Kindle versus a real book – which is better?

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Kindle versus a real book – which is better?

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I suppose that the question behind this is one of ownership. When you have a ‘real’ book you own it. When you have an electronic one there is nothing to own.

It always used to be that when you went round anyone’s house you could always tell everything you needed to know about them from the books on their shelves and the records in their collection. It was an insight into their character. It said reams about them, what they thought and believed.

My house is littered with books and records. That is because I am from that age.

I like the reading experience on a kindle as much as that from a book. But I love books. I love the covers, the blurb, the smell and tactile feel. You can easily flick back to check something. You don’t get that with a kindle.

I don’t like the build up of dust or the huge amount of space they take up though.

You can have all the books you’ll ever need on a single kindle. It takes up no room whatsoever and you can pick it up and take it round the world.

I am a bit of a collector. I like the physical presence of a book.

At the end of the day it is a question of lifestyle. If the reading is the only thing then a kindle is quite adequate. The words carry the story, the meaning and import.

But if there is something more to holding a book.

A book has soul! A kindle feels vacuous.

I’ll go for books and keep my kindle for travelling!

Reading

Posted on by Opher

Reading

Reading is one of the most pleasurable experiences you can have in life.

You can travel the whole universe, back and forth in time, through dimensions that may not even be real, to places in other universes, all while sitting in your own armchair.

You can see places more vividly, meet people from the past, present and future that you didn’t know existed, and understand things you did not know you needed to understand.

You can explore other peoples’ minds, thoughts, feelings and relationships.

You can find out facts, explore ideas and experience revelations.

You can visit different cultures, different parts of the world and learn to understand different viewpoints, ways of living and see the world through other eyes.

You can become absorbed in plots, characters and settings, as you are captivated by the greatest tales, stories and epics ever told.

You can feel, empathise and share experiences that you would never have had the opportunity to do in real life.

All the greatest minds and best thoughts of all of mankind are laid out before you. You can tuck in.

You can get lost in a book to the point where it is as real as the life outside.

You can share adventures, wonder and intrigue.

You can find heroes, heroines and the most evil and sadistic monsters.

You can experience terror while being perfectly safe.

You can fall in love and share the saddest moments you will ever know.

On top of all that – overindulgence has no harmful effects.

It is an addiction that it is not necessary to control. It requires no legislation.

Reading is simply awesome!

My favourite fiction writers include:

Jack Kerouac, Richard Brautigan, Haruki Murakami, Margaret Attwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Iain Banks, John Fowles, John Steinbeck, D H Lawrence, Ken Kesey, Ian McEwan, Salman Rushdie, Hilary Mantel, George Orwell, William Burroughs, Henry Miller, Stephen King, Andrea Levy, Will Self, Norman Mailer, Gerald Durrell, Spike Milligan and a string of others too numerous to mention.

Who are yours?

The Best Authors in the Whole World (At least the ones I like best)

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This is a list of my favourite authors in no particular order – just as they come to mind:

Ben Okri

Margaret Atwood

Maya Angelou

Pat Barker

Jack Kerouac

Richard Brautigan

James Baldwin

Julian Barnes

Charles Bukowski

Henry Miller

Sebastian Faulks

Kurt Vonnegut Jnr

Aldous Huxley

Ken Kesey

Iain Banks

DH Lawrence

George Orwell

Jonathan Frantzen

William Golding

Alexander Solhenitsyn

Ian McEwan

Ernest Hemmingway

Stephen King

William Burroughs

John Steinbeck

Norman Mailer

Philip K Dick

Arthur C Clarke

Philip Roth

Joseph Heller

John Wyndham

Douglas Adams

Franz Kafka

Herman Hesse

Paul Auster

Hilary Mantel

Yuval Noah Harari

Salman Rushdie

John Fowles

Jasper Fforde

Gunter Grass

Milan Kundera

Mike Barnes

Bob Dylan

There are many, probably hundreds of others on my shelves and that I have read. But these are the ones that come to mind that have enthralled or inspired me (I left out my Sci-fi ones).

So – who have I missed out that you think is essential?

These are the books I have read recently.

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The type of books a person reads give you an insight into how they think or feel. The first thing I used to do when meeting a new friend was to check out their bookshelves and record collection. It told you all you needed to know.

I am a writer.

 

 

 

107. The Ragged Trousered Philantropists Robert Tressell
108. Maddadam Margaret Atwood`
109. Ringworld Engineers Larry Niven
110. The sense of an ending Julian Barnes
111. Ringworld children Larry Niven
112. Breakfast of champions Kurt Vonnegut
113. The blind assassin Margaret Atwood
114. The Midwich Cuckoos John Wyndham
115. The Rights of Man Thomas Paine
116. Wyrd Sisters Terry Pratchett
117. Juliet Naked Nick Hornby
118. Confessions of a crap artist Philip K Dick
119. Doctor Sleep Stephen King
120. White Rooms & imaginary Westerns Pete Brown
121. Moral disorder Margaret Atwood
122. The hare with amber eyes Edmund de Waal
123. Apocalypse D H Lawrence
124. The Cosmological eye Henry Miller
125. The last continent Terry Pratchett
126. Thud Terry Pratchett
127. A tale for the time being Ruth Ozeki
128. Survivor Chum Mey
129. Falling leaves Adeline Yen Mah
130. Catch 22 Joseph Heller
131. Go Now Richard Hell
132. Bluebeard’s egg Margaret Atwood
133. Life before man Margaret Atwood
134. Life after life Kate Atkinson
135. The Who & the story of Tommy Nigel Cawthorne
136. Mr Mercedes Stephen King
137. Umbrella Will Self
138. The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde
139. The Children’s act Ian McEwan
140. The Magic of Reality Richard Dawkins
141. The Shack Wm Paul Young
142. The last interview Kurt Vonnegutt
143. Strong motion Jonathan Franzen
144. Soul Music Terry Pratchett
145. The sun also rises Ernest Hemingway
146. The Woman who died a lot Jasper Fforde
147. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki Haruki Murakami
148. On the Road – original scroll Jack Kerouac
149. Discomfort zone Jonathan Frantzen
150. The Establishment and how they get away with it Owen Jones
151. The Kill List Frederick Forsythe
152. The Song of the Quarkbeast Jasper Fforde
153. One of our Thursdays is missing Jasper Fforde
154. No Matter What Sally Donovan
155. The story of my heart Richard Jefferies
156. Time must have a stop Aldous Huxley
157. Immortal coils Kurt Vonnegut
158. Chavs Owen Jones
159. Revival Stephen King
160. In God I doubt John Humphrys
161. Phil Ochs Death of a rebel Marc Elliott
162. In Watermelon Sugar Richard Brautigan
163. Blues for Mr Charlie James Baldwin
164. Stone Mattress Margaret Atwood
165. The Music of Captain Beefheart Chris Wade
166. Something rotten Jasper Fforde
167. From Here to Infinity – Scientific Horizons Martin Rees
168.  Laughter and forgetting Milan Kundera
169. Saturday Night & Sunday Morning Alan Sillitoe
170. Black dogs Ian McEwan
171. This Boy Alan Johnson
172. Please Mr Postman Alan Johnson
173. If this isn’t nice what is? Kurt Vonnegut Jnr
174. Lunar Notes Zoot Horn Rollo
175. The Martian Andy Weir
176. Afterlife Colin Wilson
177. Revolution Russell Brand
178. The buried giant Kasuo Ishiguro
179. Sons and lovers D H Lawrence
180. Women Charles Bukowski
181. Collected stories Philip K Dick
182. Murder on the Marco polo Clive Leatherdale
183. The colour purple Maya Angelou
184. Reader Noam Chomski
185. Magic seeds V S Naipal
186. Notes from a small island Bill Bryson
187. Tortilla flat John Steinbeck
188. The heart goes first Margaret Atwood
189. Finding Son House Richard Shade Gardner
190. The big over easy Jasper Fforde
191. Lost in a good book Jasper Fforde
192. The Eyre affair (again) Jasper Fforde
193. The Fourth Bear Jasper Fforde
194. Sunstorm Arthur C Clarke
195. Bazaar of Bad Dreams Stephen King
196. Wind/Pinball Haruki Murakami
197. The Girl in the Spider’s Web David Lagercrantz
198. The strange library Haruki Murakami
199. The Potato Factory Bryce Courtenay
200. Bodily Harm Margaret Atwood
201. Justine Lawrence Durrell
202. Armageddon in retrospect (again) Kurt Vonnegut Jnr
203. The Tree John Fowles
204. Moon Palace Paul Auster

News – More Anecdotes, Essays, Beliefs and Flotsam – Please do not despair!

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I have just been contacted by the Samaritans. They are concerned that tens of thousands of you may not wish to continue with life following the suppression of my new book. Their lines are inundated with desperate people.

Please do not despair! I can reassure you that the book will shortly be available! All is not lost. It will be reinstated! Do not terminate your life for the sake of a day or two.

Use these couple of days wisely. Try to break your addiction to my books through slow withdrawal – so that you keep to a sustainable level – I suggest only reading one a week. I have been greatly concerned with the reports that many of you are becoming so engrossed in reading and re-reading my catalogue that life is passing you by – you are not eating or drinking. That makes me feel bad. Please – read responsibly. I can assure you that there is more to life than reading my books. I know it might not seem that way. I know that life itself pales in comparison – but please – I implore you – at least eat!

In the meantime Codas, Cadence and Clues is still available. You can use that as an interim high. You do not have to go full cold turkey.

please do not despair – More Anecdotes will be available again shortly!

My other books are here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1457515636&sr=1-2-ent

Thank you and please leave a review.

Anecdote – Eve, pregnancy, my mum and no Adam

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This is my book of anecdotes. This one isn’t in it but it could have been. It’ll be in the next one.

Eve, pregnancy, my mum and no Adam

Back in the sixties it was not quite how young people today might imagine. The prevailing mood was that of post-war drabness, fifties austerity and a very ‘stiff upper lip’ repressed culture. It was grey, drab and stuffed up its own arse.

The sixties rebellion was an attempt by a segment of the youth of the day to chuck all that out. They wanted colour, fun, freedom and liberalism.

Kerouac had pushed the door open. The Beatles and Stones had pushed it further and by the end of the decade Jimi Hendrix, Captain Beefheart, Bob Dylan and Roy Harper had blown it off its hinges with a ton and a half of dynamite.

Eve was a friend of mine from school. She was one of the group of girls I used to hang around with. Eve fell pregnant. I don’t know who the Adam was but pregnancy back then was a big thing. It was a social slur. People still talked of bastards. It carried a big social stigma. There was shame.

This was around 1966. I was about seventeen. Eve was probably sixteen.

Everyone thinks of the sixties as an age of sexual liberation and promiscuity. It was and it wasn’t. Contraception was still hard to get. You couldn’t buy condoms easily. There weren’t any machines or supermarket shelves stocked with varieties. There were no luminous strawberry flavoured ribbed nobblers that played Beatles songs while you made love. There was no internet shopping. There wasn’t even the idea of the internet. You had to go into a chemist and buy them across the counter. When the pill came in you had to go to the doctor and it was possible he would refuse.

That’s not quite the image put about. For young girls it was hard. Risks were taken.

When Eve fell pregnant her parents wanted her to have an abortion. There was pressure being exerted – failing that to put the baby up for adoption. Eve was very depressed.

My mum heard about it and felt that wasn’t right. She went round to see Eve and had a talk with her. I understand the gist of it was that being pregnant wasn’t the end of the world. Thousands of girls were in her position. She did not have to do what she was being pressured to do. She should do what she felt was right. If she wanted the baby then she should have it. She’d cope. If she wanted the abortion then that was OK too.

Eve felt that a weight had been lifted off her.

She decided to have the baby.

My mum started collecting baby clothes and toys. She did what she could.

I was recently talking to my friend Carol. She was extolling the virtues of my mum. She thought she was great – a one off. She told me I should write a book about her.

I suppose, in a way, I am.

Five more essential reads for Opher’s favourites

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36. D H Lawrence – Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Although this book is most notorious for its sex scenes I felt it was probably the book that was closest to Lawrence’s philosophy. It was set in the post-war Britain and was in many ways an anti-war book. The injured officer deprived of his manhood through injury. It was also about the class system and the purity of love. A lot of things going on.

37. Ken Kesey – Sometimes a Great Notion

This was the second masterpiece of Ken’s. A totally different book in a different setting. Unlike Cuckoo’s nest this was set in the big outdoors and logging. The story was captivating. I liked the was he depicted the same scene from different viewpoints in the same paragraph. It was very Faulknerish.

38. Salman Rushdie – Midnight’s Children

This is the second of Rushdie’s masterpieces. I read this at the same time as Gunter Grass’s Tin Drum and felt that they both carried that same multitextured, multilayered wonder. It was a tale to get lost in and one of those books you did not want to end.

39. John Steinbeck – East of Eden

The second work of genius from John Steinbeck. This told the tale of brothers and a big ranch. It was another sprawling tale that sucked you in. One of my all-time favourites.

40. Iain Banks – Whit

This seems quite topical when we’ve got cults like ISIS running amok in the world and a Marxist cult leader imprisoned for rape and imprisoning his own daughter. Iain is a brilliant story teller in both Sci-fi and mainstream. This is the story of a religious cult done brilliantly. I love all his books. They were all so varied. It’s a sad loss.

Well these five selections went against my original plan to try to stick to one book per author.

Rules? There are no rules!

Reading – yet five more brilliant books

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While I’m in the mood I thought I might as well do five more. I could keep doing this for some time. But I think I’ll stop for a bit after this set.

Robert Heinlein – Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert was criticised in some quarters for his right-wing bias and his portrayal of women. While I can see where that is coming from I do not altogether agree with it and certainly not in this book. He did espouse a free loving ethos with open relationships and strong women taking the lead which upset some. He also espoused a mystical sharing of spirits based around the sharing of water which fitted in with the sixties ethos nicely. But for me he was a great story teller. This is so readable.

Margaret Atwood – Oryx and Crake

Her dystopian book, the first in a trilogy, of a society that has broken down post genetic engineering. She is such a good writer that she draws you into the story and leads you through the characters so that you feel it. Not a nice world to live in when things go wrong and the scientists and politicians mess up.

Henry Miller – Tropic of Capricorn

Henry’s semi-autobiographical story of living a bohemian life in pre-war Paris. He was a precursor to the Beats and helped develop that stream of consciousness, outsider in society and sexual liberation. Some immense writing.

Lynne Reid-Banks – The L-Shaped Room

A book that really captured the social mores of the fifties with its snobbish hypocrisy. The tale of the fate of a young girl who becomes pregnant. In the days before good available contraception this was a common occurrence and led to back-street abortionists and despair. The girls were thrown into social exclusion and often disowned, ostracised and treated disgustingly. There was a racial element thrown into the mix and it captured the mood of the times superbly. Great social realism with good characterisation and a good story.

Gunter Grass – The Tin Drum

A multi-layered tale of Germany in the thirties that has great surreal touches and grabs you from the beginning. A book to get lost in.

 

OK. I’ve got that out of my system for a little while. I’ll do something else.

Remember – we are what we read!

 

Books I have read since retiring – update

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I like to keep my reading quite far ranging. I’ve been writing so much recently that I have not had too much time for reading. But I’ve got into a few good ones.

Books I have read since retiring Sept 2011

1.Just Kids Patti Smith
2. Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel
3. Norwegian Wood Haruki Murakami
4. Kafka on the Shore Haruki Murakami
5. Maggie Girl of the Streets Stephen Crane
6. Great Singers of the 2oth Century David Spiller
7. East of Eden John Steinbeck
8. God is not Great Christopher Hitchins
9. The Alchemist Paulo Coelho
10. Full Dark No Stars Stephen King
11. 3 Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson & David Relin
12. Birdie Kurt Vonnegut
13. 11.22.63 Stephen King
14. IQ84 – Book 1 Haruki Murakami
15. IQ84 – Book 2 Haruki Murakami
16. IQ84 – Book 3 Haruki Murakami
17. Good Man Jesus scoundrel Christ Philip Pullman
18. After dark Haruki Murakami
19. After the quake Haruki Murakami
20. Long walk to forever Kurt Vonnegut
21. The Optimist Lawrence Shorter
22. The Atheist’s Bible Joan Konner
23. The portable Atheist Christopher Hitchins
24. The vanishing elephant Haruki Murakami
25. Salmonella men on planet porno Yasutaka Tsutsui
26. The Chrysalids John Wyndham
27. Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad
28. A long way down Nick Hornby
29. Blind willow, sleeping woman Haruki Murakami
30. My dear I wanted to tell you Louisa Young
31. Grimus Salman Rushdie
32. South of the border West of the sun Haruki Murakami
33. The Return Victoria Hislop
34. Stonemouth Iain Banks
35. The girl at the Lion D’Or Sebastian Faulks
36. The Long Song Andrea Levy
37. Underground Haruki Murakami
38. My Family and other animals Gerald Durrell
39. One Flew over the Cuckoos nest Ken Kessey
40. Hard boiled Wonderland and the end of the world Haruki Murakami
41. Red Gary Neville
42. The colour of Magic Terry Pratchett
43. The light fantastic Terry Pratchett
44. Dance Dance dance Haruki Murakami
45. Portnoy’s complaint Philip Roth
46. The lost Symbol Dan Brown
47. Guards Guards Terry Pratchett
48. What I talk about when I talk about running Haruki Murakami
49. A Maggot John Fowles
50. Who I am Pete Townsend
51. The story of Free & Bad Company Steven Rosen
52. Sputnik Sweetheart Haruki Murakami
53. Mr Stone and the knights companion V S Naipal
54. The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot
55. Mister God, I am Anna Finn
56. The Birthday book Haruki Murakami
57. A precocious autobiography Yevgeny Yevtushenko
58. The wind-up bird chronicles Haruki Murakami
59. Siddharta Herman Hesse
60. Hydrogen Sonatta Iain M Banks
61. The bonesetters daughter Joy Tan
62. Keep the Asphidistr flying George Orwell
63. Birds, animals and friends Gerald Durrell
64. Garden of the Gods Gerald Durrell
65. Andy Warhol Diaries Andy Warhol
66. First born Arthur C Clarke
67. Sweettooth Ian McEwan
68. Arguably Christopher Hitchins
69. Bring up the bodies Hilary Mantell
70. Equal Rites Terry Pratchett
71. Mort Terry Pratchett
72. Cutting for stone Aham Verghese
73. Sourcery Terry Pratchett
74. The particular sadness of lemon cake Aimee Bender
75. The dovekeepers Alice Hoffman
76. The Ginger Man J P Donleavy
77. The great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald
78. Dharma bums Jack Kerouac
79. For whom the bell tolls Ernest Hemmingway
80. A wild sheep chase Haruki Murakami
81. Fug you Ed Sanders
82. A hat full of sky Terry Pratchett
83. Ring world Larry Niven
84. Wintersmith Terry Pratchett
85. The Quarry Iain Banks
86. Stoner John Williams
87. Blowing the Blues Dick Heckstall-Smith
88. The heart of things A C Grayling
89. Things the Grandchildren should know Mark Oliver Everett
90. Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
91. The Comfort of Strangers Ian McEwan
92. The Trial Franz Kafka
93. Tarantula Bob Dylan
94. Bound for glory Woody Guthrie
95. Flaubert’s parrot Julian Barnes
96. Talking it over Julian Barnes
97. Raw spirit Iain Banks
98. The favourite game Leonard Cohen
99. Beautiful losers Leonard Cohen
100. Corrections Jonathan Frantzen
101. The Stranger Albert Camus
102. The three Musketeers Alexander Dumas
103. After the flood Margaret Atwood
104. Hellraiser Ginger Baker
105. A Casual Vacancy JK Rowling
106. Wind through the Keyhole Stephen King
107. The Ragged Trousered Philantropists Robert Tressell
108. Maddadam Margaret Atwood`
109. Ringworld Engineers Larry Niven
110. The sense of an ending Julian Barnes
111. Ringworld children Larry Niven
112. Breakfast of champions Kurt Vonnegut
113. The blind assassin Margaret Atwood
114. The Midwich Cuckoos John Wyndham
115. The Rights of Man Thomas Paine
116. Wyrd Sisters Terry Pratchett
117. Juliet Naked Nick Hornby
118. Confessions of a crap artist Philip K Dick
119. Doctor Sleep Stephen King
120. White Rooms & imaginary Westerns Pete Brown
121. Moral disorder Margaret Atwood
122. The hare with amber eyes Edmund de Waal
123. Apocalypse D H Lawrence
124. The Cosmological eye Henry Miller
125. The last continent Terry Pratchett
126. Thud Terry Pratchett
127. A tale for the time being Ruth Ozeki
128. Survivor Chum Mey
129. Falling leaves Adeline Yen Mah
130. Catch 22 Joseph Heller
131. Go Now Richard Hell
132. Bluebeard’s egg Margaret Atwood
133. Life before man Margaret Atwood
134. Life after life Kate Atkinson
135. The Who & the story of Tommy Nigel Cawthorne
136. Mr Mercedes Stephen King
137. Umbrella Will Self
138. The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde
139. The Children’s act Ian McEwan
140. The Magic of Reality Richard Dawkins
141. The Shack Wm Paul Young
142. The last interview Kurt Vonnegutt
143. Strong motion Jonathan Franzen
144. Soul Music Terry Pratchett
145. The sun also rises Ernest Hemingway
146. The Woman who died a lot Jasper Fforde
147. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki Haruki Murakami
148. On the Road – original scroll Jack Kerouac
149. Discomfort zone Jonathan Frantzen
150. The Establishment and how they get away with it Owen Jones
151. The Kill List Frederick Forsythe
152. The Song of the Quarkbeast Jasper Fforde
153. One of our Thursdays is missing Jasper Fforde
154. No Matter What Sally Donovan
155. The story of my heart Richard Jefferies
156. Time must have a stop Aldous Huxley
157. Immortal coils Kurt Vonnegut
158. Chavs Owen Jones
159. Revival Stephen King
160. In God I doubt John Humphrys
161. Phil Ochs Death of a rebel Marc Elliott
162. In Watermelon Sugar Richard Brautigan
163. Blues for Mr Charlie James Baldwin
164. Stone Mattress Margaret Atwood
165. The Music of Captain Beefheart Chris Wade
166. Something rotten Jasper Fforde
167. From Here to Infinity – Scientific Horizons Martin Rees
168.  Laughter and forgetting Milan Kundera
169. Saturday Night & Sunday Morning Alan Sillitoe
170. Black dogs Ian McEwan
171. This Boy Alan Johnson
172. Please Mr Postman Alan Johnson
173. If this isn’t nice what is? Kurt Vonnegut Jnr
174. Lunar Notes Zoot Horn Rollo
175. The Martian Andy Weir

Another aim of my blog – my writing!

Posted on by Opher

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One of the aims of my blog was to publicise my writing.

I don’t do a very good job of marketing. I enjoy writing. I love writing novels and other books. I hate editing, marketing and merchandising. It takes up good writing time.

However I can see that it seems fairly pointless writing lots of books if nobody reads them. I see it as the difference between sex and masturbation. But that’s just me.

I naively thought that I’d set up a blog, write about whatever took my fancy, attract in fellow-minded individuals, and they would be turned on enough by my interests, turn of phrase and diverse mental machinations to want to purchase all my books. I would then have an audience.

It hasn’t quite worked that way.

The blog takes up a lot of my time. I write as much on the blog as I do for the books.

The followers are relatively few. The book sales are steady and undramatic and the reviews are verbally brilliant but substantially sparse.

As I am a passionate writer who believes that I have something to say and have an interesting style, some skills and produce very readable, quirky, and original material I live in hope.

If you are interested in what I write and would like to purchase a book I would direct you to Amazon (I know) where my books are all sitting comfortably awaiting new homes. They long to be adopted in either paperback or kindle.

Why not, for a small sum, give a home to an Opher book? You’ll learn to love it.

For those in the UK –

PS – If you are one of those beautiful people who have purchased and enjoyed one of my books – please leave a review on Amazon