I love my Kindle…mostly

I’ve had my Kindle for a while now. Mostly, it’s been sunshine and roses, but there’s been the odd occasion when the clouds came over and I questioned our relationship.
Like the time I charged the Kindle on my laptop, not realising it wasn’t plugged in. The battery drained and I couldn’t get it to start again. (After much googling and searching Amazon Help, I finally worked out what to do and all was soon right with the world again).

Then there was the time last week when my Whispernet wi-fi connection inexplicably stopped working. My panic only subsided when I worked out I could still buy online and upload from laptop to the Kindle. (The wi-fi kicked back in two days late, also inexplicable. But I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth).

Of the books I read, around 40 per cent are on the Kindle. I still love the feel of a hard cover or paperpack book and will always buy a “real” version of books I love.

So, anyway, here are my pros and cons of owning an e-reader (in no particular order).

Pros
–       I always have at least three unread books in my handbag at any one time (not to mention dozens I may want to read again), with the capacity to have 3,000.
–       My Kindle is so slim it takes up virtually no room – in any bag.
–       Ebooks are an inexpensive way to discover new authors.
–       I can read novels with daggy covers and not be self conscious in public (I love paranormal stories, but even the best can have dodgy covers).
–       I can take as many books away with me as I want without having to negotiate suitcase space with my husband.
–       I can hear about a book and have it at my fingertips in less than two minutes.
–       I read in the sun without glare on the screen (not sure if all e-readers have this, but Kindle definitely does).
–       I can buy books not available yet in Australia.
Cons
–       You can’t use an e-reader on a plane during take off/landing.
–       Mild panic sets in when the wireless connection doesn’t work…or the battery has gone flat.
–       I can’t flick to the end and skim pages to check if a certain character is still around/alive
–       I can’t appreciate beautiful covers, or keep referencing the cover for mood or the back for clues about the story.
–       I can’t lend ebooks to my friends.
–       I don’t get the buzz of going into a book store.
–       I can hear about a book and have it at my fingertips in less than two minutes (Much like using social media, ebook buying should be avoided after more than two glasses of wine.)

Anyone else have thoughts on the subject of e-readers?

0 Comments

  1. paulaweston says:

    I’ve bought books from Powell’s online! Non-fiction, of course. I’d love to see that store in the flesh. 🙂 And, yes, I agree that non-fiction books are more likely to be used in hard copy. I have a large section of my book shelves dedicated to them.

  2. hollybernabe says:

    Kindles are nice to have, if you have the money. I have the free kindle app downloaded on my laptop, but my computer is heavy and big and doesn’t fit in my purse, unfortunately.

    In addition, since I’m on a very strict budget, I can’t afford Kindle prices. Kindle has great prices for new authors, unheard of books, and whatnot, and so it’s great for trying out something new. Quite often, those books are self-published and my experience has been that the quality is questionable. But if I want to read a book by an author with any kind of following, short of a special sale or something, I can’t afford even the kindle price. Instead, I have to get the book via yard sales, thrift stores, friends, or libraries. Non-fiction books (which are my favorite, actually) are WAY too expensive on Kindle. I wait until I can find them cheap in paper.

    And of course, since I am on that strict budget, I can’t afford to buy a kindle in the first place…It’s a hefty commitment. I don’t own an iPod or iPhone or other smart phone for the same reason.

    If I had the money, though, I would totally invest in a Kindle. It would save so much room and I could take my books with me where-ever I go!

    If only the e-book industry could borrow a page from the music industry. Yes, iPods are de rigeur for music, but you can buy cheap mp3 players that download music off the internet just fine. Amazon, from what I understand, is much pickier about what you are using to do the downloads. You have to buy their product and pay their price. If there was a cheap, universal platform that could be used for Kindle downloads or for Nook or any other thing, that would be nice. But no, they all want to corner the market and insist on different ways of downloading the information so that you can’t use a Nook to download what’s meant for a Kindle and vice versa and so on. It’s annoying.

    1. paulaweston says:

      You’re right Holly…I must admit, most of the cheap (under $8) books I buy on Kindle tend to be paranormal (not self-published, but still quite inexpensive for some reason, even the newer releases). The price of newer books depends on the individual publisher and the territory rights, as I understand it, but I agree there are some that are still quite pricey. Here in Australia, we’re used to paying between $20 and $35 for a new book (even in paperback), so anything under $15 is cheap for us!

      1. hollybernabe says:

        Oh my! If I had to pay that, I would never be able to buy a book! My limit for fiction is about $3.99 (that’s for hard copy or digital), though I don’t usually pay more than $1.99. Mostly because I get paper books from friends/family or from yard sales for less than $1 a pop. For non-fiction, I’m willing to pay more ($10 to $20 for most non-fiction), since I usually keep it forever as reference material. It is rare for me to spend more than that. I think the most I spent on a non-fiction book was $40 for an old Oregon Atlas that was out of print and impossible to replace and I just had to have it!!

        I have issues spending $20+ on digital copy for non-fiction books. I want to be able to open them and read them and share them with my family for their book reports and homework. Thus, I prowl the used bookstores and yard sales looking for books in the categories I’m interested in. In my town we have Powell’s Bookstore, which is an independent bookstore that sells new and used books, is the size of an entire city block and is four stories tall. I could spend weeks in there. I might starve to death, have greasy hair, and reek of old sweat, but I’d die happy. If you ever make it to the US, you should make a special stop in Portland, Oregon, just so you can check it out! LOL. It really is awesome.

        (Oh, man, now I’m jonesing for a visit to Powell’s…)

  3. Place says:

    I don’t have a Kindle, but must admit to getting a bit of Kindle envy! I love the idea of having a book (or three..!) on hand anywhere I go. Also, our bookshelves are overflowing, so it would certainly alleviate an ongoing space problem.
    The Kindle would also compare favourably with an amusing invention out in the shops these days called the ‘Book seat’. They are a cute little book-sized beanbag, with a flat plastic panel at the front – much like a recipe book holder to keep your recipe book open to the right page. It allows you to prop your book up on the bean bag, saving you the bother of holding your book open to the right page! Having just finished reading ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ and being fairly sure that I now have Repetitive Strain Injury from holding the book open, this seems like a great idea, but then of course you have to remove the book and reposition it with each page turn.

    1. paulaweston says:

      Yes my friend, it’s time to get a Kindle! Much more convenient than the book seat (although I get the appeal there too!)

  4. crubin says:

    I have Kindle on my IPad, but also on my IPhone. So if I’m stuck waiting somewhere, like the doctor’s office, I can click on my phone and start reading where I left off. Very convenient!

    1. paulaweston says:

      I know! Never caught without a book. 🙂

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About Me

I’m the author of the Rephaim series and The Undercurrent.

For my day job, I’m a writer-journalist-professional communicator, where my writing involves a lot less profanity.

I grew up in regional South Australia and now live in the Scenic Rim with my husband and a retired greyhound.

If you’re interested in how I came to land a publishing deal, you can read the short version in this post from August 2011. There’s a longer version (in a guest post) here.

Paula Weston

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