Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

I love a 'real' book, but I have to admit, if I had to carry around all the books that are on my Nook, I couldn't walk. And this way (ebooks), my husband doesn't really know how many new books I've bought! Oops, he just opened the visa bill. Ha, ha. Sorry, honey!

Haha, I'd be one of those crazy hoarders that attacks people when they try to come in. "YOU CANNOT HAVE MY BABIES!"

I can hear it now...but....I've only read that one ONCE and I thought maybe I'd loan it to my best friend from high school, if I ever see him again...

I use my tablet or phone. It's just so much more convenient for me, since I'm always kind of hopping around about what I want to read.

i prefer book but i have a feeling books will be electronic in the future.

Dee wrote: "Personally I buy books only. I refuse to buy a Kindle or any other device. While I can appreciate that they save space and paper, I think they are a mistake. Our culture is getting more and more el..."

To be fair, not everyone can read paper books. I have issues with my one arm and it is extremely uncomfortable for me to read paper books, plus I can make the font bigger when I don't want to wear my glasses. My Kindle has been a life saver for me.

I was a diehard "book" only person, even after I got my kindle but then after about 6 months I was hooked and now it's how I read 99% of my books. I have an iPad too but end up using my kindle to read, my ipad for email and stuff and my phone for calls - how old-fashioned.

It's a silly thing, I think, to say an eBook is some sort of de-evolution of literature... they were once stories passed down from generation to generation, then hand-written, then typeset by hand...then printed in mass quantities - books have grown as technology evolved, and there is no reason to act as if this particular iteration is any more evil than those that came before. As Tracy just said, a lot of folks are really benefiting from the ability to use a Kindle - change font size, etc. Some people to whom books were lost...have them back.

For me, it depends upon the book. Some are conducive to paper. Some are conducive to an eReader device.

One of the most wonderful things about eReaders is the availability of hundreds of free public domain books. It's so wonderful to sit on your couch and instantly download classic pieces of literature and read them instantly. No searching in a library, only to discover it has been checked out. No spending money in a bookstore. Just have it for free at the touch of a button. Amazing. The second great advantage is endless backups! Paper books can get torn and worn and destroyed and out-of-print. But once you have an electronic version of a book, you can make backups and save them on a cloud account, multiple computers, CD, a USB drive, whatever, and you'll never lose them. (Having used computers for many decades, I get a bit redundancy-paranoid with my backups.) Plus, all eReaders have the ability to sync accounts between the reader device, your smartphone app, or a desktop/laptop system. That way, you always have access to your book somewhere. Incidentally, for those folks who have mentioned books being deleted off a Kindle, it's important to learn how to make backups. Books that are remotely deleted can easily be restored if you understand how to backup your files.

Personally, I have made all of the books I have authored available in paperback, hardcover and eBook. To insist upon a singular format for storytelling is ignorant. Stories can be handed down orally, or carved in stone tablets, or printed on paper, or recorded as an audiobook, or performed as a theatrical play, or shot as a movie, or rendered on an electronic device. Paperbacks and eBooks are nothing more than formatting and my love is for great storytelling, not for the format in which it is presented.

I have never perceived eBooks as a threat to the existence of paper books. I simply see eBooks as an additional format, just as we have hardcover, paperback and audiobooks.

Tracy T. wrote: "Dee wrote: "Personally I buy books only. I refuse to buy a Kindle or any other device. While I can appreciate that they save space and paper, I think they are a mistake. Our culture is getting more..."

Tracy, I totally understand what you are saying and I think it's great for people such as yourself who cannot hold or read a regular book. I was speaking in general terms.

David wrote: "It's a silly thing, I think, to say an eBook is some sort of de-evolution of literature... they were once stories passed down from generation to generation, then hand-written, then typeset by hand...."

David, I never said that kindles and the like were evil and I agree that to someone who cannot hold and/or read a regular book they are a godsend. But to me a book is more than just a story. Just as you mentioned, once people sat around and told tales verbally and they were passed down to each generation. That practice is more and more rare. The world, in my humble opinion, keeps moving more and more to technology and cold impersonality. To me that's the way this feels. I don't know if I'm explaining myself well enough that you can understand what I'm trying to say. However the question was asked and I answered.

Dee wrote: "David wrote: "It's a silly thing, I think, to say an eBook is some sort of de-evolution of literature... they were once stories passed down from generation to generation, then hand-written, then ty..."

I don't think you are explaining yourself very well, because reading is by nature a solitary task. Unless you're reading to a child, you're not reading with someone else. You may join a book club, or Goodreads, to discuss what you read, but you're not actively reading with someone.

You mention having grandchildren, which makes me think this is more of a generational gap issue than anything. Older generations tend to shy away from technology, where as younger generations embrace it.

I love my Kindle but I am keeping my favorite hardback and signed copies. Eventually real books will be as special as my mother's album collection. Great for the Grandkids to see and appreciated in a nostalgic way. Forget albums now my cd collection has just become back-up data since I only play digital music anymore.

Tracy T. wrote: "Dee wrote: "David wrote: "It's a silly thing, I think, to say an eBook is some sort of de-evolution of literature... they were once stories passed down from generation to generation, then hand-writ..."

No, I talked of future grandchildren. I am not that old and have a 14 year old daughter. I'm sorry you don't understand what I'm trying to say, but my opinion is what it is and I'm entitled to it just like everyone else is entitled to theirs.

Tracy T. wrote: "Dee wrote: "David wrote: "It's a silly thing, I think, to say an eBook is some sort of de-evolution of literature... they were once stories passed down from generation to generation, then hand-writ..."

I'm 25 years old and firmly against ereaders. Not that I will ever tell anyone they shouldn't read on their kindle, because it's different for everyone, but personally I'll never read anything but regular books. Just pointing out that it isn't always an age thing.

I also sometimes worry that the ebook is bringing the days of authors being able to make a living to an end. Now people seem to think that paying anything more than five dollars for a book is outrageous. Not to mention pirating books, and you can get so many of them for free...

That's the one thing that I DO wonder about. Are ebooks going to eventually be damaging to people hoping to make a career out of being an author? Still on the fence about that one.

That's the one thing that I DO wonder about. Are ebooks going to eventually be damaging to people hoping to make a career out of being an author? Still on the fence about that one.

I can speak to this. The sad fact is, that only a tiny percentage of authors BEFORE eReaders were making a living. The new technologies, Print on demand, eBooks, easier access to audio - these are in favor of authors in general, and good authors are starting to emerge that you never would have heard of at all ten years ago, when the only option other than NYC was self-publishing through an expensive printer and driving the books around yourself. To make a living off of writing - think about that - you'd have to make the equivalent of the salary of a regular job, minus expenses, which would probably mean three to four books a year for at least 30-40k apiece as an advance. That's traditional publishing. Add to that the waits for agents, editors, it can be YEARS before your work ever gets near paper. The options are opening. It's not any easier to get famous, but it's more POSSIBLE to be in the race...

Just to be clear, my company prints regular books on our new, original titles. I love books as much as anyone else - what I said was, it's not "either or" - there are paperbacks, magazines, comic books, hardcovers, limited editions, and now there are eBooks. It's just another way to read a book, and when the physical book becomes more important than the story - writers are already losing.

I would rather read right out of a book. I just feel that holding the book in my hands feels so much better. Although a Kindle does make it much easier to read in the dark. :)

I thought I'd never read ebooks. I liked the idea of holding a physical book in my hands. But I see things very differently now. I have over 500 books on my Kindle. I would never be able to store 500 physical books at home. I don't have to stuff books into my purse. My kindle fits inside everything. I never consider buying books anymore. Reading is reading as long as you get the story or informatioin. As long as my ereader doesn't bother my eyes, then I see no reason to buy books.

I prefer a kindle if it's a really big book or an omnibus.

It took me a while to warm up to e-books, and I do like my kindle fire, but I still prefer physical books.

I just won a cute little Nook! All eBooks, all the time!

Emilicious wrote: "Everytime i ask someone this i get mixed results so i thought id put it out there;) i know a lot of people read on their kindle but some prefer regular books as for me I'm kind of in between:)"

I'm good either way honestly. The ONLY problem I have is when I sit outside to smoke a cigar and read, if it's windy, then the pages want to get all screwed up, but if I'm reading on my kindle app, no big.

Sascha Illyvich

Courtne wrote: "I thought I'd never read ebooks. I liked the idea of holding a physical book in my hands. But I see things very differently now. I have over 500 books on my Kindle. I would never be able to sto..."

Like. ;0)

I have a Sony and a kindle. I like the convenience of having an ereader whenever I am traveling or away from home. However, I will always prefer to read in paperback or hardback.
When I was commuting and using my ereader, I only read books which I also had the hard copy of so that when I got home, I would switch to the physical book. =)

Also, I have offered repeatedly to give my 25 y.o. daughter one of my ereaders.... She flat out refuses, she just loves the physical book.

Dee wrote: "Personally I buy books only. I refuse to buy a Kindle or any other device. While I can appreciate that they save space and paper, I think they are a mistake. Our culture is getting more and more el..."

Dee,

You're not alone! My sentiments exactly!!! Folks can check my grave centuries from now and my withered, bony fingers will still clutch a paperback to my chest. ;-)

neither.....I have a nook.

I'm partial to my Nook. I like the immediate availability of ebooks, and being able to carry my entire library on one device.

I really love actual books, there's just something about having and reading paperbacks that I really enjoy. But... I love being about to read where ever I am when I read books off my phone. So I think the convenience of having books on my phone and reading them when ever, where ever wins over actual paperback books just cuz that means I can read more :)

I don't have a specific preference. I just use whatever is convenient. I mostly use my phone or kindle because of the availability of books. I do, however, have plenty of actual books that I like to read when I can. It also just depends on where I'm reading, like when I'm constantly going from one place to another, its easier to store my kindle or phone in a small purse(not a fan of the Mary Poppin's bag) rather than a bulky book.

Also, before I was aware of the ereading world, I started a lot of series in actual book form, and I have an OCD with having a complete series all in the same form on my bookshelf, so I end up buying a lot of books that I could otherwise have in ebook for cheap. Does anyone else do that?

I mainly use my iPad for reading (it has the ibooks, nook & kindle app on there). It makes it easier for me to organize/manage my books. I also love how accessible it is. I can buy a ebook at 2am if I wanted to & not have to worry about store hours.
However, I still do buy regular books, mainly the ones that I know I'll reread constantly. There's still no comparison to reading a regular book. =)

I'm torn. I love the feel and smell of the printed page, but it is so quick and easy to get eBooks online. Order it and it is in your library in under a minute. The other positive aspects of eBooks: light-weight so easier to carry around, you won't run out of books to read if you happen to be stuck somewhere and finish the book you're reading sooner than anticipated (for example what you anticipated being a quick stop at the hospital that turned in to you being admitted for six days before telling them you're leaving no matter what!), you rediscover entire rooms in your apartment/house simply because all of your books are now stored on one slim device (and uncluttering your living space is a GOOD thing!). I must admit I actually read my books on my iPad, which rocks as I am no limited to the format the book is available in.

However if I really LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a book I will go out and buy a first edition in hardcover if at all possible, or at least a hardcover copy in excellent condition.

I still contend they are not mutually exclusive. I have tons of books (A whole wall of them) and will continue to buy them...but I have a Kindle AND a Nook, and what I love is reading... It's just another format. Seuss might have said...

Upon my nightstand rests a nook,
And in that Nook, I keep some books,
So if you wish to read some books,
You may browse for them, have a nook book look...

It's all a matter of personal preference.

Definitely my kindle! I tend to read for long periods of time and my hands will hurt with an actual book.

I was slow to kindle thinking i would lose something. What i gained was a whole different world and i think a better one. What i like was being able to read the self published authors. i know that everyone complains about the editing mistakes but i will take that over someone telling me what i want to read any day.

There is no longer a middle man telling us what is good or not. And truthfully, for a seriously reduced price, people who complain about it are totally being spoiled because there are so many great stories out there. For me, it's about the story telling and not the mishaps.

I see literature being democratized thru ebooks and that's pretty awesome.

There is just something amazing about a book. The smell the feeling of the paper...I love them. But I'm also a book junkie and so having a Kindle is the best because I can take my library with me. Whatever I'm in the mood for is sitting in my purse. Make me feel like I have a version of Hermione's shoulder bag in Deathly Hollows!

I don't have a real preference. I love reading a real book because I like the feel of it and it seems to make it more real. But since I first got my Kobo then a Kindle I find that I read them more often. They are easy to carry and the books are so much cheaper I can buy as many as I want, not to mention the free books that are available.

I have bookshelves filled to capacity and this way I don't have to get rid of them to make room for more. Many of the series I read were started with books and I cannot part with them because I like to go back and re-read them sometimes.

Just got a kindle paperwhite for use on the beach. Just getting used to it. So far its great because its much lighter than PC. I like to read on my lunch break. But prefer to read kindle on the PC. I don't have room to store books and the library often doesn't have the book I want or if its a popular book I have to wait a month to read from putting it on reserve.

I don't own an e-reader and have no real interest in getting one. Nothing for me beats curling up in front of the fire on a cold night with that new book smell in your nostrils and the soft crackle of pages turning under your fingers!

love love love lOVE my kindle. It has been YEARS since I've read a real hand-held "book"...honestly I think the last book I held/read was Harry Potter 7. But I'm also into audio books. I have over 50 audiobooks to listen to (and have listed to probably 25 others)...plus I LOVE that with an e-reader it has opened my eyes/mind to new authors I would have NEVER known of otherwise...Amanda Hocking, H.P. Mallory - are the first two that come to mind. You can get $.99 or FREE books on amazon all the time! I easily have over a hundred books on my kindle and half of them were free.

I read both, mostly because in bad lighting I can still read on my tablet. Overall, I still prefer paper. It's just more sensual to me. Oh, and I love to read in the bath tub and there is no way I'm going to take my tablet for a bath. Finally, my kids rarely beg to play with my paper copy of a book while I'm reading it at the park

I have 578 tbrs at the moment-if I got a Kindle as well, I'd be in a world of trouble...

I LOVE my kindle - also, I love that my kindle account is sync'd up to my iphone, ipad and macbook. I love being able to have 10 books in my purse at once! adn the immediacy of being able to buy a book at midnight and start reading it right away.
For those that may be interested, I do know someone who reads with her kindle/tablet in the tub - she puts it in a ziplock baggie! she said so far, so good!

Margarita wrote: "I LOVE my kindle - also, I love that my kindle account is sync'd up to my iphone, ipad and macbook. I love being able to have 10 books in my purse at once! adn the immediacy of being able to buy a ..."

LMAO..definately have to steal that ziplock baggie

Yep, I too keep a couple of ziplock (gallon sized) in the bathrooms (we have 2 in my house) so that I can take my Kindle/Nook (I have both) into the bath with me if I want/need to. And I read both. There are some series that I started in "dead tree" (to quote my daughter) and that I love so much, that I HAVE to have them in paper to finish out the series. Others, especially the freebies/.99 have to go onto the e-device. (and I have my phone, table, 2 laptops AND a desktop synced to both my Nook and my Kindle.)

While I own an ipad and read books through both ibooks and kindle, I generally prefer to read a physical book for a couple different reasons.

1) I stare at a computer screen the entire workday and my eyes are usually so worn out by the end of the day that anything not back light is a welcomed sight.

2) I love the feel of a book between my fingers. I love the smell of the ink and paper. I really love the experience of holding an actual book as I read it.

But, I still read on my ipad frequently because some of my favorite authors distribute exclusively through ebooks. I would rather read the ebook than forgo reading the story entirely :-)

I originally got a Nook because I could get one using my bank rewards points. It took a while to get used to it. I mainly got it for traveling, and it does make reading on the road much easier. On my first trip, I read the Hunger Games trilogy in its entirety. I now buy both paper and e-books. Since technically you don't "own" the e-books you "buy," and they can be pulled for any reason at any time (remember when 1984 was pulled a few years ago?), I tend to be cafeful with my e-book purchases. If I am really serious about the book, I buy a paper copy. What happens when/if Kindle? Borders closed its doors; B&N is backing of some of its Nook products. So for me it's a mix. I commute, so I love having multiple books available to me on the train. I now have both Kindle(s) and Nook(s).

Kindle all the way for me

I like my pc/laptop kindle at home and Kindle Paperwhite to be mobile. Its the flexibility to read anywhere anytime anyplace that appeals to me.

I have a house full of "real" books, thousands of them. It was a tough transition, but I've gotten used to my Kindle. Snort. So used to it that I'm on my 4th one. I live in a remote location and it's so much easier to just download what I want than to order it and wait a few days for it to show up on my porch.

MY kindle I would'nt read nearly as much if I had to visit shops and libraries. I love to sit in the comfort of my home and brows the kindle store and go on to good reads and see what people recommend.