Albatros: Your New Book Journey Begins

Reading books has always been and will always be one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile activities for us. A lot of people thought print books will be completely eradicated. After all, the digital age has come and books have now become available in electronic format, allowing you to read them whenever and wherever you want. Nevertheless, no one can deny the charm that print books have, especially if you got them as gifts or if they have been signed by the authors themselves.

One problem most people encounter with reading print books, though, is forgetting in which page you left off. Some wrong solutions people have come up are the following:

• Folding the top corner of the page
• Inserting a thick or hard object as a bookmark (e.g., ruler, pen, toy, etc.)
• Leaving the book open, pages facing down

These solutions are all kinds of wrongs and things you must not do. Why? It is because these solutions tend to damage your books, and certainly, you do not want that to happen.

Introducing Albatros

You might be asking, “There are already normal bookmarks being sold. Why should I get Albatros?” Here are some of the best reasons why Albatros is perfect for book lovers:

Book Friendly

The Albatros bookmark is relatively thin: it will mark your page without creating visible gaps. It is very easy to use, and the glue, which helps it stick to your book pages, is guaranteed not to damage your books. It can also be used for several books, although you must be aware that the glue will fade with time. Hence, it is generally recommended to be used only for a single book.

Ingenious Design

Available in 6 colors (red, pink, yellow, green, blue, and black), the Albatros has a nice, bird-like design that keeps track of your reading. All you have to do is attach one side on the front of the first page and the other at the back of the last page. Every time you flip a page, the Albatros bookmark will put itself in place.

So, if you love reading or if you know someone who do, then be sure to get Albatros; it will certainly be a lifelong friend for you!

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How to Effectively Read Books

There’s nothing like being able to sit back, relax and be drowned in a good book. It makes you feel free; it makes you feel curious. Interesting books make you feel alive and kicking, and they can get you reading for hours and hours. However, there are times when reading becomes ineffective. What happens is that you keep on reading a book but none of what’s inside it makes sense. It suddenly feels like reading is a waste of time when it totally isn’t!

Don’t wait ‘til finishing a book becomes thorny.  Here are some tips on how you can effectively read your books so that whether it’s a 250-page, 2500-page book or a 500-page eBook, you will be able to conquer it easily and successfully.

1. The place matters. You cannot read inside the bar. You cannot read during a football game inside the stadium. But you can read inside the bathroom for hours (as long as no one’s using it!) and you can stay sit at a park for the whole day with a book in your hand. Obviously, the first tip is to find a comfortable place where you can focus on reading the material. The right light setting, on the other hand, is also vital to keeping your focus and ability to see what you are reading.
2. Get a dictionary. Increase your vocabulary by keeping this book of words beside you. Find the meaning of words you do not know because these words may be vital to your understanding what the book is all about. If you don’t have one, you can also consult the glossary and index.
3. Go for active reading. Students often use highlighters when reading huge textbooks and there is a reason for that. In reading a book or an e-book, you may also take down notes and questions, and highlight or underline certain parts that you think should be given more stress on.
4. Finish it off. Do not stop reading for too long. Once you have started reading, try your best to finish it off. Sometimes in the middle of reading, we lost interest in the book. When that happens, you can just skim through some parts but make sure that you still get to read most parts of the book.
5. Know your focus. What’s do you want to know? What is your purpose for reading the book or eBook? When you don’t have a purpose, it’s hard to be motivated to finish reading the book. So make sure that you do motivate yourself enough to get your reading going.
6. Read everything. The cover flaps, the table of contents, the title page, the preface, the introduction, the author’s note and sometimes even the acknowledgement, all have something to do with the book and what it’s all about. Make sure to read them.
7. Give attention to the use of words. The nouns and verbs used in each sentence are the ones that give them the sense. The use of no, not, never, can’t, won’t and other negative words reverse the meaning of a sentence. Would, could, if, should and other conditional tense also make a big difference.
8. Finally, look at drawings and diagrams closely. Understand what the pictures and images are trying to depict.

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Why eBook is More Selling than Hard Copy Books

An eBook is an electronic book, usually in a PDF or portable document format that enables readers to read material on a desktop or laptop screen or any portable device. But why is an eBook more selling than a hard copy book?

There are various reasons why most people had stopped buying hard copy books and prefer to buy eBooks instead. Among the many reasons presented include the following:

Reason #1 – Physical Mess

Most individuals have already discarded the use of hard copy books because they do not want any physical mess or disorder. Years ago, people tend to buy several books for references. These books are, in actual reason, consuming a lot of space in the house especially when they are not properly arranged.

Reason #2 – Cost

In today’s finances, eBooks are lower than hard exact duplicate books. Many individuals are greatly astonished that the cost distinction is not that much and would simply take only a dollar or two.

Reason #3 –Accessibility

With eBooks, you can just carry it anytime and anywhere. In fact, it enables you to carry 12 or more books without exerting much effort that may cause physical discomfort or inconvenience. With eBooks, you cancarry as many titles as you like as it is very portable. As a matter of fact, eBooks enable you to take along the whole library with you anywhere you go. You can shift between titles with easiness and the bulk is lighter than a standard paperback.

Reason #4 – Reading throughBoards

Those who possess a lot of books know how much space they can occupy, but with a reader, your bookshelf is situated on a small handheld gadget, your computer or on both. This will spare you a lot of storage space and also entails you have a backup over the internet or computer if something happens to your books.With eBooks, you can use a variety of modern technology gadgets if you wish to read while waiting somewhere. Be it an iPad or an iPone or a Mac, reading your favorite book has never been made this easy.

Reason #5 – Capacity to Explore and Profit

Ebooks enable us to underlineand add notes. While maybe not as satisfying as using a highlighter pen, it has the clearadvantage of making our notes and markups easily searchable. If you would like to go back to search for something, you can quickly search for it, instead of turning back through many pages.

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Bite of an Apple: Getting to Know Steve Jobs

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me…Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful…that’s what matters to me.”

A great man who charmed the world with his endless imagination and innovation, Steve Jobs is indeed one of the greatest minds our generation has ever seen. Most of us know him to be the genius behind Apple’s sought-after products like iPhone, iPad, and Macbook. However, more than just being an inventor, who is the indomitable Steve Jobs?

The World of Steve Jobs

Getting to know Steven Paul Jobs, or simply Steve Jobs, can be a herculean task. As most people close to him put it, there is a “reality distortion field” surrounding him. While this “field” often describes Jobs’ charisma which thoroughly convince people of how something impossible is possible, it also denotes his ability to lead, or perhaps mislead, people. Fortunately, there is a man who is given the chance to see through Steve Jobs’ stealthy armor and has created a book, aptly titled Steve Jobs, that reveals to us what the real Steve Jobs is like—not the image his words have or the media has created but the man he is to his family, his friends, his peers, and his subordinates.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is released just weeks after Jobs’ passing, easily making it a must-read among everyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of the prodigious man’s life. It shares Jobs’ struggles, his climb and his separation with Apple, his comeback to his “family” company, his establishment of Pixar, and his debates with Microsoft and its founder, Bill Gates, among others. However, more than just giving us details and explanations, Steve Jobs offers us the ability to feel what Jobs himself felt. It is as if we can see things through his eyes and walk in his shoes.

The book’s passages thoroughly illustrate how Steve Jobs’ principles were formed, what some of his regrets in life are, and how his very contradictory nature has helped not only himself but Apple and the world. During his lifetime, was Jobs able to “put a dent in the universe”—leave a mark that will be remembered by generations to come, maybe even forever? It is one question that the book, without doubt, tries to answer. Of course, no specific conclusion is given. In fact, it is a wonder why the book never mentioned Jobs’ passing away. Then again, it is as if the book is emphasizing his legacy: Jobs may be like everyone who has a beginning, but he is one without end.

For avid readers and people fascinated by Steve Jobs, what the book contains is nothing but precious information. It is highly comprehensive, covering 600 pages of the life and works of Steve Jobs, and is narrated in such a way that readers will most surely be captivated. Non-fiction works, especially biographies, can be dull, even if the person featured is one as prominent and beloved as Jobs. Indeed, it is a challenge to portray a person’s life as if it is a modern fairy tale that speaks of a moral and ends with “happily ever after,” but esteemed writer Walter Isaacson pulled it off magnificently.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson may not be as comprehensive as some readers wish it to be, but it surely is a portal that connects us to the world of Steve Jobs—a world where everything is possible and where all ideas are turned to reality.

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Rotyo Launches to Offer Great Reads

Some people think that the print media is already a thing of the past. With people leading the mobile life, loving gadgets and devices like laptops, smart phones, and iPads, it might really seem like reading books is a fading fad. However, that will never be the truth. Books will always have this irresistible charm. The feel of crisp or soft paper on your hand and fingertips and the feeling of reading stories in ink, which is gentler to the eyes, will always be something to look forward to. After all, as the former esteemed Harvard President Charles W. Eliot once said, “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

Therefore, if you are looking for new friends, counselors, and teachers, so to speak, then you will love Rotyo.

Rotyo is a new book-sharing site launched last December 5, 2011. It is a platform designed to help readers find new gems, offering ideas for new books to read and discussing titles that are currently in demand. The site also offers meaningful reviews and ratings from members which can be helpful guides for deciding which book to get and add to your continuously growing collection.

Why You Will Love Rotyo

Some of you might be hesitant to try Rotyo. After all, there are already various sites offering book ideas, so the question is: how is Rotyo different from all of them? There are actually a lot of reasons why Rotyo stands out. Among these reasons is the fact that you will get numerous benefits from using the site, not only if you are a reader but more so if you are an author. What are these benefits?

Find New Books

The primary purpose of Rotyo, as you might have already figured out, is to help you find the best, the newest, and the most highly rated books. Aside from continuously offering suggestions through blog posts and reviews, the site also has a library where you can browse titles, along with descriptions and ratings from your fellow Rotyo members. Browsing by genre and author is also possible and easy.

Discover Books Read by Family and Friends

Often, books that interest our family and friends intrigue us, too. Are you wondering what they are currently reading? Are you unsure which books they will recommend and which they probably want you to avoid? Rotyo is the solution to that dilemma. With Rotyo, you would not need to be a psychic to discover what your family and friends are thinking. You will instantly find their most beloved and hated books with just a few clicks.

Know What Readers Think

Being an author can be a very rewarding experience. To get positive feedbacks, to be appreciated, and to be recognized—these are things we all want to achieve regardless how much we deny them. However, the path toward fame and fortune is not as smooth and short as some people think it is. If you are a new author or one who want to offer readers more help or more astounding stories, then Rotyo can be your greatest tool. With Rotyo, you can easily find out what people think about your books, which part needed improvement, what they say about your style, and more. All these you can discover without conducting extensive research.

Share Ideas with Fellow Readers

This benefit actually applies to both readers and authors. As a reader, you can share insights with fellow Rotyo members, suggest your favorite books and talk about new and upcoming releases. As an author, you can collection ideas for new stories from members, you can hone your writing skills, and you can even make surveys about popular genres and such. How convenient can research get?

Go Mobile

If you want to check new books without logging to the site, you can do so via Rotyo’s app. This app can be downloaded both from iTunes and the Android Market, so no matter what type of phone you have, it will surely be a breeze to find the book of your dreams.

So, head to Rotyo today, and open a new world by reading a new book.

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The Importance of Reading

Reading is the single most interesting leisure activity that promises not only expanding your knowledge but also relaxation and inspiration at the same time. The history of reading began when our forefathers invented writing in 4 B.C. but it was only when literature and science bloomed that reading became a tool for everyday life. Because of the feeling we get from reading, it became a pleasurable activity. Today, the importance of reading still carries on, amid other existing options famous for leisure such as sports, internet browsing and watching television.

The very essence of reading is its academic importance. Reading has been considered a basic foundation where the academic skills of individuals are built. Schools propagate reading as a means of acquiring and improving one’s knowledge.

The process of reading tends to make us smarter because it exercises our mind and forces our brain cells to be active as you paint images in your mind about what you read. The brain is a muscle that needs to be worked out on a regular basis and reading helps keep our mental prowess constantly involved, making us shaper and smarter.

Reading adds valuable information and knowledge to our brains and is an integral part of success. It also keeps you more focused as reading involves great levels of concentration. It is also an activity to stimulate your eye muscles.

Academic reading helps develop with vocabulary, word power, and language skills because when we read, we constantly learn new words, phrases and idioms through different literary styles. With leisure reading, on the other hand, books of different genres offers variety and lets you learn how to use these new things in different ways every day. Biography books allow you to unearth the lives of famous personalities so you can make them your role models to become a better person. Travel books will let you experience another place without having to leave your own. A sci-fi novel will let you feel the powerful world of science and its potential greatness to change the future. All other genres allow readers to recreate your world because books are sometimes realistic but are sometimes wishful thinking.

Moreover, reading does not only keep us informed about issues and concerns of today through newspapers and book analysis but it also keeps us in-touch with the old days through reading historical books. About 30 minutes of reading a newspaper, a blog or online news a day is good enough to keep us up-to-date.

When you read, the process contributes to increase creativity and doing better in school. Reading keeps you creative by letting you be able to think out of the box to see patterns, novel connections, or new solutions where others are not able to relate. It is a way of being more innovative because it opens up the power of your imagination. If you read often, there is a better chance for you to do good in school. It is also known that if you are good with reading skills, you also do good with your writing skills. (Educational researchers have been found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success)

Finally, reading makes you a good conversationalist as it broadens your vision. It keeps you more open in seeing others’ point of views. Also, reading helps in mental development and makes it easier for you to decipher new words and phrases you may come across in everyday conversations. You are able to make and follow arguments, comprehend ideas if you are a reader.

www.Rotyo.com makes you discover the inner bookworm in you. Check out our directory of new books to read. What is the essence of reading for you? What should you be thankful for with your ability to read? Don’t forget to share your thoughts with us. Talk to you soon!

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“Reading New Books Can Add More Meaning To Your Life”

Do you know that one-fifth of high school graduates in the U.S. can’t read their diplomas? This literacy statistics data came from the Department of Justice back in 1993. It’s quite scary, isn’t it?

Recent studies have shown that only one in every four adults, state that they have not read a single book in the past year. This survey clearly shows that the reading habits of people nowadays are declining rapidly. This is quite disappointing since most of the youth today do not know the value of reading books.

There are certainly many advantages in reading. Unfortunately in today’s modern world, not many people find the time to read.

How about you? When was the last time you read a book? Blame all you can on technology, but it does not change the fact, that you are missing out on a lot of splendid rewards!

The Benefits We Get From Reading Books

• Reading Nourishes Your Mind

Obviously, when you read a book, it naturally provides you with knowledge. When you read something, you get new information. You might be reading a book on history or about science and this added knowledge can certainly make you wiser in every aspect.

Every piece of information that you store in your brain, every time you read a book, can make you more intellectual and powerful. For example, if you want to improve your vocabulary, then reading books can definitely help you with that goal.

• Keeps Your Brain In Tip-Top Shape

If you want to keep your mind in tip-top shape, then you simply need to read a book. Reading is similar to solving puzzles since it allows your brain to absorb and process information both at the same time.

Watching the news on TV, instead of reading a newspaper can make your brain rusty and can even slow down the process of thinking.  So instead of using your newspaper as stuffing for gifts, why not read it first, to help enhance your brain power?

• Reading Relieves You Of Stress

People who read regularly, claim that they get a feeling of mental relaxation every time they read a book. Reading has the tendency to slow down your breathing, thereby slowly releasing all the tension in your body, including the stress that you get from your daily activities.

Have you ever noticed how every time you read a book, you tend to get sleepy? This is because reading helps you to relax your eyes. In fact, science has shown that reading is a natural therapeutic way to deal with stress.

So if you are suffering from insomnia and you can’t fall asleep, then you simply try to read a good book.

• Reading Improves Your Communication Skills

If you lack the skills to communicate well, then try brushing up on your reading skills. Reading can help you to be more articulate and can help you with conversations.

When you read often, you are able to see how sentences are structured properly, helping you to talk more smoothly.

As you can see, reading books definitely has its rewards! Now that you know a thing or two about its benefits, then why not take some time to relax, get a book and start reading!

Once you get the hang of it, you will soon realize that indeed, reading can be intellectually fun and stimulating to your mind, no matter what type of book it is, you’re into!

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