Book Buying Addicts Anonymous discussion

SO.

I've always loved buying books, it's a bit of a dangerous addiction.

But recently, I've been seeing people with kindle's at work, and on buses and things, and it's making me really consider them!

So, give me some opinions! Is it worth it? Is it as good to read via ebook as it is to have the real thing? Help a girl out here!

I'd say it is the real thing-just in a different form! And one doesn't supplant all others-I read hardcovers, paperbacks, listen to audiobooks & not love my ebooks.

Ellie wrote: "I'd say it is the read thing-just in a different form! And one doesn't supplant all others-I read hardcovers, paperbacks, listen to audiobooks & not love my ebooks."

Thanks Ellie, that's an awesome response!:)

Pretty sure I'm going to treat myself on pay day! :)

Lauren, I consider my Kindle to be at the very top of the list of things that I absolutely love. I've been a book lover all my life, and I still own a lot of paper books, but I only want to read on my Kindle now. I read constantly now. And since discovering places like Goodreads, it's even better. Amazon offers a lot of free books, I have about 110 free books on my Kindle and I don't even download all of the free ones. In total, I have about 400 books on my Kindle, don't ask me why, I can't live long enough to read them all. The Kindle 3 is so small and light, and the screen is so easy to read. You can even read it outdoors.

It has a built in dictionary. While you are reading, if you see a word you are not sure of, move the little cursor to that word and the description appears at the bottom of the screen for you. Great feature.

I can't say enough good things about my Kindle. It's almost an obsession for me!

I really dealt with some inner turmoil when deciding whether or not to buy my Kindle. Its features were SO appealing but I really love books-the feel of them, the smell of them, the way they look on my bookshelf. My pro-Kindle side won out and I have not regretted the decision one time...aside from essetial purchases like my home and vehicle, my Kindle is probably the best money I've ever spent. I'm the type of person who likes to interact with what I'm reading. I look up words I don't understand, artwork and buildings I'm not familiar with, and people and places that I don't know enough about if they are referenced in a story. My Kindle allows me to do that without having to leave my book and go to a computer or reference book. It makes it impossible to lose a bookmark. It keeps and organizes my notes without me having 90 scraps of paper on my desk. I can carry ALL of my books with me and still take up less space than 200 page book would. If I finish a book while I'm out and about, I don't have to wait all day to get home and start another. Best of all, most of the books are SO much cheaper (if not free) than a physical book. Don't get me wrong I still love all of the same things about books that I did before...but I also really love my Kindle!

I recently broke down and bought one. Waiting for it to ship and should have next week. I've been holding out because I like having the book in my hand. But this way, I can always have it on hand, not worry about taking books when I travel, etc. I admit, I'm excited now and can't wait to get my Kindle.

I must be far out of the loep as I have never hard of Kindle. We Europeans are always the last to know!

I bought my Kindle a few days ago, only got it yesterday and I love it already. I didn't like the idea of ebooks but now I really don't mind anymore.

I will still buy hardcovers or paperbacks, as nothing can replace the feeling of holding a book in one's hand, but ebooks have their advantages.

The day after I got my Kindle, I went out and came home with three physical books. Physical books are a serious addiction for me. But I love the idea of a Kindle, especially the dictionary feature, so I'm trying to train myself to Kindle-shop, rather than picking books up when I'm out. But there's no reason not to enjoy both. In the long term, it should definitely save space which can only be a good thing. =D

I like an actual book. I never see myself buying a Kindle. I like the smell of a new book, or even an old one. I like holding an actual book in my hands. I can get a used book for cheaper than anything on Kindle.

I dunno about Kindle but I Nooked. I love it. Before I even got the thing I downloaded a ton of free books. And I'm not talking about classics and other things I'll probably never read. These are fairly recent books that I found on different websites & blog give-aways. I don't want to count the number of books on there but it's pages & pages and I only bought 3. So far.

Which isn't to say I don't still love paper books. I buy them quite a bit but since my life is full of travel, grabbing the Nook instead of a dozen or so books is much more convenient not to mention lighter! And it's easier to hold the Nook when I'm reading in bed.

You guys are all so amazing! Thanks for all the replys!

So...I bought mine today :D I couldn't help myself! I love it so much already! It's just...so pretty. I downloaded my first ebook today, and I love it. The dictionary is so ideal!

I'm still coming to grips with how to use it though, so any hints, especially to do with free ebooks and such, are welcome!

Love, a very happy kindle-user :D

Lauren wrote: "You guys are all so amazing! Thanks for all the replys!

So...I bought mine today :D I couldn't help myself! I love it so much already! It's just...so pretty. I downloaded my first ebook [bookcover..."

I try to check the Kindle top 100 free books every few days. Books are often free for a short period of time as a promotion...then they go back to regular price. If you see something you like on the free list, download it right away rather than waiting(unless it's a classic-they pretty much stay free). If you wait, it could go back to full price. I've gotten some really great NEW books for free just to see them back at eight or nine dollars a few days later.

Newbie chirping in, I got a Kindle for Christmas and I love it. It is great for traveling, cause you can take a lot of books and it doesn't weigh much. You can get a lot of free books or books for 99 cents. Recently I saw where you were going to be able to borrow books from the library like the Nook. Really looking forward to that I will never give up regular books though as I love the feel, and even the smell of them, lol

I have all hardcover, paperback, soft cover, cassettes, cd's and my kindle.

I love them all.

Audio lets me multi task and Kindle gives me free books to try.

The thing I love most about my kindle is the classics. Usually I can buy entire works of an author for about $5.00. So many of them are free.

I am reading The Forsyte Saga - Complete by John Galsworthy as a Chick on Lit group chunky read beginning in June. It is HUGE. So glad to have it on my kindle.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I have enjoyed mine.

Patricia wrote: "Lauren, I consider my Kindle to be at the very top of the list of things that I absolutely love. I've been a book lover all my life, and I still own a lot of paper books, but I only want to read o..."

This exactly sums up the perfection of the Kindle. Since receiving mine as a Christmas gift, I've read so many books I wouldn't have even known of until the Kindle. I definitely recommend it!

Kindle or Nook color?? I checked out the Nook color yesterday and it looked pretty awesome...

Lacie, it really depends on what you want to use it for. The Kindle is for reading books, plain and simple, reading books. It does have an Experimental web browser but it's very slow and not optimal to use. The Nook Color, on the other hand, is almost like a small tablet, and I've heard if you know how to root it, it practically IS a small tablet.

The Kindle's screen is exactly like reading a paper page in a book. You can read it in the bright sunshine. The Nook Color is more like a computer screen. The Kindle will last you up to 2 weeks on one charge, I believe the Nook Color only lasts a few hours.

So, if you want a device to read books, Kindle is it. If you want a multi-purpose device that just also happens to read books, then you might like the Nook Color better.

For me, the Kindle is perfect. Reading from a computer screen gives me a headache. The only thing I wish Kindle would offer was pagination instead of just percentage of book read. Otherwise, it's as easy to read as a book & a lot lighter. And the ability to hold a charge is great.

I still love my paper books. The Kindle is another way to read. I don't have to worry about not being surrounded by books-I have enough books to last a lifetime (& I'm still buying!) but no question the Kindle reduces clutter.

Ellie, the latest update to the Kindle included page numbers. But not all books have the page numbers, I don't know if it's up to the publisher or what. And even if the book has page numbers, it doesn't show on your reading screen, you have to hit the Menu button and it'll show you page numbers.

Thanks so much - I didn't know! :D I'll hit the menu button!

I'm not really big on e-books, but my parents both bought the Nook because the Kindle ONLY allows you to buy books from Amazon. . .But the Nook lets you get books from Borders, Barnes and Noble, and PDF's . . . unfortunately because Amazon is so picky, you cant get Amazon books for any reader that isn't the Kindle.

I'm so glad you're having this discussion because I'm in the middle of making the nook/kindle choice myself. Wait - so you can only buy books off of Amazon with a Kindle? Not B&N or other places? Is that true??

I adore my Kindle. I hadnt wanted one, but when my RA made holding traditional books difficult (paperback) or impossible (hardcover), my husband shouted down,y protests and got me one. I now cant go anywhere without it.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
if youget a Kindle, bookmark ereaderiq.com

That is updated instantly with free titles and you can also place books on a watchlist for price drops. It's the best way to get the most out of your Kindle.

As for Kindle v Nook...if you want the most book-like experience, Kindle is the way to go. If you are a big fan of reading on your computer or phone, the Nook Colour is more like that.

I wanted an ereader before the Kindle was available in the UK so I treated myself to a Sony E reader touch screen. I love it but I go through stages. For example I will use paperback books for a couple of months then you won't be able to get me off of my e-reader. I am glad I bought it and I use it to get free copies of the classics I want to read. Wuthering Heights, Jane Austen etc...

Aimee wrote: "I'm so glad you're having this discussion because I'm in the middle of making the nook/kindle choice myself. Wait - so you can only buy books off of Amazon with a Kindle? Not B&N or other places? I..."

Yes. Amazon books can ONLY be purchased with a Kindle and ONLY Amazon books can go onto the Kindle. The Nook allows books from BN, Borders, and PDF's.

Please keep in mind you can download books for your Kindle from other sites, it's not exclusive to Amazon. I've downloaded books from Smashwords, Baen (can't remember the entire title there). And you can send PDF documents to your Kindle. But you can't read PDF books on your Kindle. One other consideration is that Amazon offers a lot of free books. I also have a Nook, and B&N doesn't offer many free books at all.

I Kindled, haha mine arrived today. I really hated the idea of buying one for a long time because I really love buying real books and having them on my shelves to browse for inspiration, but I've heard a lot of good things about the Kindle and weighing up options it really did seem a good idea to buy one:
As the big one is i'm running out of space to actually keep physical copies of every book I own or will own, when i'm in between books and i'm away or out I will always have a lot of books on me to choose between if I decide I don't like the one i've started and mainly travelling 3 hours to my university means I can be easily entertained without filling my bag with an extra heavy book, along with the text books for my course, the Kindle is really slim and light-weight takes up no space at all!

On the downside I have noticed a lot of books I would like to have on my Kindle are not actually able to download, but i'm sure they will be keeping this updated and have more and more titles available.

Kindle books can be used on iPad with the Kindle app too. There is also the Nook and Kobo e reader apps. So if you have the money and can't decide on which e reader to get. There's the iPad as an option. It's not as thin and light but it's definately portable and easy to use. It's very easy on the eyes and if you turn off the wi-fi the battery stays charged for days.

Yes, you CAN read PDF books on your kindle. I was doing it yesterday.

Melissa wrote: "Aimee wrote: "I'm so glad you're having this discussion because I'm in the middle of making the nook/kindle choice myself. Wait - so you can only buy books off of Amazon with a Kindle? Not B&N or o..."

This isn't soley true. You can get books at smashword.com.

The books from amazon are also comparible to books at other places in title and cost. Sometimes even cheaper. Don't judge soley on that fact that majority of the books come from Amazon.

My Kindle arrived yesterday in the mail and I'm loving it so far.

I love reading and have grown to love the look and feel of an actual book in my hands. My cousins would talk about eBooks & Kindles and I could never understand why in the world they would rather read a book on a device instead of holding it in their hands. Of course I knew it was more compact & lighter than toting around 1 (or several) books in your purse and so on... But as I started to research the Kindle, I became really curious & asked my husband to buy me one. (HA!) So for Christmas, ta-da!!, a Kindle is what I got. I absolutely LOVE it!!! I think my husband was under the impression I would stop going to the book store and would save money (and space!) by just using my Kindle. Boy, was he WRONG!! As much as I love my Kindle, I'm still constantly at my local books store. And the worst part is, I find myself buying the same books on my Kindle & at the books store! So I'm kind of spending a little bit more money than before. Oops.. But seriously, I enjoy my eBooks & the fact I can access them on my Kindle, computer, & phone. I like that I can lend them virtually & have been getting more of my non-reading friends to read! I'm definitely pro-reading...so it doesn't really matter to me whether it's old school or with an eReader, I'm for it all!

I don't know if I've read anyone else say this but I also like to have a "hard" copy of a book & also one on my Kindle. I'm keeping this a secret from my children who are under the impression that although I spend too much on Kindle books, at least we're saving money on paper books.

I love each copy for its own unique qualities!

Amber wrote: "I really dealt with some inner turmoil when deciding whether or not to buy my Kindle. Its features were SO appealing but I really love books-the feel of them, the smell of them, the way they look o..."

Amber, this is about the best Kindle review I've read! I have noticed some good prices on amazon for books I'd like to get. I do love my books 'in the pulp' so to speak but space is becoming a real issue and I might need to look at going hi-tech!

chucklesthescot wrote: "Amber wrote: "I really dealt with some inner turmoil when deciding whether or not to buy my Kindle. Its features were SO appealing but I really love books-the feel of them, the smell of them, the w..."

I have a really small house and my husband was totally against a fourth bookshelf...that was one of my selling points. Add that to the fact that most of the books are cheaper, and I couldn't pass it up any longer.

Melissa wrote: "I'm not really big on e-books, but my parents both bought the Nook because the Kindle ONLY allows you to buy books from Amazon. . .But the Nook lets you get books from Borders, Barnes and Noble, an..."

Actually, that's not accurate. I buy a lot of books from other e-book sites and as long as you have a program to convert .pdf files (or others) to .mobi or .prc, you can load them onto a Kindle. I use the Calibre e-book organization program to catalogue and change file formats to load on my Kindle. Many e-book sites now have their files available in .mobi or .prc for download to a Kindle. The only thing you give up by not buying your books at Amazon is their saving of your books, but Calibre does that, so I have them on my laptop and I also back-up my Calibre to a flash drive every so often. I have over a thousand books on my Kindle and probably 35% I have purchased someplace on the web other than Amazon.

BTW, the Calibre program can be used for e-books for any device...

Melissa wrote: "Aimee wrote: "I'm so glad you're having this discussion because I'm in the middle of making the nook/kindle choice myself. Wait - so you can only buy books off of Amazon with a Kindle? Not B&N or o..."

Melissa said: Yes. Amazon books can ONLY be purchased with a Kindle and ONLY Amazon books can go onto the Kindle. The Nook allows books from BN, Borders, and PDF's.

I hate to say this, but that is simply untrue. I have bought books from Siren Publishing, Noble Romance, and other sites, and most offer them in a file type that is compatible with Kindle. I can't download them wirelessly, but I can add them from my computer, or some sites (such as Siren Publishing) will send them directly to your Kindle email address, and then you can download them wirelessly. It's no big effort to save it to the computer and then load them to the Kindle. Plus, with the Calibre program, I customize the Titles... such as 'My Favorite Book' to 'My Favorite Book [Favorites 1]', then load them onto the Kindle.

I am thnking that people who don't actually use an e-reader themselves or only have partial information/passed-on information on them, should probably not spread inaccurate information. I don't care what e-reader you use, there are plenty of web sites out there to get ebooks for your readers, and there are file conversion programs to allow you to shop at places other than Amazon, B&N, etc.

I like some of the PNR series available at Siren Publishing, and they offer many formats for most of their books so that they can be loaded onto any reader or you can just read them from your computer.

Actually, you can also get Kindle books off of the Gutenberg site as well.

I love my Kindle. I bought it in January and I haven't looked back since. At first, I was worried that I spent all of that money on something that would barely get any use, but I'm constantly reading now. I've read more since I've had my Kindle than I've read in years. It's refreshing and easy to read. I love how it's just so portable. I can carry 3500 hundred books instead of just one or two. I'm glad I bought it.