Free and bargain romance ebooks + Discussion January 2014

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

No, wifi is always off, I'll double check again but I've never used it. It just doesn't seem right to get less than a week. That was one of my main reasons of not getting a Fire, I wanted long battery-life for ereading use.

How many hours a day do you read on it?

[Keslynn]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I like unnecessary details. A writer must paint a picture with her words to make you feel like you are there. Jacquelyn Frank gets this complaint but the truth is painting with your words is a sign of a great writer. This is a lost art these days it seems very few writer possessed or use this skill.

I think it's really a matter of preference. I also think that it depends greatly on how the author integrates those details into the action and the dialogue. When I notice a lot of detail, that generally means that the author isn't tying it into what's going on enough to keep me in the story. Rich storytelling is definitely different than an infodump.

One example that sticks out in my mind is Yasmine Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series. I love the books, but sometimes I get knocked out of my reading reverie because of how she chooses to include the details rather than the amount of detail. Most of the time this happens with clunky dialogue.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Keslynn

I think it's really a matter of preference. I also think that it depends greatly on how the author integrates those details into the action and the dialogue. When I notice a lot of detail, that generally means that the author isn't tying it into what's going on enough to keep me in the story. Rich storytelling is definitely different than an infodump.

One example that sticks out in my mind is Yasmine Galenorn's Sisters of the Moon series. I love the books, but sometimes I get knocked out of my reading reverie because of how she chooses to include the details rather than the amount of detail. Most of the time this happens with clunky dialogue.

I think it isn't that it's just readers aren't use to it anymore so they aren't sure how to handle it when they come across a writer who is trying to build her world. Take Jude Deveraux for example. She gives description of every gown or outfit the herione or hero wears. She describes the surroundings with intricate detail you feel you are in the time period. As I said this is a lost art too much dialogue and not enough detail is a major problem with today's books.

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by Keslynn

I think it's really a matter of preference. I also think that it depends greatly on how the author integrates those details into the action and the dialogue. When I notice a lot of detail, that generally means that the author isn't tying it into what's going on enough to keep me in the story. Rich storytelling is definitely different than an infodump.

I agree. When the detail does nothing to enrich the story, it's boring. In the case of the book I was talking about, it had nothing to do with world or character building. For example she'd go into minute detail about a dress she was sewing, WAY too much detail because ultimately it really had nothing to do with the story. She even went into way too much detail about the sex, it was just boring after awhile. JMHO


Anyways, Blossom, probably 4-ish hours a day. But like I say, I use it same as my Sony T1 which would last 3-4 weeks [no wifi either]. I'm just wondering if this is normal because so far it's my only disappointment with the KPW, but it is a large disappointment to me.

[Keslynn]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I think it isn't that it's just readers aren't use to it anymore so they aren't sure how to handle it when they come across a writer who is trying to build her world. Take Jude Deveraux for example. She gives description of every gown or outfit the herione or hero wears. She describes the surroundings with intricate detail you feel you are in the time period. As I said this is a lost art too much dialogue and not enough detail is a major problem with today's books.

I really do think it's more about the skill of the author rather than it being an old vs new thing. Jude Deveraux is one of romance's great authors and she got that way because of her descriptive writing. I've found Nora Roberts to be very descriptive as well but I never fall out of the story with her because she weaves everything together so well. Obviously, she is also a great. A lot of authors still use very vivid description. Meljean Brook or Cecilia Grant for example. I just think that we only notice it when it's not done well or doesn't mesh well with our particular reading likes/dislikes.

I also just thought about Victoria Holt. An old favorite of mine. When I re-read a book of hers recently, there really isn't a lot of description. I was a little disappointed.

[Keslynn]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

She even went into way too much detail about the sex, it was just boring after awhile.

You know it's bad when you get bored with the sexytimes!

[Blue2u]

Originally Posted by Keslynn

You know it's bad when you get bored with the sexytimes!

I know right? It became... clinical or something.

[Ararose]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I heard my name!



Welcome! Linda Howard is definitely one of my very favorite authors. I love just about everything of hers though I feel the quality of her more recent work (the ones I've read, anyway) has declined. But I'll take her any day over many of the newer authors, and she writes some of the best alpha males.

I agree with everything Loosheesh says about Linda Howard.

[worktolive]

Originally Posted by Blue2u

Anyways, Blossom, probably 4-ish hours a day. But like I say, I use it same as my Sony T1 which would last 3-4 weeks [no wifi either]. I'm just wondering if this is normal because so far it's my only disappointment with the KPW, but it is a large disappointment to me.

I was going to say that there was something wrong with your battery, but if you are reading 3-4 hrs/day on it, then a week on one charge sounds about right. Mine typically goes 2-3 weeks without needing a charge, but I only read at most 2 hrs/day, and some days much less. I think the specs are that it should last 24 continuous hrs without needing a charge.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

I heard my name!



Welcome! Linda Howard is definitely one of my very favorite authors. I love just about everything of hers though I feel the quality of her more recent work (the ones I've read, anyway) has declined. But I'll take her any day over many of the newer authors, and she writes some of the best alpha males.

I can't say I've read much from Linda Howard--in fact, I've read exactly one story, Inferno, from the Raintree trilogy bundle she did with two other authors. But holy heck, Dante Raintree is still one of my favorite alphas! *drool*

[Atunah]

I had to charge my PW about every 3 days when I still used it. Wifi off. I like to charge at 33 % or in that arena. Now I use my basic and I charge it a tiny bit less than the PW. 4 days maybe? Not sure.
But I read a few hours a day (4 ish?)and I have always had to charge my kindles about every 2-3 days. Same with the K3. K1 even more often.
Again, I don't like to go down to low on the battery. I always worry I run out when I lay in bed to read.

[Blossom]

See that's just it, it may look like it's 33% but it's not. The Battery gauge graphic on the PW is deceptive. It may look low but it's not it, It's still got plenty left. When the Battery gunge get to what looks like this I... then it's really at about an hour left. I wait till the charge message pops up or ! icon appears over the battery gauge then recharge that would be 15% I think. It's also important to restart the Kindle before charging if your battery seems out of wack.

At 4 hours a day you should be getting more than a week's charge. I would say unless you are getting the charge message or ! icon before Charging then you really can't say you are getting only a week's charge on the battery. You should be getting at least 14 days at the least and 18 days at the most with normal use.

I would advise to only charge when those messages occur for the next two charge cycles and restart the Kindle before charging just make sure it's plug into the wall when you restart it if your battery is low. Then see how long your battery really is lasting.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Again, I don't like to go down to low on the battery. I always worry I run out when I lay in bed to read.

See that's why you need a back up reader for when your main one is charging. I am good to go. I got 4 eINK and 4 Tablets.

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by Blossom

See that's why you need a back up reader for when your main one is charging. I am good to go. I got 4 eINK and 4 Tablets.

I do. My K3 would be my backup. I also still have a K1 and the PW1 in the house. I am covered, yet I am still a bit OCD with charging. I just like the battery to be more full. When it goes below half full I get twitchy. .
Its not rational I know, but that's how it is with me.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by Atunah

I do. My K3 would be my backup. I also still have a K1 and the PW1 in the house. I am covered, yet I am still a bit OCD with charging. I just like the battery to be more full. When it goes below half full I get twitchy. .
Its not rational I know, but that's how it is with me.

Atunah, that's part of why I jailbroke my PW2; there's a little tweak that switches the battery icon to a percentage instead. It helped me to determine that in fact, my PW2 was actually fairly average in terms of battery life. (I read heavily, and with the light on a bit higher than Amazon's suggested setting of 10.)