To Kindle or Not To Kindle

The Kindle is now available in Canada.  Exciting news, but I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on that bandwagon yet.

I like the idea of getting a book within seconds. I like the idea of having a number of books with me without having to carry the weight of print books.  BUT...

I love books. I love reading, but it's also the actual books that I love. I like having them around my house. I like seeing the shelves full of favourite reads and books not yet explored. If I admitted the amount of time I've spent organizing, stacking, re-organizing, and shelving my books, you'd probably think I was nuts.

I've resisted audio books, primarily because the few I tried to listen to were too slow and I didn't care for the narrators. There's a good chance that I'm just a control freak, and I like to control the speed of the reading. With books, I sometimes go back and re-read a passage if it affected me in some way. I have, on occasion, skimmed paragraphs when they dealt with something I found boring.  With an audio book, that control is limited.

Not so, however, with a Kindle. I can skim, go back, and read at my pace.  This tempts me much more than audio books, but I'm just not sure I'm ready to give up my printed books.  In a world where technology = good, I'm feeling a little like a relic...but a happy relic surrounded by lovely books, in all shapes, colours and sizes.

Comments

[Sharon Oliver]

As an author and an avid reader, I'm afraid I'm not a fan of Kindle, at least not yet anyway. Like you, I love books and just like an album cover(yeah, something from the olden days) I appreciate book covers. One complaint I've heard is that many people like to have their books authographed by an author, when possible. Thus...
htt://www.sharonoliver.net

[ReadHowYouWant]

Yes, the Kindle and other new technologies emerging in the publishing industry bring up a lot of questions. It's very interesting to hear perspectives from writers and readers.
Thank goodness there are still so many new mysteries coming out in numerous formats! www.ReadHowYouWant.com is offering 25% off all orders made in December when you use Promo Code GRY7342W at checkout. A number of titles from Poisoned Pen Press are available in large print and audio.
Thanks for the great discussion!

[acrise@kc.rr.com]

Let me tell you a sony e-reader story. If anything changes as in an upgrade of firmware you are in serious trouble. What you paid several hundred dollars for will be useless. Even after sending the device in for the upgrade the software and support did not keep pace. So, you are left with the ultimate door door stop.

[Tricia]

I love my Kindle. I also had all the same objections - but after a few weeks I was hooked.

Who I think would like a Kindle:

-Don't like to go look up words in dictionary. Kindle has built in dictionary so you just click and get the definition.

- Get tired of figuring out what to do with all the books you own. I don't like clutter and want to limit my book collection to books I really loved. Kindle actually allows me to keep all my books in a very small form factor.

- Start reading a book you have already read and did not enjoy that much. Kindle tracks your location in the book. So if you open the book and it's on the last page - you've read it.

-Don't buy the same book again. Kindle won't let you "buy" it again - they track it in your library.

-You read a LOT and manage to go through several books a month.

I wonder how long before you don't be able to get physical books anymore.

[Madeline]

If you are, in fact, going to jump on the bandwagon, get a nook!! Just got mine and I L-O-V-E it! I was like you, going back and forth between the idea of an e-reader, but I took the plunge and I am happy to say I don't miss the floppy, dog-eared, and slightly torn pages of books-- much less their bulkiness. I'm one of those people who carry around at least two books in my bag in case I finish one, and my nook has helped so much. Kindle is cute and everything, but it's the equivalent of a Dell in the computer world; the nook is beautiful, bright and glorious Mac. So go get 'em.

[Ray Cardi]

Hey "Girl who likes to read a lot', it sounds as if we have that in common, as well as saving our books. And I'm not so hot about Kindle either.Friends and family think I'm nuts because I have every book that I have read. Big fan of Ludlum, Sanford, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Ridley Pearson and many more. Can't get enough of these guys. I am doing a little writing of my own and getting some good reviews at Triggerstreet.
I'm rambling. If you want to chat some about mystery/suspense/crime/espionage, I would love it.You can meet me at http://rayray-thedailyreader.blogspot.com Just started that blog. I am a blogging virgin. Ray

[loy pineda]

I have been using Kindle for the past year or so,and like you I was hesitant at first for the same reason you mentioned.But now I do not know what will I do w/o my kindle,i take it everywhere w/ me.you can also receive and send emails and get on the internet for free.It also solved my problem of space,like you I 'm an avid reader and I have run out of space to put my books. I live in a small apartment and you can just imagine ,it's books everywhere,i tried to organized to no avail.
I hope this helps you

[Cary Raesner]

I have a Sony ereader and like it very much. I still go to my public library, buy books online, go to chains and independent booksellers and buy used books. As you can see, I will get books wherever I can. My reader allows me to get books that I cannot get at my small public library, and I don't have to drive miles to a large city or wait for the mail.

[Ann]

I stopped by your blog today. I published a hard copy of my first book but decided to publish Storms & Secrets as an e-book to compare interest/sales. It seems there are two distinct and separate markets.
Ann
www.cozyintexas.blogspot.com
www.annsummerville.com

[Amy]

I admit that I wouldn't have gotten a Kindle myself, but I received one for a gift. It is nice (and potentially dangerous :) ) to get a book that I am interested in immediately. At the moment, at least, new releases are cheaper than hardcopies, AND I feel like I am saving the paper! Since I like trees at least as much as the books, I feel like that is a win in the end!

[Raymond James Cardi]

I just published my first E-Book at https://www.
createspace.com/3452650
I would love to get some feedback from the community and maybe share stories about self publishing.