spend all my money on magazines and books any more. And throw in the internet in the equation, there is too much to read as well.
These days it’s getting even worse with loads of blogs and magazines that are publishing more and more on-line. So much to read and so little time. Then…. the word spread around about something called “Instapaper“. Curious as I usually am, I googled, clicked and created an account (the modern version of “veni, vidi, vici”). Not a lot too it, I thought. You can install a little button in your browser to “save an article for later”. No big deal since I was already doing that. I use a delicious account to tag interesting reading material, and would print it for later reading. So I kind of deleted the account again after a few days.
Fast forward a few months, and there is more and more noise coming from “Instapaper” (release of the iPad has to do with it). Lo-and-behold, I missed the iPhone app that comes with it!!!! So I created an account again, installed the free app on my iPhone and started reading.Perfect for me, I realised. Since now I don’t have to print articles anymore. Now my green conscious can sleep better. And after a week or so, I even upgraded to the full iPhone app so I make changes to font style and size, background color, …. All worth it.
It’s just getting worse. I found a site where you can find the latest and more popular articles on longform. Or look for #longreads on Twitter. Actually, that was a bad idea, because now you will not have time enough to live a normal live. You’ll just want to read. But I hope it was a good article.
What generation ?
I have been reading again a bit more lately. Saturated from TV shows does that to you. The latest I have been reading is Douglas Coupland’s “Generation A“. It was not something I was looking for. I was looking just for something readable in the bookstore. And then I saw it.
Now, I could say I am a Coupland fan. Not hardcore, otherwise I would have known the realease date of this book. But enough to have read all of his books and never say no to a new one from his hand. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this book. In my opinion he didn’t write a good book between “Microserfs” and “jPod”. Probably because I liked the style of those 2 books better.
And “Generation A” is more of that style again. Witty, funny and addictive. I had problems with putting down that book, so I read as often as I could. Which means people staring at me on the tram when I started laughing out loud. But who cares ? I had fun.
So go and get your copy. NOW! I am off to some more Murakami…
After the quake
A slow reading month you would say. Me too a couple of years ago. But with 2 kids and all that, more than 1 book a month is quite an achievement. So I finised “After the quake” yesterday by Haruki Murakami.
I expected non-fiction. But nope. Still amazing work (short-stories) that in typical Murakami style turns his stories around when you don’t expect it and usually in the most hilarious way.
Favorite story in it, you ask…. I have to say the last one. But go and read it for yourself …. I am off to find another book to read.