I'd like some new material to read. I'd like 2 kinds: 1) A business book. I have really enjoyed books chronicling the '08 crisis. Particularly, I liked Lewis's The Big Short, and Sorkin's Too Big to Fail. Any other recs? 2) I love spy thrillers. My favorite series is by Alex Berenson (John Wells is main guy), followed closely by Lee Child (Jack Reacher). Anyone read the latest books here? They are The Secret Soldier (Berenson) and The Affair (Child). As I am getting ready to stock up on books, is it worth it getting a more expensive iPad with an e-book reader? What are the merits of getting a Kindle or Nook over iPad? I will note that I love the iPad I have now. My wife and I are always fighting over it, so a 2nd one would be a welcome item.
If you liked The Big Short then you should like Lewis's Boomerang. I've heard good things about The Affair but haven't read it. If you like the iPad then I'd say go for another with the e-reader function. I don't know any details, but imagine for book reading they are all pretty much the same: you read letters on a computer screen. Here are some book recs: The Big Swerve - Stephen Greenblatt 1493 - Charles Mann Swamplandia! - Karen Russell Other business books, from last year or so: All the Devils are Here - McLean & Nocera Fool's Gold - Gillian Tett
Business books - Those two are probably the best on the '08 Crisis. The Official Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Report is pretty informative, honest, and actually pretty easy to read. All together, it's a very fascinating read if you have the intellectual patience for the details and concepts. Spy thrillers - LeCare's Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker Tailor Solider Spy are superb. I'd also recommend Alan Furst. Darkstar and Spies of Warsaw are excellent. I have a Nook, both the Simple Touch and the Nook Color. If you're really a true reader/book geek...get the eReader over the iPad. I can't imagine reading 300+ pages on that huge monster. The LCD screen would kill me also. Even the Nook Color/Tablet (even though it's also a tablet) is still more optimized for reading to a special anti-glare glass than the iPad. Magazines look amazing on the Nook Color/Tablet, and the Nook Simple Touch is hands down the best e-ink reader out there...amazing speed and sensitivity in the touch interface, great battery life, and the contrast on the e-ink screen is best in class. I like the Nook primarily because I have a membership, which over the course of a year really saves money in comparison to Amazon. I also like the physical store aspect of the Nook.
The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind is one that I would recommend.
When it comes to spy books I find le Carre to be tedious, bloated, slow, hard to follow, and not worth the effort. Read some Eric Ambler: A Coffin for Dimitrios and Journey Into Fear. Graham Greene's The Quiet American is also quite good.
Lewis' Boomerang is simply a compilation of his Vanity Fair articles which can all be found for free online. Read the article on Iceland last night...a pretty good read.
My wife has a Kindle and I have an iPad with the free Kindle app. It is all a matter of preference. She prefers her Kinda and I prefer the iPad. The Kindle app is free so give it a shot before you buy an e-reader. That way you'll have some idea.
Bought Nook tablet for $249 last night. It moved, and let's just say my tech pants are still going crazy. The thing is awesome. I was talked out of the Kindle due to a limitation of Amazon only stuff (I recognize that isn't much of a limitation). And the e-reader iPad I'd want is $600 or more. The Nook, at $249, seemed like a pretty good deal. I am sure all 3 have a lot of positives, but I like what I got. Holding it in my hands at about half the size of the iPad - it much more closely approximates an actual book, which I like. And I second the magazines comment. Wow, it is a very vivid screen.