From the monthly archives:

November 2009

Exposing the “science” behind the theory of evolution

by Sheila Tofflemire November 29, 2009

I came across the following book while reading a favourite book publishing blog: View From the Publishing Trenches. This is not a review, but rather just a notification of a book that caught my eye. This is one I’ll have to read; it has me intrigued.In light of the ongoing scandal involving the “scientific consensus” [...]

6 comments Read the full article →

Christmas gift ideas for book lovers

by Sheila Tofflemire November 27, 2009

For the reading enthusiast on your shopping list: The New York Times Book Review has made its selection of 100 Notable Books for 2009.

Read the full article →

Duty calls

by Sheila Tofflemire November 26, 2009

Unfortunately I haven’t had much time for posting lately. I’m in the middle of two large projects: developing an instruction manual for an anxious client, and writing an eBook — details about that at a later date. So, for the next little while, posts will be intermittent at best.
And, before I forget…Happy Thanksgiving Day, America!

Read the full article →

Amazon’s Kindle comes to Canada: I say, “Big deal!”

by Sheila Tofflemire November 18, 2009

So much buzz surrounding the announcement that Amazon’s Kindle is now available in Canada – but why?
I’m an avid reader, and as discussed before, I love eBooks: for the space they save and the portability factor. So, you might think that this announcement by Amazon would fill my heart with glee. Nothing could be further [...]

Read the full article →

The eBook revolution is under way

by Sheila Tofflemire November 17, 2009

I’m old enough to remember life before computers, listening to records, and black & white TV. Today CDs have replaced vinyl records, and VHS tapes have been replaced by DVDs, with Blu-Ray aiming to usurp DVDs.
What’s next you ask? I think it’s safe to say eBooks are shaping up to become the reading medium of [...]

1 comment Read the full article →

Seriously: Use the serial comma

by Sheila Tofflemire November 13, 2009

The serial comma (a.k.a. the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma) is the comma used immediately before the conjunction that precedes the final item in a series of three or more items. In simple sentences, omitting the serial comma may be acceptable; however, ambiguities causing misinterpretations arise in more complex sentence constructions.
Its use is mandatory [...]

Read the full article →

Musings on eReaders

by Sheila Tofflemire November 12, 2009

One reason I find it so difficult to decide on an eBook reader – or eReader – is the sheer multitude of available eBook reading formats. While PDFs have been around awhile, the PDF format does not always make an easy-to-read eBook – at least, not on the portable eReader devices. PDFs, for the most [...]

3 comments Read the full article →

Grammar: Its or it’s?

by Sheila Tofflemire November 11, 2009

This tip is based on a grammar no-no that is a particular pet peeve of mine. When I see this mistake…well, let’s just say it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me. It also happens to be one of the most common grammar errors that many people make.
Here’s the problem: The apostrophe is used for [...]

Read the full article →

Is eBook resistance futile?

by Sheila Tofflemire November 7, 2009

It doesn’t really surprise me that there’s still great resistance to the current trend toward eBooks. While eBooks still represent only a small percentage of total book sales, they are the fastest growing book trend. Still, old habits die hard, and many people – me included – dislike change.
Yet, I’ve been able to recognize the [...]

Read the full article →