My OperaThe first books on my Kindle e-reader
Friday, March 4, 2011 12:30:00 PM
In my youth, I would read a lot and even be so engaged to reading that it only was a matter of a day or two to finish a book. But since my early twenties, I've read a couple of books every year while on vacation, but never managed to have motivation to keep up regular reading. In mid-December last year I obtained the Kindle e-reader, and suddenly, the love of reading reappeared to me again. Now, the e-reader provides a convenient way of easy access to literature by giving you the chance to read sample material (usually the first chapter) before you decide to purchase the book. The reading experience is by no means less than that of an ordinary book. I'm presented with the same font and font size for every book I read, which is not the case on paper in which the publisher is given the decision to make. The fonts are displayed with good contrast and unstrained for my eyes, and the device is easier to handle in my hand than a paper book. Finally, beneficial since English is not my natural language, it includes an easy accessed dictionary to look up words I'm not familiar with. In a paper based book, I would have settled with an approximate understanding of a certain word before continuing to read, while now I can quickly look up the word by one click of a button before going on.
Here is the list of books I've read on Kindle since obtaining it:
Imperium by Robert Harris
A fictional novel about the Roman republic statesman and philosopher Cicero on his attempt obtaining consulship, the highest elected office in the republic. While reading, I learned a lot about the Roman era, with good help by researching on Internet on characters and events mentioned in the book. I'll definitely make an attempt for reading its sequel, Lustrum, at a later time.
Unburnable by Marie-Elena John
A fascinating novel about an woman discovering the identity of her real mother and grandmother and then searching for the story hidden from her while growing up. Mostly, the story takes place in the Caribbean island of Dominica and gives the reader a look into its culture, its heritage of Western African and indigenous Carib cultures mixed with the Catholic religion. I've visited the Caribbean once several years ago (although a different island), but this book doubled (atleast!) the longing to travel there again. There were also other aspects covered in the book which was interesting, for example differences in African heritage and identity in the US and the Caribbean.
The Rotter's Club by Jonathan Coe
Set in the seventies Britain, we follow a group of friends through their school years experiencing labor struggles, racism and terrorism. It's a good read, but didn't leave me deeply marked. BBC has produced a three episode TV series based on the book which I have not seen.
Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski
I've read several of Kapuscinski's books about his travels as a journalist in Africa as well as The Emperor, his book about Haile Selassie based on interviews of members of his imperial court. Travels with Herodotus differs in that he relates his early travels with events in Herodotus' The Histories. I learned about the Greco-Persian Wars between the Hellenic city-states and the Persian empire between 499 and 449 BC. Although I found it a bit of a slow read, it was interesting and I kept researching on the events mentioned on Internet. I've decided to read The Histories at some point in the future.
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
How is it possible that you survived when so many others were arrested and killed for standing up against the wrongdoings in the country you live in? How could you flourish when your colleagues, friends, your children's friends, disappeared around you to never show up again? How do you manage to live your life after a brutal war where child soldiers were forced to attack their own villages brutally killing their own families. How do you cope with nightmares haunting you with these distressing experiences. How would you, the western aid worker coming after the decade long civil war, understand the people's way of healing and the secrecy when talking about the war? Adrian, the British aid worker and expert on post-treumatic stress disorder, has come to Sierra Leone shortly after the end of the civil war. He befriends Kai, a hard working local orthopedic surgeon, who with a memory of lost love, dreams of escaping for a better life in the US. We meet Elias Cole, an old and dying academic who by telling his story to Adrian tries to justify his decisions of life. And finally, Mamakay, the hard-to-understand woman who seems to live for the moment and only reluctantly will talk about past or future. This book definitely left some marks in me.
Here is the list of books I've read on Kindle since obtaining it:
Imperium by Robert Harris
A fictional novel about the Roman republic statesman and philosopher Cicero on his attempt obtaining consulship, the highest elected office in the republic. While reading, I learned a lot about the Roman era, with good help by researching on Internet on characters and events mentioned in the book. I'll definitely make an attempt for reading its sequel, Lustrum, at a later time.
Unburnable by Marie-Elena John
A fascinating novel about an woman discovering the identity of her real mother and grandmother and then searching for the story hidden from her while growing up. Mostly, the story takes place in the Caribbean island of Dominica and gives the reader a look into its culture, its heritage of Western African and indigenous Carib cultures mixed with the Catholic religion. I've visited the Caribbean once several years ago (although a different island), but this book doubled (atleast!) the longing to travel there again. There were also other aspects covered in the book which was interesting, for example differences in African heritage and identity in the US and the Caribbean.
The Rotter's Club by Jonathan Coe
Set in the seventies Britain, we follow a group of friends through their school years experiencing labor struggles, racism and terrorism. It's a good read, but didn't leave me deeply marked. BBC has produced a three episode TV series based on the book which I have not seen.
Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski
I've read several of Kapuscinski's books about his travels as a journalist in Africa as well as The Emperor, his book about Haile Selassie based on interviews of members of his imperial court. Travels with Herodotus differs in that he relates his early travels with events in Herodotus' The Histories. I learned about the Greco-Persian Wars between the Hellenic city-states and the Persian empire between 499 and 449 BC. Although I found it a bit of a slow read, it was interesting and I kept researching on the events mentioned on Internet. I've decided to read The Histories at some point in the future.
The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
How is it possible that you survived when so many others were arrested and killed for standing up against the wrongdoings in the country you live in? How could you flourish when your colleagues, friends, your children's friends, disappeared around you to never show up again? How do you manage to live your life after a brutal war where child soldiers were forced to attack their own villages brutally killing their own families. How do you cope with nightmares haunting you with these distressing experiences. How would you, the western aid worker coming after the decade long civil war, understand the people's way of healing and the secrecy when talking about the war? Adrian, the British aid worker and expert on post-treumatic stress disorder, has come to Sierra Leone shortly after the end of the civil war. He befriends Kai, a hard working local orthopedic surgeon, who with a memory of lost love, dreams of escaping for a better life in the US. We meet Elias Cole, an old and dying academic who by telling his story to Adrian tries to justify his decisions of life. And finally, Mamakay, the hard-to-understand woman who seems to live for the moment and only reluctantly will talk about past or future. This book definitely left some marks in me.
