Thursday, November 03, 2011

To Kindle or Not to Kindle...

So I'm seriously considering buying a Kindle. I was raised Old School with regular books where you actually turn the pages, flip the corners, write in the margins and enjoy the colorful cover art. So why am I chucking it all for an e-reader?

Good question.

My reading material lately has consisted of nonfiction, plays and magazine articles. I love reading fiction and something makes me think I would read more if I had a Kindle. It holds thousands of titles, as well as magazines. I could read my books while in line at the grocery store, post office, doctor's office, etc. 

Then again, if I did decide to get an e-reader, I would have to compare the Kindle to the Nook and do some comparison shopping. Look at the pros and cons, study the features of each and figure out which one is right for me.

What are your thoughts on e-readers? Do you have one? How do you like it? What do you like best about it? Least? What would you recommend?

8 comments:

Roland D. Yeomans said...

I love my Kindle. I receive THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW in my email, and if a book strikes my fancy, I can immediately download a free sample. If I am still interested, I can buy it immediately without having to go to a bookstore.

You can subscribe to newspapers or magazines or just buy specific issues. As a rare blood courier, I sometimes have to wait for a hand-off of rare blood. My Kindle makes waiting much more pleasurable.

Hope this helps in some small way, Roland -- Oh, and if you post a review of my latest book, you could win a Kindle Amazon Fire. How cool is that?

Craig Edwards said...

Luana - I have a Kindle - it's pretty amazing. No, it doesn't entirely replace holding a good old book, and you have to be a lot more careful with it than you would a 50 cent paperback you picked up at a yard sale...but imagine taking a long trip - instead of packing 8 or 10 books, imagine one thin Kindle. Imagine it holds 800 or 1000 books. Imagine that should this somehow not be enough reading material you can always get more nearly anywhere you go and at any time. Factor in the free samples and The NY Times Book Review. I still have hundreds of books stacked up - probably more than I'll ever have time to read - but I love owning a Kindle too.

Belle said...

I bought a Sony Reader and love it. I can make the print large which helps me a lot. I can get books from my local library and ebooks are much cheaper than hardcover or paperbacks at every online store. My daughter bought a Kobo Reader and she is happy with it too.

Luana Krause said...

Roland: Thanks for the comment. Everyone I know who has a Kindle absolutely loves it.

Luana Krause said...

Craig: I love the idea of having a variety of books and other reading material to take along with you wherever you go. Thanks for the comment.

Luana Krause said...

Belle: I haven't heard of the Sony reader but it sounds awesome. Sony is a solid company. All my video camera gear is Sony. I will also check out the Kobo. Thanks for the tips.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I was very resistant to getting an e-reader at first, and I still haven't worked out exactly what to buy on paper and what to buy electronically, but I will say I really like my Kindle. I tend to keep it handy for going out of the house, but read my paper books at home. Not always, of course. It's easy on my eyes (that e-ink is magic!), stores a ton of books (and magazines, of which I just bought my first, which is awesome, because writing magazines tend to be hard to find in stores, at least where I've looked) and is lightweight.

I've been using it to try out new authors. If I like them, I typically end up buying the book again in paper format to keep around. Can't shake those old habits, I guess...

Tina @ Life is Good
and I are joining forces in a followup A to Z challenge. We're going to visit and comment at each of the original A to Z participants, and we hope you'll join us!

Shannon @ The Warrior Muse

Luana Krause said...

Shannon: Great to hear from you. I'm like you...I would probably buy the hard copy of a book to keep at home. I buy books that I know I will read again and again. There's just something about holding a real book in your hands...