Kindle reading report 1

When I was given a Kindle (wireless version) for my birthday in September this year (a couple of weeks late, not because the kind present-giver had forgotten the date but because of Amazon's order backlog), I made a resolution only to download a book when I had finished one, that is, only to have one unread book in it at a time. How am I doing on that front? Not that well, unsurprisingly.

The first book I read was one I've been wanting to read for a couple of years, but which I thought too expensive in print version (no paperback available). Silent Counsel by Ken Isaacson was reasonably priced on Kindle, so as an experiment I downloaded it and read it. So far so good: one down, none to go.

Searching my longstanding 200-300-item long Amazon shopping list was not very fruitful, as so few of the entries in it have Kindle editions. Newly published books on Amazon often do have Kindle editions but the pricing is often not competitive and I'd prefer to wait for the paperback. (I'm not surprised about the pricing as I am only too well aware of how much work goes into producing an online/digital edition of content compared with print. )  I did, however, find one Kindle book that is reasonably priced and that I would mildly like to read, The Dying Light by Henry Porter, so downloaded that to read next. The only thing is that I have not read it yet. The lesson I learn from this is only to download a book when I really want to read it, not just because it is on a list of books I might read one day. 

In the meantime, I signed up for the NetGalley service, in which if you write book reviews you can request e-copies from the publisher - which are free. With trembling heart because of the intials J.P., but very eager to read anything by Liza Marklund, I requested a copy of The Postcard Killers. Nothing happened.

Another novel I've been meaning to read for a while is Experimental Heart by Jennifer L. Rohn. I read one night on a blog or elsewhere that it is available in Kindle form, so checked out the price.  It was reasonable (higher than the previous two books I'd downloaded, but not by that much), so I downloaded and actually read it, straight away (review here). 

Getting into the swing of it, I received an email from Amazon suggesting I might like to read the latest Michael Connelly novel, The Reversal. Would I? Yes.  The publisher had agreed to send me a review copy, but after 3 weeks or so it hasn't arrived, and I'm very keen indeed to read this novel -  all the more so as it is now officially out and reviews are appearing. So I checked out the Amazon page and saw that the hardback is selling for just under £10 (as in the main real-world bookshops), but the basic Kindle edition is priced at half that. No brainer, I have purchased it. Michael Connelly also offers a more expensive, enhanced Kindle version for those who like fun add-ons, but I'm more than happy with just the text.

No sooner had I done this than I received an email from NetGalley announcing that I could have an e-copy of Postcard Killers, so after a bit of tinkering (I realise you can only receive books on your Kindle if you tell Amazon the email address of the sender, what a good idea to prevent unsolicited material), I have downloaded that, too.

So now, I have three unread Kindle books waiting. I have to finish my current print title first (as I am not one of those people who can read more than one piece of fiction at once), then I plan to rehabilitiate myself in my own eyes, and reduce my e-backlog.

I find the reading experience on the Kindle more pleasant than I had anticipated. I feel now that I shall quite happily mix my metaphors and read some books in print, others in e-form. 

Comments

[Margot Kinberg]

Maxine - Thank you so much for this Kindle report. I honestly keep going back and forth about whether to get an E-reader and if so, which one. I will likely end up saving up to purchase one, and it is very good to know you're having a good experience thus far. I look forward to more reports :-)

[Norm]

A belated Happy Birthday, Maxine.
I wonder as someone with no sales resistance whether I would end up with a huge number of downloaded books which I would never get round to reading.

[Maxine]

Thanks, Norman, I'm on a downward spiral as far as birthdays are concerned so I tend to draw a veil over them (too many metaphors). I agree that I think I am in danger of your proposed fate with this e-reader malarkey.
That is, be warned, Margot ;-).

[kimbofo]

I'm planning on buying a Kindle in the next week or two, so this report is very timely, Maxine! Ideally, I want to stock it with two months worth of reading matter to take on my travels. It will never replace traditional books, but I can see the advantage of taking an eReader on holiday, particularly when baggage limits are so tight these days.

[Dorte H]

I am all for testing things (especially for free) so I also joined Netgalley today.

You see, when some of my important suppliers begin reading e-books (which they can´t send off to new homes), I´ll have to find other sources to get some *new* crime fiction :D

And I suspect I will also buy a real e-reader before long, but not until I am sure which one suits me best. So your, Kerrie and Bernadette´s posts are very useful.

[Bernadette]

I am in awe of your restraint. I suspect I'll end up having a giant TBR on my eReader - hopefully this will be instead of my giant physical books TBR

[[email protected]]

Hmmm...there is something to be said for a large TBR on an eReader, rather than a real TBR pile spilling all over the place. However, I can see the dilemma. I like real books everywhere I go in my apartment. It feels cozy and lived-in.

[Maxine]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I should have noted that there are lots of free books available on the Kindle via the Amazon website - all the old out of copyright classics, and so on. (They seem to be widely available free of charge in most e-reading formats).

Dorte - I am sure you will never be short of "real" books - I for one will never give them up. Kathy is right, it is nice to have books around the home, an e-reader is just one more gadget in terms of aesthetics.