Life in the American countryside, a bitter sweet ebook about human relationships

I have just finished reading Tom’s Wife, an ebook available from Amazon (see below for link) written by Alana Cash, and it turned out to be one of the best books I have read for quite some time.

You may have read her account of the problems she went through to publish this ebook, if not, follow the link to it below.

Set in the American countryside in an unspecified time, it is the story of Annie, a young woman married to a brutal miner/farmer, the Tom in the title, whose relationship is based on male supremacy and female servitude.   On the face of it, not a subject that makes for happy reading, but in this book Alana has made her main characters so real that the complexities of human relationships bring it all into balance.

All the characters in this ebook are complex layered humans, no one is simply good or bad or in between, they are real, and show all those aspects in their personalities and actions.   Annie, who on the face of it is the “good” one in the story, is basically a very honest young woman, yet she is prepared to cheat and lie if it helps her survive in her very difficult life, so she has a “bad” side too.    Even Tom, who for the greater part is a brutal slob, has his moments of tenderness and uncertainty.   It is this that appeals to me about this ebook, the people in it are all multilayered, and thus real, and interesting, as their reactions to events are not automatically defined by a two dimensional character, as is so often the case in books.

Another thing I liked about this book was that Alana didn’t waste time on setting the scene.  We are never told which part of the USA, or even what period this book is set in.  I guess it is in the 1930’s from internal evidence, but I am probably wrong, and it really isn’t important, as this is a book about people, and their lives, which are much the same whether it is 1936 Kansas or 2011 Kashkar.

In fact the entire ebook is really made up of conversations; there are very few descriptive passages in this ebook, which is a bit complicated for the first few pages, but once you are into the book it all flows very naturally and is perfectly understandable.

Alana has a nice way with words, and comes up with some wonderfully evocative phrases in this ebook, such as the following which I particularly liked. Annie is contemplating her cockerel mating with one of her hens, when the following thought occurred to her: Read full story »

The rumours going around for the last few months about Amazon’s plans to produce a Tablet seem to have been correct, well almost.

The newest Kindle has now been allowed out of Amazon’s secret research station in the depths of the Amazon Basin, and has been described quite fully by TechCrunch’s MG Siegler, in a post there.

I shan’t go into all the detail that he went into, since he actually got to play with a development example of the new ereader/tablet, and thus writes about it with real authority.  I shall simply sum up the main points about this new device for your interest, as so far not much is really certain about the final form of this successor to the e-Ink line  of ereaders from Amaazon.

Nook Clone?

What we do know is that it has a 7-inch capacitive touch screen. And it runs Android.  And it uses colour, so it is actually more or less a new version of the Nook colour ereader, in fact it is a direct competitor of the Nook, same size screen, same screen technology, same price (about $250), runs under Android (though this is a totally Amazon version of Android) and even though Amazon wont let out any photos of the new Kindle (it is called the Kindle, by the way, simply that, not Colour Kindle, or Kindle4), we are reliably informed that it looks pretty much like the Blackberry Playbook.

Read full story »

Everything you ever wanted to know about computer cases, but were too embarrassed to ask, is now to be found in this superb ebook.

Tweak Town (a well known site about all manner of highly technical matters to do with computers and other digital things) have just produced an amazing ebook guide about computer cases for anyone thinking of building their own computer.  A definite Must Read.

This ebook has about 250 pages of highly specific advice and information on every aspect of computer cases – what they should include, all the various different types (according to which motherboard you want to bung into it) and all manner of other points you need to consider when deciding which case to buy to build your dream computer into.

What does it cover?

The list of chapters gives one an idea of the range of information to be found in this ebook:

Factors to consider when choosing a PC case

• Form Factor and Motherboard Compatibility
• Materials and Construction
• Coating
• Aluminum
• Plastic
• Steel
• Weight, Durability and Look

Cooling

• CFM and Noise
• Static Pressure
• Read full story »

To celebrate the construction of the new World Trade Centre on the site of the old one, Fox have produced a highly interactive ebook- RISE OF FREEDOM

This enhanced – extremely enhanced – ebook which has just been launched today by Fox News and Harper Collins will show you, by means of text, photos, many videos and animated graphics, the entire process of building the New World Trade Centre on the site of the tragically destroyed old one.

As they say in their press release, and I quote:

Since the spring of 2010 Fox News producers and reporters have been at the site watching it all unfold. With hundreds of hours spent at the World Trade Center our journalists have been given remarkable access to one of the most complex construction projects ever. It is a monumental task — to rebuild vital real estate and build a fitting memorial to those killed. 

This enhanced ebook will be available from  Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Amazon.

Which version to buy?

As this is a highly enhanced ebook, with photos, videos and animated graphics, I would think that the Kindle version would be rather less fun than either of the other two versions (The iPad and Nook versions) as both of those devices have colour screens, and are much better optimised for such extra visual goodies.   The Kindle, excellent ereader though it is, is a monochrome screened device intended for reading text based ebooks, not this sort of complex enhanced creation.

Price:

Interestingly enough, from iTunes and Barnes and Noble it will cost you $6.99, but from Amazon it will cost you $7.59.  Perhaps this is because Amazon will deliver it to you via their Whispersync system, which they claim is free, but apparently it will actually cost you 60 cents….  Hmmmmmmmm.

Read full story »

An ebook for beginners and another for those who play Paintball very seriously.

Continuing my occasional series of reviews of ebooks written for particular hobbies or sports, I have found two more about Paintball for your pleasure..

One of them “Paintball and Airsoft Battle Tactics” is written for the extremely serious players of these two sports, and is actually more of a training manual for infantry men, and the other “Paintball Tips and Tricks” is aimed squarely at the beginners at Paintball.

Both of these ebooks seem to me to meet the needs of their target groups pretty well and are obviously well worth having whichever level of Paintball you play.

So, let’s have a quick look at them one by one:

Paintball Tips and Tricks: 

This ebook (well actually it is yet another PDF file) is a short, succinct and very good source of the basic information you will need before you play this game for the first time.   It doesn’t go into a lot of detail, but gives you the basic rules of the game, and some very good advice on safety as well..

It covers the history of the game, which is actually quite interesting, starting as it did with a bunch of farm workers using their tree marking pistols to shoot at each other one day, and then moves on to explain the basics of how you should behave when playing – good team work, how to move around the field without getting shot and so on.

Happily it gives a lot of emphasis on the subject of keeping your safety mask on at all times – which as an ex-Paintball Field owner, I can assure you is of the greatest importance!

For the rest, over its 21 pages it discusses the various variations of Paintball – Speed Ball, Indoor paintball and so on, and then finishes of with a number of resources on the web for the beginner.

All in all, a good introduction to Paintball, and to make it even better, it is free!

Paintball and Airsoft Battle Tactics:

Now this is a very different animal!   This one, with its 130 pages of very clear and rather alarming information is a handbook aimed at the truly serious Paintball or Airsoft player, and in passing, would not be out of place on any soldier’s bookshelf.

In spite of it’s title, there is actually no mention of either Paintball or Airsoft anywhere in the text, not do any of the illustrations (of which there are many) show people with either Paintball or Airsoft equipment, but a bunch of guys in military gear toting what appear to be real weapons.   So I am not really sure what the idea behind this ebook actually is.

Anyhow, all that to one side, it is bursting with extremely detailed instructions on how to work the battle field, which is obviously relevant to both those sports.

And who is the author? Read full story »

Once again Vicki Tyley produces another very good mystery ebook…… Fatal Liaison

Some time ago I wrote a review of some earlier ebooks from this Australian author, which I had enjoyed no end (link), so when she sent me an email the other week to let me know she had stuck again, I was intrigued to get my hands on a copy and to see if she was keeping up the quality of those earlier mysteries.

I am happy to say that she is, or even exceeding those earlier ones.

This one gallops along at a fine pace, the mystery gets deeper and deeper as the book proceeds and the ending is a total surprise, or at least it was for me.

The description on Smashwords (where this ebook is to be found) is as follows:

The lives of two strangers, Greg Jenkins and Megan Brighton, become inextricably entangled when they each sign up for a dinner dating agency. Greg’s reason for joining has nothing to do with looking for love. His recently divorced sister Sam has disappeared and Greg is convinced that Dinner for Twelve, or at least one of its clients, may be responsible. Neither is Megan looking for love. Although single, she only joined at her best friend Brenda De Luca’s insistence. When a client of the dating agency is murdered, suspicion falls on several of the members. Then Megan’s friend Brenda disappears without trace, and Megan and Greg join forces. Will they find Sam and Brenda, or are they about to step into the same inescapable snare? Read full story »