Thanks to PR Mason!

We all had a great time when PR Mason stopped by #readpawty December 12, 2011! She told us about her characters, how she got her ideas, about Savannah, GA, and even talked about publishing. It was a great time!

A sequel to "Entanglements" is planned for a February 2012 launch. Stay tuned!

February Book

The book for our February 13, 2012 meeting is "Confessions of a Catnip Junkie" by Allan Goldstein. The paperback new is $17 and change. You can find used copies of the book through Amazon. Barnes and Noble do not have an ebook. However, there is a version for the Kindle for $3.99. I strongly encourage you to utilize your local library to see if there is an e-version you can borrow or a hard copy you can get through interlibrary loan.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Cover Change and Next Pawty

I have heard from @ConfuciousCat's mom. First of all she is so excited to attend the next #readpawty which is Monday December 12th, 2011 at 8 pm EST. She wants to discuss her books and answer all your questions. If I know CC, he will make sure she answers everything! If you want to submit your questions ahead of time so Pat can prepare, email them to me and I will forward them on.

The second thing is Pat has changed the cover of her book, Entanglements. She hopes that we all like it. I think it fits the book SO much better that the original cover.

I thought I would depart a bit from our pet mystery books and feature a short story holiday book. I have not read it yet, but will do that before the meeting in case it isn't up to my "high standards". Ha! Mario's Mom just got a Nook, so I will be looking for ebooks on B&N more than on Amazon. My other criteria is that there are both affordable paperback and ebook versions available.

As of right now, the choice is:

That Holiday Feeling: Silver Bells/The Perfect Holiday/Under the Christmas Tree
by Debbie Macomber, Sherryl Woods, Robyn Carr

Barnes and Noble (also links to paperback page)
Amazon (all versions listed)

don't forget to check your libraries and elibrary at Overdrive.com . I will get a copy from my library this afternoon.

Also, try to read another book that you would like featured. I have several in the que, a suggestion from Pumpkinpuddy "confessions of a catnip junkie" (I am reading it now, and it is to die for!); Curiosity Thrilled the Cat ; Cat on Thin Ice; Cat Among the Pigeons (Zvonek 08 Feline Intelligence) (second book is due out anyday);

I noticed that there are a number of free or cheap holiday/Christmas ebooks on B&N. I found one short story book with a Hanukkah story, but the paperback was about $10, so apologies to Pumpkinpuddy. CAUTION - There are also some, um, books that I think feature Brittany the exotic Spam girl (shivers).

See you all December 12!

Everything you need to know about eReaders

Do you like to read? Are you tired of trying to find places for your books? You need an eReader! "What's an eReader?", you ask. It's a (not so) new way to read books. You read them as computer files instead of on paper. It's like something straight out of Star Trek! You've heard the names - Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Digital Reader, iPad, Xoom and many others. They all allow you to read books, plus do other things. I'm not going to get into the specifics of what each machine does and doesn't do or specify a preference. I'm just going to tell you what's out there to help you read.

Each of these machines uses a different file type. The most common are epub, mobi (azw), and pdf. There's a really good explanation of the different file types in Wikipedia. Even thought each reader uses different files types, most books are available in all the file types so you should have no problem finding books for the reader you pick.

All the main reader types also have applications that will let you read the same books on tablets (like the iPad or Xoom), on your computer, or on your phone. You can start a book on one device and finish it on another. I have a Kindle, I have the Kindle app on my Xoom and on my cell phone and on my computer and on mom's work computer. Mostly we read on the Kindle, but sometimes mom leaves it home. Then she reads on her phone. All the devices can sync up to each other! I think Nook does the same thing.

Not only can you coordinate all the devices, but you can highlight stuff and make notes. And if you're reading a book borrowed from a friend or the library, you still can make notes & read the same book on multiple devices. you get to keep your notes even after you return the book.

Borrow books from friends and from the library? That's right! Both Kindle and Nook let you do that. I don't know about the Kobo & Sony, but I bet they do, too. Not all books. That's controlled by the publisher of the book as to whether or not they turn that on for any particular book. Check with your library as to which ebook program they're in and what readers they support.

Some eBook readers also let you listen to audiobooks or read the book to you (text to speech). Text to speech is another of those things controlled by the publisher, so it's not available on every book.

Another advantage of eReaders is the amount of free books available. Authors and publishers give away free books trying to get new readers. Amazon and B&N both have of listings of hundreds of freebies. Lots of the books that are in public domain are available for free. You could read for the rest of your life without spending a penny on books!

There are other advantages to eBooks, too. They don't take up space in your house. eReaders are small and light enough to carry around. In fact, you can carry your entire library in your pocket! Having trouble finding large print books? No problem! Just change the font size on your eReader. You can make the fonts very large if that's what you need. Mom has trouble with her hands and it hurts to read a regular book, but she can hold her Kindle just fine. The Kindle has made reading so much easier for her that she's gone from reading just a few books a year before the Kindle to reading a book every week or two like she used to before her hands went bad.

Some eReaders have eInk screens. These aren't back-lit so you need light to read them. They use power only when turning the page, are easy to see out in sunlight, and the battery lasts for weeks between charges. It's the closest to reading a real book. Some have LCD screens. They're back-lit and some people find that harder on their eyes for long reading sessions. They need to be charged more often. They have the advantage of being more like tablets so they do lots of things besides read books, and are in color. These are things to think about when you're picking a reader.

I could go on and on and on, but this should be enough to get you started. I'll be happy to answer questions if you have any. Just leave your questions in a comment. I'm going to leave you with a list of places to get free books besides Amazon and B & N. If you know of any other sources, let me know so I can add them to the list.

• http://www.manybooks.net/
• http://www.feedbooks.com/
• http://www.gutenberg.org/
• http://www.baen.com/library/defaultTitles.htm
• http://lendle.me/

Happy reading everyone!

This article originally appeared at Adventures of a Suburban Kitty.

October readpawty and December Selection

Don't for get our readpawty Monday, October 10 at 8 pm EDT, we will discuss "Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund" by the late author Blaize Clement. Bring any suggestions as usual!

The book we will discuss in December is written by our dear friend @ConfuciousCat and his mom, Patricia Mason. It is a young adult fantasy entitled "Entanglements". Pat writes under the name P. R. Mason for her YA series.

I am very excited about Pat's novel. I found it quite charming with some great well thought out characters. More than that, Pat is having promotional event October 15. I am quoting Pat below:


"I have released my new book which is an urban fantasy for young adults (ages 13 and above). Its called Entanglements and will be out as an ebook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble October 1st. I am charging 99 cents in order to give new readers a chance to read. I would like to do a fundraiser and publicize for twitter anipals that I am donating the author proceeds of all sales on October 15th to the next pawpawty charity."

How much better can it get supporting an anipal author and pawpawty! I will have more details at #readpawty.

Here are the links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Pat also has 2 novels and a novelette available:
Amazon

See you around a good book!

Aug pawty

Well, I must have looked at a different month since I got the date incorrect. Our get together will be August 15. Mom is doing a bunch of traveling, and thinks she will be home that day.

I have 2 books in mind for our next pawty, we had originally thought about reading Water for Elephants, but since Blaize Clement died recently, maybe we should consider reading her second novel, Duplicity dogged the dachshund in her h or. Think about it!

See you soon!
Mags

Auctions for Joplin Rescues

A group of us have donated hand made items to raise monies to go to the Missouri Humane Society to help with the efforts to rescue anipals caught in the aftermath of the devastating tornados inJoplin, MO. Please check out the auctions at: http://cheshireloveskarma.wordpress.com/. Mom has donated a laurel Burch quilt to be auctioned off on July 4th. She is quilting it now, with lots of help from Parker. If shehas time she wants to bead the surface. We will see.

If you dnt want t wait for auctions, you can have immediate gratification at our Internet store, http://cheshirekloves.bigcartel.com/. Mom has lots of her handmade cards and lots of beaded jewelry. There are lots of other cards hand drawn by cheshireK. Please please please check it out!

I promise to post pics of the quilt progress tomorrow. You can see a sneak peak on Cheshire's blog.

Maggie

Summer Book

In honor of the beloved author Lilian Jackson Braun, I have chosen the first book in her "cat who" series for the August #readpawty. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards


Here are some links about Ms. Braun:
Obituary in NY Times

Wikipedia

I have chosen only one book because everyone is busy in the summer. However, I challenge you to come up with another book, and it does not have to be anipal related. I will compile a list and chose one of your recommendations.

the June meeting is June 13, Monday, at 8 pm EDT.

The next meeting will be august 13, Monday at 8 pm EDT.

See you all there! Publicize the pawty to keep us active!

thanks!

New Books from #ReadPawty Selected Authors

Many of the authors we have showcased for #ReadPawty have new books out! Here are some in no particular order:

Oogie: The dog only a Family Could Love is still in hardback.



Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks Mystery) by Miranda James. Release Date 5-3-11




The Cat, the Lady and the Liar: A Cats in Trouble Mystery by Leann Sweeney (April 5, 2011) Mom is reading this now, and it is the 3rd in Sweeney's series.






Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein (May 3, 2011) Art of Racing in the Rain was adapted for special needs.



Mom read the first 2 of this series, but didn't choose them for #ReadPawty. I think she sent them to MizzBassie since the books take place in San Fransisco. The cats are really good, though. How to Moon a Cat (Cats and Curios Mystery) by Rebecca M. Hale (release 7-1-11)



Mom just finished this new one and liked it enough to consider it for #ReadPawty: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat: A Magical Cats Mystery by Sofie Kelly The author has a second one coming out in September. She liked the magical cats who help solve crimes.



Choosing to Be: Lessons in Living from a Feline Zen Master by Kat Tansey . Mom is reading this now, and likes it a lot since the cat is teaching the human zen principles such as patience and meditation. Although it is fiction, it is more of a series of connected essays about how zen can help heal a troubled mind. The zen master just happens to be a cat, but that makes it more believeable for Mom.


Keep me posted about what you are reading this summer besides #readpawty books. Add comments to this post so we can all see!

Love,
The Mags

Books for June 13 #ReadPawty

I want to thank everyone for their recommendations for books. Anipals have been asking if I would feature more series, something I think will be great summer reading. We also had a request which was subsequently given 2 paws up. So here are the books:

Cat on the Edge: A Joe Grey Mystery; Author: Shirley Rousseau Murphy published in 1996. New copies are $7.99, lots of used copies available. I only found one library copy available from my library consortium.

Ms. Murphy is known for her fantasy fiction, and she applies some of her skills to her lead character, Joe, and his cat friends. I am finding the development really interesting, and I think this book can lead to a lively debate. I also find Ms. Murphy to be a good writer, and it is hard to put the iPawd down! A book review in the AT will be published closer to the meeting so I don't spoil the plot.

A Three Dog Life; Author: Abigail Thomas published in 2006. new hardcover $8.80 from Amazon, paperback $10, lots of used copies. I got paperback from B&N at $4.48. There were lots of copies available through my library.

I have not read this, but it was recommended at ReadPawty, and Sebastian agreed that it was a great book. I will read ASAP and write a review. However, if someone else would like to guest write reviews for the AT, let me know!

Couple more pieces of business. I will be posting updates on new books by the authors we have read. I will also investigate another book club, this one for classics. I will also do an twtvite so we can be reminded of the next pawty.

Finally, I created a Twitter account, @ReadPawty. If anyone would like to make any announcements, I will be glad to give you the login. I will be tweeting again soon to announce books, so please follow.

Resolution! February 22

Let's go with Feb. 22 at 8 pm EST. I will notify Mattie so we get to claim that date!

See you then!

Conflicts, Conflicts

Oh, are we having troubles getting a meeting date. Feb 14, Monday, is Valentines Day, and we decided to postpone our meeting. Last I heard #nipclub is having a special opening that night. We then chose Feb 15, Tues night. There is a Puppy Bowl pawty that night which includes the Shibbering Cheetos. The Puppy Bowl Pawty could either detract from out discussion due to fail whale, or we could get some folks interested.

Anyone have any suggestions what to do?????

Feb 14 meeting change

We will hold #readpawty on February 15, Tuesday night at 8 pm EST. DM on twitter if that isn't good for you.

Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools

My pal, @StephenFrysCat, knows I love to read so he gave me a book and asked me to review it. The name of it was so funny I said yes. It's called Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools and was written by Victoria Twead. She and her husband, Joe, lived in England and Victoria was tired of rain and cold and wanted to move to sunny Spain, so they decided on a 5 year experiment to see how they liked it. This book is about that experiment.

They found a house in a small town in the Andalusian mountains. The house was a wreck and they had to restore it. They had hard times and good times, met lots of interesting people, made some very excellent friends, tried all kinds of new things, and had wonderful adventures. There was lots of trials and tribulations. But there were also lots of wonderful days. 

This book will make you laugh and cry, sometimes both at the same time. The book is a fun read. It's also peppered with yummy recipes, both Spanish and English. Mom's not much of a cook so we didn't try any of them, but they looked nommy.

The book is available as a paperbook or several formats of eBook, so no matter how you like to read, there's a version you'll want.

I give this book a paws up.

Books for April #ReadPawty

We have a number of very talented anipals who write books. I want to feature these books, and since most are short, I will list them all. I believe the list is complete, but could have overlooked one. If I did, bring it to my attention and I will add it ASAP. Cheshire Kittern. "Please Send Money" Available: http://www.etsy.com/listing/36677507/please-send-money-by-cheshire-kitten Henry and Friends. "Welcom to my Werld" Available: http://www.henryandfriends.co.uk/cp7.php%20 Max the Quilt Cat. "Zen of Max" Available: through Amazon. Pumpkinpuddy. "Summer at the Lake with Petie" Available: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1706628%20 Imajackrussell. 2 books about Precious the Dog's adventures. Available: http://www.etsy.com/shop/imajackrussell There are a couple more that I will save for later. I have most of the anipals' books and will be willing to share.

I decided to add one more book. This book isn't by or about an anipal, but is closely connected to @stephenfryscat. It's called Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools. It's by Victoria Twead and is about her moving from England to Spain. The link goes to a review of the book by Pumpkinpuddy. You can get the book here.

February #ReadPawty and More

February 14th is approaching! I didn't realize that I had chosen such a time honored date when we decided to to pick the 2nd Monday of the month. If your humans would prefer a different date for our February meeting, let me know ASAP!

The books we are discussing in February are Spencer Quinn's "Dog on It" and Vicki Myron's "Dewey's Nine Lives". I will look for questions and post them here closer to the date.

I hope to have more dogs at the #ReadPawty since attendees at BarkWorld received the Quinn novel. Anything you guys can do to help publicize would be great.

I received some gifts from Garth Stein's publicist which are buttons and bookmarks. contact me if you are interested.

See you in February!
Maggie