The dangers of the Kindle Daily Deal

Have any other Kindle readers found themselves buying books from Amazon that are offered as the Daily Deal for no other reason than that they are usually under £2?

Since getting my Kindle at Christmas, I've largely stocked it with free e-books and thanks to a few Amazon vouchers for my birthday, I also picked up some newer titles for my electronic collection. The problem is, I've also downloaded some books that I probably wouldn't have looked twice at had they not been selected for Amazon's Daily Deal.

It seems rude not to buy a whole book when it's only 99p doesn't it? I don't really begrudge paying for books anyway, especially if they're ones I want to read, but they aren't always cheap, and when they've got such massive reductions, it seem silly to pass up the opportunity to maybe discover a new gem or a great author.

I quite often pop into charity shops and pick up slightly battered copies of things I've been meaning to read for ages or even just stuff that catches my eye, but as it requires effort on my part to leave the house, walk/drive into town and actually go to the shop, it's not something I do that often and therefore I don't feel guilty when I spend a few quid buying books.

For me, that's where the dangers of Amazon's cheap Kindle books lies - in the fact that it requires very little effort on my part to buy books (and I find it hard to resist them). All I have to do is see what deal is on, click buy and it magically appears on my Kindle within minutes. In all honesty, I've stopped looking because I know I could quite easily spend £5 a week buying Kindle books at their discounted prices. That doesn't sound like loads, but that would be £20 a month and if you're not earning a lot, it kind of adds up.

Not to mention the fact that I have so many books to read already it's not as if I need any more! I have a lot of books on my Kindle, as well as a stack of about 30 books sitting by my bed just waiting for me to get round to them!

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it's possible to pick up books at reduced prices and I think it's important to do everything possible to encourage more people to read. Personally, I've just found the Daily Deal is a bit too appealing - and it's an incredibly clever marketing tool from Amazon that draws you back to the site very regularly indeed.

Book review: The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

So, I decided to stick to the historical theme for my next read and ended up plumping for an Oscar Wilde book. I've never read anything of his before but thought it was about time I continued my literary education. I had a vague notion of the storyline of The Picture of Dorian Gray before I started it, but still wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

The concept, for anyone not familiar with it, is that Dorian Gray has a portrait of himself painted when he is in his early 20s and he wishes the picture would age rather than him. Much to his surprise, this happens, paving the way for him to lead a destructive life without having to deal with the consequences on his appearance. That does not, however, prevent his soul being corrupted and it's interesting to see the ways in which his cruel nature are expressed.

Ultimately, I very much enjoyed the book and found the transformation of Dorian incredibly compelling. From a naive, vain youngster he evolves into a selfish, cruel man whose only purpose in life is to experience the pleasures of the world, regardless of the personal cost - or the damage it may do to others. I went from feeling slightly sorry for Dorian at the start to actively wishing his demise would come, which, of course, it does.

The other thing I liked about the novel is that Wilde doesn't feel compelled to detail many of Dorian's misdeeds, instead, he hints at his secret life away from high society by suggesting rumours and dropping small hints of information here and there and through lengthy philosophical conversations between Dorian and his close friend, Lord Henry.

It's not a particularly fast read, but it's one I would recommend if you have the patience and desire to go back to some of the classics.

Book review: The Somnambulist

The Somnambulist by Essie Fox

I'm going to come straight out and say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was one of those random buys (for me swayed by the name and the book cover - kind of a moot point as I bought it for my Kindle but, in all honesty, I'll probably pick up a hard copy at some point) that turned out to be fantastic.

I love it when that happens - when you totally judge a book by its cover and somehow it turns out to be wonderful. Admittedly, there have been times when I've thoroughly regretted spending money on something because of its cover, but swings and roundabouts.

Anyway, back to the Somnambulist - a story of love, loss, and I suppose life in Victorian England. The main character - Phoebe - is instantly likeable and I found her to be very human. You see her learn from her mistakes and become a better person for it. The situation she's thrown into isn't of her own making, which just makes you root for her all the more as you want to see her overcome the obstacles that have been put in her path.

There are (of course) a few twists and turns along the way and, I have to say, one of the things I loved most about this book was, that at a certain point, I honestly could not tell whether I'd get the happy ending I so desperately wanted or one that was incredibly bleak - I'll leave you to read it and discover which way it goes.

Essie Fox manages to capture the essence of Victorian theatre - with all its outward appearance of glitz and glamour while behind the scenes the reality is often very different. She tells the story beautifully, giving you just enough hints that you could work stuff out yourself, but not so many that the truth is screaming at you from the pages.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read and one I'd definitely recommend! (So much so that I'll probably be buying it in paperback to go on my bookshelf).