My first e-book experience

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Sommer Leigh
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My first e-book experience

Post by Sommer Leigh » January 9th, 2011, 4:53 pm

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So. This weekend I finally did it. I joined the e-revolution.
It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I half expected a mob to show up outside my house last night as I read Stephen King's Full Dark No Stars on my new Kindle. But there were no mobs or pitchforks or torches. No one came and took my library of books away from me.

And I really enjoyed reading on it. I wasn't sure I would, but I did. My only beef so far is that I don't like not knowing where I'm at in the book. I know it tells me the percent I've completed at the bottom of the screen, but it isn't the same as visually seeing where I've dog eared at.

I splurged and got a book cover for it with a hidden light. Man have I been missing out on the reading light revolution, because suddenly when I realized it was 4 in the morning and my husband had already gone to bed and my eyes ought to have been straining against the text, the light made all the difference. It isn't the same as reading a print book, but it's not bad either. I felt pleasure reading both books I downloaded (well, sort of, Full Dark No Stars isn't really pleasure reading) and I didn't really wish I were holding a print book instead. I don't think my Kindle will be the only way I read from now on, but it is a good way to keep me from drowning in unshelved books in my office. The whole point of the purchase was because the amount of books I needed shelving space for would have filled one more large bookcase and half of another. Not only is that expensive, but also I don't have the room. The Kindle is going to make it possible for me to keep my office clean and organized but also allow me to download as many books as I like.

I'm a cover lover, so books with gorgeous covers will still be bought in hardback. Does that make me sound shallow? I only buy the pretty books.

The other book I downloaded and started was the YA book that came out this week, XVI by Julie Karr. So far so good, though I'm not very far into it. I also downloaded for free Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. They are both books on my To Be Read list for this year.

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jkmcdonnell
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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by jkmcdonnell » January 9th, 2011, 11:02 pm

I just got a Sony eReader for Christmas, and I've been similarly surprised by how much I like it. I take it everywhere. They're so light and easy to use, and more importantly, easy to read. I've also been surprised by how much more reading I've done - around 3 books a week.

One of the best things about the Sony model is the ability to place a virtual bookmark on any page to keep track of where you're up to. Helpfully, this is where the ebook will begin from the next time you open it. It also allows you to 'draw' notes and highlight text with the included stylus.

Also Sommer, I'm with you on the cover thing. It's just not the same without the pretty colours!

Also-also, I heard the Penguins Classics are available as free ebook downloads on the Amazon site. Anyone know how to do this? Do you have to have a Kindle to get them?

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Cookie » January 10th, 2011, 11:11 am

I got a kindle for Christmas, and I like it too. I was also hesitant at first, but it isn't bad--and I will definitely keep reading print books. I like how it is light and now I can read all those tomes without breaking my arms. I just wish now that I had waited to buy Under the Dome.
I also like pretty covers, but I am poor, so I get books the cheapest way I can get.

jkmcdonnell, the penguin classics are not free, but there are versions that are. Anything pre-1923 has free versions. I think you can download the kindle app for your e-reader and get the books that way.

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Margo » January 10th, 2011, 12:58 pm

Sommer Leigh wrote:So. This weekend I finally did it. I joined the e-revolution.
I NEVER thought I'd see the day. My own sister! What am I going to tell the family?!?

Of course, I'm probably going to have to do the same thing, moving from a four bedroom house into a two bedroom apartment and losing not one but two huge storage areas. I think I'd rather do the color nook, but it's considerably more expensive than I want to go.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Sommer Leigh » January 10th, 2011, 1:10 pm

Margo wrote:
Sommer Leigh wrote:So. This weekend I finally did it. I joined the e-revolution.
I NEVER thought I'd see the day. My own sister! What am I going to tell the family?!?

Of course, I'm probably going to have to do the same thing, moving from a four bedroom house into a two bedroom apartment and losing not one but two huge storage areas. I think I'd rather do the color nook, but it's considerably more expensive than I want to go.
I know, I'm sorry. I have brought shame to the family name.

I thought about going the color route, but I'm an Amazon junkie. I know they can be evil sometimes, but they are my comfort line to all things shopping. Also I have an amazon card so I regularly get gift cards from them for building up points and I have free two day shipping.

So far so good
May the word counts be ever in your favor. http://www.sommerleigh.com
Be nice, or I get out the Tesla cannon.

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Quill » January 11th, 2011, 12:16 am

Sommer, thanks for the great, in depth review. Very tactile. I feel like I now know what it is like to read on one. A few compromises, but also some advantages, and overall, even for a hard book lover, not bad.

Makes me even more non-adverse to getting one.

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Sommer Leigh » January 12th, 2011, 8:51 am

Quill wrote:Sommer, thanks for the great, in depth review. Very tactile. I feel like I now know what it is like to read on one. A few compromises, but also some advantages, and overall, even for a hard book lover, not bad.

Makes me even more non-adverse to getting one.
Thanks!

I just want to announce that I have found a HUGE PROBLEM with having a Kindle!

I can't stop buying books.

I thought I had an addiction before. And I did, arguably, have a pretty major addiction to buying books. I think I purchase, on average, 4 books a week. More if I've gotten a great coupon in my email box from Borders. And then I make my husband print his out as well and use it to buy me another book. But Kindle? One click buying? I can't stop myself. I hear about a book and I'm all like, "Hey, I have 3G, I can buy it right now and have it in less then 12 seconds! KINDLE RULES." Except there is money exchange involved, and I will soon be living in a cardboard box but my kindle will be well stocked.

Last night I was building a new wishlist on Amazon just for books I'll buy on Kindle and a new book just released called The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher was listed for $2.38. I jumped on the price and about five minutes later the price jumped back up to normal. I don't know what that was all about, but I've been eagerly awaiting this book and curled up on my couch to start reading. Four hours later I was 70% of the way through and I realized reading on a kindle is very comfortable. I never thought reading a print book was uncomfortable, but that I don't have to turn pages, my hand doesn't get tired, I'm not turning my head slightly depending on which page side I'm reading actually makes a difference physically. It was subtle, but after four hours I didn't have the "reader aches" you get from sitting still for long periods of time engrossed and occasionally tensing and relaxing as the action rises and falls.

So yeah. I'm kind of in love with it.
May the word counts be ever in your favor. http://www.sommerleigh.com
Be nice, or I get out the Tesla cannon.

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Margo » January 12th, 2011, 9:58 am

Yeah, well, I actually bid on a Kindle 2 (NIB) off ebay. I hate giving in to Amazon supremacy, but I don't want to spend the money on a nook when I'm not confident about B&N as Borders sinks into oblivion. I don't plan any spending sprees, though. Really really want to avoid that while I still have a large physical TBR pile.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Sommer Leigh » January 12th, 2011, 10:31 am

Margo wrote:Yeah, well, I actually bid on a Kindle 2 (NIB) off ebay. I hate giving in to Amazon supremacy, but I don't want to spend the money on a nook when I'm not confident about B&N as Borders sinks into oblivion. I don't plan any spending sprees, though. Really really want to avoid that while I still have a large physical TBR pile.

I like Amazon except when I don't. My husband and I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon instead of going to the stores. I'm not big on crowds of people, especially crowds of shoppers. They are all crazy.

I really like how many books I can get for free though.

My TBR pile has gotten out of control lately. On average I get through about 10 books a month, but December and so far in January it has slowed down a lot. I've only read one book this month so far but started several. My attention span is all over the place. I'll finish Water Wars today and tomorrow I'll finish Full Dark No Stars I think.
May the word counts be ever in your favor. http://www.sommerleigh.com
Be nice, or I get out the Tesla cannon.

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Cookie » January 12th, 2011, 1:47 pm

Sommer Leigh wrote:
Quill wrote:Sommer, thanks for the great, in depth review. Very tactile. I feel like I now know what it is like to read on one. A few compromises, but also some advantages, and overall, even for a hard book lover, not bad.

Makes me even more non-adverse to getting one.
Thanks!

I just want to announce that I have found a HUGE PROBLEM with having a Kindle!

I can't stop buying books.

I thought I had an addiction before. And I did, arguably, have a pretty major addiction to buying books. I think I purchase, on average, 4 books a week. More if I've gotten a great coupon in my email box from Borders. And then I make my husband print his out as well and use it to buy me another book. But Kindle? One click buying? I can't stop myself. I hear about a book and I'm all like, "Hey, I have 3G, I can buy it right now and have it in less then 12 seconds! KINDLE RULES." Except there is money exchange involved, and I will soon be living in a cardboard box but my kindle will be well stocked.

Last night I was building a new wishlist on Amazon just for books I'll buy on Kindle and a new book just released called The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher was listed for $2.38. I jumped on the price and about five minutes later the price jumped back up to normal. I don't know what that was all about, but I've been eagerly awaiting this book and curled up on my couch to start reading. Four hours later I was 70% of the way through and I realized reading on a kindle is very comfortable. I never thought reading a print book was uncomfortable, but that I don't have to turn pages, my hand doesn't get tired, I'm not turning my head slightly depending on which page side I'm reading actually makes a difference physically. It was subtle, but after four hours I didn't have the "reader aches" you get from sitting still for long periods of time engrossed and occasionally tensing and relaxing as the action rises and falls.

So yeah. I'm kind of in love with it.

I have this same problem! Ah, so many books! And they are one click away!

I'm reading 3 books right now and I want to start another, but I am forcing myself to finish at least one first. Got. To. Get. Through. Them!

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Re: My first e-book experience

Post by Margo » January 13th, 2011, 12:06 pm

Okay, my e-book weak spot has just been located...out of print research books. I blogged awhile back about my diabolical plotting buddy buying me an insanely expensive two-volume set of books on ancient Ireland that I had been obsessing over since college. I think it cost him somewhere between $300 and $400. The set is a free download on Amazon - just the cost of download, something like 15 cents per so many MBs or something. I doubt it would come anywhere near $300, though. It's like having my college library at my fingertips, no parking hassles, no professors hogging the best books on indefinite loan, no creaky overhead walkways making me nervous I'm going to get squashed while browsing the stacks.

That's it. E-books could never replace my favorite bookstores, but they are more than welcome to replace my local university library. After my move, I'm buying a Kindle 3. (Kinda happy now I lost the bid on the Kindle 2 on ebay. The 3 has so much more storage capacity.)

Dammit, Amazon. Understand this; I still don't like you. We're not going to be friends. I'm not going to send you a Christmas card. But I want those out of print books bad enough to associate with even you.
Urban fantasy, epic fantasy, and hot Norse elves. http://margolerwill.blogspot.com/

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