Reading - books or ereader (other kindles are available)!

[Low Gear Guy]

The Kindle is good for carrying multiple books around on tour or work trips. It is also easier to hold in one hand than a paperback.

Cookery books etc are better when printed as the page is bigger and doesn't turn off every few minutes.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

The never-ending Kindle debate is fascinating in its own right. 😁

We've been using them virtually since they came out and can see zero downsides. I am a heavy reader although mightily eclipsed by Mrs SD who ploughs through a prodigious number of weighty non-trash novels each year.

We know a good number of people who trotted out the anti-Kindle mantra of 'I prefer the feel of a real book in my hands' who have taken to Kindling like a duck to water once they got beyond their knee-jerk ignorance.

Each to their own but what exactly is this wonderful feeling of having a book in your hands? It's just a bunch of paper sheets bound together. Do those who enjoy such things sit in there offices etc fondling reams of printing paper? Come on, it's just plain silly when you think about it.

Another Cliche trot-out is "the battery runs out on them". No ***t Sherlock! Of course they do - did that stop you buying a mobile phone? No, of course not.

For the record my Paperwhite lasts a couple of weeks per charge.

At the end of the day if you genuinely enjoy the bookshop experience and are happy to pay the crazy prices they charge then the Kindle is not going to replicate that experience for you.

Ditto, a Kindle is not the tool for cookbooks or coffee table books. But...

... the Kindle is an amazing, lightweight, eyeball friendly device that can access a vast library of books from most places that you will find yourself and that's without using its prodigious storage capabilities.

Other upsides: can be clearly read in full sun, has a superb back-light (Paperwhite version) and can easily be read in a bedroom with room lights fully doused with no impact on a snoozing partner, Kindle Unlimited - for just 9 notes a month you can borrow 20 selected (from hundreds and hundreds available) titles at any one time that are downloaded to your device, books are so much cheaper than bricks and mortar purchases, I can rummage through the entire Kindle library from my device, phone, tablet, Lappie whenever I want. I don't use the auto-sync feature but Mrs SD has two Paperwhites in different locations and the feature is invaluable. You can also rapidly save extracts for discussion or share a nice piece of inspirational text easily. And the simple expedient of press and holding a word brings up its definition - simply brilliant.

Seriously, what is not too like?

 

[ColinJ]

Seriously, what is not too like?

The lack of paper...?

 

[cougie uk]

The lack of paper...?

I can't remember the paper quality of any books I've read - the stories yes - but not the paper.

There is definitely something special about a real book - going to buy it in the shop - or remember when Amazon delivered just books ?

There's also something great about being able to buy a book and start reading it any time of the day or night without schlepping into town.

 

[Norry1]

I am another who likes Kindles and also real books. I do like the look and feel of real books but also love the convenience of Kindles. I really like being able to see a reference to another book in the one I'm reading, and being able to download it within a couple of minutes if I want to.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I've had a Kindle for many years. I read far more widely now than I used to because of it. I've discovered many new (to me) authors through the Amazon recommendations.

 

[Time Waster]

I think, looking back, that I didn't do a good job of starting this thread. Since it has become a kindle vs paper book thread I think I might need a new thread on what I was really curious about. That is how do you select a book?

I have trouble finding books, from kindles and paper, that I like. I read the description on the back of the paper book or in the entry for the kindle book before buying or purchasing. When it sounds interesting it might not be in reality as the blurb is just hyped up marketing.

People mentioned the kindle store's "look inside " feature but that's usual the title page to possibly the introduction. A free sample gives a bit more though I must admit the paper book wins out here because you can read multiple sections to get a feel for how the writer builds the story. This means you might have less risk of it being a disappointment.

Libraries only have the stock they carry as do bookstores. Kindle store is the same but with a significantly bigger stock level. Wins here. Although theoretically libraries can order any book you might want through external libraries or the British library. My local doesn't, I think that needs a bigger library.

However, that answers the mechanics of finding a new book not my real interest in the actual how of finding a book. Do you scattergun it by getting a load of different books in the hope you like one or more of them? Do you have a strong understanding of your bookish interests so can pick successfully with a high rate of success? Do you just stick with a chosen book even if it's not really right for you?

My technique is to pick books from the library until I find one I like then look for more by that author. I however find such authors are usually the ones who find a character and basic storyline people like then flog it for 20 or 30 books that are mostly just the same. So I get bored.

I've not found a very successful method of finding books to read. Failure with my book runs usually cause me to give up on reading books for extended periods of time. Hence my interest in the discovery of books or new authors/writers that people make. Do you have maybe a 10% success rate or lower like I do? Or do you pretty much find books you like most of the time?

I think this is more about knowing your likes then the meeting them in a book which is all about looking via the many techniques discussed such at kindle look inside/ sample or flicking through a paper book/ reading the back cover write up. Other techniques available.

 

[annedonnelly]

I read a quote from, I think, Nick Hornby once along the lines that there are so many books out there that it's not worth persisting with reading something you don't enjoy. So to answer your question about sticking with a chosen book no, I don't. I'll move on to something else.

I like crime novels, in particular the ones they call "police procedural". I prefer the UK based ones. There are certain authors that I prefer. You're right that sometimes the later books in a series are pretty poor. For example I think the later Patricia Cornwell books are rubbish compared with the earlier ones.

I admit to being swayed by book covers. I tend to avoid anything that looks like "chick lit" or romance. Something that looks as if it's a historical mystery such as the Shardlake ones (C.J. Samson) would catch y eye and I'd take a closer look.

I do keep a spreadsheet of the novels I read - it's easy to add the ones I download to the Kobo from the library as it's on the same PC - and if something is complete rubbish I'll make a note and probably avoid that author in future. Similarly if I discover a new author that I like I'll check what else they have written and try to find those.

Every now and then I decide to try some of the classics and hence I'm part way through a DH Lawrence at the minute. It's not grabbing my attention the way that Ian Rankin might but I've got far enough through that I'll finish it.

 

[Oldhippy]

I stick strictly to my likes so don't have an interest in other similar possible likes.

 

[Reynard]

I read a quote from, I think, Nick Hornby once along the lines that there are so many books out there that it's not worth persisting with reading something you don't enjoy. So to answer your question about sticking with a chosen book no, I don't. I'll move on to something else.

I like crime novels, in particular the ones they call "police procedural". I prefer the UK based ones. There are certain authors that I prefer. You're right that sometimes the later books in a series are pretty poor. For example I think the later Patricia Cornwell books are rubbish compared with the earlier ones.

I admit to being swayed by book covers. I tend to avoid anything that looks like "chick lit" or romance. Something that looks as if it's a historical mystery such as the Shardlake ones (C.J. Samson) would catch y eye and I'd take a closer look.

I do keep a spreadsheet of the novels I read - it's easy to add the ones I download to the Kobo from the library as it's on the same PC - and if something is complete rubbish I'll make a note and probably avoid that author in future. Similarly if I discover a new author that I like I'll check what else they have written and try to find those.

Every now and then I decide to try some of the classics and hence I'm part way through a DH Lawrence at the minute. It's not grabbing my attention the way that Ian Rankin might but I've got far enough through that I'll finish it.

The same applies to any reading material, really. Sometimes I don't get beyond the first couple of paragraphs. Fan fiction is very much like that. And, I must admit, 50 Shades of Grey. I tried reading that because my cat show friends were saying how good it was. Umm, yeah...

And I'd definitely agree with you about series. Some authors can stay consistent, like Lois McMaster Bujold (her Miles Vorkosigan books are genius), while others seem to be flogging a dead horse. Two culprits there are Jean M Auel (Children of the Earth series) and Anne McCaffrey (the Pern dragon novels).

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I think, looking back, that I didn't do a good job of starting this thread. Since it has become a kindle vs paper book thread I think I might need a new thread on what I was really curious about. That is how do you select a book?

I have trouble finding books, from kindles and paper, that I like. I read the description on the back of the paper book or in the entry for the kindle book before buying or purchasing. When it sounds interesting it might not be in reality as the blurb is just hyped up marketing.

People mentioned the kindle store's "look inside " feature but that's usual the title page to possibly the introduction. A free sample gives a bit more though I must admit the paper book wins out here because you can read multiple sections to get a feel for how the writer builds the story. This means you might have less risk of it being a disappointment.

Libraries only have the stock they carry as do bookstores. Kindle store is the same but with a significantly bigger stock level. Wins here. Although theoretically libraries can order any book you might want through external libraries or the British library. My local doesn't, I think that needs a bigger library.

However, that answers the mechanics of finding a new book not my real interest in the actual how of finding a book. Do you scattergun it by getting a load of different books in the hope you like one or more of them? Do you have a strong understanding of your bookish interests so can pick successfully with a high rate of success? Do you just stick with a chosen book even if it's not really right for you?

My technique is to pick books from the library until I find one I like then look for more by that author. I however find such authors are usually the ones who find a character and basic storyline people like then flog it for 20 or 30 books that are mostly just the same. So I get bored.

I've not found a very successful method of finding books to read. Failure with my book runs usually cause me to give up on reading books for extended periods of time. Hence my interest in the discovery of books or new authors/writers that people make. Do you have maybe a 10% success rate or lower like I do? Or do you pretty much find books you like most of the time?

I think this is more about knowing your likes then the meeting them in a book which is all about looking via the many techniques discussed such at kindle look inside/ sample or flicking through a paper book/ reading the back cover write up. Other techniques available.

I really do not wish to sound rude but you are selecting a thing that will be a very small transient part of your life.

I think you are really over-complicating a very small decision.

Pick up a book, read back cover, read a few pages and if it grabs you then crack on - otherwise rinse and repeat.

 

[Oldhippy]

Some of us use books to study from in an academic sense. They are treasured individual things not a throwaway paperback. Any electronic reader cannot compete with that in my humble opinion.

 

[annedonnelly]

The same applies to any reading material, really. Sometimes I don't get beyond the first couple of paragraphs. Fan fiction is very much like that. And, I must admit, 50 Shades of Grey. I tried reading that because my cat show friends were saying how good it was. Umm, yeah...

And I'd definitely agree with you about series. Some authors can stay consistent, like Lois McMaster Bujold (her Miles Vorkosigan books are genius), while others seem to be flogging a dead horse. Two culprits there are Jean M Auel (Children of the Earth series) and Anne McCaffrey (the Pern dragon novels).

Thanks. That's another couple of authors to look out for.

As for 50 Shades... that's the sort of thing I avoid on principle . If EVERYONE is reading it there's no way I'm going to! Took me ages to get round to Dan Brown. He's good at setting up a "page turner" but I think his writing is rubbish.

 

[DCBassman]

I read on a Kindle 10, an old iPad 3 with Kindle app, and actual books. All good, no downside.
Tips if you like cheapies and freebies for your e-reading:
Sign up at at Bookbub and The Fussy Librarian.
For getting random stuff into e-book formats, Calibre can do most transformations. I have it on Windows, have not investigated other platforms, but suspect it was Linux originally.

 

[Blue Hills]

For getting random stuff into e-book formats, Calibre can do most transformations. I have it on Windows, have not investigated other platforms, but suspect it was Linux originally.

tried to get it to run on my chromebook recently but couldn't get the install to complete.

am signed up to a few public libraries for ebooks - often means you read books before many folk are even aware of the hard copies being out.