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Affilliation
How many books have I left out…?
I got books all over the place, and that’s partly by design. I tend to want to have a book within reach wherever I am, so I typically have a few at the living room, around the bedroom, at the car (some nearby and some at the back), and a few at work.
Of course, like most avid readers, I have attempted to catalog my collection. I remember setting-up a little dBase thing when I was a kid, maybe even tried to use FoxPro (but that particular attempt I really can’t remember for sure). Of course there was the Excel sheet attempt.
When the internet came along, you used online tools. I first tried it on Amazon.com (the obvious starting point), but the thing just wasn’t built with cataloging in mind, at least in the beginning (and Amazon.com has kept it’s basic layout pretty much stable). It’s also annoying that the different versions/editions of the same book are treated too separately, efforts to combine them (like links to various editions) are inconsistent.
Now, online social cataloging is the thing. You just can’t catalog online without the ability to add “friends”. I think I tried GoodReads first, based on an invite from a friend. I tried it a bit, but it just didn’t take me in at the time. Then, I got a Shelfari invite from another friend (or was it the same one?). I kinda liked it a little better, but it not by a lot. It had a nice little shelf feature, which I liked, but it also felt clunk to use, and it was real slow.
Yesterday, as I was giving Glue a test run (amusing so far) by browsing around Amazon.com, I noticed that some people checked-out certain books via LibraryThing. Curious, I took a looksee. Given that the previous two social book cataloging stuff hasn’t gained any traction on me yet, I decided to give LibraryThing a test run as well.
LibraryThing is supposed to be in beta right now (it went live in 2005! Really?! It’s still in beta? Or did it re-beta itself?), but at first glance, it seemed to have most of what I was looking for. It didn’t have an exact shelf thing which I liked in Shelfari, but it does have the ability to display your library book as the book covers, which is practically the same.
More important than the exact rundown of features (the major ones being avaliable in the others anyway), I liked the UI better than the two others. MOST of what I wanted to accomplish I was able to do intuitively and easily, which scores big points with me. Oh sure, there are nitpicks, like the fact that I can’t click on a book cover when I list my library in book cover mode, but things like that are bound to be easily added in the future. More importantly, I found that the common things I wanted to do (importing, adding, listing, tagging, rating, and searching) was easier to me.
This was the first book cataloging service I felt like obsessing over, which is a good sign.
One major caveat, LibraryThing has a 200 book limit for free users! That’s pretty annoying given that the other two (and even Amazon.com) has no tracking limit and they’re all free. There’s a US$10(+)/year option, and a US$25 lifetime option. I don’t understand why one would opt for the per year thing, unless the extra US$15 is just too much, or people don’t see the site being around in the long run (in which case, why bother?). Also, Amazon.com acquired Shelfari. LibraryThing is 40% owned by AbeBooks, which is being aquired by Amazon.com (or has it already been acquired?). Will we see a feature merge in the future?
In spite of this, LibraryThing has managed to interest me more than the previous ones I tried. Let’s see if that’s gonna stick.
In the meantime, why don’t you take a gander at my current library? I wonder how many of the books from my younger days I’ve left out…
No tags for this post.Books Galore Next Month!
I’ve been trying to stave off the numerous book itches I’ve been getting the past while ‘coz, come next month, I’ll be like a rabid dog, pouncing left and right at whatever books happenstance brings within my grasp!
Why? The 29′th Manila International Book Fair, of course!
Next month, from September 12-16, 2008, the 29th Manila International Book Fair will once again bring various Philippine book publishers and retailers under one roof (this time, it’s SMX, Mall of Asia’s roof), to the delight of the Metro’s bibliophiles.
Unfortunately, like last year, it seems Fully Booked will not be there.
Still, this is will bring more books to your fingertips than what can be found in a typical Metro Manila bookstore. Aside from the hard to find/low-availability imported books, you’ll find a plethora of local publishers showing their wares.
You’ll not be of want for the typical local bookstore fare like bestsellers and student reference books (do we really have that many medical students? The number of medical books/references have been astounding the past few years!). There are normally discounts and promos among several retailers, particularly the major ones.
There are also various imported books on locally unpopular topics like like game theory, graph theory, game development/culture, etc.
I’ve always been on the lookout for academic research regarding Philippine folklore (I found some of them from UP Press’ booth last year) and comics/pop-culture (I have yet to stumble upon one. Maybe I’ll be lucky this year).
Personally, the National Historical Institute’s booth is always of particular interest to me. I’ve been salivating over the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo facimilies for a long time! The 2 thingshave been preventing me from getting those: 1) they’re huge! 2) I can’t read Spanish! I wonder what little gems the booth’ll have this time.
The new thing for me on this year’s book fair will be checking-out a few of the events. I’ve never attended any of ‘em before, even the free ones, so I decided that this year I should check some of ‘em out.
Among this year’s events that are of particular interest to me are (taken from the official website):
Saturday, September 13, 2008
- Cosplay Chronicle Contest (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Stage Area)
- 7th Philippine Robotics Olympiad (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Stage Area) - by Felta Multi Media, Inc.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
- Your Cosplay Story Contest (10:00 AM – 12:00 NN, Stage Area)
- Cosplay Workshop (1:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Meeting Room 5)
- Lit! Publish or Perish! (1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Meeting Room 4) - Want to get your writing published? Hear from editors and publishers on the challenges and the certainties. A no-holds-barred expose on the opportunities, the challenges and the real bottom line. Copywriting essentials-materials, time-saving methods, productivity secrets.
- Lit! Trouble-Free Freelancing (3:00 PM – 4:30 PM, Meeting Room 4) - Quit your writing job and make your own writing career. A no-holds-barred expose on the opportunities, the challenges and the real bottom line. Copywriting essentials, materials, time-saving methods, productivity secrets. Seminar Fee: Php300.00
- Lit! Behind the Pseudonym (4:30 PM – 6:00 PM, Meeting Room 4) - Readings and Autograph Sessions by Celebrity Writers and Rare Personages
Monday, September 15, 2008
- Pistang Panitik: Pop-Lit (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Stage Area) - Comic book artists, performance poets, storytellers, and literary innovators, present emerging forms in Philippine literature
- Lit! The Right Script (1:30 PM – 3:00 PM, Meeting Room 4) - Insider tips on storylines and scripts facilitated by independent and commercial screenwriters. With presentations heavily supported by film clips and graphic elements, to be produced in conjunction with hosts. Seminar Fee: Php 300.00
- Lit! Trouble-Free Freelancing (3:00 PM – 4:30 PM, Meeting Room 4) - Quit your writing job and make your own writing career. A no-holds-barred expose on the opportunities, the challenges and the real bottom line. Copywriting essentials, materials, time-saving methods, productivity secrets. Seminar Fee: Php300.00
- Lit! Won in 30 seconds (6:00 PM – 7:30 PM, Meeting Room 4) - How successful copywriting wins the client and the customer’s mind. Eye-raising and exciting presentations by advertising copywriters. A “show and tell” copywriting workshop.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
- Pistang Panitik: Blog! (10:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Stage Area) - The business of blogging.
Of course I probably won’t attend all of those, but hopefully I can see some of ‘em (more importantly, I hope they’ll be worthwhile).
If you’re in the Metro, and you have any interest in books at all, you better make sure that the 29′th Manila International Book Fair is on your calendar.
No tags for this post.How hard is it to make a wishlist?
Short answer… pretty damn hard.
Last week, with urges to buy books I don’t need, I thought of reviewing what I really wanted to get. Strangely, although I could come up with a lot of crap “I’d like”, I honestly couldn’t think of anything “I’d need”. [my SO interrupting my typing: "dont worry baby, ill help you make your wishlist. 1st; you want wiii, next, flat screen tv, then topshop..."]
[continuing the following day, without interruptions :P]
Well, yeah, a Wii would be nice, and so would a flatscreen TV. Still, let me try this again…
Last week, I was considering reviewing what stuff I’d want to get for myself. Among the things that popped in my mind were the following:
/*
in case the flash slideshow above doesn’t appear, here are the items in it:
- Iron Kingdoms World Guide: Full Metal Fantasy, Vol. 2
- Hobby Games: The 100 Best
- Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1) (Amazon link
)
- 40 Years of Gen Con
- Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-playing Games
- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
- The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
- ASUS Eee PC 901 20G
- Starcraft: The Board Game
- Arkham Horror Boardgame
- RPG dice sets
*/
And here’s some additional stuff not in that slide-show of wishes:
- any Foxtrot anthology
- a new desktop computer
- at least 1 TB external storage
- A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game
It annoyed me that they were mostly personal fads, prohibitively expensive, or just impractical. Sure, having them would be nice, but very few of them are useful. Even the most practical and useful items in the list have some serious flaws:
- any of the books - Yeah, any of these would be really cool. Unfortunately, none of ‘em appear to be available locally.
- any Foxtrot anthology - As reasonable as this may be, I can’t seem to find this in any of the local bookstores either.
- a new desktop computer - Expensive, and I can survive with my current one (it’s chugging along, the keyword is “chugging”). I’m planning to buy a new one when Starcraft 2 comes out in December (and I’ll make sure it’s Diablo 3 ready). Until then, it’s impractical to upgrade (as prices keep dropping as time goes by).
- EEEPC 901 - I can surf the net AND read PDFs anywhere I want! (and then some!) I’d probably lug it around everyday ‘coz it’s small and it’s gonna be so bloody useful. Unfortunately, it’ll (it’s not out yet) most likely cost more than PhP 25k (since the EEEPC 900 is already around that range). That’s already the cost of a really cheap (and possibly impractical) laptop. Not to mention that MSI will be releasing a competitor, and that the battery life is still questionable. A portable internet surfing machine with a battery life of around 3 hours, even with PDF reading capabilities, might not be worth the 25k.
- at least 1 TB external storage - Very very useful to me, it’ll make backing-up of data much much easier. Unfortunately, it’s still a bit expensive.
- Starcraft: The Board Game
- A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game - This would be an awesome co-op games tester for my gaming group (particularly since it seemed to be designed to have the co-op part as removable) and probably be very reasonably priced, but it won’t be out ’till September.
So I decided to change focus and think about the stuff “I need” rather than the stuff “I like”. Removing the usuals like love, food, shelter, friends, more money, and A LOT MORE MONEY, I came up with this list:
- <none>
I already have practically everything I need, and quite a bit of what I want. The items I came up with in my wishlist are just that… wishes… icing on the cake.
I guess I have a lot to be thankful for, and I am.
Tags: Starcraft“The Secret History of Star Wars” (ebook)
I’ll let the author, Michael Kaminski, introduce his free downloadable book in his own words:
The Secret History of Star Wars is a new full-length e-book exploring the writing and creation of the Star Wars saga. Culled from over 400 sources and filled with quotes from people such as George Lucas, Gary Kurtz and Mark Hamill, The Secret History of Star Wars traces all the way back to 1973 to examine how the first 14-page treatment that began the series came to be and was slowly built, draft by draft, year by year and movie by movie. Covering a period of over four decades, you will discover how George Lucas got his ideas for the original film, how Darth Vader was made into Luke Skywalker’s father in 1978 and forever altered the arc of the story, what happened to the infamous third trilogy in the series and how the prequel stories came to be. The book also reveals the style and method of Lucas himself and how his personal life affected and shaped the story, for better and worse. This is a book which challenges many legends surrounding the series and places the films in a new light. For the more casual fan this will be a mesmerizing read and for those who think they know everything about the series, prepare to be surprised!
After going through the first few pages myself, it’s proving to be quite an interesting read. As with most things like this, take it with as much salt as you feel is needed.
You can download “The Secret History of Star Wars” for free from it’s official website.
Tags: has downloads, Star WarsOrson Scott Card Criticizes J.K. Rowling for Suing Harry Potter Lexicon
Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game) criticizes J.K. Rowling for suing a small publisher who made “The Harry Potter Lexicon”. If you’re not familiar with the various legal disputes over Harry Potter, I suggest you read up on them.
It would’ve been really nice if the fan site link Card provided in his article worked, but since it didn’t when I tried it, check out the link above to give you a taste of what he was trying to say in that part of his piece. I also recommend reading the comments in Slashdot to help provide a broader picture on the issue aside from the points from Card.
I agree with Card in many aspects of his piece. I mean, Timothy Hunter anyone? This issue, however, is not simply on Harry Potter’s “questionable originality”, it also tackles on fair-use and what would constitute as derivative work. I do believe that the copyright holder should have the say-so over derivative work. It is arguable, however, if a lexicon, which is research/commentary on a subject, is actually derivative work. Perhaps excepts from the source material are, and I don’t really know if the Lexicon had any excepts.
Funny thing is, Rowling herself appears to have supported the effort when it was in it’s free-website/blog form. It would appear that publishing contents of the site in print form for profit gave her a change of heart.
To be honest I loved the Harry Potter series. I didn’t feel it was overly original or well written, but it struck the right chords personally, and I loved it. Which is why I’m very very disappointed that Rowling is getting herself into things like these.
Tags: opinionEnder’s Game (book review)
I’ve never been a sci-fi reader. Sure, I’ve read some here and there, but most of my sci-fi exposure has been with movies and TV, not books. A quick look at my humble library confirmed it… I had no sci-fi books (I do remember having the Admiral Thrawn trilogy
I decided to rectify the situation in the 3rd quarter of 2007 by attempting to get into the genre. I read top lists, checked reviews, and asked around (though I knew relatively few sci-fi readers personally). The book Ender’s Game
Ender’s Game
In this “school for the elite”, Ender faces more of the same as well as the task of proving his salt, gaining acceptance and respect, and the slow revealation of what “The Man” expects out of him in the end. With each positive thing that happens to Ender, something else goes wrong or a new plot twist is introduced (which kinda reminds me of the “Princess Sarah” anime).
I’ll stop here and let the rest of the story take it’s natural course, but I would like to state a major point in this review… those last two paragraphs pretty much describe the bulk of the book. The events are individually interesting (at least some are), but overall, things just seem to be your run of the mill coming of age story. It’s not that it’s entirely predictable (some parts are, some aren’t), it’s just that when all is said and done the whole thing feels thin.
The journey, however, can be quite engrossing. I can immediately see how nerds in their childhood can relate to Ender, but the empathy goes just a tad further than that. As you grow older, you tend to lose the connection with the youth, forgetting what it meant to be young. If you think about it, Ender’s serious and thoughtful demanor is not simply due to his way-above average intellect (athough it partly is), it’s more of how the younger ones see the world and what they hold dear. Adults may find it unlikely or silly that a boy would think of the things Ender did, but they do. Kids see things differently, and most of us saw things the same way at one point or another in our young lives (on the assumption that you’re one of the so-called relatively ‘old farts’ like me).
Which leads to my other major point… it is this aspect that makes the book special in spite of the weaknesses I mentioned earlier. What the book lacks in sophistication of plot, it makes up for in empathy. It’s not extremely well done, but it was enough to keep me reading, urging me to get to the next page and see what will happen next, being by Ender’s side in his endeavors.
This type of storytelling, however, is not for everyone by definition. Not all people will be able to relate to Ender, and thus the book may ultimately fail on them. To those who do empathize, the plot/story will matter less than the ongoing experience, and thus the book may be successful. If all you’re after is plot and story… well… there’s not much of that in this book.
If you read the preface/introduction, Orson Scott Card
Books on the Radar, 2007.September
Just thought I’d mention these books I’ve recently been considering for purchase:
Battle Royale - I first heard about the film years ago, and given that it was Japanese, I assumed it originated either from anime or manga. Although there is manga avaliable, it turns out that the original piece was actually a novel (and it turns out the film adaptation actually came first). I heard that it’s very violent, and has some similarity to Lord of the Flies. I already saw this at a local bookstore some weeks ago, but dismissed the novel thinking that I should read the manga first. If I only knew that the book was the original, I’d have gotten it then and there. Now, I have to look for it again.
Hobby Games: The 100 Best - It comes out on the 15′th in the US, I’m still thinking of how I can get my hands on this assuming it won’t be available soon locally. Perhaps I should ask around the bookstores if they already have orders placed…
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