My Thoughts on eReaders

I wasn’t sure how I felt about e-readers when they were first introduced and more and more books were being published for them. I have loved getting paperback and hardcovers, and being able to show off my fantastic titles on my bookshelf. But because of my blog and the high volume of books I review, not getting an e-reader didn’t seem to be an option. So for Christmas, my mom purchased me an Amazon Kindle (thanks Mom!) and I set out to see if I would like this new way of reading.

After messing around a bit at first, not being able to figure out how to turn the volume off or how to charge it and generally hating all things technological, I finally settled down and was able to begin downloading books onto it. And once I got past all the beginner stuff, like setting up my password and Wi-Fi connection and charging it overnight, I’m happy to say I love it! It’s so light and easy to carry in my purse. With the Kindle, I don’t have to worry about bending the cover of the book when I throw it in my bag. Reading on it is a breeze, and I enjoy that it tells me the percentage complete while reading. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a clue if I was getting towards the end of a book, so that percentage meter is a great tool. The battery doesn’t die down easily either. After I read three books back to back on my Kindle, I finally remembered that I would need to charge it as some point, and the battery wasn’t even halfway through yet! And eBooks are a lot cheaper, I have even been able to download some for free on Amazon! I haven’t run into troubles as of yet, and I would definitely recommend an e-reader to someone who does a lot of reading. It’s very simple to use and quite handy. Of course, I don’t think an e-reader will ever take place of a traditional paperback (at least, I hope not!) but I am thoroughly enjoying my new Kindle.

4 Comments

  1. Laura
    February 18, 2011 / 2:16 pm

    I keep going back and forth on getting an e-reader. Part of me doesn’t want to stop reading physical books, but another part of me longs to be able to read a book and download another one when I’m finished…and sitting there with nothing to read.

  2. February 18, 2011 / 3:17 pm

    I’ve wanted to buy an ereader for awhile now but didn’t have a ‘good’ reason. I get most of my books from the library, so suddenly buying all my books sounded like a budget nightmare. But more and more ebooks are being added to places like Overdrive. Plus I receive galleys and ebooks now for review and there is only so much reading I can do on LCD before my eye starts twitching. I am trying to save up for a NOOK right now, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.

    So I was wondering, if you had bought an ereader vs gotten one as a gift, do you think you would have bought a Kindle? (Not trying to sour your love, LOL. Just wondering.)

  3. February 18, 2011 / 4:12 pm

    I’ve had a Kindle for over 2 1/2 years and love it! It actually has replaced hardcovers and paperbacks for me. When I get engrossed in a story, I forget that I’m not reading a regular book. I also love how light it is and how easy it is to take everywhere. It’s dangerous though… Amazon makes it way too easy to order books in under a minute! The only hardcover books I buy now are cookbooks. I tried purchasing them on the Kindle and it’s really hard to use the recipes on a small screen!