1

Didn't we already cover the Adult Fiction thing, today?

2 I think they suck.

3 I love the Kindle, I love being able to haul around hundreds of books that hold meaning for me.  Just last night I bought "The Stars My Destination" and "Cities in Flight."  I had no idea they'd been kindlized, and I'm glad to have them.

4 Gotta say, Scaramouche has one of the great opening lines in fiction. I used to use it as the tagline at my blog.

5 Noticed the same thing when I got the Kindle app on my iPad. I'm buying and reading a lot more, and I already read a lot before.

6 I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.

7 >>> bought "The Stars My Destination" I just did that like six months ago. Sexton from Verum Serum and Breitbart recommended it. They don't have the other Bester book he recommended. I forget the title. I think it involves tatooing or something.

8 I pretty much stopped reading for twenty years and now I'm reading a fair amount.

Maybe now, 20 years later, you'll appreciate the genius of my Xanth books.

_

9 Ace:

Wouldn't it be great if President Obama made an appearance in every book or news story you  read on your Kindle? Just kick in $25 to Obama 2012 and you could be this lucky!

10 Show of hands, who has five or more "coffee table" books?

11 I'm sure the price helps too.  I'm a lot more willing to pay a couple bucks to read a book than to buy one for $8 from a store.

12 If you like your Kindle you can keep your Kindle.

13 The survey appears to be based on sales, not number of downloads, so I don't think the free books would be skewing it.

14 The Internet has killed the Print Media. It will soon kill most Broadcast Media News. Books, as we used to know them, are also on the way out. Just like the Buggy whips of old

15 Do you have any idea what the unemployment rate is among skilled manuscript copiers these days?

16 Authors didn't write books themselves, they had help, trust me.

17 >>> Gotta say, Scaramouche has one of the great opening lines in fiction. I used to use it as the tagline at my blog. i didn't notice a great opening line -- which one do you mean? There was this great line I liked, when Moreau (Scaramouche, I guess) is cynically talking about power. His idealistic friend says something like the "power of government shall only have tenure during the period it is used for the common good," and Scaramouche just says, "The tenure of power is power."

18 I have more shows DVR'ed than I can find time to watch.

19

I saw the Sherlock Holmes movies and liked them both very much(then again I  like Guy Ritchie films, Jude Law and RDJ).

So I decided to download Sherlock Holmes books and short stories as I've never read them.

They're a lot different than the movies in that Watson is essentially just a cheerleader/passenger to Holmes and not really a partner, however I am thoroughly enjoying them. I've been burning through them for the past few weeks.

I would not have done that had it not been for kindle.  They were all free, althought I did by The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for 2.99 because the formatting was better and they had awesome in book notes that you could click on for a quick explanation.

 

I will admit I have spent more on books in the year I've had my kindle than I had the previous 2-3 years without it.

20 Yeah.  I don't think most people realize how big a deal the kindle is.  People whine about Amazon loosing money on ever Kindle Fire they sell.  BS.  Since first down loading the kindle app on my ipod touch, I have bought 91 books.  NINETY ONE!!!.  (O.K. some were free, some were 2.99 but a heck of a lot of them were 9.99).  That is over the last 3 years, and probably about 80 more books than I purchased during the first 45 years of my life.  Impulse buying, combined that my wife never asks me, "where did that new book come from?" made all the difference.  I literally will not buy a paper book now, but then, I never really did before.  Plus READ IN THE DARK.  Nuff said.

21 Oops.....

Authors didn't write books themselves, they had help, trust me.---B Hussein Obama

22 The "watershed" will be "outsold" as in "spent more cash on."

Or even "authors got more royalties from."

23 It's a coffee table book... about coffee tables!

24 You really want to do an e-reader on the cheap? Buy a $99 7-inch android tablet and install the e-reader app of your choice. Or all of them. They're free. You'll have a Kindle AND a Nook for half the price of either.

Plus all the google marketplace apps you could ever want on top of it. Nook makes you pay for free shit you can get in the marketplace.

25 Books on paper is my favorite format.

26 I wrote your book.bitches.

27 Vellum?

It damn near killed 'im.
.

28 They'll never make anything cooler than my two-way wrist radio TV.

29 I just did that like six months ago. Sexton from Verum Serum and Breitbart recommended it.

They don't have the other Bester book he recommended. I forget the title. I think it involves tatooing or something.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:11 PM (115KO)

Stars is the one with the Tatooing.  'The Demolished Man' is the other one, has mind-reading cops - but they need to get hard evidence for conviction.

30 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape.

Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?

31 >>Books on paper is my favorite format.

Agreed, Dr. Varno, although reading in the dark is a pretty nice feature.  Also, i'm an impulse buyer of paper books.  Not sure i need something that makes it even easier to impulse buy them...

32 yeah maybe the demolished man, Oldcat. That sounds right. I keep looking to see if they've added it; so far, they haven't.

33 How much does a kindle cost now?  Have they come down in price?  Are there different types of kindles?  I know next to nothing about them but have been thinking about putting one on my Christmas list.

34

buy* and although*

 

fast typing

35
They don't have the other Bester book he recommended. I forget the title. I think it involves tatooing or something.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:11 PM (115KO)

The Stars My Destination - Baen has it in their free library. Excellent book.

36 So when does America, You Sexy Bitch get downloaded so you can review what a spectacular train wreck it is?

37 >>>Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it? a friend of mine really likes them. If you drive a lot, it makes a lot of sense.

38 @8

A Golem in the gears is perhaps my favorite P Anthony book.

39 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape. Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it? Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:17 PM (piMMO) My wife listens to Book Tapes in the car and loves it. I read books on my iPad when I travel and it is so much better than dragging a book around. Not to mention I can take a break to check scores and mail

40 jewells45, the cheapest one is like 79 bucks.  The best part of them is battery life. Mine takes me 2-3 hours to charge and lasts for weeks (as long as you have wi-fi turned off)

41 How much does a kindle cost now? Have they come down inprice? Are there different types of kindles? I know next to nothing about them but have been thinking about putting one on my Christmas list.

Posted by: jewells45 at July 19, 2012 05:18 PM (UljOc)

You can get one without the 'cell phone' link (just wireless) for 79 bucks now.

42 If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space?

43 Niedermeyer--my dad used to have a 40+ minute commute, and he took to books on tape for his drive in to work.  He really liked that, but he's never really been a reader, either...

44 Mine takes me 2-3 hours to charge and lasts for weeks (as long as you have wi-fi turned off) Posted by: Ben at July 19, 2012 05:19 PM (C2Y4l) Coming soon, laser charged Nooks...

45 Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:20 PM (evdj2) With the new kid coming my mission is as little furniture as possible...

46 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape.

Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:17 PM (piMMO)

The Kindle can blow up the text by increments, which helps a lot with that.

47 If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space? Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:20 PM (evdj2) Target faces of liberals

48 Before I got my iPod I hadn't bought music in 20 years.  I just had no interest in going into a music store and looking at CDs.  I've purchased thousands of songs since I got it.  Apple literally created a new market in an old product by making it so accessible with a terrific new product.  (I mean, Apple and the Government.)

Same with the e-reader.  I use the Kindle app on my iPad.  I now buy 3-4 books a month, whereas before, I bought maybe 6 a year.  These technologies are so revolutionary the idea of buying a book on paper, that has been printed, warehoused, shipped and sold, already seems primitive.

49 I'm also digging the Kindle(and Kindle Fire) that I've had for about a couple months. I've got enough books downloaded now to last several lifetimes. And I've read more in the last two months than I probably read in the last 15 years.

For me, the appeal comes down to two things. First, you can carry thousands of eBooks on a little portable device which is far preferable to lugging around one or more hard copies of books(especially if they're hardcovers). Secondly, I've been using the internet for nearly 20 years so I've just become accustomed to reading from a computer screen. I don't think my mind can handle regular books anymore.

50 Call me a neanderthal, but only real books for me.  I have three or four going at any one time, and don't mind lugging them around.  Besides, with the arcane topics that interest me, I doubt most of my titles would be E-offered.

51

@44

Ha, that would be awesome. That stupid pen laser i bought in the 1990s would finally be put to good use

52 Nevermind. Stars isn't at Baen free library anymore, if it ever was. I know I got if for free somewhere.

53 Call me a neanderthal, but only real books for me. I have three or four going at any one time, and don't mind lugging them around. Besides, with the arcane topics that interest me, I doubt most of my titles would be E-offered.

Posted by: Vashta Nerada at July 19, 2012 05:22 PM (R75eF)

I have about 50 squillion books in my house, and still get more.  Kindles are still cool for getting out of print books and stories you can't easily find.   

54 Ya'll can Kindle and Nook all you want.  I love having a book in my hands.

55 "...I pretty much stopped reading for twenty years including this blog." FIFY

56 In a piddling few decades, the worldÂ’s most powerful, influential cultural establishment happened to get demolished and rebuilt from the ground up. What had been basically a Christian, patriotic, family-loving, politically moderate part of society became contemptuous of biblical religion, of patriotism, of the family, of American greatness. The American cultural elite used to resemble (more or less) the rest of America. Today it disdains the rest of America. ThatÂ’s a revolution.

57 Ace, do you wear glasses?

If not, as much as you stare at screens all day, it won't be long.  Trust me.

58 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape.

Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?

I've subscribed to Audible.com for a couple of years.  I've listened to maybe 50 books on my iPod.  Obviously, I love it.  For driving or working out at the gym, nothing beats having a good audiobook to listen to.

As for the experience, the best narrators make a good book even better.  A poor narrator can do the opposite.  Generally, I've been very impressed with the narrators on the Audible books.

59 Ya'll can Kindle and Nook all you want. I love having a book in my hands.

Posted by: Soona at July 19, 2012 05:24 PM (CE/55)

So tuck the Kindle into your book!

60 Jeff Bezos was just another hard working American like the rest of us. What, he thinks he ""made" the Kindle? Jeff, you didn't make the Kindle. Government made the Internet highway, bitch. Some unionized teacher inspired you to start Amazon. Me and Axelrod designed the flat screen one night after some really outrageous choom and we want royalties, bro.

61 >> If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space?

Mrs. Andy didn't seem to have a problem filling those with needless sh..

Oh, wait. I've said too much.

62

50 Call me a neanderthal, but only real books for me.

 

Me too, Vashta.

I like the tactile sense of turning the pages, etc.

And when the power goes out for days....I can still read them, by candle light, if I have to.

63 I'm still a dead-tree books luddite, but I have  seen  the same "impulse reading" in people I know that have e-book readers.  One of them is one of my nieces in her late 20s.  She'd never been a big reader before but now she downloads the free books.

64 I have enough linear feet of books to be a lending library. I don't think I can give them up. It's a wrench to even give them to people as gifts, since they might throw them away or something.

65 42 If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space?

Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:20 PM (evdj2)

 

I've been wondering if they've floated the idea of doing combo deals.  You know buy the e-book get the hardcopy at half-price at the same time.  Obviously not going to be for everyone but I would think it would increase their revenue.

66

If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space? 

No kidding.  My library is full, and my dining room has been converted into a second library.

67 I fought crime with nothing more than my wits and a trained bumblebee I kept in my belt buckle. I'd like to see your modern costumed mystery-man try that!

68 I have enough linear feet of books to be a lending library. I don't think I can give them up. It's a wrench to even give them to people as gifts, since they might throw them away or something.

Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:25 PM (evdj2)

Psst!  You don't have to - you can have E copies and regular copies!

69 Mrs. Andy didn't seem to have a problem filling those with needless sh.. Oh, wait. I've said too much. Posted by: Andy at July 19, 2012 05:25 PM (5Rurq) Another reason I am trying to keep unnecessary furniture out of my house...

70

I recieved a Nook for Xmas from the kids and love it. Although occaisonally I have a page stick problem, page forward and it returns to the previous page, then some sort of Mobius Loop from Hell I can't stop. Go to page usually stops it but jeebus what a pain.

Any ideas?

71 How much does a kindle cost now? Have they come down inprice? Are there
different types of kindles? I know next to nothing about them but have
been thinking about putting one on my Christmas list.

Posted by: jewells45 at July 19, 2012 05:18 PM (UljOc)

I've got a Kindle 4 and Kindle Fire. The former costs 79 bucks and the latter 199 bucks. Technically I paid around $42 for the Kindle 4 and nothing for the Fire since I used an OfficeMax coupon and my United Mastercard Miles. But even at full price, these are bargains.

The Kindle 4 is a basic eReader. It doesn't even have a touch screen, although that's actually a good thing if you're looking to avoid constant smudge marks. The Fire is more of a poor man's iPad. That's if you're into all kinds of media like movies, music, and TV shows, particularly ones bought from Amazon.

I'd wait a few more weeks though before making a purchase. Rumor has it at the end of July Amazon will be announcing the 2nd gen Kindle Fire which should have similar features as the Google Nexus 7(also priced at $199). If you're only interested in eBooks however, the basic Kindle 4 is a great device at a great price. You can store thousands of books on it.

72 I've been wondering if they've floated the idea of doing combo deals. You know buy the e-book get the hardcopy at half-price at the same time. Obviously not going to be for everyone but I would think it would increase their revenue.

Posted by: buzzion at July 19, 2012 05:26 PM (GULKT)

I've seen that at Baen, I think.   Maybe at Amazon too.

At Baen you can get the first draft early, too.

73 Didn't we already cover the Adult Fiction thing, today?

Posted by: garrett at July 19, 2012 05:07 PM (BsEZl)

---------->>>

I  thought  the previous thread was about Adult Friction.

74 I find it hard to part with books that I didn't even like that much. Someone will have a bitch of a time when I'm dead going through the boxes in the attic.

75 Thanks for all the feedback. there are some classics I've yet t read all the way through so I'm going to try an audiobook and see how I like it.


Now, another question. When someone asks you the last book you read, is it really accurate to name an audiobook.

76 I stick with real books. You can keep them or regift them. And the local thrift store has paperbacks for 50 cents apiece. The amount they have seems to have grown over the years. I do like listening to lectures and audio stuff on my iPod though.

77

Another nice thing about physical books....

You can always give them as gifts later, after you've read them.

So.....no need to go scurrying around at the last minute, if you've forgotten to get a present for someone.

78 If you're only interested in eBooks however, the basic Kindle 4 is a great device at a great price. You can store thousands of books on it.

Posted by: Adam_ME at July 19, 2012 05:27 PM (ROjgX)

Old style Kindles can also be read in full sunlight, if that is a consideration.

79 48--
The electronic revitalization of these industries is pretty amazing.  I'm curious to see how the decline of these industries' traditional gatekeepers (publishers, record labels) continues to play out.  For the most part i think that's a good thing, but how much (more) absolute dreck will people start self-publishing?  Remember that really sensitive chick in high school whose poetry just wasn't any good, no matter how much of it she wrote?  We're about to enter an age where there's no one to prevent her from turning that into a book that people can buy.  I guess we'll just get a new breed of gatekeeper in the increased importance of reviews and such?

80 Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:17 PM (piMMO)

Most libraries have books on tape you can borrow. It's a way to try out a few to see what you thing before investing money in them.

I have a few and like them.

81 I have enough linear feet of books to be a lending
library. I don't think I can give them up. It's a wrench to even give
them to people as gifts, since they might throw them away or something.


****

If there's anything I can't discard, it's books. Well, actually, written word. Magazines, indy rags, anything of the ilk. Even textbooks are on my shelves.

82 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape.

Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:17 PM (piMMO)

It's not the same, but better than nothing.  My only experience with them was for the long-ish drive to our deer hunting spot.  Was a good way to pass the time, but hearing the book read just wasn't quite as intense as reading one.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it ruins the experience, but it does cheapen it a bit.

83 I find it hard to part with books that I didn't even like that much. Someone will have a bitch of a time when I'm dead going through the boxes in the attic.

Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:28 PM (evdj2)

Yeah - you have to suck pretty bad to go into one of the outgoing boxes at my house.

84 I think Fahrenheit 451 made me slightly compulsive about books.

85 >>>Before I got my iPod I hadn't bought music in 20 years. I just had no interest in going into a music store and looking at CDs. Same here till I realized I could just find the songs on youtube and go to a youtube-to-mp3 converter site for free.

86 Another nice thing about physical books....
You can always give them as gifts later, after you've read them.
So.....no need to go scurrying around at the last minute, if you've forgotten to get a present for someone.

Posted by: wheatie at July 19, 2012 05:29 PM (MbB0O)

You can email the E-book....

87 Old style Kindles can also be read in full sunlight, if that is a consideration.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 19, 2012 05:29 PM (z1N6a)

True. And the Kindle 4's battery power can theoretically last weeks(if you're reading a few hours a day) as long as you disable the wifi.

88 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AGAIN??!?!?

89 I think Fahrenheit 451 made me slightly compulsive about books.

Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:31 PM (evdj2)

You set fire to them????!!!!

90

Now, another question. When someone asks you the last book you read, is it really accurate to name an audiobook.

 

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:28 PM (piMMO)

 

------------

 

Yeah....I'd say so.

Even though you're listening to it....instead of reading the actual text....you're listening to it, to 'read' it.

91 Ace, the other Bester book is probably "The Demolished Man," but I don't think it's nearly as good as "The Stars My Destination."

92 just so people know, the Kindle Fire and the B&N Tablet-type thing aren't ereaders, they're just minicomputers like the Apple Tablet. They play movies and stuff. That may sound like a good thing, but it's still getting your eyes beamed with light from a screen, which your eyes really need a break from. The virtue of a true ereader is the "eInk" system, where it's just this very precise black ink on an unlighted screen (you need an external light like a real book). It's better for your eyes. if you're on a computer most of the day, you really need to get off it to read. But on teh Fire or Tablet you're still on a computer display.

93 I've been wondering if they've floated the idea of doing combo deals. Buy the e-version of "Dreams From My Father" for $1.99 and win a chance to wave at President Obama!

94 as far as the romanticism of "I like the feel of paper" and so on -- eh. First of all, you can never really get away from books entirely so you will of course have that "feel of paper" thing from time to time. You can have your "romance of the printed page" thing occasionally. Second, wish you guys could just try it for a week. it would make believers out of you.

95 My Kindle is the tits.  I have this instinctual need to pooh-pooh gadgets my wife wants, but she bought me one because I kept using hers.

96 The best thing about e-readers?

...no pages to stick together

97 Its a sad moment, but what can you do? I wish more of my books would sell

98 Wolf Blitzer has Dan Rather on right now with the caption of  "A Jaw dropping turn in Journalism."

Really.....you think he would know something about the current state of journalism?

99 wish you guys could just try it for a week. it would make believers out of you. You hear that so much that I'm surprised Amazon, et al, aren't doing offers like that. "If you don't like it, return it free!" Sort of a Columbia House deal.

100 as far as the romanticism of "I like the feel of paper" and so on --

eh. First of all, you can never really get away from books entirely so you will of course have that "feel of paper" thing from time to time. You can have your "romance of the printed page" thing occasionally.

Second, wish you guys could just try it for a week. it would make believers out of you.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:35 PM (115KO)

Agree.  I am a book luddite, but have gotten loads of cheap out of print books I could never find and read on Kindle.  You can read both alternately!

101 Amazon has been brilliant at enabling impulse purchasing: 1-click ordering, Amazon Prime, Kindle and coming soon - same-day delivery. Pretty soon they'll just send you stuff before you even knew you wanted it.

102 Print is dead.

103 I just love the look and feel of books, however, I'm having difficulty reading and might resort to books on tape.

Anyone here have experience with them? Does it ruin the experience and the imagination when someone else is reading it?
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 05:17 PM (piMMO)

I subscribe to Audible and download books to my iPod on a regular basis.  I drive a lot and listen to the books as I drive.

As with real books, there is a great variety of quality.  Some are great and some are horrible.  For example, I'm big into WWI and the years leading up to it so I purchased The Vertigo Years by Phillip Blomm about the years between the turn of the century and the beginning of WWI.  It looks at many different countries during those years and mentions many different places with place names and other expressions in different language, primarily French and German.  The reader, Joel Richards, is absolutely horrible as he stumbles through the various language which are all but unintelligible.  You would have thought that they would have had some reader that could speak the languages or at least some voice coach or something.  But then Richards command of English isn't all that good either.  On the other hand, I really liked Cain at Gettysburg.  The reader, Peter Berkrot, brought it alive.

There are many great books with very good readers on audio but it is somewhat of a shot in the dark. 

104

"Even textbooks are on my shelves."

 

I kept most of mine, too.  Out of spite.  I paid $100 for some of those fuckers, and then at the end of the year,  some of them I was offered maybe $15 to sell back?  And then others I couldn't even sell back because the professor decided to change the curriculum next semester!

 

THANKS FOR NOT GIVING US ANY SORT OF HEADS-UP WHEN YOU SAW US TAKE THE FINAL EXAM TWO DAYS AGO, PROFESSOR JACKWAGON!

 

So if I'm not going to have any "easy," fiscally-prudent  way of getting rid of them, I'm going to keep them.  Forever.  And even read them sometimes.  Because doing so means that somehow I'm getting more out of them than the publisher intended for me to.  I was sold the book with the expectation that I was going to read it, at most, once.  Yeah?  Well, now I read it like, eight or nine times.  So instead of $100 per reading, now with me you're down to only $10 per reading.

 

I am completely aware that this logic is...how we say around here...batshit insane.  But shut up, I feel better anyway.

105 You should read my book Profiles In Courage. It's very good.

106 You hear that so much that I'm surprised Amazon, et al, aren't doing offers like that. "If you don't like it, return it free!" Sort of a Columbia House deal.

Posted by: t-bird at July 19, 2012 05:38 PM (FcR7P)

At 80 bucks, it more or less is free.  That's what, a night out for 2?

107 just so people know, the Kindle Fire and the B&N Tablet-type thing aren't ereaders, they're just minicomputers like the Apple Tablet. They play movies and stuff.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:33 PM (115KO)

Yeah, if you only want an eReader, the $79 Kindle 4 or $99 Kindle Touch(which has a touchscreen in case the name didn't make that obvious) is perfectly fine. I like the ability to listen to music while reading though which makes the Kindle Fire more appealing. Plus the color screen allows you to read other things like magazines or comic books.

108 I saw the Sherlock Holmes movies and liked them both very much(then again I like Guy Ritchie films, Jude Law and RDJ).
So I decided to download Sherlock Holmes books and short stories as I've never read them.
They're a lot different than the movies in that Watson is essentially just a cheerleader/passenger to Holmes and not really a partner,...

Posted by: Ben at July 19, 2012 05:14 PM (C2Y4l)

--------->>>

The stories were written between 1886 and 1927 and directed towards a different sort of audience.  I tell people that Sherlock Holmes was very physical but most of the violence  occurs  "off screen" in the stories.

 

The  reader is actually screened from the most unpleasant personality traits of Holmes by Dr. Watson.  I had a conversation with Curtis Armstrong ("Booger" in Revenge of the Nerds -- yes, he is a big SH fan)  last year in which Curtis advanced the idea that the reason that all the actors that have portrayed Holmes grow to dislike the character is because they don't have Watson to act as a filter.

109 HBO shows movies?

110 You hear that so much that I'm surprised Amazon, et al, aren't doing offers like that. "If you don't like it, return it free!" Sort of a Columbia House deal.

Posted by: t-bird at July 19, 2012 05:38 PM (FcR7P)

Another close thing is to load the Kindle Reader onto your computer.  It has a couple of books bundled with it. 

This is free.

111

"Pretty soon they'll just send you stuff before you even knew you wanted it."

 

Good luck explaining some of the crap that shows up on your doorstep to Th' Missus once THIS becomes possible!

112

Have there been any Online Book-Sharing sites pop up yet?

You know....like the music-sharing sites?

I know they've cracked down on those.

But still....

 

When that happens, Authors will really get screwed.

People can share 'book downloads' for free.

113

Show of hands, who has five or more "coffee table" books?

 

Guilty as charged.  But  they're nice, big books with pretty pictures. The Beatles, NASA space pics, antique Harleys, the West,  flying pics,   all kinds of stuff.

 

Just like  my music collection, I have something of everything from Bach to the Beatles.

114 >>Technically I paid around $42 for the Kindle 4 and nothing for the Fire since I used an OfficeMax coupon and my United Mastercard Miles

I ordered a basic Kindle with my Amex points...and they sent me a Fire.

I topped you and that makes me more cooler

115 It's better for your eyes. if you're on a computer most of the day, you really need to get off it to read. But on teh Fire or Tablet you're still on a computer display.

----

And the battery life is very short compared to a standard Kindle.

116 @94

EReaders are USELESS for textbooks, reference books or technical manuals.

It's perfectly fine for novels but that's it.

117

@105

 

Spite-reading.  I respect that.

118 Have there been any Online Book-Sharing sites pop up yet?
You know....like the music-sharing sites?
I know they've cracked down on those.
But still....

When that happens, Authors will really get screwed.
People can share 'book downloads' for free.

Posted by: wheatie at July 19, 2012 05:43 PM (MbB0O)

Amazon.  You can 'loan' an E-book to another E-reader,

119 #30 Niedermeyer you can download audio books on your iPod . Great when walking or jogging.

120 >>>I paid $100 for some of those fuckers, and then at the end of the year, some of them I was offered maybe $15 to sell back? And then others I couldn't even sell back because the professor decided to change the curriculum next semester! lol all the professors would say that to make you buy a brand new book. I would just find the edition at the library and renew it through the semester. The only ones I'd buy and keep pertained to my field of study.

121

What I love about ebooks is the price.  A paperback is now about $8.   Many authors will give you, or charge $.99 for the first ebook in their series.  I've discovered many new authoris that would be difficult, if not impossible, to find at the big book stores.   I haven't paid over $3.99 for a Sci-Fi book since I got my kindle app.  Most for $2.99

 

About The Stars My Destination,  one of my all time favorites.  Demolished Man ending REALLY pissed me off.   Xanth,  if you love puns, you'll love the series.

 

122 I've always been an avid reader but with the Kindle I am a voracious reader.

I'm thinking about removing the television from the bedroom because I rarely turn it on anymore.  When I do I have Roku.

123

Another close thing is to load the Kindle Reader onto your computer. It has a couple of books bundled with it.

This is free.

 

That was going to be  my next question.   Can I read eBooks on my  laptop?

124 It's better for your eyes. if you're on a computer most of the day, you really need to get off it to read. But on teh Fire or Tablet you're still on a computer display.

I stare at a screen all day for work, haven't had any problem reading on the Fire after changing the background to the off-white setting and adjusting the brightness accordingly.

Personally, I find it harder on the eyes reading the smaller print (especially in lower light) of a paper book.

YMMV

125 ...as I always seem to have suntan lotion on my fingers when reading in the sun...

Posted by: intravenous link to amazon.com at July 19, 2012 05:36 PM (HOOye)

GO ON....

126 The numbers may be inflated by free down-loads, but I have still increased the amount of books I've bought. I like history, and so far I've downloaded 2 books by Thomas Costain that ARE NOT cheap. But they are books that would ordinarily be hard cover and large. Reading them on Kindle is so much more convenient. I got the cheapest Kindle, and I like it because I can read it so well at the beach, and in bed at night. Also, I read when I go to a restaurant for lunch, so I have my library with me. I actually prefer reading from the kindle than from a book. I also have copies of the books on my macbook, so I can read from my computer if I want to.

127 That was going to be my next question. Can I read eBooks on my laptop?

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at July 19, 2012 05:45 PM (d0Tfm)

And the Kindle App knows all the ones you've already bought too.

128 I haven't read it, but Wikipedia says: (Scaramouche) ...opens with the memorable line: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."

129 As far as free classics for down load. That includes some classic ghost stories, which I really like.

130 Have there been any Online Book-Sharing sites pop up yet?
You know....like the music-sharing sites?
I know they've cracked down on those.
But still....

When that happens, Authors will really get screwed.
People can share 'book downloads' for free.

Posted by: wheatie at July 19, 2012 05:43 PM (MbB0O)

Uh, hell yes. They're everywhere. I won't say where to go though since I don't want to promote piracy, but suffice it to say that Google is your friend. And yes, authors will get screwed big-time especially since we're talking about epub and mobi files that are usually less than a MB in size which means people can download hundreds if not thousands of books in mere moments. At least music and especially movies require a little more time and bandwidth to acquire.

131 They used to have "impulse reading" .. back when books and magazines were both at the supermarket checkout.  As people got less interested in reading (and TV grew more and more channels .. coincidence?) the books-at-the-register went away.  Glad to see Kindle et al are bringing it back.

Mew

132 I've given a couple hundred books to the local library in the past couple months.  Started cataloging what I have left but sort of lost interest at about 600.  Only ones I have left are signed, limited editions that I just seem to have a hard time giving away.  Have been thinking of opening a store on Amazon so I can cull the herd a bit...yea, it's a hobby ( or maybe an obsession)...

133

199....Amazon. You can 'loan' an E-book to another E-reader.

 

Ah. So the slippery slope has been breached.

134 We never had all this newfangled stuff when I were in fighting shape. I was a Hi-Tech Wonder because I used a cellular telephone and primitive rollerblades to stop he criminal element in the 40's. Oh, and a trained parrot. I had a trained parrot who helped me out on cases. Not one of my better ideas, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Anyway, no nooks for me!

135  as far as the romanticism of "I like the feel of paper" and so on --

eh. First of all, you can never really get away from books entirely so you will of course have that "feel of paper" thing from time to time. You can have your "romance of the printed page" thing occasionally.

Second, wish you guys could just try it for a week. it would make believers out of you.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:35 PM (115KO)

 

 

-------------------------------------------------

 

 

I'm not pooh poohing it.  I recognize it as technology that has been accepted by the public at large, much like tv vs. radio.  I just have my preferences.  When I don't enjoy having a book in my hands anymore, I'll buy an ereader.

136 Since my current financial situation prevents me from purchasing, well, pretty much anything, I was   looking for something  free, or pretty close to it.

137

>>There are many great books with very good readers on audio but it is somewhat of a shot in the dark.

 

Yeh. My mom gets twitchy when readers can't properly pronounce words that shouldn't be that hard to pronounce.

 

 

138

"Personally, I find it harder on the eyes reading the smaller print (especially in lower light) of a paper book."

 

You can't pinch-to-zoom, either.

139

131....Uh, hell yes. They're everywhere.

 

Well, I figured it was bound to happen.

I just didn't know it it'd happened already.

What a shame.

So writers are already getting screwed out of thousands...maybe even millions.

140 129-- ah thank you, yes, now I remember that. All I could remember was this long paragraph of an introduction.

141 I think Ace hit his Postapause for the day...

142 Since my current financial situation prevents me from purchasing, well, pretty much anything, I was looking for something free, or pretty close to it.

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at July 19, 2012 05:50 PM (d0Tfm)

Even on Amazon itself, there are a lot of absolutely free offerings.  The computer reader is free.  There are even more of the "thirty books for a buck" almost free kind of books.

Plus there are other sites where you can manually load free books onto the kindle through the USB link.

143 Michael Johnson is whining about that South African sprinter guy in the Olympics who is double amputee and runs on carbon fiber legs.

Just STFU bitch, and cut your legs off and get some fake ones yourself.

BAM! Advantage gone.

Sheesh

144 That was going to be my next question. Can I read eBooks on my laptop?

Posted by: BackwardsBoy at July 19, 2012 05:45 PM (d0Tfm)

Yes you can. Amazon has a Kindle app that can be used on any computer, tablet, or iPhone. And best of all, you can download the same books you've already bought to all these devices and it uses a sync feature so that if you read a chapter on your laptop and then want to access the book from your phone, it lets you skip ahead to the furthest page you've reached.

There's also a fantastic piece of free software called Calibre that lets you convert eBooks into different formats. So if you have an epub file which is what a Nook uses, you can convert it to a mobi file which works on a Kindle. As long as there's no DRM copy protection on the file, you can literally read these books anywhere on any device.

145 >>>As far as free classics for down load. That includes some classic ghost stories, which I really like can you recommend any? I've tried some of the classic ghost stories like Turn of the Screw and put them down, because I didn't like them. I have a bunch of these on the Kindle, but I'm not reading them. I tried Seabury Quinn -- he has some kind of a Ghost Buster type character, and thought that was bad. I've got Algernon Blackwood but haven't tried him yet. Got some Ambrose Bierce; those are good.

146 I guess they will soon have to do a remake of the Twightlight Zone episode of the guy who survived the apocalypse who loved to read and ended up breaking his glasses. Now it will be breaking his recharger for his Kindle.

147

/off czar sock

 

Re Amazon  "loan [sic] a book" feature:

 

It only works on some books. Last I checked, a few months ago, it took me a while to find out how to do it and then I found--by clicking on each book individually--that most could not be shared.

148 Also on that impulse reading thing, Amazon has free ebooks every day. You can set up an RSS feed personalized to your taste at (forgive my lack of knowing how to actually do the link) www.ereaderiq.com. It's a great way to find new authors. I've already bought a few from people I got a taste for for free.

149 If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space?

Posted by: toby928© at July 19, 2012 05:20 PM (evdj2)

limited and first prints, the collectable market has contracted a bit but the collectors are still there and still buying

150 >>>hat was going to be my next question. Can I read eBooks on my laptop? yes easily. I guess for you, as you need a free solution, that will work. But I'm a huge believer in the Need To Get Your Human Eyes Away From a Device It They Simply Were Not Meant To Scan For 12-16 Hours Per Day.

151 >>>If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space? Tasteful nudes and cheetos sculpture.

152

147 I guess they will soon have to do a remake of the Twightlight Zone episode of the guy who survived the apocalypse who loved to read and ended up breaking his glasses. Now it will be breaking his recharger for his Kindle.

 

----------

 

Heh.

I've had sort of the same thought.

153 When do you guys have time to read books? I still haven't finished the ONT from 2 weeks ago.

154 Cheetos sculptures?  
You didn't make that.

155

>>When I don't enjoy having a book in my hands anymore, I'll buy an ereader.

 

Eh, I buy both kinds still. I'm too cheap to pay more for a Kindle version all the time. Sometimes I do. And sometimes when the choice is btn a $12 Kindle version and a one cent plus $3.99 shipping, I get annoyed at the author and/or publisher and buy the paper copy.

>>If you go all eBook, what do you put on your book shelves? Do you guys have a bunch of blank wall space?

 

Who gets rid of any paper books? I do not understand...nor does my husband...

 

You aren't spending money to replace the paper books, you just are trying to avoid being on an episode of one of those hoarding shows.

 

Or so I hear...

 

156 I stare at a screen all day for work, haven't had any problem reading on the Fire after changing the background to the off-white setting and adjusting the brightness accordingly.

Didn't know I could change the background. Thanks. Guess I ought to explore the thing a bit more.

157

"Spite-reading. I respect that."

 

Some of my proudest moments were fueled by spite.

 

Like the time I intentionally stayed in an apartment that was way too expensive for me to afford on my own, just because when my  girlfriend moved out and took her name off the lease, she mentioned to the front office that I would need to move to a smaller apartment.  They contacted me and asked  if this was the case, and then IT WAS ON.

 

I had to eat pasta  or rice for most meals, and the most expensive "meat" I ever had were cold-cuts.  Just so I could make rent  for six months until the lease was up.  But I did it, dammit.  Does it matter  whether or not she ever found out that I was successful?  No.

 

But  I did it.

158 I have a Nook tablet. I got it as a gift, and I assumed I wouldn't like it much, because I've always been a reader, very much like the feel, smell, etc. of especially hardcover books. I still have hundreds of them on my shelves. I also don't like reading books on my pc screen; it's just not right, for some reason. But I like reading on my Nook. A lot. I read more, remember more of what I've read, and read faster on the nook. And, I have more books on my nook than I have on my shelves, and I can carry all of them wherever I want. I can read in bright sunlight or pitch dark without eyestrain either way, and I can hold the nook and 'turn' the pages with one hand [comes in handy for adult titles hurr durr]]. It's just better.

159

Tasteful nudes and cheetos sculpture.

 

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 05:56 PM (115KO)

 

 

Tasteful? Snob.

160 E-books are just another medium for Republicans to flaunt their birtherism.

161 I guess they will soon have to do a remake of the Twightlight Zone episode of the guy who survived the apocalypse who loved to read and ended up breaking his glasses. Now it will be breaking his recharger for his Kindle.

----------

Heh.
I've had sort of the same thought.

Posted by: wheatie at July 19, 2012 05:57 PM (MbB0O)

The thirties story "Twilight" by Campbell had a future race that had forgotten how to use its e-reading machines so they had to just live on what was runnign automatically

162 BackwardsBoy,

Go to Project Gutenburg.  They have over 40,000 books you can download for free.  Also use Daily Lit.

163 Gundo says what I said a while ago, there is actually a mechanical advantage to ereading -- you read faster, it's easier, you plow through more per minute (with the same retention). This is why I recommend the ereader specifically, not the Tablet clones, and not reading on the computer (which can be done, as we all do it every day, but there is no mechanical advantage to it). So I'd say to Backwards Boy -- sure, get the Kindle for the computer, but start saving up for the $79 kindle.

164 In the future, those hoarding shows will display the disgusting conglomeration of stuff on your hard drives.

165 When do you guys have time to read books? I still haven't finished the ONT from 2 weeks ago.

Posted by: Ronster at July 19, 2012 05:58 PM (xdTqU)

soon to be published as a Kindle Book...

166

Or, better yet, tasteful nudes IN Cheeto sculpture.

 

"I titled this one, "Bethany."  The medium is Chee-debris on napkin."

167 I'm loyal to the page! I go online and put a hold for it at my local library. usually get my book with 3 days. Also, I see if the library has it on e-media either reading or audio so I can access it immediately. If not, I go to google books and begin reading. I

168 I used to hang onto books I'd read until it dawned on me that:

1. They were needlessly taking up space.
2. I practically never had an inclination to go back and re-read any of them.

169 #30

It's a performance. A really bad reader can take much of the enjoyment out of a book but a great reader can make the audio book something worth having in additional to the print version.

A lot of the older audio books are from Library for the Blind and depended on volunteers of varying talent. I have a MP3 of Roger Zelazny's 'Lord of Light' red by a woman who sounds a lot like Majel Barret Rodenberry doing her Star Trek computer voice. Really awful.

Some authors do their own books really well. Neil Gaiman, for instance, does his own works very well.

Some readers can develop a following. The US audios of the Harry Potter series are read by Jim Dale while the UK versions are by Stephen Fry. There are fans of both and some even go the trouble of getting both versions because they like the differing performances.

Another odd thing can be when there are abridged and unabridged versions of the same book. In the case of Terry Pratchett's works they got a different reader for each, just because their was so much material and they wanted a consistent voice throughout each set.

There are a few cases where the reader put so much into the audio version that it is hard to imagine reading it instead.

170 obviously any book that has a significant number of pictures is best purchased in Real Book Form. One limitation of the kindle is that you can't zoom in on pictures. You can change the size of pure text to whatever you like (from tiny to huge), but a defined graphical piece is just whatever size it is. Maybe there's some special way to do it, but I don't know how. Japan has already made a color ebook . It's not ready for mass market yet, but that'll be here in like five years.

171 Okay. Just downloaded 'Classicly' to my Iphone. I'll see how it goes.

Now, what to 'read' first???

Don Qioxote? The Jungle Book? The Three Musketeers?

Then I'll dig into Adam Smith and Tolstoy

172 I used to hang onto books I'd read until it dawned on me that:

1. They were needlessly taking up space.
2. I practically never had an inclination to go back and re-read any of them.

Posted by: Hollowpoint at July 19, 2012 06:06 PM (SY2Kh)

That's like saying your wife and children take up needless space, heathen!  

Actually books are quieter.

I do re-read a lot of books myself.

173

"I practically never had an inclination to go back and re-read any of them."

 

SPITE!

174 I think we should have our own AoS Classical Nooky Contest. Everyone write a chapter and award the AoS Pulitzer for the best one(s).

175

Posted by: wheatie at July 19, 2012 05:43 PM (MbB0O)

people have been doing that for a long time now (older than music sharing) with scans or people typing them out. Biggest reason why some forgotten master writers of yesteryear (particularly pulp writers) have kept their name alive.

176 Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a miserable failure.

177 On the 'impulse' thing...it's true with physical books to that the stats reflect sales, not necessarily people that read it. I mean, no one seems to have read "Dreams of My Father" until Treacher decided to earlier this year.

178 >>>Okay. Just downloaded 'Classicly' to my Iphone. I'll see how it goes. I have to stress that's not an ereader. You won't get the mechanical advantage of the ereader.

179 Classical Nooky Contest???

Good lord man, I'm old enough that any classical nooky would look like Pelosi.......I think I much prefer young, fresh nooky.  But that's just me.

180 That's like saying your wife and children take up needless space, heathen!

Not after I rented that wood chipper they don't.

181 for audiobooks, I wish there were more companies that did them as radio dramas rather than just a single boring narrator

182

Thanks everybody for the help.  Good to know I can keep myself and B'Gal  in books.  Gotta stay stimulated, dontchaknow.

 

Oh, I got  a break from the Big Guy on my truck. It was a 10 amp fuse that blew last  Friday and left me stranded on the tourist strip south of downtown. Only thing  is, it was one of the two  fuses to the Electronic Control Module  (the "brain") which ain't good in that it means that'll be the next thing to go, and they ain't cheap.

 

And for the record,  it was the third   fuse I pulled.  Further proof that He looks after little kids, drunks, musicians and Morons,  all of  which I qualify  for.

 

Thanks again, y'all.

183 >>> Don Qioxote? The Jungle Book? The Three Musketeers? I wish I could remember this copy I had of Three Musketeers. It was a really good translation. One I'm looking at-- but I can't find it for free -- is Count of Monte Cristo. That's actually how I wound up with Sabitini, from not finding a free Count of Monte Cristo.

184 I have to stress that's not an ereader.

You won't get the mechanical advantage of the ereader.

****

Please elaborate.

185 #150

In an early scene in 'The Mote in God's Eye,' written in the 70s, the lead character has a library in his mansion that contain few actual books. Those are pulled up from the household network to a handheld device. But for aesthetics the library has holographic illusions of books lining the shelves.

I've had an idea for a new sort of book shelf. A single cabinet in your home containing a big RAID with many terabytes of storage. In front and hiding the ugly bits is cabinet door that simulates book shelves. Each book has an e-ink spine that can change to reflect which part of the library you're browsing. Selecting a book tells the network to push it to your reading device.

186 Please elaborate.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 06:13 PM (piMMO)

eye strain mainly. eInk doesn't bug out your eyes.

Don't bother me though, I just wear my gunnar glasses a lot

187 Impulse downloading. Good call. But, I don't think that the figures for free downloads factor in. What is impressive is that so many books are going to be in the $1-$5 range when they are bought, compared to the much higher priced dead tree editions.

188 Ace,

Project Gutenberg has The Count of Monte Cristo.

189 #44

There is already available for one of the Kindle models a case that has a solar panel in the front and a light for reading in the dark. So long as you leave the setup exposed to light when you aren't using it, you can go a very long time without having to plug in the charge cable.

190 One I'm looking at-- but I can't find it for free -- is Count of Monte Cristo. That's actually how I wound up with Sabitini, from not finding a free Count of Monte Cristo.


***

I just downloaded it for free onto my Iphone from Classicly. Unfortunately, they don't have an audio version.

191 >>There is already available for one of the Kindle models a case that has a solar panel in the front and a light for reading in the dark yeah I got a case with a light. The B&N Nook has integrated led lights at the edges of the screen.

192 >>> Project Gutenberg has The Count of Monte Cristo. I haven't figured out how to pull things on the Kindle from non-Amazon sources.

193 I haven't figured out how to pull things on the Kindle from non-Amazon sources.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 06:24 PM (115KO)

Download the Mobi from the source, plug in USB and throw the file on there like a thumb drive.

Amazon also has a PDF conversion service you can access via email - attach the thing and email to your kindle.

194 I haven't figured out how to pull things on the Kindle from non-Amazon sources.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 06:24 PM (115KO)

you can always download it and mail it to your kindle account

195 I should have been more clear: I'm not *GOING* to learn how to pull things from non-Amazon sources. /luddite

196 146 Ace -

Try J. Sheridan LeFanu.  An Irish writer of some really good ghost stories.

197 Please elaborate.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at July 19, 2012 06:13 PM (piMMO)

On a kindle you can hold the unit in one hand and page forward or back, with the right or left hand.  It becomes automatic very fast.

198 people told me to try calibre. I dowloaded it and watched the video. I have no idea what it's supposed to be. So, I gave up. I give up a lot. It's one of my defining virtues.

199 Download the Mobi from the source, plug in USB and throw the file on there like a thumb drive.Amazon also has a PDF conversion service you can access via email - attach the thing and email to your kindle.

Posted by: Oldcat at July 19, 2012 06:25 PM (z1N6a)

And if it's not a mobi file, just convert it using Calibre. You can read just about anything on a Kindle these days.

200 >>>Try J. Sheridan LeFanu. An Irish writer of some really good ghost stories. Okay, I've got LeFanu already on there; I'll give him a try.

201 Project Gutenberg has The Count of Monte Cristo.

Since the laws are different down under, if you don't find what you want on the US Gutenberg site try the Australian site.

202 Been reading since I was 4. I have 20 bookcases stuffed to the gills and stacks of books on the floor. (I do re-read my books, fairly regularly) I will never, ever give up Real Books. Ever.

But I got a tablet last year, downloaded the Kindle app and am thrilled with it. So much so that I am asking Santa for the 79 dollar Kindle for Xmas.

My husband and I take a lot of roadtrips, and I'd usually pack at least 3 totes full of books.....one for current reading, one for whatever seasonal subject I was currently tweaking on ( Xmas/crafting in Spring/Summer, gardening/cooking in Fall/Winter) and then a back up of Old Favorites in case nothing I brought was working for me.

I do still need the hardcopies of certain things ( crafty/gardening/Xmas) because they don't lend themselves to ereaders, but the current stuff and old favorites are now on my Touchpad.


You cannot beat it for traveling. And you hard core bibliophiles will be shocked, shocked at what an actual thrill you get from knowing how many books you have on that little device. Same thrill as looking at your glorious bookcases. It still activates the hoarding/possession/gloating/must-have-books button, trust me. In fact, it make ist worse, because I have already bought hardcopies of things I bought digitally but HAD to have for the bookcases. (I have never heard anyone else talk about that, so maybe it's just me)

It's like my iPod. I don't really like listening to music in headphones NEAR as well as through speakers...but I do love being able to carry my music everywhere with me.

203 Okay, I've got LeFanu already on there; I'll give him a try.

Posted by: ace at July 19, 2012 06:29 PM (115KO)

In a Glass Darkly is what you want to read from him

204 There's a lot of low-cost/self-published Kindle books available on Amazon.  Real hit or miss quality wise but I've picked up a lot for $0.99 and $1.99 and occassionally for free. 

205 My husband and I take a lot of roadtrips, and I'd usually pack at least 3 totes full of books.....one for current reading, one for whatever seasonal subject I was currently tweaking on ( Xmas/crafting in Spring/Summer, gardening/cooking in Fall/Winter) and then a back up of Old Favorites in case nothing I brought was working for me.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at July 19, 2012 06:29 PM (SsG4J


I haven't travelled since getting mine, but saving the weight of the four to six books I would pack was a great attraction.

206

>>So, I gave up. I give up a lot. It's one of my defining virtues.

 

One time I spent about 2 hours getting a free book from the library on my Kindle.

 

The library didn't actually have ebooks, they linked to another site.

 

That site didn't have the books organized except in fiction, non-fiction and kids.

 

The site had books 3 and 5 in a series. And 2 and 4 in a different series.

 

They used Amazon to get the book to me.

 

Amazon wouldn't send it to my 3G Kindle, but insisted on making me download it and get the usb cable out.

 

Driving to the bookstore and then drinking heavily would have been a better option.

 

Giving up would have been WAY better.

207 #90

Sure do. The only time an audio book is likely to come up short is if images figure heavily into a book, such as photos, charts, or graphs.

There was an SNL skit a long time ago, about the production of an audio book of Madonna's 'Sex.' The idea was ridiculous enough to be a punchline in of itself but they fleshed it out.

The scene had two 'readers': Phil Hartman as Charlton Heston reading the text and Danny De Vito describing the pictures.

A fragment:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=isFf3t_4Zbk

208 Posted by: Mama AJ at July 19, 2012 06:34 PM (SUKHu)

My local library uses that third-party site, too. PITA, imo.

209 #199

Calibre has a horrible UI and some of the technical options can be baffling to those not versed in the underlying arcana of e-books. (Which is really just web stuff.) But once you know the right setting Calibre can do a decent conversion.

It also matters how recently you tried it. Up until a few months ago I found it far too buggy for serious use but it got better and helped get around a really nasty evil bug the Amazon refuses to correct in their KindleGen software.

210 Just wait 'til you see our line of Tijuana Bibles on Nook and Kindle!

211 The Turn of the Screw was written by Henry James, Ace. That was your first clue not to bother trying to read it.

212 eye strain mainly. eInk doesn't bug out your eyes.
Don't bother me though, I just wear my gunnar glasses a lot


****

I'm looking for audio versions so eye strain shouldn't be an issue. That said, I just did a preview of The Three Musketeers and it is read by what sounds like an 18 year old girl. Not what I expected.

213 #113

There has been digital copying of book on Usenet since the late 80s to my experience. Text files, formats that originated on the Palm Pilot (the Kindle's format can be traced back to the Palm Pilot's attempt to be an e-reader. Amazon bought the company responsible in 2005.), Microsoft's LIT format, PDF, etc.

Most of the major torrent sites have an e-book category. Demonoid is especially good in the way they break it up into subcategories. Doesn't appear to have hurt sales at all, any more than it has for music. Being able to try something out for free appears to be a good marketing strategy.

214 #117

Amazon has the DX model for exactly that reason. It remains far too expensive but it shows what can be done. There are several companies working toward bridging the gap for those markets.

215 #129 got it: "He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." It just resonates.

I've got a Kindle and a slew of dead tree books -- not surprising, really, given my line of work. I'll always love paper (c'mon, I'm a medievalist), but the public domain canonical stuff is just so portable with the Kindle. It's nice to have Chaucer, Kipling, Cardinal Newman, and Boswell's _Life of Johnson_, for example, without risking a hernia.

216 #121

A new tactic has started among the students. A dozen taking the same class will pool their money to buy the book, then, if they don't have the know-how themselves, pay someone to remove the spine and scan the whole thing into a PDF they can have on their laptops and tablets.

A lot of instructors who don't like expensive books but like the revenue stream and making yearly updates have taken to offering digital editions. They can sell direct to the students and see little piracy because $25 seems like a pittance compared to $100+ text books.

217 >>>That said, I just did a preview of The Three Musketeers and it is read by what sounds like an 18 year old girl. Not what I expected. obviously there are a lot of translations and some will not be good. The one I read-- and sorry, I forget who translated it -- had the same cheek and vigor of the 70s movies.

218 I loved my thousands of books for a very long time. Then I was forced to move to a much smaller home and most of my stuff had to go into storage. Which meant I was spending money every month to keep items I lacked easy access to.

So when the Nook and Kindle got cheap enough I knew it was time. The books had to go. I've reduced my storage needs by nearly half and saved a good deal of money. And almost every one of those books I have sitting on a hard drive and backed up to DVD. My Nook has a 16 GB microSD card in addition to the base storage. I expect it to need a battery replacement before it runs out of shelf space.

219 Ereaders blow for technical type reading.
It'll say "(refer to illustration 8.3)", and it's scroll, scroll, scroll - ok. Scroll, scroll, scroll. "You can see once we've implemented 'X' the change in the subject (refer to illustration 8.4)" Scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll - what was I looking at it for?

220

I'm an author - although not one of the majorly famous and well-known ones - and I've had all of my books (but the first one) in print and in e-book versions, as they were published. (starting in about 2007.) The last year or so, the e-book editions began selling more and more, over the print versions. I had an Instapundit link in late May of this year ... and the sales of print copies of my books barely hiccopped, but the sales of e-books quadrupled. Just from that one link.

221 @ 221 I bought your first, "To Truckee's Trail" in dead tree version back when it was new and enjoyed it. Shame on me for not checking for more, so thanks for the heads up.

222 There are some decent free ebooks over at feedbooks.com. I think they just take the books from Project Gutenberg and then pretty up the format, give it a nice cover, etc.

223 @221, just bought 2 of your books, look forward to buying more next month! Thanks for letting us know!

224 ace, I can understand you not wanting to figure out calibre, since it's complicated. But not being able to plug in a USB cable and drag and drop? Really, it's as simple as that.

225

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at July 19, 2012 05:37 PM (r4wIV)

 

Do you have any out besides "Old Habits"?

226 I am out of the eprint game until they fix or rather unfix the pricing scam that is going on today.

227 >>>I am out of the eprint game until they fix or rather unfix the pricing scam that is going on today. I hear that should be coming to an end soon... I posted something about that on the site. I think it was Apple's plan, and it's either been enjoined or publishers are abandoning it under pressure from Amazon.

228 You know John Kerry had a Scaramouche, right?

229 Thanks, Retread and Tammy - you'll enjoy them. I am certain! Truckee is still my best-seller, in spite of me doing hardly anything to market it. And the others have a lot of frontier history woven into them, as one of my goals is to teach ... by making a ripping good yarn out of historical events!