Late Sunday Salon: My Newest Book Crush
That thing is...KINDLE SINGLES!
:I don't have a Kindle, but I do really like this idea of reading articles that on intriguing topics that are just the right length, not stretched out to fill a book, or smooshed to fit in a magazine. Some of them are also available outside of Amazon, if you wish to purchase them elsewhere. Here are three that I really enjoyed (complete with my affiliate links to buy if you click on the picture):
1. "Three Cups of Deceit" by Jon Krakauer: I am a big fan of Krakauer. I've read Under the Banner of Heaven, Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. I find his brand of journalistic, social science-y writing to be very appealing and informative and readable. So, when he published this article exposing the falsities (I'm being polite) in Greg Mortenson's bestselling Three Cups of Tea, I couldn't wait to read it. I wasn't disappointed at all by Krakauer's piece, but I was super happy that I didn't buy any of Mortenson's books.
2. "How A Book is Born" by Keith Gessen: This is an expanded Vanity Fair article about the publishing of Chad Harbach's, The Art of Fielding. I think I learned about it from reading Greg at The New Dork Review of Books. Gessen is a writer himself and a friend of Harbach's. I learned a lot about the publishing industry from reading this, and afterwards I was even more excited to read The Art of Fielding.
3. "The Getaway Car" by Ann Patchett: The subtitle for this one is "A Memoir of Writing and Life." I like both memoirs and books about writing. However, both sometimes drag on a bit for me, and I really found that this was a great format and length. Ann Patchett's writing is charming and honest and I could relate to her sentiments about writing. It made me really want to fix the whole in my reading that is her work, and I think I'll pick up one of her novels soon.So, what do you think? Do Kindle Singles sound like a good idea to you? Have you read any that you would like to recommend?
All three of these sound great! I love both Ann Patchett and writing memoirs, so both together would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a Kindle, but I'll try to find them elsewhere.
@Rayna: They can be read on other devices. Patchett's and the whole series with the yellow tops is available on the publishers website. If you google the title, I'm sure it will come up.
ReplyDeleteI've been having a major book crush on these things too. I bought about four of them in one afternoon, although I'm reading them slowing. I loved "How a Book is Made."
ReplyDeleteI've always been a huge fan of the short form. I love buying The Best American series, etc. Kindle Singles are a great way to recreate interest in the short form, too. Thanks for highlighting the Patchett work. I'll have to check it out. I have a Kindle and love it but lately find myself using my iPad even more.
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