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Books on the Nightstand published our final episode in July 2016. This is a place for listeners to find old episodes. 

I'm sorry that we don't have show notes for all of the episodes, and that the episodes do not have consistent filenames. Still, we hope you find that the content is valuable enough to overlook those annoyances.

Thank you to all who have listened to BOTNS over the years and for those who are just discovering the podcast. 

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  2. BOTNS #196: New Developments in Reading

BOTNS #196: New Developments in Reading

Sep 12, 2012

A book filled with recommendations from Indie Booksellers across the US. New technologies and devices changing the way we read. Recommendations for In Between Days by Andrew Porter and Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson.

Read This!

I just picked up a very cool little book called Read This! It's subtitled Handpicked Favorites from America's Indie Bookstores and is guaranteed to add to your "to be read" pile - something I most definitely do not need, but I bought it anyway.

It puts us in mind of another wonderful book of recommendations: Two Books I Can't Wait For You to Read, the book we published last year, filled with favorite books of 2011 Books on the Nightstand Retreat authors and attendees. It's still available for order from Northshire Bookstore's print on demand machine. And, in vague, non-committal ways, we discuss Booktopia 2013 and the possibility of Two Books..., Vol. 2.

New Developments in Reading (6:22)

Recently, Kobo announced several new e-book devices, along with a partnership with the American Booksellers Association, meaning you'll soon be able to buy e-readers as well as e-books from many independent book stores. One of those new devices was a frontlit e-ink reader, meaning black and white print-like text, with a light surrounding the screen for nighttime reading. The timing on this is great since a recent study indicates reading on backlit devices (like an iPad or any other color tablet) may be interfering with your sleep. Amazon also announced new devices, and something called Whispersync for Voice in which an e-book and an audiobook, both purchased from Amazon, through the Kindle or the Kindle iOS and Android apps, will sync with each other. Wherever you leave off reading the e-book, is where the audio will start and vice-versa. We think this is a major development and one the we hope will grow to other e-book and audio platforms.

In other news, the audio CDs of Tana French's amazing first book In the Woods, which I borrowed from the library, were scratched beyond repair. Of course the problems didn't kick in until I was already hooked on the story! Thankfully, Ann has a copy of the book she is lending me! Thanks Ann!

Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (17:59)

     

Ann recommends In Between Days by Andrew Porter. The story of a family in crisis (several crises, actually), this novel was so real and visceral to Ann that it left her feeling uncomfortable, but at the same time she couldn't stop turning the pages.

I listened to the audio of Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson and completely fell in love with this book. It tells the tale of Albert, a platypus, who escapes from the Adelaide Zoo and finds adventure on his quest to find "Old Australia," a fabled land of peace and freedom for animals. I imagine this is in the vein of Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows, two books I sadly have not read.