ebooks

I cannot imagine my life without holding an actual 'book'...the feeling of the book in my hands...the smell of new book...I wax lyrical because books are such a bit part of my life ..of me..as a child they comforted me, befriended me, enertained me, taught me...they go on doing so...I am on gransnet, facebook, I use a computer, IPhone you name it I love technology...BUT..a real live hardback or paperback book...that's the choice for me...that's my personal preference but the important thing we must remember of course is CHOICE...thank goodness..we are all individuals ..there is no right or wrong....best way wrong way...just different points of view....I might add here as a postscript...am I the only one not to have mentioned grandchildren....I joined this networking site because I thought it was about us as people...not being defined by our grand kids...sorry just my thoughts!!

Have just read the comments on the preferences between an ebook and a conventional hardback/paperback. I love technology, computers mobile phones etc, but the idea of sitting with a Kindle in my hand does not appeal to me at all. I like nothing better than sitting at night with a book, a glass of white wine, and a few squares of chocolate (bad for the figure I know). To me that is heaven. On saying all of the above, the world would be a sad place if everyone likes the same thing so to all you Kindle users enjoy, I will carry on with my weekly visits to Waterstones.

I can hear the smug purring from the Amazon fat cats!! Please please stop referring to ereader users as Kindle users as it's not a generic term..they are ereaders and come in all different shapes, brands and colours.
Sony are the chic Harvey Nics of the ebook world with Kindle your M&S, bebook perhaps the co-op and the rest fall under Tesco and Argos.
Rant over

Hello

I'm new to these forums so I'm delighted to find such a busy book section. I too borrow audio books from the library which I listen to either on my CD player in the kitchen or my personal CD player which I use in bed. I have also joined the digital library service which lets me borrow up to 14 audio books each month for free and is available nearly all over the UK now, it's a fantastic service.

I've recently bought an MP3 player which enables me to download from the library site onto my PC then onto the MP3 but the MP3 doesn't have any bookmarking so it's proving a bit of a faff.

T here is just nothing to beat the smell and feel of a book in your hands.I have not been tempted to buy a Kindle, it would just not be the same to me, call me old-fashioned, but I treat my books like friends and cherish them.

Love my Kindle, especially the other day sitting in A and E for 3 hours, but I agree with the comments about costs. I still buy books when the price difference makes it worthwhile. They need to sort it out so I don't have to choose not to pay £9+ for a Kindle version of Val McDemid when I can get a brand new paperback version.for £3.75.

@Roger,
Thanks for the very helpful information. I was thinking of buying an ebook but am not sure about it just yet. I do love the feel of holding a paper back book though.l

Though I take the points made about the cost of Kindle downloads from Amazon there really are lots for free on Amazon, you can also get some bargains. Last week I got Silver for 69p and another recentish book for 17p!
I've had my Kindle since March and it has become my dearest possession. I am no longer able to hold the weight of a paperback or turn pages owing to my condition which affects my hands very badly. I have to spend long hours in bed or just sitting and I am now able to read again. I even have a clip light so I can read in the small hours without disturbing anyone. I pondered long and hard before buying it but so wished I had done so earlier. Yes, I do miss the feel and texture of paper - but my long empty hours are now full of pleasure again.

Im sorry to say that i love the feel of the book in my hand while im reading and allways will . Dont get me wrong im not old fashion i have looked at the Kindle !!!!also i cannot find the kind of books i read anywereto put on it .

I love books. I want to be able to browse around the bookshop, Waterstones or wherever and pick what I want. If we dont use bookshops they will go the same way as record shops. What an awful future! Those Kindle things are not the same as holding a book. Its too awful to contemplate.

Love e-books on my iPad. I download for free from 'TheLibrary' and from a site called Free Books, classics, banned books, loads but, but, I DO like books to touch, lend, reread, and study from. E-books are handy when hubster watching rugby, cricket, etc I can switch on, curl up and escape without having to traipse upstairs to get my paperback!!

Hi,

I had a Kindle for Christmas and took it with me on our 3 month journey to America, Australia and Singapore. I have 3G so could download books where and as I wanted them. It was marvellous to have on the many plane journeys we made and I made a point of downloading all the free books and lots on special offers as they came up on Amazon. I love it but do have mixed feelings about it as I have loved books from when I could first read and would be very sorry to see them disappear. Only today I read in the newspaper that a school is going to get rid of most of its library and put in ebooks and laptops in their place and turn the space into other uses for the school. clo I also feel very sorry that so many bookshops are closing down as I love just going into them and browsing. I suppose we just have to accept that with progress you lose some things that are good. It would be a great pity if children lost the chance to have the joy of handling books and the thrill of all the lovely illustrations that they have now.

I love the feel of books and have hundreds at home. But for travelling I use my sony e-reader. I too think e books are very expensive to buy. I have just joined Manchester Library even though I don't live anywhere near. It is open to anyone. You can borrow up to 5 books at a time. I am about to download some books to take away with me. I'm very interested to see how the system works.

It doesn't have to be either/or, I don't think. I use both ebooks and RL books. I was an early adopter of Sony's eReader because I was unable to obtain books where I lived in Africa, with no book shops or postal service available.

But I still buy RL books in the UK because not everything in available as an ebook, the ebook is too pricey, I want to pass the book on or simply have it on the shelf.

Sometimes technology goes backwards, too. One of my sons is busy buying the vinyl LP versions of the music he has electronically!

:-)

I have had an eReader for 18 months and love it. I downloaded lots of free books, but started hunting for my favourites and found them very expensive - no 3 for 2 offers like you get in W H Smith and Waterstones! Then I discovered a site on Ebay which offers collections of ebooks, such as '7,500 thrillers for £6.99.' There aren't actually that many on these formatted CDs that have to be sent by post (legislation prevents them being purchased and downloaded), but there are more than I'll ever read in a lifetime. I download 5 at a time every few weeks, then delete them after reading, as they are safely held on CD. So far, I have read James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Jeffrey Deaver, Kathy Reichs, John Grisham and Tess Gerritson, and there are numerous books by each of these authors ready to dip into. I still receive hardback and paperback books for birthdays and Christmas, but can enjoy a good electronic read and get into the story without being conscious that it's on a piece of metal. Try it, all you doubters!

I can't add to the Kindle debate I'm afraid but can I vent my frustration with my MP3 player? I love reading and had been listening to Audio books on my little personal CD player in bed but invariably the batteries would run down so I bought an MP3 player specifically to download free audio books from the online digital library.

I can download them onto my computer no bother at all, when they are in order in Windows Media Player I then drag and drop them to creat a sync list, transfer that to the MP3 and then it all goes wrong. After chapter one I may get chapter 7 then chapter 4 then back to chapter one-------you get my drift I've had it since early April and haven't been able to listen to a book right through yet!

I love my Kindle and would hate to be without it now, best present I ever had. I can't recommend it enough and if you are buying a cover, although expensive the leather lighted cover is brilliant.

I can recommend this site http://www.jungle-search.com/UK/ you get regular emails when free books are available, some of them are really good books (not all but they are free and I usually find one or two a week worth downloading).

Some of the kindle books are expensive when they first come out so I add them to my Amazon wish list and wait, very often they come down in price eventually.

As BecauseImWorthIt says, in the US they are able to 'lend' e books for the Kindle for a couple of weeks as long as the publisher allows it. I'm looking forward to the day that happens here as I have several friends who have a Kindle.

Being able to change the font size is great too, it means I don't have to wear reading glasses

Oooh I love my Kindle .........away in France just now and on my 5th book - so much less weight than carrying " real" books with you........although........I struggle with not " owning" the paperbacks. Goes back to childhood ...... Never enough money for books and I hated reading the ones in the library - already handled urgh..........

For those that want MP3 audio books (I listen to them in the car) this site has loads of free downloads :- www.booksshouldbefree.com/

Hello all
I bought my husband a Sony ?350 for his birthday (the smaller sony)
He loves his books, but unfortunately he has severe Rheumatoid Arthritis and both of his hands are really deformed. I bought him a touch reader where he can just swipe the screen to get the next page, also its very thin and he can just about handle it (paperbacks were causing him a few problems)
I appreciate that e books can be a bit pricey, there are free ones around, mostly classics, also there is a site where you pay a modest amount every month , sorry cant remember the name (senior the moment)
He loves his reader.
Love and hugs

I do most of my reading in the bath. Would a Kindle suffer in the moist atmosphere ?

I normally borrow about 12 books from the small local library and renew them on line until I have read them all. They do not do e books yet, but I don't suppose it will be long. I understand there have been some royalty problems with library use.

I don't think it has to be 'either/or' either. I own stacks of books, go the library and own a Kindle. I love them all. I have about 45 books on my Kindle and paid for about 6. The rest have been free downloads.

Yes Granieee I too have the pocket sized Sony and I love it. I like having the option to swipe the screen or press a button. I also find the dictionary useful to look up the odd word that I am not familiar with. The only disadvantage I find with the e- reader is not being able to share or lend a book.

I'm waiting for my new kindle from amazon to be delivered tomorrow I hope, a present from my lovely husband who was fed up with me carting a dozen books around with us when on holiday in our motorhome.