Format, Format - Who's got the format?

While I've been in non-blogging mode, I have noticed that among the readers I know - it has become more a question of not what they are reading - but how they are reading. (Non-readers - don't count in this - cause they ain't reading.)

Some über-readers are using audiobooks to get their story fix while others are downloading e-books as fast as they go on sale. And then others still have a To Be Read (TBR) pile that will never be done. Does the format bring more to the story?

I have found that since I'm an easily distracted driver - I can only listen to audiobooks that I have read before or that are in the same series. Brand new stuff distracts me too much and I'm soon driving in the wrong direction. But I've found audiobooks and their talented readers can bring parts of the book alive in ways that you did not notice while reading it.

What about reading e-books? Does it bring a new dimension to your book, or does the "how far you are in the book" bar distract from the enjoyment? Or is the reality just that it allows you to get a book and get it now!?

How do you read? Different genres or titles in different formats? Or a little bit of everything?

I've Been Roaming Around...

Grad school sometimes does not leave much time for other things. I'm back again after a rather long break. And hopefully I will have more to contribute.

I have been to so many conferences this year and discovered many new authors. Now I am even more behind than usual! This year I have been to Love Is Murder (the Chicago area's mystery writers conference), the Romantic Times Convention (what a wild time!), Spring Fling  (which is the Chicago RWA biennial conference), and I made it to LeakyCon which was held in Chicago this year and I have one more to go in October - Bouchercon in Cleveland (Crime Fiction Rocks!)

I have met some of my favorite current authors and some big-wig authors I never thought I would be standing in front of. Seriously, what do you say to Anne Rice that she has not heard before? I was just gobsmacked that she was in front of me.

But the best part, was meeting all the fellow book fans. And listening to them; rave about their favorites, who they are reading now, and which book to read first and which author has the best FaceBook, blog presence etc...

Sometimes it is just nice to be back with your tribe. ;-)