For several years, I started or participated in a monthly poll on the USA Amazon Kindle discussion boards asking people a simple question: what are you reading on your Kindle? Unfortunately, the discussion boards on Amazon have gone away and I have periodically hosted something similar on our website.
Since the pandemic stay-at-home orders started over a year ago, I’ve been reading more than usual (and I read a lot!) and I have been slowly whittling down my digital to-be-read pile.
I’ve received some great tips with past polls, finding out what others are reading on their Kindle, and found some “new” authors I generally wouldn’t have found using my hunt-and-peck method. While I have certainly enjoyed the “mainstream” author suggestions over the years, I’ve also enjoyed a lot of independent authors from each month’s poll I never would have heard of previously.
If you are reading this on the blog’s free email subscription, the blog’s free reader app for your Fire tablet or Android device – or anywhere other than the blog’s website – and would like to check out the poll and find some new things or, better yet, tell others what you are reading, just click here or type in https://geni.us/may21poll into your web browser, scroll down to the bottom of the post, and start typing away in the comments section!
Here’s how this works – on the blog’s website (using the link above) list a book you are currently reading or just recently read on your Kindle, whether you would recommend it, did you get it free, and anything else you would care to share.
As I type this up I am reading Lonesome Dove, the Pulitzer Prize winner written by Larry McMurtry in 1985. I read this at least once a year for 5+ years after it came out, but it has been at least 20 years since I have read it last. Upon reading about McMurtry’s death earlier this year, and who knows where my paper version disappeared to, I got it for my Kindle and have been enjoying it all over again. McMurtry had quite the wit, and I am laughing at all of the one liners of the main character – McMurtry had a way of making you feel as if you are right in the middle of the story. If you haven’t read it, or if it has been a while like it was for me, I would highly recommend it for your reading list.
Finally, here’s my standard continuation of each request for prior participants in the poll: if you like or dislike a title you have read, in addition to telling us about it in this informal poll, how about writing a book review on the Amazon website? The review will certainly last and be visible a lot longer than this poll will. If you’re like me, you look at the customer reviews in order to see if you want to investigate a book further. Since we are all a little community here, and while I realize each review is each person’s opinion and we may not like the same thing, I know your friends and online discussion neighbors would appreciate your honest assessment of the likes and dislikes without providing a spoiler – I know I would!
Your reviews don’t need to be a long dissertation of the book, I like to keep them short, sweet, and hopefully to the point (some people think I am too blunt on things I dislike, but I am at least giving you my honest opinion!).
We’d really like to hear what you’re reading right now – I, for example, may find something interesting from your list I want to read (It’s been known to happen!). If you are reading this on your Kindle – or anywhere other than the blog’s website – and would like to check out the poll and find some new things or, better yet, tell others what you are reading, just click here or type in https://geni.us/may21poll into your web browser, scroll down to the bottom of the post, and start typing away in the comments section!
Anyway, that’s all for today. Have a great week!
Michael
