Hey everybody! So today I want to talk about Kindles. For such a long time, I was adamantly against them. I love actually holding a physical copy of a book in my hand. I swore to myself that I would never ever get a Kindle. I mean why would I? You have to turn them off on the airplane during takeoff and landing. Lame. There's just something about the smell of an actual book and the feeling of the paper when you turn the pages that I adore. It calms me. Literally. If I'm feeling stressed, I read. And the second I smell the pages and feel the book in my hands, I instantly feel better. I can escape into the pages of that book for awhile and forget about real life.
But I feel as if there are a lot of benefits to owning a Kindle. Cheap books. I constantly see other bloggers posting Kindle deals and a small twinge of jealousy goes through me every time. I mean, I want a book for $1.99! But I won't be able to put that book on my shelf. (I seriously want the library from Beauty and the Beast one day.)
The other benefit of owning a Kindle is for ARCs. It's much easier to get an ARC of a book in e-book format than it is in print. And I get it. It's cheaper to produce. And boy do I want those ARCs. But again...I can't put it on my shelf.
Also, vacations. The ability to bring as many books as you want and not have to worry about your suitcase being overweight. But
I have the Kindle app on my phone and use it to read e-books, but I don't really like it. I think it's because my phone screen is so small so I'm literally "turning the page" every two seconds. And maybe a Kindle would fix that. Make it better. Plus Amazon just released it's new Kindle Paperwhite that I'm really tempted to buy.
So tell me what do you think about Kindles and other e-readers? Should I get one? Should I stick to physical books and just use the app on my phone when I need it? Do you have an e-reader? Which one?
I really love physical books as well and would prefer them over e-readers anytime, but it's really hard for me to get hold of physical books. I live in a third world country and my city is not very industrialized, we have no proper bookstores here that sell the books I want to read. The only 'bookstores' in this place are the ones who sell textbooks, song hits, religious texts, and local horror/pocketbooks. So yeah, if I want a book, I'd have to rely on e-readers. The other option is for me to endure a 12-hour bus-ride to the nearest big city with a bookstore, or board a plane for a 2 hour flight, hehe.
ReplyDeleteI use Kobo because it worked best for me. I tried the kindle app, but didn't like it. Plus, Kobo gives you awards depending on your reading achievements. I can also import epub files from my SD Card into the Kobo app and read it from there.
I guess e-readers aren't for everyone, but it's really a blessing for someone like me. I won't know what to do without it. Physical books are still the best, though. If only it was more accessible. Sigh.
What a great point! I often forget about the benefit e-readers provide for people that live in third world countries. I totally take for granted the fact that I can just get in my car and drive to the bookstore any time I want. It's great that e-readers have made books more accessible to the entire world. Thanks for commenting! This adds a very interesting point to the discussion!
DeleteI generally use my iPad for ebooks... though lately the screen has been giving me headaches and will make my eyes tired when reading for extended periods of time. I've been seriously considering getting an updated ereader (I have an old Kindle that still functions... but is not as user-friendly as more recent releases). I would say go for it. My ereader has never replaced my love of physical books. It's just made reading more convenient in certain places.
ReplyDeleteThat's my problem when I read on my Kindle app on my phone. I get headaches from staring at the bright screen too long. I think I'm going to do it! Guys, I'm going to take the plunge! Just as soon as I have money...
DeleteI love books. I had to dump about 600 of them and I still have no room in my new house for all my books. That said, I love my Kindle. First, I have the one that is not backlit so my eyes don't get tired - Yea!. Second, I can easily carry a whole raft of books with me when I have to go to the doctor or dentist, meaning I can chose from different books while I wait AND no weight to it! Third, I can get cheaper copies of books, read them and decide if I really want them on my shelf. Then I can pick up a hard copy at a used book store. (The author usually makes more money on an ebook so I don't feel bad.) Finally, the kindle allows me to enlarge or reduce the text size.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I still get hard copy books. I still love holding a book in my hand but I was surprised at how fast my Kindle felt just like a book. I did have to get used to not starting to turn the page before I've finished the last line. Kindle doesn't let you do that.
Bottom line. Go for it. I'm so glad that I did. (Another bonus is authors who want reviews can do so cheaper if you have a Kindle.)
That is true about being able to get the book cheaper and then decide if you want to add it to your shelf. I'm an avid library user and that's what I do for most books (get it from the library, then decide if I want to buy it), but even though my library has a great selection, it doesn't have everything.
DeleteOne of the big reasons I want a Kindle is for the reviews aspect. As a blogger, I really want to be able to review more ARCs, but physical ones are hard to come by. Having a Kindle would definitely give me more opportunity to do so.
Thanks for your advice! I think I'm definitely going to get one!
I love physical books too, but I love my Kindle. Obviously the Kindle deals are great and the fact that you can instantly download a book, have a ton of books always with you, and increase the font size when you get tired make the Kindle such a wonderful thing. I'm pretty choosy these days about which physical books I buy, but I'll buy anything on my Kindle. And of course getting ARCs is nice. ~Pam
ReplyDeleteI think that I'm definitely going to be buying one! Every single person today has told me that I should get one. I think there are so many benefits to having a Kindle and it totally doesn't mean that I won't still buy physical books. I will and my shelves will still be overflowing with books. Thanks for the advice!
DeleteI think you should get one! I used to be exactly like you. I hated the idea of ebooks, I wanted to physically own and hold all of my books, I wanted a massive bookshelf, etc.
ReplyDeleteEventually I got a kindle mainly just to read eARCs. Then I started buying ebooks of books that I thought I might like, but not for the books I was REALLY excited about. And now, I'm a full ebook convert and only buy ebooks.
Ebooks are just so much more convenient. Although I loved the idea of a huge physical library (and still do), it just wasn't practical for me. I have a tiny apartment and VERY limited space. I was constantly having to give my books away just because I had no more room. But ebooks completely solves that problem, plus there are loads of other benefits.
That's what I'm thinking. I really want the Kindle for all the eARCs, but also to get books cheap that I'm unsure of. Then if I like the book enough, I can buy the physical copy to add to my bookshelf. And the new Kindle is coming out so I feel extra motivated to buy one!
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