Last week, Amazon launched Kindle Unlimited, and it's all anyone who uses a
Kindle or
ereader can talk about. For $9.99 a month, you can read over 600,000 thousand
titles
and thousands of audiobooks. I know I would sign-up. I live in a small town where
book selection is limited even at the library. I like the sheer variety Kindle can
offer and while the choices aren't going to be the most popular or newest
titles, I'm
excited to try new authors and genres. Not everyone is as thrilled with Kindle
Unlimited as I am. Some people call it a glorified library card. Others see it as a
game changer for the publishing industry. What impact will this massive online
library do for the future of book sales? Will people be willing to buy a single
title
at a cost which is sometimes more expensive than an entire month's fee? When
you're a
teen and have a limited (or non-existent) income is $9.99 a month even an option?
I can't answer those questions, but in talking to friends about how Kindle
Unlimited
could change the future of ereading, I did realize two things about myself. One: I
love to read, but I don't want to buy every book I want to read. Sometimes, I'm
drawn
to a book like a moth to the flame because of the beautiful cover. I have no
idea of
what the story is, but I want to read that book because anything with such gorgeous
artwork on the front has to be good on the inside, right? Any disappointment for
this
way of decision-making is quickly forgotten the next time I see another gorgeous
cover. Sometimes, I choose a book based on the title, or a recommendation from a
friend, or I'm trying a new genre, or a multitude of various reasons that have
nothing to do with what the book is about. I read a lot of good novels, but they're
not so good I'm going to re-read it until I can quote passages if need be. There
are
books I simply don't want to pay for and keep forever.
The second thing I realized is there are books I want to own. I want to hold the
book
in my hands, smell the paper, feel the raised letters on the cover. The sound of
each
page turning adds a little more excitement to the story. The physical copy of the
book adds to my enjoyment of the story. Everyone who's walked into a book store and
stands just inside the doorway so they can draw in the intoxicating scent of
thousands of books knows what I mean. This isn't an argument for print vs ebooks. I
like both. I read both. In my opinion, one isn't better than the other. Print and
ebooks fill different needs for my reading desires. Ebooks work for me when I
want to
read the book but might not want to keep it forever. Print books are for when I
really, really want to own the book because I know I'm going to linger over the
words, the artwork, and the story over and over again.
Here are two picks for YA novels I have to own.
The Undertaken Trilogy by Ari Berk
DEATH WATCH
|
They say the dead should rest in peace. Not all the
dead agree. After Silas Umber's father disappears, he learns that his father was no mere
mortician but an Undertaker, charged with bringing The Peace to the dead trapped in
the Shadowlands, the states of limbo binding spirits to earth. Silas’s search for
answers leads him to his father's old office where he comes across a powerful
artifact: the Death Watch, a four hundred year old Hadean clock that allows the
owner
to see the dead. Death Watch in hand, Silas begins to unearth Lichport's secret history--and
discovers
that he has taken on his father's mantle as Lichport's Undertaker. Now, Silas must
embark on a dangerous path into the Shadowlands to embrace his destiny and discover
the truth about his father--no matter the cost. I received a copy of LYCH
WAY, the third book in The Undertaken Trilogy, to review for Fresh
Fiction. I read four pages, closed the book, and immediately ordered DEATH WATCH and MISTLE CHILD from Amazon.
Those
four pages convinced me that I absolutely had to read the first two in The
Undertaken Trilogy before I could read the conclusion. It wasn’t because I
wouldn’t be able to understand what was going on in the story, but because
author Ari
Berk had created a world so beautifully written and detailed that I did not want to
miss a single piece of it. You won’t want to miss out, either. |
THE GRAVEYARD BOOK GRAPHIC NOVEL VOLUME 1
|
It Takes a Graveyard to Raise a Child. Nobody Owens, known as Bod, might be a normal boy, if he didn't live in a
graveyard,
being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the
living nor the dead. Living in a graveyard can be lonely, but if Bod leaves the
graveyard, he will be in danger from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's
family. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK GRAPHIC
NOVEL is broken into two volumes. Volume One contains Chapter One through the
Interlude, while Volume Two includes Chapter Six to the end with each chapter
illustrated by a different artists from the comic book world, showcasing a
variety of
styles and talent. Call me a fangirl, but I literally squealed when I learned THE GRAVEYARD BOOK GRAPHIC
NOVEL
was coming out. Volume one was released on July 29, 2014 and Volume 2 will be out
September 30, 2014. Neil Gaiman is one of my automatic buy authors and The
Graveyard
Book has been one of my favorites for years. I absolutely can't wait to see how
graphic novel artists envision this world I've loved for years. |
Tell me, dear readers, what books do you have to own?
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