E-book – Marilyn R. Gardner

It’s Saturday and I’ve become remarkably good at making homemade lattes. This sitting on the couch on a Saturday morning? It’s a gift. A huge gift.

And as a new addition to Communicating Across Boundaries, Saturday mornings I’ll be providing some links to sites and books that I’m reading. I’d love to hear through the comments what has captured your attention!

On books vs. e-readers: Don’t Burn Your Books – Print is Here to Stay! Evidently sales for e-books are slowing – people just love the feel of curling up and turning the pages of a book. You can read some thoughts from readers on the post Who ‘Kindled’ Your Parents?

On rape and surviving: I was Wounded; My Honor Wasn’t – a brave article from the NY Times.

On Words: Do you ever feel like English is too limited in expressing your emotions? Turns out that it is! Take a look at this Infographic: 21 Emotions For Which There Are No English Words. I found it on Cultural Detective – a wonderful company and website that helps inform on all things cross-cultural.

On Books I’m reading: Open City by Teju Cole. This novel is a poignant look at identity, belonging, feeling other, and more. Set in New York City the protagonist is a young Nigerian doctor who wanders the city. Through his wandering he discovers more about his journey and the reader gets a window into his world. Along with that, Crime and Punishment sits on my bedside table but it’s a slow read.

Finally – On Egypt and God’s love reaching across the Muslim-Christian Chasm: I cannot begin to tell you how this video moved me. It’s long – but if you can, take the time to watch it and please share!

What are you reading? Would love to hear through the comments.

Have a great weekend!

“My parents got a Kindle for Christmas”, I said to my husband. It was, I thought, an innocent statement.

“WHAT??” Who ‘kindled’ your parents?” He demanded indignantly. “Let it be known that I will never, ever have a Kindle.”

The Kindle is not a popular concept in our house. Books pile coffee tables, night stands, and book shelves. The feel of a book, the turning of pages, the cover pages with their enticement to look inside – all of it, all that represents a physical book, is loved. We are all avid readers, but my husband is the most avid of all.

My parents love books as well. As much as us. But they have progressively moved into smaller homes where too many books, instead of comforting, can suffocate. So they have slowly and I might add, painfully, had to get rid of books. They have parted with them a bit like they would a beloved pet, hoping they will find a good owner, sometimes even handpicking the owner. This is what inspired the idea to give them a Kindle. A place where they can still read and enjoy those beloved books, without the space and difficulty in moving them.

But the indignation the Kindle raised in our house last night was strong. Family members had Kindled my parents and they were now on the dark side of technology.

Worse yet, living with a bunch of haters, how can I admit that I really want one?! What about you? Kindle lover? Kindle hater? Neutral (if there is a neutral, which I doubt!)