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Frankly, when I realised that the latest generation of Kindles were black - sorry, 'graphite' - in colour, I have to admit that I was disappointed. Functionality aside, the white finish of the previous versions appealed to my girly sense of style in a way that the new models just don't. And I say this as someone who bought her first ipod because it was pink and shiny and pretty, not because she wanted to listen to music on it.
Santa, it seems, knows how superficial I can be and does not judge me for it. Right after I unwrapped my rather austere looking Kindle on Christmas morning, I also unwrapped a pretty hot pink leather cover to dress it up in. Cute, right? And it'll stop the Kindle itself getting all scratched up in the murky depths of my handbag, which is a major win.
Previously, I've tried to read the occasional ebook on my laptop and found it impossible. It doesn't feel natural to be reading a book onscreen, and the act of trying to read on such an alien, unbooklike format winds up distracting me from the words themselves. Having now read my first entire ebook, I'm happy to report that I haven't had any such problems with the Kindle. The Amazon site tells me that the screen uses fancy-schmancy 'E Ink Pearl Technology' for higher contrast, but what's made it work for me is that the words look... flat. It's like looking at words on a printed page, rather than a computer screen, and that's the difference. It's surprisingly difficult to get used to reading books without page numbers, but the Kindle does keep track of your progress through an ebook in the form of a percentage, which is a little disorientating but just as useful. The Kindle even gives you the ability to highlight passages, dogear pages and make notes on what you're reading, if you're so inclined. Which I am.
Now, at the risk of sounding like a whiner, I think this is pretty dumb. I mean, Amazon knows which Kindle ebooks are YA: on the website, the 'Children's' front page even shows brief selections for different age groups, including teen. Plus, it's possible to search the full Amazon site for Kindle books in the 'teen' age group using the advanced search function. So, the capability is there. It just isn't, for whatever reason, being used. What I'm finding is that if I want to shop for ebooks via my Kindle, it's easier to search for specific titles. Which is okay for me, as a book-obsessed blogger who has a wishlist of around 500 titles at any given time. But what about all those not-quite-so-obsessive readers who don't already know exactly what's out there? They'll miss out on books they might love. Boo!
That said, there's a surprisingly good selection of ebooks on Amazon UK and even some bargains to be had. While it's a shame that UK customers can't download ebooks directly from the US site, there are still a fair few American titles available, which means that I can pick up a copy of some of my US-only wishlist items way quicker than I could order and receive print copies. Instant > a three week wait, that's for sure.
Overall, there's no way that ebooks would ever completely replace real printed books for me. Let's face it, if I read an ebook I love, I'm going to need to purchase a printed copy for my shelf. I love books, and I love book covers, and an ebook just doesn't have the same charm. Then there's the fact that the review copies I'm offered are generally in printed form - although having a Kindle has tempted me to give NetGalley another try.
However, there's a lot to love the Kindle for. It reads so much better than I ever would've expected, and I love the fact that it's so light... no more hefting hardbacks around on my commute. The ability to take two weeks' worth of reading on vacation without exceeding my baggage allowance? Yes, please. Books to my Kindle in under one minute, whenever the whim strikes me? Okay, this could be dangerous...
16 comments:
I really love my nifty little Nook bc I can customise the colour of the back etc, but I hate that it isn't lit so I need a Nook light to read at night. It's extremely convenient though :)
I got one too! And oddly, just prior to reading your post I was looking at exactly that hot pink cover and wondering if I could justify the purchase...
I completely agree with you regarding the reading experience. I've never managed to read ebooks on the computer - just hated it - but I've read two in the last few days on the Kindle and found it fine although I, too, found the lack of page numbers annoying and odd. However, the ability to highlight and make notes more than compensates for this.
I also agree about the Kindle store. I've resorted to looking up titles that I want rather than just browsing. It's frustrating, though.
Finally, I signed up for Net Galley yesterday and now have five review copies that I doubt I would have otherwise received (being for books that are largely being released in America first) - it was so easy to use and the books arrived so quickly that I will certainly be continuing to use it in future.
Thank you so much for this post! (And thank you to the commenters, too!) I'm finding it fascinating. I'm still at the "should I try to get one...?" stage here, and I just can't make up my mind.
It's interesting what you say about the classification of children's/YA books, because I have the same problem with Audible (audio books to download - I've been doing that for a while now). I wrote to them about it and they thanked me for my comment...
Oh yes, it's very dangerous! I've had mine since September and already have 44 books downloaded onto it. When I go onto amazon I tend to know which title I want to download already, but I love the recommended for you section too as it works really well and has recommended some great books.
I do love your bright pink case :) mine is the burnt orange version.
Lauren! You just convinced me 1) to get a kindle, 2) to get the same pink leather thing.
LOL
I was afraid "it wouldn't feel the same" but it seems it doesn't!
*sigh* I am going to have to offer myself that kindle for Christmas when I come back! :D
Thanks so much for doing this post! I'm getting a Kindle for my birthday in a couple of weeks and I found this post very helpful :-)
I'm glad you wrote about this. I was wondering! Everyone's been posting about Kindles lately and I'm afraid it's making me want to check one out even though I *know* I prefer print books. The curiosity might just stem from a desire for a cute case, though.
I got one too, they're fantastic!
I'm looking for a cover, your one's lovely.
I think I prefer the black ones to the white though...
I prefer print books but Kindle is something I could carry around in my bag with my entire library in it. :) I think I might just invest into it. Soon ..very soon
It looks very pretty Lauren, but I just can't do it. I can't read on a screen. I mush prefer pages and real books, even if it means I have to wait or pay more.
Glad you're enjoying it though... now get to NetGalley!
Great post. I am still undecided about getting a kindle. I am bit worried about what books I will be able to download from Australia since you mentioned that you can't directly download from the US site. I will have do some research.
Love the pink cover :)
Looks like lots of ppl got e-readers for Christmas. I've had mine's for a couple months and have only read a couple books on it. Still perfer actual books.
@ Nic: I desperately want a Kindle, but there's also the problem of me not owning a credit card and thus having to ask my dad about every purchase I make. Of course, I could just buy the books and give him the money every week or whatever, but still...
What worries me is not being able to buy directly from the US site. I think that's stupid-- if they're gonna sell the Kindle, then they're gonna have to make their (probably larger) US site available to all buyers.
I've contemplated getting a Kindle or something like it, but like you said - it's nothing like owning the actually book and feeling it in your hands as you read.
Another thing that I'm worried about is... what if you lose your Kindle?
Then you lose all of the books you have on there too!
I'm getting one soon for my birthday, so thank you for sharing your thoughts! I was so torn over a Kindle or Nook but have decided on the Kindle!
SOLUTION to your browsing problems:
I have had a kindle for exactly two years now and I have the same issue. A way around it it to search for young adult books and in the right sidebar section limit search to kindle books. It is still not the best browsing technique, but it will take out the clutter of the children books on your screen =)
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