Average Jane Reads

One of the main reasons I wanted an iPad was so I could get the Kindle app. I'd read several books on my sister's actual Kindle, but I wasn't a big fan of the interface. I couldn't get used to pressing the buttons to turn the pages and I didn't like that the device relied on outside illumination.

The Kindle app on the iPad feels much more intuitive to me: to turn the page, you swipe your finger from right to left. Because I'm used to reading a glowing screen when I'm online, I don't have any problems reading books that way as well.

In some ways, downloadable literature is a little too convenient. On September 13th, A Librarian mentioned on Facebook that Soulless by Gail Carriger was the Amazon deal of the day for only $1.99. I downloaded it immediately and started reading it as soon as I got home from work that evening.

A mere 10 days later, I have made my way through the entire series and just finished reading the fourth book, Heartless, this morning while I waited for the hardwood floor guy to nail down our new shoe molding. (Incidentally, I've had this song stuck in my head ever since I borrowed the paperback from A Librarian yesterday).

It's a fun series set in a version of Victorian England that includes vampires, werewolves and a good-sized helping of steampunk. It's also quite funny. I enjoyed them a great deal and burned through the existing books in the series so quickly that I'm chafing a bit at the thought that I'll have to wait until next spring to see what happens next.

By the way, since the first book isn't on sale anymore, if you want to read the series I'd recommend buying the first three books as a bundle for $19.99, which will save you money. And just so you know, the Amazon links are merely for your convenience–I have never bothered to set myself up as an affiliate, so I have nothing to gain if you click through and buy something.

Now that my busy summer is over, I'm looking forward to jumping back into my many and varied book clubs. The Kindle app will make it much more convenient to get my hands on the books and get them read in plenty of time.

I just need to keep an eye on how much I'm spending with Amazon. When you combine one-click Kindle purchases with the frequent streaming video purchases that facilitate most of our cable TV show viewing, it can really add up.