As I tweeted the other day, I got to play with a nook at our local B&N. My experience was very similar to Carl's (believe it or now, we weren't together.) The most frustrating thing for me was the page turn time. The rest of the UI quirks, although annoying, I think I could live with them.

You see, even though Mary has a Kindle 2, this is the device I want. I already have at least 100 eReader.com books, which the nook will read. We don't really have that large of an overlap in libraries, anyway.

Well, it looks like good news is on it's way. Engadget is reporting that the nook is getting a performance boost this week, in the form of an update. Faster page turns, and reformatting. That's the one I need to see.

I wonder how good the staff our our local B&N will be about applying the update. Or maybe it will jsut happen automagically.

We were at our local brick and mortar Barnes and Noble yesterday. (remember those?) Over the Information desk in the center of the store they had a huge banner for the nook, with a December 14th sale date. Looks like they are getting pushed back. I was hoping to see one of the mock up displays, but I guess Pearland doesn't rate.

When is Book 2 coming?!?

This review is based on an Advanced Reader's Edition of The Strain by Guillermi del Toro and Chuck Hogan provided as part of the Amazon Vine program.

I loved this book.  Unfortunately, I didn't get it until a couple of days prior to the actual release, which is why this review is out now instead of a week ago.

This reminded me of Michael Chrichton meets Stephen King.  It combines modern "medicine" and "science" combined with folklore and "history."  The characters are well developed, with many intertwined plots.

One thing people should note is that this isn't a Twilighters book (although I loved that series as well.)  There are some creepy bits, including a very unique description of how the vampirism works, and a few scenes with rats.

I especially like the twist near the end which sucks you in to Book 2.  I can't wait (although it's supposed to be a year away.)

After a decade of reading on my PDAs/phones, we've entered the world of the dedicated ebook reader. But actually, it's for Mary. We'll see how she likes it.

This review is based on an Advance Reading Copy of Lamentation by Ken Scholes supplied to me by the Amazon Vine program.

It's a fantasy novel, but you'll find no Orcs, Elves, Wizards, or Witches.  Lamentation is set 1000 years after a global catastrophe.  The Names Lands are full of a number of different types of kingdoms plus the Androfrancine order.  The Androfrancine's are a religious, magical, and scientific order who "protect the light" as well as researching the past.  Prior to the catastrophe the world contained many amazing wonders, and the Androfrancine's attempt to recover and catalog them all.

Lamentation is a great story of intrigue, action, love, and loss.  Oh yeah, and magical robots.

I loved it, and can't wait for the second installment in The Psalms of Isaak.

Evernight by Claudia Gray was provided to me as part of the Amazon Vine program.

Evernight is a teen drama about a girl named Bianca.  Her parent's are teachers, and have landed jobs at an exclusive boarding school named Evernight Academy.  Most of the kids there are perfect: smart, attractive, world travelers, and very clique-ish.  Bianca doesn't fit in, until she meets Lucas.  Lucas has issues, but Bianca loves him, even over another boy he seems better in every way.

The first half of this book seems like your typical teen novel.  Trouble fitting in.  Back stabbing kids.  The works.  And then it takes a serious turn.  I liked the book after the turn, but I was a little frustrated in the secrets which were kept.  The second half of the book is full of action and intrigue, and a few smaller twists along the way.

You definitely want to think of this as a modern fantasy book.  I will watching for Stargazer (the sequel) when it comes out next year.

I read the hardcover edition.  The dust jacket was pretty normal (if you like red) but the cover itself had a wonderfully embossed Evernight title.

This is a review of an Advance Reading Copy of Ted Bell's Tsar provided to me as part of the Amazon Vine program.

The tagline for the novel is "A Triller."  At its core, its a spy novel, with a little bit of future tech thrown in for good measure.  This book isn't deep or involved like a Clancy novel, or even as fast paced as a Vince Flynn novel.  I liked the story, and I liked the main character Alex Hawke.  The hero wins, and the bad guy gets it in the end.  That said, the end is quite disappointing, although probably necessary if Bell is to use Hawke in future novel.

My biggest complaint with this book is the detail.  There are certain sections which are well written and detailed, but other parts were barely glossed over, as though the author needed it for the story, but had no interest in writing them.

Overall this is a book which was ok to spend time with, but easily let me put it down, and I really had little desire to finish.

I recently finished reading The Last Apprentice: Wrath of the Bloodeye by Joseph Delany.  The edition I read is an "Uncorrected Proof Not for Sale" provided to me via the Amazon Vine Program.

This is an early teen fantasy book, however it has a few deviations from the standard fantasy formula.  I found the book to be quite enjoyable, and it ends with you wanting the next in the series to come out.  I'm considering purchasing the first four books in the series.

I found the main characters to have some interesting humanness to them, and each has character flaws.  Tom Ward, The Last Apprentice, temporarily leaves his master to learn from another Spook, a fighter against dark things.  His new temporary master has a drinking problem, with a streak of violence.  Along the way you meet some characters, both good and evil.  I especially liked the deviation from the standard monsters.

I also found the lessons in the story to be good ones, and even though I think the target audience would learn from them, Mr. Delany didn't beat the reader over the head with them.

Even though this book doesn't stand up to the quality of a J.K. Rowling or Christopher Paolini book, I found it to be an enjoyable read, and would recommend it to any fantasy lover.