Yes Kindle is good to have. For one thing you miss having to pay expensive shipping fees on top of the actual value of the book. Recently I was notified I can track items through an Australian version of Amazon, but, so far, have not been able to switch to that particular link, instead of its UK and USA versions. Another advantage to Kindle is that storage of books mouldering away in dark corners is less of a problem.

Lately we have been having a clean-up. And so, I came across some interesting books which I am currently reading. Written by Peter Grose, one of these two books is entitled An awkward truth, about the bombing of Darwin, an event called by one author, Australia's Pearl Harbour. In fact, exactly the same fleet that did bomb Pearl Harbour went on to bomb Darwin about nine weeks later. The other book, A very rude awakening, concerned the Japanese midget submarines which raided Sydney Harbour the following May 31st, where they managed to sink a depot ship, HMAS Kuttabul, full of sleeping sailors.

Shadowlander: thanks for the anecdote. My Kindle is the cheapest one on the market, which means no back-light. I can't read in the dark. Oh well. But it's kept me entertained for a year. I use mostly free libraries.

Wagga: was the climax in "Australia" (with Nicole Kidman) the bombing of Darwin? That was pretty bad...

Can I be another one to chime in on the awesomeness of Kindle...as some people know, I've been living in Taiwan for the last year, and my Kindle Paperwhite was a huge reason why I had very little homesickness. Being able to access something as comforting and familiar as a well-loved book any time I wanted while I was in a foreign country with very little English, was priceless. And, because a Kindle is so lightweight and portable, I did far more reading in this last year than I did for years before hand, just because it was so easy to take it with me on trains or car rides.

For those with Kindles, I would really encourage you to check with your local library system and see if they have an ebook lending library. My library does, and I was able to get 90% of all the books I ever wanted to read, straight from my library. Even in Taiwan! Popular titles would have long waiting lists, but most of them didn't so I was able to read things at a fairly reasonable pace.

I can't remember if it was 220 or SnowAngel who recommended The Centurion's Wife but I'm about halfway through (on my Kindle app ) and enjoying it so far. Thanks!

For those with Kindles, I would really encourage you to check with your local library system and see if they have an ebook lending library. My library does, and I was able to get 90% of all the books I ever wanted to read, straight from my library. Even in Taiwan! Popular titles would have long waiting lists, but most of them didn't so I was able to read things at a fairly reasonable pace.

Now that is interesting. Our library does have ebook lending but not with Kindle. They prefer Ipad or some such, I am not sure exactly what. With my Kindle Fire I can only use it with Amazon.

I think 220 and I both did, Mel. Glad you are enjoying it, it's my favorite in the series.

Normally when I go the library I get four or five books, maybe six if I grab a photography book. This past week I got seven books all fiction. I decided to try a couple of new-to-me authors, I am trying to find more books for my teenage sisters to read. So, I got The Hero's Lot and A Draw of Kings by Patrick W. Carr, Waiting for Spring by Amanda Cabot, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James, A Heart's Rebellion by Ruth Axtell (I think I will just skim this one, looks rather flaky), Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini, and Taken by Dee Henderson (the last one is just for myself).

I think I can share the books by Patrick Carr with the girls and maybe the one about Charlotte Bronte. It is so hard to find books for the girls to read, right now they are marching through Jane Austen's books. After reading JA's books, they may find anything I share with them boring. If anyone has suggestions that would be awesome, they have read all the Nancy Drew books, the Mandy books, all of Janette Oke's books, etc.

I don't normally go for ebooks, but I did get Double Edge by Thomas Locke from Christianbook.com. Double Edge is the free prequel to Trial Run the first book in TL's new series Fault Lines. I haven't read it yet, I am hoping my library will get Trial Run and I would rather read the prequel right before it.

And while I was getting Double Edge and I looked through CBD's other free ebooks and found With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin, A Cast of Stones by Patrick Carr, and Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot - all of which I haven't read before. I now have them saved to my computer for free time this fall in between library trips.
I still refer softcover books, but ebooks don't weight anything.

SnowAngel

I'll be interested to hear what you think of Patrick Carr, SnowAngel... I liked the premise in the first one but thought the following installments were increasingly disappointing. (Too much wordy angst and not enough plot or character development, as well as using a personal not-preference and not making it worth it. )

But! In a similar vein you could try In Darkness Hid and its sequels by Jill Williamson; Plenilune by Jennifer Frietag; The Restorer by Sharon Hinck and anything by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.

Also, if the girls like Nancy Drew and Mandy, have they read Trixie Belden? There's also Ladycake Farm by Mabel Leigh Hunt, and Winterbound by Margery Williams Bianco, and Operation Knapsacks by Dorothy A. Baldridge (which nobody has ever heard of, but which is a particular favorite of mine... )

I'm closing in on the end of Dune; I only have the final section to go! I've enjoyed it for the most part, though the first third dragged a bit. I love Herbert's ability to flesh out a world and draw you in slowly along with the characters who are learning more about it. Has anyone read other books in this series? Which ones are most interesting or worth reading?

I'm also rereading The Silmarillion and have just reached Beren and Luthien, which is one of the few sections I can remember pieces of from my first reading ... 11-12 years ago.

The rest of my reading right now is Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography, which is supplemental to ASoUE and is diverting me from the rest of that series; They Have Not Seen the Stars, Ray Bradbury's collected poetry; and Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb.

I'm glad you mentioned Patrick Carr, SnowAngel. I've been meaning to pick up that series, so I went ahead and grabbed the first one for my Kindle. We'll see if I can get to it before too long. And thanks for your thoughts on the series, Mel. I didn't think anyone I knew had read them yet.

It is so hard to find books for the girls to read, right now they are marching through Jane Austen's books. After reading JA's books, they may find anything I share with them boring. If anyone has suggestions that would be awesome, they have read all the Nancy Drew books, the Mandy books, all of Janette Oke's books, etc.

I can make a few suggestions
If they like classics Frances Hodgson Burnett is wonderful!
Younger readers: (I still love them) A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Older readers: A Fair Barbarian, That Lass O'Lowries

I love Freckles and Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
The Anne of Green Gables series is classic, if they haven't already read them.
The Elsie Dinsmore series
I also recommend P.G. Wodehouse's books. Some personal favorites are The Girl on the Boat (also known as Three Men and a Maid), A Damsel in Distress, Piccadilly Jim, Something New, and Leave it to Psmith.
The Red Keep and The Lost Baron by Allen French are great medieval stories.
I guess I'd better stop, I can be a little crazy about books.

The Red Keep is one of my favorites too! Also, don't forget Rolf and the Viking Bow.

I haven't read The Girl on the Boat but with the subtitle I thought you were recommending Three Men on a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome) which is also great.

Mel: yep, me and SnowAngel. I love the series!

Has anyone read "Go Set a Watchman" (Harper Lee)? I checked out a library copy but they gave me one week b/c it's a new book. I need more time than that b/c of family constraints.