e-books

[Diane CBPFC]

I have been downloading free e-books from the library.

It's kinda cool that you can do that - germ free and you can change the font size - you can even get audiobooks.

I think it's a little space agey 

[Joan]

That sounds good - might have a look see if ours does that.

[Diamond Lil]

...can you read comfortably in bed? (Genuine question by the way!)

[Tom]

Have you ever heard of the Amazon Kindle? I hadn't until the other week, and saw one 'in the flesh' so to speak the other day. It's a device that you can download e-books on. The good thing about it is that it is book sized, although quite thin. The text on the screen is the good thing - it looks like looking at a page in a book!

Very easy to read in bed I would say, but, to be honest, I still like the feel of a good book.

The Kindle is on sale at Amazon for £109.00, but I think you then have to buy the books. Or download the free ones!

I sound like I work for Amazon, don't I? 

[Diane CBPFC]

Tom, there are several different brands with ranges of features. We are doing a promotion at our library to win one so one of the ladies did some research and found that the Kobo is the best value ($150) and the one from Barns & Noble has the best features. She bought herself a Kobo for her birthday.

I read at the computer Diamond Lil - I think I must have a reading disability - on the computer I read books in a normal or faster amount of time - with the dull paper I tend to read very slowly. I love listening to books on CD in the kitchen when doing chores in there.

[lucy]

Just finish reading The Ice Cream Girls, read  it while on a train going to London.  I seen Kindle at Amazon, you need to pay every time you need to download a book and it's not cheap!

I do book exchange with friends so it doesn't cost much.

[Max]

I bought the Sony PRS-505 e-reader which will accept many of the downloadable e-book types, also got the illuminated holder for reading in low-light or in bed.
It will also play music and audio books via the SD card or Sony cards.

Not too huge either with an 8000 page turn battery life it can go through a few books before you need to recharge.

I've used audio books for quite some time and prefer when the author reads his own work, Bill Bryson's "A walk in the woods" being one of my favourites.

However the best I have heard so far was Rick Wakeman's autobiography "Grumpy old rock star" which lasted for 3 days as a friend and I drove around the highlands in September.

I don't think it's too easy to find these days but it's far more versatile than the Kindle.   

[Vulture]

Nope! I'll stick to the old-fashioned way of reading a book. It seems far too expensive using an electronic thingy!

[Diamond Lil]

I had looked at the "Kindle", have read all this topic, taken suggestions on board and decided I'm with a few of you...nothing beats the joy of a real book for this oldie!  Audio book for kitchen chores is a real possibility though...

[Vulture]

I had looked at the "Kindle", have read all this topic, taken suggestions on board and decided I'm with a few of you...nothing beats the joy of a real book for this oldie!  Audio book for kitchen chores is a real possibility though...

I've got an MP3 player for this!

[Diane CBPFC]

Vulch - I haven't gone to any expense.

I get books on CD through inter-library loan and play them on a CD player in the kitchen - I order them at home on my computer and they go to my local library (included in membership).

I downloand ebooks to my home computer and read them here (also included in membership). Nice to know you can get a book if you are feeling under the weather or bogged down by the weather. I don't download audio books because of my slow connection.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

I bought my better half a Kindle for her birthday last January. She tried to mask her sneer when she unwrapped it, being a confirmed paper book lover. She's not read a paper book since, more than doubled her reading input, and would fight to the death anyone who tried to take her Kindle away from her.

I think the pseudo leather book cover I bought with it helped the transition, but it's hard to be certain; we don't talk any more. 

[Diane CBPFC]

You should write a book and tell her how you feel.

[Tarquin Thunderthighs lll]

 

[Bilthehut]

The iPad also has ebooks.  And there's even an app to 'kindle'ise it.  I've downloaded a large number of classic books for free and am slowly wading my way through them.  I would not have done this the old fashion and bought paper books.  That said, there is still no substitute for a real book.  The ebook just makes it easier.  I have yet to experience  spoken books but understand they are great, especially when driving.