UbernerkleRuminations of a Renaissance Geek

I mentioned in the last update that I had recently purchased a Kindle 2 and what happened a few days later? That’s right Amazon announces some new models *head desk*.

“Not you fat Jesus.”

This past weekend Mrs Ubernerkle, the Minions and I headed off to Vegas, me to attend a friends bachelor party and them to have a mini getaway. My wife brought two books with her and I brought the Kindle. While driving out there I suggested that she pull out the Kindle and take a look at “Suck It, Wonder Woman” by Olivia Munn.

I was thinking of getting one of the new generation and having both devices associated to the same Amazon account we can share the same library of books which nicely fills the ‘lend a book’ gap between the Kindle and Nook. This was a good test to see if she took a shine to it.

I spent a couple of hours hanging at the pool with the family between bouts of bachelor party geekery and was very happy to see I did not have;

There is a lot to be said for sticking your room key and cell in the Kindle cover and just heading out. Not to mention being able to turn a page with one thumb press and thus not having to put down said mojito’s for any reason.

The Kindle 2 fits reasonably well into the pockets of cargo shorts and the new generation is even smaller by a half inch in width and height.

“Tigers love pepper… they hate cinnamon.”

A few folks have asked me what sort of savings I have seen with eBook versus traditional print so below is a break down based on my own experiences and to point out the obvious there is still the initial outlay for the device itself. These titles cost me $51 less than it would buying them in their respective physical formats. As you can see it the savings are quite varied and in some cases do not exist at all but can add up over time.
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Dan Brown became well known as the author of The Da Vinci Code and his popularity increased with Tom Hanks taking the role of Robert Langdon in the movie of the same name and its prequel also based on Brown’s Angels and Demons. Brown’s writing style is easy and engaging he establishes a good pace and maintains it well rarely leaving the reader idle long enough to get distracted by anything else. I’ve read both TDVC and A&D as well as The Fortress and Brown has made it into circulation under the ‘Authors I will read anything they write” category along side Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson, Jim Butcher, F. Paul Wilson and Glen Cook.

While browsing Amazon today adding a few items to the old wishlist I stumbled across this:

Yup, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code coming September 15th 2009. As anyone who follows my other blog TemporalConsumer.com I am an advocate for obtaining media temporarily, this however is one of the few exceptions.

Sad news from Writerswire.com this morning that David Eddings has passed away at the age of 77.

David, along with his wife Leigh who passed two years ago, were responsible for encouraging my bookworm tendencies, along with Tolkien, Raymond Feist, Terry Pratchett, Robert Jodran, Terry Brooks, Terry Goodkind, Wies and Hickman, and more. These are the authors who talked to a confused young man evolving through adolescence and the awkwardness that came with it.

In my tweens I raided the local library every weekend. I stumbled upon Pawn of Prophecy and within a couple of months had read everything he had published. “Silk” was one of my favorite characters from the series.

Now twenty years later, some of those authors, including the Eddings’, have died. Their works transition from a living bibliography that grew, enthralled, and entertained into a still echo of the word-smithing that took minds outside of their bodies and realities and let them trip the ether. The heroes – I mean the authors, not just the characters - of my youth are losing their immortality but I hope that generations will relish their echoes for a long time to come.

Amazon: The Works of David Eddings

Amazon: The Works of Terry Brooks

I was introduced to The Sword of Shannara about the same time I was given Feist to read. I remember being on a family vacation in Cardiff, Wales and my cousin letting me read some of his copy.

Amazon: The Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

It all began with The Hobbit, but the Simarillion kicks my ass to this day.

Amazon: The Works of Raymond E. Feist

In the later half of my secondary school years I had been reading Wies and Hickmans Dragonlance books. My english literature teacher, upon receiving an essay I had written on the first of the series, recommended to me that I upgrade my reading to something a little more challenging and in-depth so he introduced me to Raymond E. Fiest and Magician. Twenty years later and a continent away, I find myself standing in a comic book store in San Diego behind a gentleman who is very familiar but I cannot put my finger on where I know him from. After paying for my purchases and introducing the Minions to Transformers and X-Men comic books, I left the store just in time to see the car with the licencse plate “Feist” leaving the lot.

Amazon: The Works of Terry Pratchett

One of the most prolific authors who has had an impact on me as a reader, writer, and me as a person, is Terry Pratchett. He is one of the funniest, sharpest, and most sarcastically talented authors I have ever read. He is not dead, but it saddens my heart to know he is fighting off the onslaught of Alzheimer’s.

Amazon: The Works of Weis and Hickman

I was a role-playing game geek but I’m in hibernation with the hobby right now until the Minions are old enough to start getting into it…then I will return! The Dragonlance books came very quickly on the heels of The Hobbit.