Alexandra Bogdanovic's Blog: That's life... - Posts Tagged "tablets"

It happened on an ordinary weekday not too long ago.
A couple of professional painters and their boss created considerable havoc, not to mention undue stress in my life by announcing I had to move some stuff so they could finish what they'd started.
Being a generally helpful and cooperative person, I spent the better part of that evening moving the "stuff," which, in all honesty turned out to be a bunch of books. Lots of books.
By the time I was finished, stacks of books littered the living room and bedroom floors. There were stacks of hardcover books, stacks of paperback books, stacks of old books and stacks of new books. Fiction, non-fiction, you name it, we've got it, and I moved it.
Looking at the maze I'd created I felt so fed up with the whole entire situation that I sent an email to my mother, who was vacationing in Australia. In that email, I said something I still regret.
We have way too many books, I said. Getting rid of a good 60 percent of them has to be a priority when you get back.
Think about it. It's the 21st century. We have modern technology. We can actually buy and read books on our tablets -- over and over again. Sure, storing them takes up some coveted memory in our precious devices. But the rest of our lives can remain blissfully uncluttered...
Then again, there's nothing like the curling up with a good book, especially on a cold winter's day or a hot summer afternoon, for that matter. Let's face it, beach blanket reading just isn't the same on a tablet or e-reader. And as Mom pointed out, books and bookshelves make a great statement when it comes to home decor. Especially in an old house.
So I guess the bottom line is that you really can't have enough books.
Until next time, "That's life..."

I can hardly believe it. It's been a little over two years since I gave birth to my first child -- or more accurately, the 174-page, 9.6-ounce bundle of joy known to millions (okay, maybe a few hundred thousand) as my memoir, Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey.
Like all new "parents" I've read a lot and gotten quite a bit of advice about how to raise a child (or in my case, how to market a book). Some of it has been good, some of it has been bad and most of it has been worthless.
Suffice it to say I've learned a lot the hard way and discovered that, well, I've still got a lot to learn.
In hindsight, one of the biggest mistakes I made was heeding my publisher's advice not to engage in any marketing activities prior to publication. Truthfully I don't know why they insisted that I wait, and although I could probably hazard a few guesses, this is neither the time nor the place for pointless speculation. After all, what's done is done.
I made another big mistake by deciding not to have an e-book created at the same time the paperback was published. I had my reasons at the time. Although I made my book available to the general public, I initially targeted educators and gender and women's study groups as my primary audience. While appealing to such a specific niche, I did not see a pressing need to make my memoir available in an electronic format.
I also feared that by making the book available in two formats (one of which would theoretically be less expensive) I would be competing against myself. To be honest, cost was also a factor.
The good news is, I can now remedy all of that. Or at least I can try. Back in August, I finally bit the bullet and spent the money to have Truth turned into an e-book. It was released in various formats earlier this month and is now available for your Kindle, Nook and other tablets and e-readers. I also hope to make it available here on goodreads as well.
No matter which format the book is in, however, one thing hasn't changed. I have an unusual, compelling and important story to share. I hope you'll be generous enough to read it, and that if you do, that you enjoy it. More importantly, I hope you'll learn a thing or two.
I have.
Until next time, "That's life..."

Pssst....
Come here. I've got a secret. And I'm only sharing it with my closest friends. Actually, I'm only sharing it with those of you who are into books.
So here it is.
I know this place where you can get as many books as you want -- for free. And no, it's not the library. Or the Internet.
It's a small, red building called the Book Shed -- and it's at my local dump. The Book Shed is staffed by volunteers, who sort the books that people drop off on Friday and Saturday mornings.
The books are sorted by fiction and non-fiction categories, and by author. Most of them are the alphabetized and kept on floor-to-ceiling shelves lining the inside of the shed. A few are also kept in boxes outside.
I've lost track of how long I've been visiting the shed. It's been a long time though. I love it there. Where else could you get a free hardcover penned by a best-selling author that originally listed for $26 to $30 or even more?
It's not just a great place to get books. It's also a great way to donate them. Let's face it, as much as we love books, and even with the advent of technology that allows us to read them on our tablets, etc., there's no way that we can keep every single book we've ever purchased. To be honest, most of us probably don't want to keep every single book we've ever purchased, anyhow. But that's another story for another time.
I for one am just happy that there's some place I can take old books so others can appreciate and enjoy them.
There is a downside though. For one thing, rumors surfaced that the town wants to relocate the shed to make more room for the Department of Public Works and other activities at the landfill. For another thing, the shed is only open for a limited time. Then there's a matter of exclusivity.
Because the Book Shed is located at a town facility, only residents with proper permits, have access to the dump. So the Book Shed serves a limited number of people.
All I can say about that is, "only in Greenwich..."
Until next time, "That's life..."