Jul 4, 2010

Sunday Salon: At Home in the Red, White, and Blue

The Sunday Salon.com

Welcome to the Sunday Salon!

Happy Fourth of July! The weather has been hot but sunny and it's great to have a long holiday weekend.
Saturday night, fireworks were already exploding and car alarms went off each time there was a loud "Kaboom!"  It was very funny.

I've spent some time looking and reading up on eReaders and have decided on a Kindle or a Nook as a summer present to myself. Should I wait for the new version of the 9" Kindle DX, which will have better E-ink screen and contrast? It will be available July 7 at a reduced price, but will still cost $379.

Two book reviews I posted last week are by two young Chinese American women, the first one American born and the second an immigrant from China. Both have become fairly good writers. The books I read are fiction but loosely based on their own experiences:

1) Kitchen Chinese: A Novel about Food, Family and Finding Oneself by Ann Mah
2) Petals from the Sky by Mingmei Yip

I 'm in the middle of a mystery set in France, A Twist of Orchids: A Death in the Dordogne Mystery written by Michelle Wan. This book is the third in the series. I've also started another novel, Blood Hina: A Mas Arai Mystery  by Naomi Hirahara, who has written her fourth book in the series featuring Southern California gardener Mas Arai. I found the books by browsing among the new releases section in our local library. It's good to see a diversity of books and a variety of settings for mystery novels. Another crime novel on my list, from the library, is  A Nail Through the Heart: A Novel of Bangkok (2008) by California writer, Timothy Hallinan, who has written several books set in Bangkok.

Next week, I'll be moving on to A Cup of Jo (Maggy Thorsen Mysteries) by Sandra Balzo, a cozy mystery set in a suburb of Milwaukee.

What are you up to this weekend and what did you read last week?

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9 comments:

  1. I hope you enjoy your weekend Harvee. Set some time for a good book :0

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  2. Ooh, those mysteries sound tempting, especially the "cozy mystery" you're starting.

    Enjoy!

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  3. I have a Kindle, which my dog broke when I left it on the coffee table. Her tail sent it flying and it broke glass side down. In trying to decide if I want another Kindle or a totally different e-reader, I looked at the Nook, and couldn't really see anything that I was instantly attracted to. My personal preference would be the Ipad -- it's backlit, which is an immediate plus for me. But I really loved my Kindle, so I'm not sure which way to go. Good luck in your choice.

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  4. Tough decision with the eReaders! For me, I'd go with a Kindle. That will be my next one. The backlit screen keeps me from the iPad, but I do like its versatility.

    I look forward to seeing which you decided on.

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  5. Ooh, I can't wait to see which eReader you decide on! I've been enjoying my Kindle2 this weekend finishing up the Twilight series, which was too fat to carry around where I was going! My DH just pre-ordered a Kindle DX, and I can't wait to see if there is a big difference in the e-ink technology. "They" are saying that the new Kindle DX screen is the best screen available now. It's suppose to be better contrast and sharper fonts. But the Kindle2 is such a nicer size to fit in a purse or backpack.

    Have a wonderful weekend! Now I've got to hop over to your review of Petals from the Sky, which I've had in my hands numerous times at the bookstore!

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  6. Happy 4th!

    I have a Nook and absolutely love it. One of the great things about the Nook is that I can download ebooks from the library. That's a huge savings for me. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you will love the ereader.

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  7. I can't make up my mind about the Kindle or the Nook...confusion abounds!!

    You had a great week of reading!

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  8. Happy 4th of July! I like the Kindle, but wouldn't be willing to spend the extra for the larger one myself.

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  9. Have a great weekend! I hope the Fourth was fun for you. I spent it on a business trip, oh well! But it had its fun points too. :-)

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