You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

A question for Kindle fans: do you have the odd VHS tape you've never watched, or some DVDs you've had for years, but still not seen? It's probably too late for the former, and will soon be so for the latter.

On the other hand, I have books that were my grandmother's, any of which I can read or reread far into the future.

Do such considerations affect your purchasing and reading habits?

We have VHS tapes, but we also have a VHS player that still works.

We live in a world where electronics become obsolete at an alarming rate. I have documents on my computer that can't be read by any of the current software that is out there.

One thing I do with my audiobooks, is that if I rate the book as a 5 star, I go and purchase the book. I should probably think about doing that with Kindle books. It might be worthwhile to print out a copy of documents and photos off the computer. You've got me thinking, Cecily. Good topic!

I don't particularly worry about obsolescence with the books I buy on my Kindle. Generally speaking, they're not "classics." They're something I might enjoy reading once but wouldn't go back to read again regardless of how long they sat on my shelves. In fact, my Kindle was alarmingly low on charge a couple of days ago when I had several hours at an airport so I went to the bookstore to pick up a hard-copy book just in case, and I stood in front of the shelves thinking, "Which of these wouldn't I mind having hard copy?" Is it one my husband or son (who don't have e-readers) might also enjoy? Or is it one that might warrant being shelf-worthy for years after? Or--and in an airport, this is probably the biggest factor--is it one I won't mind lugging in an already over-stuffed carryon?

I used to get so overwhelmed by the stacks of books in my house, trying to find the time to eventually bag up and donate to a library sale or drop off at GoodWill. Now I can click a button and send them to my daughter's Kindle at college, or just delete them, if they weren't memorable. The built-in obsolescence of a Kindle is a positive in my particular world.

Similar to Janice, if there's a book that I would dub a "keeper" (more often reference or nonfiction books that I might want to go through again later), I'll sometimes get it in hard copy.

And individual books can certainly become obsolete--we had to toss a bunch of my grandmother's books at our family cottage that had become moldy! :-)

I don't keep most of the paper books I read, just move them on once I've read them, so kindle books just take up less room.

Judy wrote: "Similar to Janice, if there's a book that I would dub a "keeper" (more often reference or nonfiction books that I might want to go through again later), I'll sometimes get it in hard copy.

This i..."
The physical differences "disappear" very quickly when your using an ereader. On the plus side for Ereaders - they're great for reading thick books - no sore wrist lying in bed holding the book up.

I'm finding that having the ability to look up a word in the dictionary, highlight, write notes is so much easier on an ereader that I miss the functions when I'm reading a paper book.

I'm considering buying an e-reader. I have so many books and I hide them from my husband. I keep some at work and in various closets around the house in addition to the piles he knows about and complains about. I'm running out of room to store all the books that I want to read. If I had an e-reader, I would just have to hide that from my husband until I get rid of the books he knows about. Sounds complicated doesn't it?

Janice wrote: "I'm finding that having the ability to look up a word in the dictionary, highlight, write notes is so much easier on an ereader that I miss the functions when I'm reading a paper book."
I can see those advantages. On the other hand, I usually have a 3G mobile phone within reach and that has the full Collins dictionary installed, as well as internet access, so that addresses one of the issues.

Karen K. wrote: "I'm considering buying an e-reader. I have so many books and I hide them from my husband..."
Maybe the perils of the technology becoming obsolete are not such an issue for you. In fact I'm surprised your husband hasn't bought an e-reader for you already.

Karen K. wrote: "I'm considering buying an e-reader. I have so many books and I hide them from my husband. I keep some at work and in various closets around the house in addition to the piles he knows about and c..."

That sounds like me and my affair with fabric. Actually, my husband doesn't care, but I feel guilty. LOL!

Yes, I live a scandalous life. :)

I don't use an e-reader of any kind for various reasons, but have considered the possibility of reading devices becoming obsolete or at the very least being incompatible with future technology.

Though convenient and space saving, I'll just stick with my many many many books for now.

I'm not planning on getting one. I like the feel of a book. I occasionally order books from the library that have sat around for years and come with that lovely, slightly musty smell about them. Can't get than on a kindle. Also, I have a bad habit of reading a book in the bath - and have been known to drop them in. A book can sit in the airing cupboard for a few days and dry (albeit with crinkly pages) whereas I doubt the electronic version would be quite so forgiving.
Fortunately for me, he's a bookworm too, so we share our books and shelves. The removals men for our last house move were less than impressed at the number of books and boxes that resulted in.

If I have a kindle book that I absolutely love, I buy a hardback copy and try to get a first edition. I only read what I call disposable books on my kindle. You know the thing will wear out, and something else will take its place. However, it is good for reading in bed, and Hubby likes it because he doesn't have the glare of the bedside lamp in his eyes when he is trying to sleep. lol

I have so many books that we have literally run out of bookshelves. We aren't going to have to get more because I must have books. I guess this calls for remodeling.

I go to the used bookstores a lot (love used books for some unknown reason). Last week I took a huge sack of books to donate to Goodwill, but, of course, I bought a huge sack of books home. Its for a good cause and all...right? I put my sack of books in my study, and that night Hubby wants to know if I need him to get the sack of books out of my study to go to Goodwill. I said, "Oh, no, I'll take care of that." Now what in the world possessed him to try to help me with my books?! He never does that! Usually they could sit in there months and he wouldn't think to offer to take them to the Goodwill for me!! I'm thinking,"Whew!" LOL Not that he cares, but I was a little shamed by my addiction to books!

Connie wrote: "If I have a kindle book that I absolutely love, I buy a hardback copy and try to get a first edition. I only read what I call disposable books on my kindle. You know the thing will wear out, and so..."

Ha ha! Too funny!

I'm sure I will capitulate one day, and I have yet to meet anyone who's bought a Kindle and regretted it, even if they didn't think they wanted one.

However, when that time comes, I expect I will do as others have mentioned and, initially at least, use if for books I'm unsure if I'd want to keep (an alien concept!) or ones that are out of print and hard to find in paper form. There will always be some books that are works of art in the production, binding, printing etc that should only exist in physical form.

Connie wrote: "If I have a kindle book that I absolutely love, I buy a hardback copy and try to get a first edition. I only read what I call disposable books on my kindle. You know the thing will wear out, and so..."
Connie, your donating books and bringing home just as many or more than you gave sounds so familiar. I do the same thing with library sales and then I leave them in the car until my husband is busy so he won't see me bring them in. My hubby doesn't care either. He is used to my craziness.