Some posts I enjoyed this week from around the web:
Ever wondered about all those weird Mystery cults, Bacchanalian rites and such? Mark Patton’s post is an illustrated guide to them in Roman Britain, from the grandmommy of them arising at Eleusis, to the soldiers’ fav Mithraism, to that most lasting one that gradually transformed into state-sponsored Christianity. Clear and intriguing. Good post on English Historical Fiction Authors. Click here for “Divine Companionship and Eternal Life” on English Historical Fiction Authors
An interesting analysis of “digital fatigue” as a reason for dropping ebook sales. The drop only includes reports from traditional publishers so it may not reflect overall reality, but nonetheless it raises an interesting point. I find after a day at my computer, I’d rather pick up a book with paper pages. I do use my ereader a lot too though, often because of manuscripts or arcs sent to me, though, rather than books I’ve bought. It’s so much more affordable for publishers and authors for those initial preview reads. Can’t say as I do as good a job reviewing when I’m working from an ebook and can’t flip back and find the passages to quote from. I often don’t realize the key passage to bookmark until I’m further in a book and then it’s buried in the digital mess. But that’s not the typical reader problem. So, how about you? Are you tiring of ebooks and heading more often to a paper copy these days? Click here for Publishers Weekly “As ebook sales decline digital fatigue grows”
For those of you who love books involving Greek mythology and Bronze Age settings and Troy and all that good stuff that I love, here’s a delightful interview with Amalia Carosella about her latest novel By Helen’s Hand. I loved her Helen of Sparta and am looking forward to this one soon in my queue. Erin always does an engaging interview on For the Hook of a Book. Click here for “Interview about Helen of Sparta with Author Amalia Carosella” on Oh for the Hook of a Book
My friend Dot DiRienzi, herself an accomplished poet, sent me this link to a poem, Ode to Disappointment. It turns on a trip to Troy but encompasses a great deal we should be thinking about these days, so I’m sharing it with you. Tell me what you hear that resonates with you. Ode to Disappointment, by David Kirby Click here for Poetry Daily Ode to Disappointment
Don’t think we can call this shoddy work, but new measurements show the Great Pyramid at Giza is slightly off its planned square shape. About 5 ½” off, so actually the real question is how they managed to be so precise. The researchers hope their studies will help them understand how the Egyptians laid out these massive buildings and what their grid plan was. The researchers’ work is complicated greatly by the fact that the limestone casing that used to cover the whole pyramid was peeled off over the centuries and reused in other projects. Pillaging of monuments is an old, old problem. You have to imagine this all smooth and shiny. Click here for Live Science Great Pyramid of Giza is Slightly Lopsided
I read more and more ebooks, now on my iPad mini. With arthritis, easy to carry lots of books. I think these sales things will go up and down, like any “fashion.” I bookmark a LOT as I go through. For books I really like, I make my own notations in a Word file where to find things, using the location indicator of the e-book or chapter no. (As a former indexer, I am always alert to finding text.)
I also bought eyeglasses specially made for cutting out certain wavelengths of computer screens. Then I enlarge the type on the screen as necessary. All this after getting excruciating headaches from reading too much.
Long term: As a former publisher of textbooks, I prefer print, but at 73, my library is too large now, and I collect only those things I really want to pass on to my grandkids.
It is handy to have a library in your hand and to be able to make the print as large as I want. But I do still love a print book to read.
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