I've taken the leap...

...and landed in the technological age. Last week I ordered a Nook, which arrived yesterday. Before you get too shocked though, I should mention that it is a Nook First Edition, which I bought used because the newer ones just didn't appeal to me.

Also, it was cheaper. And less complicated.

The first thing I did was a search for "typewriter" in the ebook library, and came across a book called The Enchanted Typewriter by John Kendrick Bangs. There are several versions of it available, but I picked the free one because I'm cheap like that. So far it isn't bad, but the formatting is horrible. It was very obviously scanned directly into whatever program they use to create their ebooks, using something that translated the images into text because there are a lot of spelling and punctuation problems (things like "tell" turning into "teU", apostrophe's turning into asterisks, stuff like that). Maybe these have been edited out in the paid versions, but I don't know.

I will say that if you haven't read this book, you might want to give it a quick read. It's about 75 pages, according to the Nook, and is pretty amusing. The basic premise is that the main character, a man who is generally content to enjoy his own pleasures (usually late dinners and lots of wine at his local gentleman's club) comes home one night to discover a ghost sitting at the typewriter in his upstairs room. They proceed to have a conversation (the ghost typing out his answers), and eventually strike an agreement that the ghost can use the typewriter to work on the gazette he publishes for the ghosts in Hades, while the owner of the typewriter can use the printed off pages for his own purposes. Other ghosts show up as well, including a very odd, very independently minded woman who takes over for him while he is being punished for claiming to be (in various incarnations) Adam, Noah, Jonah, and William Shakespeare. Much of the dialogue strikes me as Victorian locker-room talk (such as a conversation they have involving the merits of King Henry VIII), but it's amusing nonetheless and good for a chuckle.

In other book related news, my mom and I along with a family friend will be going to see Kathy Reichs at her book signing over in Beavercreek. For those who don't know, Ms. Reichs is the author and creator of the book series behind the Bones television series. If you want to join us, the signing is at 7 pm at Books&Co on the Green on Thursday. I'll be the one wearing a hat that looks like the Quebec flag.

Currently Reading: The Fire's Stone
Currently Watching: Practical Magic