BostonZest

Amazon Kindle- Long Term Use Update

Last week, we promised an update on our long-term use of the Amazon Kindle. We bought ours back when it was much pricier, but we could justify the expense because we switched our Boston Globe subscription from home delivery to the Kindle. That means we saved the cost of the device in about 7 months– making our Kindle free!

Kindles are used all over the world. Here's a man on a train in Singapore.

Ed used the Kindle for reading newspapers on the subway as he commuted to work. “Trying to read a newspaper on the subway, especially when it’s crowded, is just too annoying. Instead of constantly turning pages and refolding, the Kindle allows for one-hand operation. It’s smaller, faster and easier to read than a paper,” he said.

I’d read the paper before he was ready to leave in the morning. And, I read books on it in the evening, and when we traveled.

Remote Purchase
I remember finishing a book late in the evening on a trip to Maine and looking around the hotel room for something else to read. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I could just buy a new book with my Kindle. That was a moment of love for this voracious reader.
When we’re in Provincetown, I’ll read a book a day. The Kindle makes packing much lighter.

iPhone, iPad, iTouch Reader
Then came the Kindle App for my iPhone. (Amazon also has apps for the iPad and iTouch) Reading on the iPhone is not as enjoyable as reading on the Kindle. But, when you’re sitting in a waiting room and can call up the book you were reading last night and have the Kindle App ask if you'd like to sync to the place where you left off, it’s another moment of love.

Reading on Other Devices

Friends of ours didn’t know that you can buy Kindle books for the Apple devices mentioned above and for other operating systems too– Windows PC, Blackberry, and Android. You don’t have to have a Kindle to travel light and keep a good supply of reading material with you.

Still Happy With Kindle

After about 18 months of use, we're still happy with our Kindle. We hope this helps all of you who had questions about it.

Related Post: Boston Globe Kindle Edition

If you stop by BostonZest and enter Amazon from here and buy any product, you will support this site. Thanks to all of you who are helping us by doing just that!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino

Photography: by Gurmit Singh used under Creative Commons license

It Begins With a Seed

"If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people."
Confucius

Photo: © 2010 Penny Cherubino

Support BostonZest by shopping on Amazon. Have you read Lone Holdout by Beacon Hill resident, Linda Cox? 

You should. Here's why.

Sunday Dog, Nikita will Win Your Heart

"Is that a Husky? No, I think it's a Malamute." That's how our conversation went during a walk last week.

Ok, Penny was right... (did I say that out loud?)

It was an Alaskan Malamute, although the breed is said to be related to the Siberian Husky, among other Arctic lines. While "anyone" might mistake one for the other at a distance, up close you can see the Mal is a bit larger.


 
Her name is Nikita, and as you can see, she's gorgeous!

Not only that, but she has the sweetest personality. Her human told us that Nikita, who lives in the Fenway, just turned two. She's a real "people dog" and loves to jump-up to say hello. 

A strong, active dog with great stamina, the Malamute has an amazing coat. As we patted Nitika, the course outer coat reveals a dense under layer (no wonder they're so at home in cold weather). 

Learn more about this impressive animal at AKC/Alaskan Malamute.

And, just in case you want to compare the Mal to the Husky, click on AKC/Siberian Husky.

(Message from Penny) - I'll have to confess that the reason I can spot a Malamute is because I've read just about all of local writer, Susan Conant's Dog Lover's Mysteries. And, they star Malamutes. 

Details:

Writer: Ed Cherubino

Photo: © 2010 Penny Cherubino

Cafe Jaffa– A Good Value in the Back Bay

A BostonZest post on Cafe Jaffa is long overdue. When we meet people new to the Back Bay, Cafe Jaffa is always one of the neighborhood dining options we recommend.

On Saturday, we worked on a project for most of the day. When we finally raised our heads, it was 3 o'clock and we needed something to eat. Cafe Jaffa was the perfect answer. It's nearby, casual, open long hours, and a great value. What's more we could choose to eat there or order take-out. Either way they'd feed us quickly. 

We decided to eat there. We ordered falafel to stave off starvation. Then followed that with chicken kabob and schwarma salads. We ate our fill and still had half a salad to take home for an evening snack.

If you ever need a quick meal around the Prudential Center and Hynes Auditorium, check-out the Middle Eastern fare at Cafe Jaffa.

Once you taste the flavors at Cafe Jaffa, you may want to make Middle Eastern food yourself. This book by Claudia Roden is on my wish list. She's a great teacher, storyteller and an all around inspiring food author.

Remember, when you start your Amazon shopping from here, you keep recommendations like this one for Cafe Jaffa coming your way.

 

Details:

Cafe Jaffa-  48 Gloucester Street, Boston, MA 02115 (map)

(617) 536-0230

www.cafejaffa.net

Other opinions:

Google links

Here's the yelp

Boston Globe Kindle Edition

The recent price increase for home delivery of the Boston Globe has been the subject of much discussion this week. So far, we have not had a price increase for our morning Globe.

At the beginning of this year, we opted out of home delivery. We still receive the Globe each day, but it arrives on our Amazon Kindle Reader.

Yes, we had to buy the Kindle reader. Right now that costs $299. But, the price for the Globe delivered to a Kindle is $9.99 a month. That comes to $119.88 a year.

According to WBZ TV the current price for home delivery of the Globe for us would be $12.25 a week. Outside the Greater Boston area, it's $15.50 a week. With the price increase we would have been paying $637 a year. Isn't that somewhat like getting the Kindle for free?

If you already have a Kindle, you can try a 14 day free trial of the Globe and many other newspapers.

The Pros Of The Boston Globe Kindle Edition

• Your paper is delivered every morning, without fail. We have not had a copy stolen from our front steps, forgotten by our carrier or delivered to the wrong address.
• When you travel within the USA, your morning paper arrives on your Kindle just like it does at home.
• It's much easier to read on the train. You can hang on with one hand and work the Kindle with the other.
• We also buy other books for the Kindle at a discount. We are using it for more than the paper.
• With Amazon's free email delivery option, you can send other documents that you want to read to the Kindle.
• You don't get ink on our hands from reading the paper.
• You don't have piles of newspapers to recycle.
• You don't have to tip the paper carrier.

The Cons Of The Boston Globe Kindle Edition

• You don't receive the entire paper. You don't get the comics, coupons, circulars, TV listings, and all the graphics and photographs. But, you can see some of these online.
• You can't share the paper on a Sunday morning. We have a routine where I read the paper before Ed leaves for work and he reads it on the train. On weekends we take turns. 
• There are some silly glitches like stories showing up in the wrong section. Always check the obituaries--you never know what you will find there.
• Bylines are often missing and you sometimes have to scan to the end of an article to see who wrote it.
  
• You won't have newspapers to start a fire in your fireplace, wrap a fish or wash your windows. I also used them to husk corn this time of year.
• It's so easy to buy books that you may have to put yourself on a book budget or you'll eat up all the money you saved in the switch.

We'll be happy to answer and Kindle/Globe questions. Anyone else out there using the Kindle for newspapers?

Plan Your Boston Weekend Early In The Week

Does Monday find you wishing you had done something more interesting over the weekend? Don't sit and fret. Instead, start planning now for your next weekend in Boston.

Here are a couple of reminders of books that we've reviewed that will help you plan a great weekend adventure.

Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands- A Guide To The City's Hidden Shores

Author Christopher Klein introduces you to the history, geography, flora, fauna, special features, and current amenities on thirty-one Boston Harbor Islands.

In the pages of this book, you'll meet the people and hear the stories that form the history of the islands. You'll gain a new appreciation for the important role the harbor islands played in creating the city we know.

Here's a link to our full review.

Review of Boston Harbor Islands- A Guide To The City's Hidden Shores

The second book is for dog lovers looking for adventures to share with their dogs.

Best Hikes with Dogs: Boston & Beyond

This is the book to use to plan for treks into the parks and conservation areas with canine companions. 

Author, Jenna Ringelheim and her dog Tasman, spent more than a year exploring parks, reservations, woodlands, and conservation areas to select the 50 trails for the book.

Here's a link to our full review and an interview with Jenna.

Link to our review of Best Hikes with Dogs.

As a bonus for Kindle and iPhone users, this book is now available on the Kindle.

That means that if you buy the Kindle edition and download the free Amazon Kindle app for your iPhone, you can keep this book on your phone. That way it will be ready to take you away on a hike when you are out and about.

Here's the link to the Kindle Edition.

 

Boston Harbor Islands- Book Signing & Regatta This Weekend

Bostonians are just beginning to discover one of our most spectacular assets – The Boston Harbor Island National Park Area.

Just in time for this period of discovery, a new guide packed with information about these historic and beautiful places has been published.

Boston Harbor Islands- A Guide To The City's Hidden Shores by Christopher Klein introduces you to the history, geography, flora, fauna, special features, and current amenities on thirty-one Boston Harbor Islands.

In the pages of this book, you'll meet the people and hear the stories that form the history of the islands. You'll gain a new appreciation for the important role the harbor islands played in creating the city we know.

As I read, I started planning visits. I didn't know that Grape Island existed. Now, I want to see where a major alarm of the American Revolution was raised in May of 1775. (This was a little more than a month before the Battle of Bunker Hill.)

Reading about this episode was made very real by the inclusion of letters between John and Abigail Adams about the "Grape Island Alarm." This is but one example of the meticulous research that enlivens this work.

If history is not your thing, you might enjoy the detailed information on places to enjoy picnics, wildlife, birding, hiking, camping, boating, and beaches.

Other folks will love the hundreds of gorgeous photographs, like those shown here. They make you want to see the vistas yourself.

(The photos here are courtesy of Union Park Press. The first was taken by the author, Christopher Klein and the second is the work of photographer, Nicole L. Vecchiotti. Both are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the owners.)

The photography and flowing text make this book a great holiday gift for your favorite armchair traveler, boater, or a Boston area family.

This weekend, is a perfect opportunity to hop on a ferry and head out to Georges Island. Not only will Christopher Klein be there to chat and sign copies of his book, but he'll do it in the middle of the 4th Annual Boston Harbor Islands Regatta and festival.

Aside from watching the racing sailboats, other spectator activities include fishing lessons, hiking historic Fort Warren and a chance to sing along and dance to Dixieland Jazz by David Ehle. Activities will run from 10 am to 4 pm. All the links and details you need are below.

Here's a link to purchase the book from Amazon.

Details:

From the signing invitation:
"Join Union Park Press, Christopher Klein, and hundreds of Bostonians on Saturday September 27
for the 4th annual Boston Harbor Islands Regatta On Georges Island
This is an outdoor festival NOT to be missed!!
Stop by to chat and have your copy of DISCOVERING THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS signed by Chris Klein at 2 PM"

Links related to the book:

www.unionparkpress.com
www.hubtrotter.blogspot.com
www.christopherklein.com 

Links to Boston Harbor Island Organizations

www.bostonislands.org
www.islandalliance.org
www.tbha.org

Transportation to the Islands:

On September 27, Ferry boats will be running hourly from 9:00am to 5:00pm from Boston’s Long Wharf to the Regatta Festival on Georges Island. Here's a link to ferry service schedules for other times.
http://www.harborexpress.com/harborislands/