K3 - and a green cover

Did I mention that I upgraded from the Kindle 1 to a Kindle 3? During the two and a half years that I used my first generation Kindle, 93 of the 351 books that I read during that time were read on the Kindle. I was totally happy with the K1 and was not even tempted when Amazon brought out the 2nd generation. But then came the announcement of the third generation reader which had WiFi connectivity and I knew I wanted it. I only thought about it for a very short while before making up my mind. On 1 August 2010, I placed my order for one of the new 3G + WiFi Kindles—in black!

To top it off, I bought one of the lighted covers in green. It's wonderful. The light pulls out of the top corner of the cover, and it draws its power from the Kindle itself. So when I fall asleep while reading and the Kindle puts itself into stand-by mode, the light turns off too. Now that's convenient for reading in bed.

The first book I read on my new device was The Outsider by Ann H Gabhart. This was a freebie offered in July 2010 by the publisher, Revell. This book was very well written—a good plot, believable characters, and a great setting—unlike many of the free books that I have picked up along the way. Here's how the book is described at Amazon:

For as long as she can remember, Gabrielle Hope has had the gift of knowing—visions that warn of things to come. When she and her mother joined the Pleasant Hill Shaker community in 1807, the community embraced her gift. But Gabrielle fears this gift, for the visions are often ones of sorrow and tragedy. When one of these visions comes to pass, a local doctor must be brought in to save the life of a young man, setting into motion a chain of events that will challenge Gabrielle's loyalty to the Shakers. As she falls deeper into a forbidden love for this man of the world, Gabrielle must make a choice. Can she experience true happiness in this simple and chaste community? Or will she abandon her brothers and sisters for a life of the unknown? Soulful and filled with romance, The Outsider lets readers live within a bygone time among a unique and peculiar people. This tender and thought-provoking story will leave readers wanting more from this writer.

The reviewer made an excellent observation. When I finished reading it, I knew that I would be getting additional books by Ms. Gabhart at some time in the future.

Since finishing The Outsider in September 2010, I have read 10 other books on the new Kindle. The most recently finished book was Flag in Exile by David Weber. This is the fifth book in his Honor Harrington series, all of which can be purchased without DRM from WebScription.net

As Flag in Exile begins, Honor has been forced into indefinite leave from the Royal Manticoran Navy and has retreated to the planet Grayson to take up her role as Steadholder while she tries to heal her bitter wounds. But the People's Republic of Haven is threatening Grayson, and the Grayson Navy desperately needs her experience.

There's this little problem however, that Grayson is a culture totally dominated by men. The population has been having enough trouble accepting that for the first time in history, a woman has been appointed Steadholder. Now, they're being asked to adjust to the fact that a woman will be going to war and will be leading the defense of Grayson.

A totally enjoyable addition to the Honorverse, and I've already started reading the sequel, Honor Among Enemies.