A few months back, I blogged about how I was thinking of getting an ebook reader, but I wasn’t sure I’d find it useful – especially considering how many manuscripts I beta-read these days. Although the idea of having books instantly at my fingertips was appealing, I wasn’t sure I’d use the Kindle much after the novelty wore off.
Well, I got a Kindle for Christmas (thanks, Bob!) and while it’s too early to claim the novelty won’t wear off, I am completely in love with it so far!
Do I miss the feel of a book in my hands? Not really. In fact, I like to take the cover off the Kindle when I read, to keep it as light as possible. I can’t rave enough about the screen, which doesn’t in any way resemble a computer screen.
Uploading manuscripts is easy enough, although depending on how the author formatted the document, paragraph indentations might be off and sometimes italics don’t show up properly. However, the Kindle is so pleasurable to read, I’d still rather use it than the computer. I can make brief notes on the Kindle – which I then have to transfer to the computer, so I can send a marked up document back to the other writer. It’s an extra step – but again, I don’t mind it because the actual reading is so much easier on my eyes.
What do I have on my Kindle so far?
Nine books: Leviathan and Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld, Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien, A Spy in the House and The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee, Huck Finn by Mark Twain, Soulless by Gail Carriger, a Warriors book by Erin Hunter I bought for Gina to read and … ahem … We Hear the Dead. (Well, I had to buy my own, right?)
Five manuscripts: Two of my own, The Caged Graves and Strange Truths (new working title of A Pinpoint of Truth), plus Marcy Hatch’s Grimoire, Lori Walker’s Love Potion, and S. Kyle Davis’s Blackbird.
I brought my Kindle in to school to show my class, but they were less impressed than I thought. Turns out, they’re no strangers to e-readers. I took a quick survey and was surprised to find out that in a class of 24 students:
3 kids had their own ebook reader
7 kids had an ebook reader in the house, even if it wasn’t theirs
3 kids said there was more than one ebook reader in their house
5 kids had Kindle apps on other devices, such as iPads or iPods or phones
I’m kind of thinking ebooks are the future of reading.
I know it’s great for collecting books and lessening the bulk, but do you miss the pages?
I have the Kobo (long story) but I hate that the covers are black & white. So my husband (after my not so subtle hinting) bought me a iPod Touch for Christmas. My Kobo books download to it and the covers are in color. Plus it’s so small (but it’s still easy to read) that it fits in my purse. I love it! Right now, though, I’m still using it mostly for my romantic suspense novels. You know, the ones I don’t want my kids reading. My YA novels have nothing on these ones. 😉
I love mine, too! So much that my thumbs are aching with it. Small price to pay for the ease of reading, and the portability of a whole library. 🙂
On last night’s episode of The Office, Darryl was looking at an ebook reader. When he held it in his hand, he said, “It’s so light and delicate — like a croissant.”
That’s exactly right. It’s like a croissant!
I still can’t get used to mine, and I’ve had it for months. It’s too awkward to me. Maybe one day I’ll adapt, but not anytime soon.
I think someday school desktops will consist of something like an Ipad. All text books will be shrunk down to apps you tap and open to read. And tests will be downloaded, filled in, and forwarded to the teacher’s desk.
Um, I might be reading We Hear the Dead on my nook right now :). And I nerded out when I was watching The Office last night and shouted, “That’s a nook! I have one of those!” It was like I knew a celebrity.
Just paid my son’s college book bill for the semester and it was more than $900. So, yeah, maybe e-books for education wouldn’t be a bad idea. Would save their backs, too, from carrying around the heavy backpacks loaded down with textbooks.
I love my iPad. I just finished reading Matched on it and I loved the presentation. But, I will forever be a physical book lover. The feel of the pages, the smell of the print. There’s just something there that I’d hate to see go. And yet I totally get e-readers and the convenience.
However, I do think they can be dangerous. For example, last night I finished Matched and quickly downloaded The Replacement. It was obviously incredibly convenient. But I spent more than I would have if I would have bought the book at a brick-and-mortar store with a coupon etc.
Plus, when you go to the bookstore, you walk around, pick up the books, read the back covers, think about the purchase for awhile and then decide. It’s almost too easy with e-readers. I will need to be careful of the money I spend because it’s so easy to spend it without even realizing it.
So, e-readers are great for convenience (I downloaded The Replacement late at night and had the book in seconds. If I would have bought it at the store, I probably wouldn’t have gotten it until this weekend). I can see a need for both platforms and the reasons for each. I guess where I’m parked out is, let’s present our material via whatever platform works for the reader. After all, it’s all about sharing our work etc. Do I make sense?
@JEM – :D. I hope you like it!
And Buffy is right, it’s dangerous! Apparently I downloaded Across the Universe at midnight last night, right before I fell asleep. I don’t actually remember it …
Yup, I love my Nook, but it can be dangerous, what with the instant gratification factor and all. Love reading manuscripts on it, too.
I find myself making excuses to download a new ebook instead of reading the paper books on my tbr pile. Someone loaned me a hardcover of Echo in the Bone, and the book is so big, and the font is so tiny, I’m thinking of returning it and downloading a copy to my Nook instead!
I won my Kindle last year and I have to say it was great to have it on vacation last week. Much easier than lugging along a stack of books! But the graphic novels and pbs on the iPad — so very cool!!
I’m still getting use to my Kindle. I started off with some free classics and the Bible, just to have. There are ‘previews’ of books-a few chapters to see if you want to commit. I tried a newspaper and blog. The word game is fun.
I do have many ‘paper’ novels in a big bin that I want to get to someday. I do love a good book sale-one in Hockessin at the end of the month. ; )
I love mine. I can’t wait to read my own drafts on it AND I love the fact that I can’t fuss with them so much as I read. Just make notes. I’m still playing with using it for critiquing. I love reading the manuscripts that way and I hope my feedback can be as rich. Maybe it can be richer if I can get more engages.