Books - What are you reading?

I always used to be a proper book guy, but unfortunately it seems to be kindle or not read anything these day. I've even stopped browsing the paperbacks in charity shops. I think this summer will be the first time we'll be able to go camping or whatever and the kids will be old enough to just knob around the campsite without too much overseeing: I'm giddily excited about the prospect of sitting in a camping chair with a real book (and probably nodding off after a couple of pages).

I'd struggle to get any reading done at all if I stuck to paper books. Kindle is always with me.

I've even stopped browsing the paperbacks in charity shops.

Nooooooo

That's always been one of my favourite things since I found a second hand bookstore in my home town as a kid. I still wander into Oxfams over here whenever I see one and often pick something up.

I don't get why carrying a book is harder than carrying a kindle? I'd be more worried about breaking the kindle.

Kindles are fucking tough. Books get all shitty and dog eared. And the only books I can slip in my jacket pocket or the rear pocket on my rack bag are slim, achingly hip literary books with big margins and lots of poetry strewn about.

Not that I don't like those, but I'd be bankrupt fairly rapidly if that's all I read

For me its purely the reading in bed in the dark thing. I got a backlit kindle and actually I've found it totally fine reading in darkness, just with the backlight. No complaints about not being able to sleep from Elle - everyones happy.

I've quite often finished one book of a series, bought the next and then carried on straight away, which is pretty great to be able to do all while lying in bed.

Also you can read a kindle one handed, which is very useful if you want to sip a beer or pick your nose or something. And yeah, great backlight for those dingy pubs or sleepless nights.

Yeah - I remember a fair bit of baby in one hand, kindle in the other, in the early days of our youngest. I seem to remember using my nose to turn back a page on more than on occasion too.

I have a bedside light and a partner that can sleep through a rave...

I have big hands so that one-handed thing isn't an issue. :)

Nose-picking, beer drinking away!

I'd love to have a big bookshelf and stacks of real books but unfortunately it would be a bit much of a luxury for me.

This series is really handy for having something to keep in a pocket. Some interesting stuff and only £1 a go.

http://www.penguinmodern.com/

ooh, very nice. Thanks!

On the Kindle chat, I've never had one but was thinking it might be useful for travelling. I'm sure my mum has an old one that she never uses, might try and pinch it from her.
I never really hold on to books when I've read them anyway, unless it's something really special. I do enjoy the act of passing on something to a friend that I think they'll like though.

I have read all the Planetfall books now, love that series

I'm probably just being really bad at using Google so asking for some help! I want to buy a copy of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep in German as a gift for a friend. The only edition I can find has a really horrible cover(see below). If somebody with better Google Fu than me can find a copy of "Träumen Androiden von elektrischen Schafen?" with a nicer cover I would be very grateful and would make a donation to the forum!

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I'd doubt that's the original book--Blade Runner is a total re-write that doesn't have too much to do with DADoES?.

It seems the (older) German edition went by "Träumen Roboter von elektrischen Schafen?" (The title sounds rubbish in both versions in German. :) )

I don't know if you find this cover preferable, but it seems to be the main edition sold on-line (mainly on a certain site I won't link to):

Having said that, this seems to have been the original German edition from 1969:

http://www.philipkdick.de/cover_traumroboter2.html

Ah I didn't realise it was a rewrite, I'd assumed it was just a rebranded edition to tie in with the film! Thanks for that, will make that donation!

I've found Abebooks useful when trying to track down books not available from the usual vendors. It's a mixture of used and newt hough - not sure if you were particularly after a new copy.

Thanks! Not seen that site before. Would rather a second hand, more interesting looking edition than a brand new one.

Also, I'm reading this at the minute. I wouldn't say I'm "enjoying" it because of the subject matter, but it's really well written and hard to put down. It's non fiction but reads like a novel. For those unfamiliar, the Dinner Party were a group of people migrating from Illinois to California in the mid 19th century, they tried to take a shortcut across a desert and through the Sierra Nevada mountains and it really didn't go very well. I actually had a weird, anxiety inducing dream about owning and subsequently losing a mule last night which I can only attribute to reading this.

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Would rather a second hand, more interesting looking edition than a brand new one

Quite right! :-)

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Njal's Saga (aka "The story of burnt Njal"). Heard/read/seen various retellings of it over the years, thought I'd go to the original.

I'm not normally bothered if it's for myself, I'll just get the cheapest copy in decent condition from eBay or second hand book shops, but seeing as this is a gift I'd like it to look nice!