eBooks vs Physical book + book suggestions?

benefiting

I've never been much of a reader but I want to start making a hobby out of it. I know there is pros and cons and I'm wondering how others make the choice.

I love how you can physically see the page progress with a physical book and the fatness feels like you've really accomplished/accomplishing something. However, they take up a lot of space so eBooks would be perfect to cure that issue but I'm scared I won't get the same satisfaction as I would with a physical book.

Also, any book recommendations? I know I'm really behind but as I said I'm not much of a reader previously but I'm currently reading Eclipse. I'm wondering what I could move onto after the series. Please don't say Harry Potter - for some reason I'm not really excited to get into it even though I have 6/7 of the books.

I'm planning on getting a Kindle Fire HD 7" for reading if I decide to go the eBook route. Do you think the 8.9" would be too big? Do you think I should get the eReaders with ink instead of LCD? Thoughts?

Sinisterly

I prefer physical books. My eyes get tired with having bright flashy screens, as I work with my computer.

sally_jeffswife

I like physical books because they are so easy to bring along anywhere and much easier on your eyes rather than having to squint to follow small print for a long time on a screen. I like Vanessa Davis Griggs Books or Beverly Jenkins books alot. I also like Kathleen o'neal Gear and W. Michael Gear books. Have read a few books by Dr Gregory Boyd and also by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek that are pretty good as well.

TheFisherKing

I have a Kindle and have used it but am not a fan. I like the immediacy of the advice, but I love going to book signings (cannot sign a Kindle), hate waiting to charge a Kindle (books need no electricity save a light to read), and love shopping in used book stores (cannot buy "used" ereaders).


Suggestions?

THE CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES John Kennedy Toole

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN Jonathan Lethem


THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGE 13 3/4 Sue Townsend

rondaj05

I have both sizes Kindle Fire (long story). I like the bigger one in the kitchen for recipes etc but I like the smaller if I"m reading on the sofa or bed, the bigger one gets to be too heavy to hold up after awhile. I can't read them outside in the sun tho, I researched this and it sounds like the basic kindle or paperwhite would be the choice if you want to read outside in the sun, it sounds like those 2 have less glare and are easier on the eyes. AND, someone mentioned squinting at the small font, the font size is adjustable on the newer models, that was hugely important to me, I'm almost 49 and my eyesight isn't what it used to be. :sad:

I went with Kindle Fire bc it is like a tablet, we don't travel a lot but when we do, I can use the Kindle like a laptop but it's smaller and lighter and doesn't take up as much space as a laptop. It's comparable to iPad but quite a bit less money.

I like the convenience all the way around, I put books in my wishlist on Amazon, there are always a lot of specials on their Kindle books and I like the apps too, MFP has a kindle app! I have Amazon Prime, with that you can "borrow" books like you would a library book.

In the end it's all about personal preference I suppose. We moved from NV to LA 5 years ago, we sold all of our bookshelves and haven't bought any new ones since moving here. Books take up a lot of room and honestly, it's rare for me to read a book more than once.

jonnyman41

before I owned a kindle I always thought that I would prefer a physical book, now I own two (old style and a fire) I could not be without lol. Several things led to me trying one. The house was getting over run with books! I had a job that meant lots of train travel so I was buying more and more books but the weight of a couple of books was not worth it, plus being limited by the books I could find in a train station shop was also an issue. (when you read a few books a week and have no time when travelling to search out nice book shops you soon get through the offers lol) sore hands from holding heavy books at an angle in bed at night too was also a problem.
the old basic kindle is very kind on the eyes though I have a fire now too which I can read without the need for a bedside light.

Basically the plus sides are they are light on the hands, take no room to store, no weight for things like plane allowances, you can get more books any place you can get wi fi (or 3g if you have that option) It opens you up to more books too.

Frank_Just_Frank

Can't beat the experience of holding a paperback and reading it bent up but if you're going to read ebooks, my iPad has the app for kindle, kobo and iBooks so I can just shop for whichever has it and cheapest on the spot. Very convenient.

jonnyman41

I like physical books because they are so easy to bring along anywhere and much easier on your eyes rather than having to squint to follow small print for a long time on a screen. I like Vanessa Davis Griggs Books or Beverly Jenkins books alot. I also like Kathleen o'neal Gear and W. Michael Gear books. Have read a few books by Dr Gregory Boyd and also by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek that are pretty good as well.

you can change the size of the font, even on the old basic kindle, which is nicer to the eyes anyway and ok in the sun.

Capt_Apollo

i love my kindle. i have the regular one, which is great for books. makes things so so easy. buying and storing books is a piece of cake. i can read with just one hand on the book and effortlessly move through the pages. i feel i can read faster with one.

books are much easier to purchase and are significantly cheaper than their physical versions. and you never have to wait to go to a library or bookstore to pick up a new edition, and wait for it to be in-stock. the amazon store is also great, as you can send your kindle a free sample of the book you'd like, usual the first chapter, and read it and decide if you'll like it and then purchase it.

i also have a kindle fire, which at first i thought would go unused, or mostly for games or whatever. but i use it for my new (old) love, graphic novels. reading a comic book is amazing on one of them.

if you just want to read, i'd get the eInk version, and not a tablet. unfortunatly, i feel that the kindle fire doesn't live up to what most people want in either a tablet or an Ebook. amazon doesn't have the vast app store that apple and google has, and as a reader, you're reading a back lit screen, which anyone that stares at a computer screen all day can tell you, can drain the eyes. also, when i read for pleasure, i don't want notifications of facebook or emails to be popping up in the top.

when you buy the reader, buy yourself a cover as well. they make the kind with a built in light, so you can read in the dark and not bother anyone, and it doesn't strain your eyes.

i find it very easy to travel with, as even with the cover it weighs about 10 ounces, and can carry an array of books.

battery life is also amazing. even with the attached light, which draws power from the kindle, i only have to charge my kindle once a month or so, and that is because i leave it on standby, instead of powering it off completely.

i still occasionally buy paperbacks and hardcovers. those will never go out of style. just like TV didn't kill radio, and radio didn't kill books, the eReader won't kill books either. while no, you can't get an author to sign your digital copy, if you do go to a book signing i bet they'll have plenty of physical copies there for purchase for him or her to sign.

as far as book recommendations go, if you're into mysteries and detective novels, i'd check out Lisa Gardner's Detective D.D. Warren series, starting with Alone.

sunnyside1213

I have a kindle. I don't like it. I download books tom y laptop from my library for travel.

Gone Girl is very good.

EddieHaskell97

E-ink readers (Kindle Touch, Kindle Paper white, etc...) are awesome for reading. I find them easier on the eyes than paper (you can adjust font size, style etc...) and I love the convenience of being able to pull new books from the library and Amazon instantly. I can also read it in bed, in the dark and not disturb my wife's sleep. It's flicker-free, and only needs to be recharged after 35 hours of use.

My Nexus 7... not so much... I say buy a WiFi version of the Kindle Paper white, you'll love it!

wendy_j441

I prefer the paper. I have a reader but it's just not the same. One of the things I enjoy is pouring over the books at the bookstore and finding the one I want. Suggestions I got turned onto Gena Showalter a few years ago. Happy reading.

mitchiejo

I Love my Kindle. I go through phases where I will read tons and then not read for a month or more.

I love the Debbie Macomber Cedar Cove Series or any book by her...lol

I'm apparently in one of those non reading modes. I downloaded a book from the library to read on my vacation and have not touched it all week. The book is The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye

I have bought some fitness books (Body by You and the New Rules of Lifting for Women) for my Kindle. I would definitely recommend a physical book that is easier to flip through for fitness books.

Stripeness

Love my Kindle - old school, fairly early model. MUCH easier on my eyes than my ipad (beloved for other things!). The kindle's best points for me are: many books in 1 small form. NO time display, which is relaxing (vs ipad). And it holds its charge forever (again, vs ipad).

Downside: despite all the "bookmarks" "highlighting" "search" etc features, it is NOT the best for old favorites that I sometimes reach for to find a quote. There's a comfort factor in skimming/flipping paper pages to find that one bit you just were thinking of again. So I can't imagine ever replacing ALL my paper books.

What to read? Uh, what do you like reading? One awesome ereader feature is that no one will ever know if you're reading something warm/fuzzy like Pema Chodron's Start Where You Are or utter fluff like RA Salvatore's Dark Elf series. Or something like 360-Degree Leadership, if you were foolish enough to let your boss give you a reading list as part of your performance goals ;-)

Whatever you pick - enjoy!

aluethi1

I like physical books a lot more, have probably over a hundred pounds worth of them. But I also have e-books because they're cheaper and are a lot easier to carry around.

As for suggestions, I love the Hunger Games trilogy and all of the series by Kelley Armstrong.

I also read a lot of Ruth Ann Nordin books on my phone (not sure if they're available in physical books). Though that one will only do if you like historical romance sappy books.