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Kindle

For those of you on Facebook or Twitter last night, you may have heard me gushing about the 2.5 firmware update for the Kindle. Well…this update was one of the main reasons I decided to go with a Kindle, so when it didn’t download automatically, and it seemed like I was the only one on the planet that did not get the update, I decided to download it manually.

So here’s the deal, if your hasn’t downloaded automatically, go here for the manual download instructions. You can check to see what version you currently have by going to Menu > Settings (version will appear at the bottom of the screen).

If you’re wondering what the big deal is, check out what’s included in the upgrade:

Collections: Organize your books and documents into one or more collections.
PDF Pan and Zoom: Zoom into PDFs and pan around to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics.
Password Protection: Password protect your Kindle when you’re not using it.
More Font Sizes & Improved Clarity: Enjoy two new larger font sizes and sharper fonts for an even more comfortable reading experience.
Facebook & Twitter Posts: Share meaningful book passages with friends on Facebook and Twitter directly from your Kindle.
Popular Highlights: See what the Kindle community thinks are the most interesting passages in the books you’re reading.

I tested the Facebook and Twitter feature and it’s awesome!! Being able to share fave passages with just a few clicks is going to be really useful. What really floats my boat though, is the ability to create collections. Now I can easily organize all of my Kindle books. Yay!

So if you have a Kindle and it hasn’t downloaded the new update, do it yourself. It took me 3 minutes to do.

Can I just take a moment to tell you how much I LOVE list-making? Well, I LOVE it. It has taken me weeks to complete my summer reading list because summer is summer, and summer reads have to be awesome and well, the expectation is just too high for them not to be. Some of these books, are books that I have had on my list for quite some time. For whatever reason, I just feel that some of these books need the relaxed pace of summer for me to really enjoy them.

As you can see, there aren’t any light reads here. No beach reads really, and some of them deal with “end of the world” weirdness which I seem fascinated with at this point in my life. All of these books are new to me with the exception of The Stand. I read The Stand when I was nineteen. That was a good chunk of time ago and for years I have recommended it to people but to be honest, it HAS been ages since I read it, and so many books (The Passage included) are being compared to The Stand that I feel that a re-read is in order. I will be re-reading the the uncut version which includes 400 pages that King was forced to cut due to cost.

Other tidbits of interest:

I’ve never read an Austen book and when I asked folks on Facebook which one to read first, they pushed for Pride & Prejudice.
I hear nothing but good things about Dorothy Whipple so I thought I’d give her a whirl.
I read Less Than Zero in my college days so when I heard about Imperial Bedrooms I decided that it must be read. The audio book is read by Andrew McCarthy (he played Clay in the movie), which is tempting but I think I’ll read it.
Thomas from My Porch raved about Elinor Lipman so that’s why she appears on this list.
I love the Brat Pack and grew up with them so when I read Gayle’s review of You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried, I decided I had to read it.

So what do you think? Are there some good ones here? If I get through half of them, I’ll be thrilled. As you all know, summer doesn’t always mean more time. Especially for those of us that work and have kids. I’m hopeful though.

2010 Summer List #1