A few weeks back Paul surprised me by letting me pick out an e-reader. He knew I have wanted one for a while but was hesitant because of the overall cost of the thing.
The initial cost wasn't the problem its the cost of buying books that held us back. I'm a reader. I read a lot. I read fast. And most importantly I don't re-read. So the hold-up is how many books can I buy? I don't have an un-limited fun budget. In fact, my luxury budget is almost non-existant, and books are most certainly a luxury.
So I was truly excited to be able to buy an e-reader but I knew I would have to keep my book budget in check. I bought my e-reader at the end of January and I haven't yet bought a book. I have almost 30 e-books and I've only actually read 2 of them so far (I've been too sick to read).
The first step to getting an e-reader was deciding which one to get. I narrowed it down to the Kindle
and the Nook.
Here's the breakdown:
Kindle: Amazon, costs less, good battery life, great reviews, has free books available
Nook: Barnes and Noble, could go with color or black and white, can share books with other users, has a weekly book giveaway, has free books available, can download library books. Can read books for free over the internet while in a B&N store (and occasionally they have free treats in the cafe for nook owners)
I choose the Nook. I choose the Nook because you can share books with other people, and because I can access library books with it (though I haven't yet I will soon). I also couldn't find a program like the Nook's where every Friday you get a free book that is not always a part of the already free selection of classic literature (it's like i-tunes free songs of the week). Both the Kindle and the Nook are favored well by most people, and evidently Amazon and B&N have great customer service should anything happen with the device. Overall the Nook had everything that I wanted and the Kindle was missing a few things that I didn't want to give up.
The next step was deciding between a Nook color or the black and white. That decision was even easier (and the $100 difference in price wasn't the hold-up). I went with black and white for one main reason. It's easier on the eyes. You can read it in bright sunlight with no glare problems. The color model offers web-browsing, animated children's books, and magazines. I don't need one more web-browsing device. The Nook is for Paul and I not the kids. And I did have to give up magazines (which admittedly would have been neat to have). The other thing to note is that I am still hopeful to get an ipad when I go back to work and that would do what the nook color can do and more).
The Nook we have is doing everything we want it to do and nothing we don't. When Paul travels for work he gets to take it with him, but otherwise it's mine. I am in love. It's so simple and so easy to use and convenient. It's small and light and fits in my purse. I carry it everywhere I go. Waiting in Doctors offices (which I have done a lot recently) I don't have to lug around a big book. It saves my page so when I put it down and walk away I can come back to it and not worry where I left off.
One of the first free books I downloaded was Magyk
. It's a kids book that was described as a suitable Harry Potter replacement. I gave it a try and loved it. When I was done I told Catherine about it. I showed her how to use my nook and access the book and now when I am not reading she borrows it to read this book. The second book I just finished is A Child al Confino
(also a free Friday Selection), also a great book and amazing story.
I never would have known about these books had it not been for the free Friday blog. Now I have a series I want to read and have read a story that touched my heart. I haven't decided what I am going to read next but I have decided that I am so glad that we invested in the Nook.
The initial cost wasn't the problem its the cost of buying books that held us back. I'm a reader. I read a lot. I read fast. And most importantly I don't re-read. So the hold-up is how many books can I buy? I don't have an un-limited fun budget. In fact, my luxury budget is almost non-existant, and books are most certainly a luxury.
So I was truly excited to be able to buy an e-reader but I knew I would have to keep my book budget in check. I bought my e-reader at the end of January and I haven't yet bought a book. I have almost 30 e-books and I've only actually read 2 of them so far (I've been too sick to read).
The first step to getting an e-reader was deciding which one to get. I narrowed it down to the Kindle
and the Nook.Here's the breakdown:
Kindle: Amazon, costs less, good battery life, great reviews, has free books available
Nook: Barnes and Noble, could go with color or black and white, can share books with other users, has a weekly book giveaway, has free books available, can download library books. Can read books for free over the internet while in a B&N store (and occasionally they have free treats in the cafe for nook owners)
I choose the Nook. I choose the Nook because you can share books with other people, and because I can access library books with it (though I haven't yet I will soon). I also couldn't find a program like the Nook's where every Friday you get a free book that is not always a part of the already free selection of classic literature (it's like i-tunes free songs of the week). Both the Kindle and the Nook are favored well by most people, and evidently Amazon and B&N have great customer service should anything happen with the device. Overall the Nook had everything that I wanted and the Kindle was missing a few things that I didn't want to give up.
The next step was deciding between a Nook color or the black and white. That decision was even easier (and the $100 difference in price wasn't the hold-up). I went with black and white for one main reason. It's easier on the eyes. You can read it in bright sunlight with no glare problems. The color model offers web-browsing, animated children's books, and magazines. I don't need one more web-browsing device. The Nook is for Paul and I not the kids. And I did have to give up magazines (which admittedly would have been neat to have). The other thing to note is that I am still hopeful to get an ipad when I go back to work and that would do what the nook color can do and more).
The Nook we have is doing everything we want it to do and nothing we don't. When Paul travels for work he gets to take it with him, but otherwise it's mine. I am in love. It's so simple and so easy to use and convenient. It's small and light and fits in my purse. I carry it everywhere I go. Waiting in Doctors offices (which I have done a lot recently) I don't have to lug around a big book. It saves my page so when I put it down and walk away I can come back to it and not worry where I left off.
One of the first free books I downloaded was Magyk
. It's a kids book that was described as a suitable Harry Potter replacement. I gave it a try and loved it. When I was done I told Catherine about it. I showed her how to use my nook and access the book and now when I am not reading she borrows it to read this book. The second book I just finished is A Child al Confino (also a free Friday Selection), also a great book and amazing story.I never would have known about these books had it not been for the free Friday blog. Now I have a series I want to read and have read a story that touched my heart. I haven't decided what I am going to read next but I have decided that I am so glad that we invested in the Nook.
Wow, definitely sounds like you did your research and got a good buy! I like that you both share it too. Chris' isn't a big reader. I would like one, but right now I think I wouldn't get the chance to use it as much with the kids. Good investment though!
ReplyDeleteMy 2 younger sisters saved for ones and use them constantly (they are in high school). My one sister had vision problems so the doctor recommended the black & white version for that reason. What blog/site can you get the free books from on Friday?
So glad you like it! Sometimes I feel like I'm getting old b/c the idea of keeping up with the latest gadgets seems tiring to me. Part of me wants an Iphone, but I just bought a laptop in the fall and we bought a GPS last spring. It's hard for me to commit to buying something, knowing that it'll feel obsolete in a few months. Can you tell I have a love/hate relationship with apple? I thought about the Nook too, but there's just something about the smell of a book that I can't give up on yet. I think I'll cave eventually.
ReplyDelete@Marjorie. The blog is through Barnes and Noble and it's called unbound. Sometimes you can even look it up on the Nook store directly on the Nook.
ReplyDelete@Ania, I'm a technology hound. I want it all. 5 years ago I got my first Mac and I will never buy a pc again. 5 years later the laptop may be slow, and the battery has long died but the computer itself works great. I bought a desktop last winter and it is a wonderful thing. The kids all use it and I'm able to exercise my parental control while allowing them to play freely.
While Apply does roll out with new versions of older products year after year they do not make the old ones obsolete. While the original iphone was the only one they made obsolete the other versions are fully functional even as the roll out new versions. I had an iphone 3 and replaced it last fall only because my husband dropped his (after almost two years of use) and broke the screen. We now have the 4's and when they roll out with the 5 there will be no reason for us to replace ours unless we break them (which we don't plan on anytime soon).
As for owning a Nook versus real books I'm only inclined to own real books that I can be proud of ;) I have to say I read a lot of junk for pleasure and I don't need those paperbacks filling my crowded shelves. I'll leave the shelves for real works of art. ;) And I can't get over the convenience of the nook versus real books.