Exercise 1
One of my favorite nearby bookstores is Schroeder's Book Haven in League City. The is an independent bookstore specializing in Texana, but also offering ordering of new and used books. Schroeder's does have a website (http://www.bookhaventexas.com/) with a nice picture of the store (in an old house in the historic district of League City). There is a searchable catalog as well as ordering details for items not in stock. Schroeder's is part of the biblio.com network of booksellers.
Another book store close by that I like a lot is the LifeWay Christian Book Store. I have been in the store a few times and really appreciate the clean, uncluttered feel of the place. They sell a lot more than just books. There are DVDs, CDs and various other Christian related items, such as T-shirts, etc. The web site is searchable with a store locator and other standard website features, as well as some streaming video clips (various product advertisements) and links to other Christian resources e.g. blogs and podcasts.
Half Price Books also has a store very near this branch (Freeman). This bookstore specializes in used and remaindered items. Like the big boys (B&N, Borders) they sell music and movies, but they are normally 2nd hand, which is okay with me. Going to any good used book store is like going on a treasure hunt. The website has a store locator feature with maps, news & publicity and a few other things, but it is not as 'impressive' as B&N or Borders and doesn't try to be. It does not even have a search feature to search for specific items, probably because they do not try to operate as an online bookstore. They want you to go to the local store. This chain has been in business now for a good number of years and is a good place to go for items you can't find at bookstores that specialize only in newer titles.
Exercise 2
A search online for The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence, brings up the amazon.com conglomerate as the first match (no surprise here), and from there I find pretty much all the info I need. It is Out of Print in hardcover, but readily available either new ($6.99) or used (starting @ $0.01 minus the s&h) in paperback format. The CD version is available starting at $39.95. A downloadable version is available from Audible.com for $15.71 (a special promo). There is also a school & library binding edition available from Amazon for $15.40.
Exercise 3
Well, once I had wasted enough time fiddling with trying to download an audio book, and Grace kindly set me on the right track (ebooks), things began to get a lot easier! Up to that point, the whole thing was pretty much an exercise in frustration. (It always helps to read the instructions!)
So, I went exploring to see what was available in ebook format, and I have to say I am rather impressed with what I found. I went to several of the free ebooks sites, http://www.free-ebooks.net/ as well as some others, but of course, your are required to register, which means another password to remember. Not wanting another thing to remember or keep track of, I ultimately decided to use the NetLibrary access from the library homepage. (I can, at least, remember my library barcode and PIN without having to look them up.)
On the Netlibrary site, I just started exploring, trying various limiters such as science fiction and short stories. I got a lot of interesting results: Gnarl! by Rudy Rucker (sci-fi short stories) and various other collections, but in the end settled for A Few Short Notes on Tropical Butterfiles by John Murray because I had already read the hard copy and thought it would be a good point of comparison. Also, the books on the Netlibrary site are scanned cover to cover, so it looks much as the hard copy would l00k.
My main observation is how uncomfortable reading is on a computer. I guess the experience will be somewhat different on a Kindle Reader or some other device that you can move around, but on a computer, while you can still move around to a degree, the computer more than likely is not going to. Even with a laptop the options are much more limited than with a hard copy book. Furthermore, while reading online, I had to click on the next tab to turn the page, and then wait for it to load. (I rather like the physical act of turning a page; it's sort of the same thrill as opening a package)
Since I do most of my reading in bed at night before I go to sleep (not counting work hours staring at computer screens), trying to read an ebook does not particularly appeal to me. I also like to have a book in hand when I am in a queue, so relying of the vageries of batteries or power supplies holds no real thrill either.
Advantage wise, hard copies of books are portable, durable (mostly), inexpensive, versitle (think illustrated or even pop-up). Personally, I am a bit hard pressed to think of the disadvantages of books. Disadvantages of ebooks, however, include all of what I mentioned above, as well as a whole new level of eye and neck strain. I see many people every day with their faces only inches away from the screen, shoulders hunched, etc., often for hours at a whack. Can that really be good for a body physically, especially for long stretches of time?
Computers have lots of wonderful advantages, but when it comes to reading, especially for pleasure, I want an old-fashioned book with me. (Forgive me, Captain Pickard)
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