Welcome, little Kindle
When a new-mom-friend told me that a Christmas Kindle gift had brought books back into her life post-baby, I immediately knew I needed one.
We’re not quite friends yet. I’m a serious library card carrier and rarely buy books, even used ones. So the idea that I have to buy any new book I want to read, even if it is a bit cheaper than cover price, seems crazy. And that I can’t lend the book, once I’ve bought it: even crazier. And that I’m direct depositing into the Amazon machine instead of the local bookstores…let’s not go there.
But reading one-handed, with no hardcover girth to balance, tossing this digital lightweight into the bag alongside a few diapers, or lightly clicking from chapter five of Baby’s First Year back to A Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing…that does not seem so crazy.
Joe surprised me and personalized this strange creature by downloading a bookplate for my screen, one that he made for me years ago and I already use in my physical books (that is Curious George, but because I love monkeys, not because I love George so much).
Any savvy Kindle users out there who want to recommend a few free good books? And who’s starting the Kindle discountedbook of the month club? I am IN.
9 Comments
Laura McJacob
I am proud to say that I LOVE my Kindle– and, good news, you can lend books to other Kindle users (usually not best sellers). Quite a few new moms I know have really enjoyed their Kindles– I’m told it’s great for nursing and napping. Enjoy!
prettyhumanbeings
Please tell how this lending happens. I haven’t figured it out and of course both of you are sure-fire book recommenders that I follow faithfully.
Rachael, do you have girl’s guide to hunting and fishing on your kindle and if we figure out the lending…well…you know.
Rachael
I haven’t bought it yet, but it’s marked as my “fun read” for post-baby. Apparently “Lendle” lets you lend some books for 14 days. How generous of them. But if I can lend it to you, I won’t hesitate.
Junglewife
Woo hoo! A friend just gave me an e-reader. I had my heart set on a Kindle, but her hubby researched it and decided a Sony e-reader would be better for me. I wasn’t sure (and haven’t even gotten it yet) but after some clicking around online, have found that you can borrow books from your local library for your Sony e-reader, all online! And since I have a local library card… 🙂
There is a huge list of free Kindle books. Not necessarily the ones you might have on your list to read, but if you are just looking for reading material, it might be good. Amazon’s Kindle store has a list of the “Top 100 free” books on their site, and then there is always Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) and of course I would be surprised if you haven’t already checked it out 🙂
Eby
I agree with the above post: check out the local library e-book loans.
Also, you may find this article interesting:
The new way we read: 10 ways digital books are changing our literary lives
http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_17875752#ixzz1JzvSW9ch
Kate
Looks like Boston Public Library, like the Free Library of Philadelphia, still doesn’t support Kindles, but hopefully the licensing quirks will be ironed out soon. My library system announced in April that Amazon and Overdrive (which delivers the eBook content to many libraries) have reached an agreement and that details are forthcoming later this year. Then you can borrow and lend to your heart’s content!
Rachael
Thanks Kate! Cambridge Public Library appears to be a little more on their game (of course), I might try to borrow a friend’s number. I hope we get it together like Philly!
Gesci
I just saw this, but if you’re still looking, manybooks.net has a lot of classics for free and Pixel of Ink tracks books Amazon puts for free or cheap, since they often do little hidden promotions of past books when the author has a new one coming out. I, too, am a library girl (mom and sister were librarians!), but we travel a lot, and the Kindle- plus whispernet for email checking- has become a good friend.
Rachael
I love both these tips! I think the Kindle crew will keep getting more clever with ways to get great books on there. I leant mine to a friend to read the Hunger Games series…