Sometimes I feel like the last hold out among my social media friends when it comes to e-readers. I really enjoy reading print books. I enjoy the weight of them. I love seeing the stacks of my to-be-read pile on my nightstand. I even enjoy the smell of a brand new book. Weird, I know. The fragrance of a new book is up there with a fresh box of crayons.
My main reason for not buying an e-reader is cost. I couldn’t justify the cost for a mono-tasking device. I have the Kindle app on my Android phone and it’s come in handy when I’m stuck in bed next to my toddler or waiting in the doctor’s office. I even borrow ebooks from my library via the Overdrive Media Console app. My diaper bag can only hold so many things-it’s heavy enough already.
Until I saw the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s new tablet. It’s a multitasking device. As much as I’m a bit leery of Amazon’s DRM (digital rights management) control on their ebooks, there’s no denying that they are one of the digital publishing leaders. After watching the video by Media Bistro, I’m having a case of e-reader/tablet envy. Plus the price, $199, is a good value for a tablet.
The Kindle Fire won’t be available until November 15, but they are already taking pre-orders. I wouldn’t be surprised if it sells out well before then. Maybe it’s time to give my husband a hint or two.
What about you? Do you use an e-reader? If you have one, do you have a preference over print books or ebooks?
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About The Author
Thien-Kim
Thien-Kim is Editor of From Left to Write. She sneaks in her reading time late at night after her family is sound asleep. She also writes at I'm Not the Nanny.
I want one too!!! I don’t have an e-reader yet, and I love my books sooooo much! I agree with you – it’s the weight, the smell, the feel of curling up on the couch with them. I also love electronic gadgets, though, and this would be an excellent dip into the e-reader and tablet world (until the day comes that the magic elves drop an iPad off on my doorstep!)
I’m hoping for magic elves and an iPad as well!
The four new Kindles announcement was pretty exciting. I love holding a book in my hand, absolutely love the paper, the binding, seeing them next to my bed, on shelves, in bookstores and libraries. But, I’m also game to how quickly the industry is changing. And there are so many indie/self published writers that are only able to offer digital versions of their writing. I have the Kindle app on my computer, but I find I have trouble reading on it & getting into it as my favorite place to get lost in a story is in bed, sans computer. So whether it’s a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch, I will be looking more closely at ereaders this season. Oh yea. And I ran out of room in my house for new books a few hundred books ago. Though, that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to bring more in! ;> :>
I agree with you about cuddling up in bed with a book. Can’t do that with a laptop-I’ve tried. I have tried with the Kindle app on my phone, but it’s not quite the same.
I have an iPad and I was not at all sure about reading on it at first, I have to say. I’m like you, Kim …I like turning pages, holding a book, cracking the spine for the first time. I used to swear I’d never get an e-reader, but then my wonderful husband gave me an iPad as a graduation gift, and it really grew on me. When I travel (which admittedly isn’t often!) it’s great to be able to carry a thousand books in my carry-on bag. On some of the e-readers you can download free books, borrow from the library and lend/borrow your friends’ e-books. I don’t think I’ll ever totally give up real books though. If I were forced to choose, I’d still go with real books, but since I’m not, there’s room for both methods of reading on my bedside table
I do like the idea of carrying many books on one small machine. It’s so easy to download ebooks that I’ve accumulated quite a collection of Kindle books, some of which I’m not sure I’ll ever read.
I had to respond to this post. My sister and I both desperately want a Kindle! But we have a local Goodwill Store here in town that sells only used books that they’ve received through donations. And get this…hard backs are 80 cents! Paperbacks 45 cents! Of course you can’t always get the latest book that is out there but sooner or later they will have it. So it’s really hard for my sister and I to justify getting a Kindle and spending money to buy a book when we can get them so cheaply at Goodwill’s bookstore and help out a good cause as well. But still…we lust after the Kindle
My library book sale has similar prices. It’s hard to ignore. I had to ban myself from used book sales because I was buying more books than I can read!