Kindle a Love for E-Reading

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Last November, I joined the ranks of e-book readers.  My unread books still wait for my return, hoping that some day I'll give up on the electronic wonder and return to the tactile pleasures of a hardback or paperback book.  Not to say I've only read digital books since November, but that's almost true.

I took my time, researching the Kindle, the Nook, and the IPad before selecting the Kindle.  I absolutely love it.  Why did I choose Kindle?  I like to read outdoors.  The other e-readers didn't provide that ability. The IPad tempted me with all of its extras, but I wanted a device for reading books.  I didn't want something that provided alternatives to one of my favorite pastimes--reading.

I can vouch for the fact that you CAN read your Kindle outdoors, and, if you buy the cover with a light, you can read in just about any lighting.  I've only found one place where I couldn't read the screen--under a red cabana at the beach.  It happened by accident.  The lifeguard gave our blue cabana to someone else and stuck us with the red one.  The sunlight through the red cloth rendered my Kindle screen impossible to read, but I couldn't read my Droid screen or a magazine, either, thanks to the red infusion.

I LOVE my Kindle:  it's lightweight, thousands of books lurk just beyond my fingertips waiting to be downloaded, and I can get new releases immediately downloaded to my Kindle.  How fantastic is that?

If I complain about anything, it's the loss of excursions to the bookstore.  Since childhood, bookstores have tantalized me with the promise of many worlds to explore.  I can't browse the e-bookstore the same way.  A point a fellow writing friend of mine pointed out in her blog a few weeks ago.

I think e-readers are here to stay.  Have you succumbed or are you a hold-out for the pages of a book? 

Comments

Susan M. Boyer said…
I, too, was tempted by the iPad. So shiny and pretty...so many toys. But, since I have a relatively new laptop and an iPhone, it would have been overkill. Like you, I needed a dedicated reader.

I did all the same tire-kicking, but came down on the side of the Nook Color--mostly because there were some things I really wanted to see in color. And I seldom read outside--never in the sun. In the shade, the Nook performs better than I expected.

Yes, I love the convenience--or maybe the instant gratification--of being able to download a new book whenever I want.

But I do miss going to the bookstore. :)

Thanks for the link!
July 26, 2011 at 10:48 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
You're welcome, Susan. I do miss the color option that Nook offers...and I still might go for an IPad sometime in the future. What can I say? I want it all!
July 26, 2011 at 10:55 PM
Wayne G. said…
Our library recently purchased 23 Kindles. I am told that each comes with 90 something books installed. Surely, I can find one or two books in there that I would enjoy. I thought this would be a great way to try out this new tech gadget, so I put my name on a long waiting list about 4 weeks ago. I'm still waiting for my name to come up. Sort of looking forward to the experience. Trouble is, I enjoy browsing the library. So many wonders there to tantalize, intrigue and inspire. I don't want high tech to stop that joy. Wayne G.
July 27, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Valerie Keiser Norris said…
I love my hand-me-down Kindle! But I alternate reading paper books with e-books. Right now, I'm reading a paper book. I have a stockpile of paper books, and am trying to whittle away at them, so I'll continue doing things this way. And the Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Booksale is coming up soon (or whatever its name is) and I'm sure I'll load up again!
July 27, 2011 at 8:13 AM
Henry said…
I did the same thing, Barbara, finally settling on a Kindle last October and haven't looked back. Here are a couple of links you should definitely check out:

http://calibre-ebook.com/

Calibre is ebook management software that will also convert ebooks from one format to another. It won't work on protected files (the kind of you buy from a bookstore), though.

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Project Gutenberg has thousands of ebook versions of books now in the public domain. There's a Kindle version of just about everything on the site. The books are free to download (and can be converted by Calibre if necessary).
July 27, 2011 at 8:32 AM
Anonymous said…
I was offered an Ebook reader for my birthday, but indecision as to what kind I wanted led to postponement. I lean toward the Nook because I hear such good things about it -- and because of color, but the Kindle 3 sounds good, too. I must decide soon because my new novel, coming out on Sept. 9, is now being "processed" for compatibility with all Ebook readers. Wouldn't want to miss that. Eenie, meenie, miny, moe. . .
July 27, 2011 at 9:07 AM
Carole St-Laurent said…
My iPas was stolen and I miss it dearly. But I read on my iphone and I love it just as much.
July 30, 2011 at 9:15 PM
Barbara V. Evers said…
Sorry about that, Carole. I know you loved it. I can't handle the small screen of the phone apps. I'd probably enlarge the font so much that I'd get one word per screen.
August 3, 2011 at 11:28 PM
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