More About E-readers

I’ve had even more questions about electronic readers, those e-book things. Several people want to surprise a loved one with an e-reader for Christmas. I will tell you what little I know. Keep in mind, I have not ever used any of them, so I’m not endorsing particular products.
The most well-know e-reader is the Kindle. It is sold in several models at Amazon.com. The only books that can be downloaded into a Kindle must come from Amazon. They must be purchased from the Amazon website. Other brands such as the Sony E-reader and the Nook sold by Barnes and Noble are compatible with books sold on their websites and with books available (for free) from NEIBORS , on the library website. Remember Beta and VHS? Reel to reel and 8-Track? It’s the same idea. Different, incompatible formats.
Before you purchase an e-reader, or put one on your own Christmas list, do a little research. The various formats of e-readers (and audio book devices, too) is explained on the NEIBORS website. You can reach it through the library’s website www.humboldtpubliclibrary.com or go directly to http://neibors.lib.overdrive.com .
Our last Humboldt Reads! book discussion for the year was held last week at Rustix. The book we read was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It was an interesting book, originally published for young adult readers. It takes place in Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The narrator of the story is Death. Oddly enough, by the end of the book, Death has turned out to almost be likeable. If you missed reading it in time for the book discussion, there are still copies available at the library. The crowd at our book discussion varies from month to month. Newcomers are always appreciated.
The book for the next discussion is the All Iowa Reads Book of 2011. It is chosen each year by the Iowa Center for the Book. This year’s choice is Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos. Copies of the book will be available soon at the library. We will meet for dinner and book discussion on January 20, at Vinny’s at 5:30pm. Sing Them Home is the story of a trio of adult siblings who gather in their Nebraska home town when their father suddenly dies. These three have lived with unresolved grief since their mother disappeared during a tornado when they were young. Entertainment Weekly magazine says that “the ending may leave you feeling so wistful for these strange, sad people that you find yourself fantasizing about a trip to Nebraska.”
It must be one powerful book. When Iowa is home, why would anyone want to visit Nebraska? Whatever your dreams, make them come true at your library.