I love books. My husband knows this. Christmas 2008 he bought me the brand new Amazon Kindle. It was very expensive that year. (I think Brad paid $329 for the thing!) Needless to say, Brad earned beaucoup bonus points for that gift. Just over two years later, there are a few versions of the Kindle for sale now, including a version priced at $139. They’ve smoothed out all the bumps now too. Other stores offer ebook readers as well. Barnes and Noble sells the Nook. And I’ve heard great things about the Sony ebook reader too.
So I got in on the whole ebook reader craze very early in the game. Here is my take: I LOVE my Kindle. It is the coolest toy I own. My Kindle is so handy. I can take it on trips without having to haul a pile of heavy books along. I can put my own manuscripts on it and proofread them, which gets me away from the computer. I can read PDF files on my Kindle. I can read other authors books for edits or potential endorsement without having to sit at the computer or have them or their publisher waste money sending me a print copy of the book. And I can build my own Kindle books, if I want to, and sell them on Amazon.com. Pretty sweet.
But I still LOVE paper books. And when I find a book I love, I must have the “real” version to put on my shelf. To read again. To read aloud to my kids. I love owning my favorite books. I love my own personal library. But I now have a Kindle library too. And that’s pretty awesome. And I can get almost any out-of-print classic for free. Instantly. Talk about convenient.
So what do you think? Do you have a Kindle or another ebook reader? If so, tell us why you like it.
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Jill Williamson is the author of the medieval fantasy novel By Darkness Hid. An avid reader, she started Novel Teen Book Reviews to help teens find clean and entertaining books to read and is excited with the new direction the site has taken. Jill also runs an online website for teen writers at www.teenageauthor.com where she enjoys helping new writers develop their skill. She and her husband have worked with teens in the youth pastor role for the past eleven years. You can learn more about Jill on her website at www.jillwilliamson.com.
I have a nook color. It’s the only full color touch screen one. It goes on the internet, has its own pandora app, and you can connect it to your computer to put pictures and music on it. As well as have all the books. I love it.
I use Kindle too, only on my PC. It’s very handy. Have to admit, though, that most of the stuff I read will be in Word format (if to do with writing, including other people’s, as that’s the easiest way to edit/critique). Or, on the other hand, if I’m researching something, I’ll likely go online and use various digital sources for books, like Google books for instance. There’s literally reams and reams of stuff available and I typically wouldn’t have thought that a Kindle would be the tool of choice for exploration. But that’s probably just because I don’t have a Kindle at the moment! lol
Adele,
Yeah, the Kindle is useless for editing. I’ve jotten down notes on paper while I read someone’s book before. But if someone just needs me to read their book for endorsement, I don’t bother to edit anything. I figure the author and editor will work all that out.
But as you point out, there’s something special about a book 😀
I had the original Kindle and really liked it but gave it away when I got an iPad. Yes, it’s a lot more expensive than the Kindle but it’s a lot more versatile as well.
Aaron,
Oooh. An ipod. Those are cool, but so not in my budget. You are blessed to have had both! Who’d you give your Kindle to?
I honestly can’t decide! I really do like my Kindle, because it IS great. It’s convenient, I can get all the classics for free, and there is usually a free book/bargain that I can get on Amazon. But I do love REAL books, so I can lend them out to people, etc.
I agree with you, Jon. It doesn’t replace books. But it’s a neat way to read books. 🙂
I agree with you, Jill! I love my Kindle, but still have a special place in my heart for paperbacks. I started out with the Kindle for Mac app and when I got an actual Kindle this past Christmas…well I’ve done more reading than ever! But I’ve also read just as many traditional books too. (Ok, maybe it is more like a 2 to 1 ratio, but still.)
I’ve also downloaded my manuscripts on it and been able to read other’s on it too – which I enjoy because I get so tired of staring at the computer screen all day! When I went on a road trip to California with my family, it was a lifesaver – I read straight through the drive and the battery barely budged.
So yeah, I’m a fan too!
OK, so replace the word “Kindle” in your post with “Nook” and that’s my EXACT feeling on the matter! 😀
I love my Nook. Love, love, love. But I buy the print versions of the books I’d just die without.
I have Kindle on my phone and it’s nice when I’m traveling or at my office. However, I still love to sit by the fire and turn the pages of a ‘real’ book and as long as those are available, I’ll buy them. After all, I have all these bookshelves.
I love my Kindle. I got the original one and kept upgrading as they advanced. I handed them down as I upgraded and started a Kindle revolution in my family. I even have a blog for books and the Kindle.
While I do use the app on my iPad and iPhone, nothing can replace my Kindle as those mediums are too hard on my eyes for hours of reading and the iPad is too distracting; I would find myself switching to email or the web in the middle of reading.
While I have been an avid reader since grade school, I don’t find myself missing physical books. I’ve been ebooks only since I got my first Kindle in early 2008.