It's only recently I have been getting back in the habit of setting aside a little time each day to read. Me being me, I prefer to use an electronic device to store and read books. I have an iPad which works well but find long reading sessions tend to deplete the battery relatively quickly. Also viewing the screen can be difficult outdoors in bright light. Years ago I bought a Sony ereader which uses E ink. A black and white system which resembles ink on paper. Unfortunately that also seemed to have short lived batteries. Things have improved since then and my latest Kobo E ink reader holds its charge well and lasts for ages between charges. E ink displays only use power when the page content changes and use a minimal amount (if any) to keep showing a fixed display. They do work slower than other methods of display in that page changes may take a second rather than being instant. It is high contrast and easy to read in bright light.
That leads me to my latest find. An internet site called obooko which lists a whole host of free ebooks. Many free sites only list classics which are out of copyright but these are more modern.
When I first investigated their site I was expecting to see lots of advertising to cover costs or other marketing strategies but no. One has to register with them to be able to download books but all they ask is first name, a password, email address and country of residence. They promise not to inundate with mail (so far true to their word) or to pass on or sell personal details to anyone. The books are copyright but obooko have been given permission to distribute them. Many are available for download in a choice of three different formats: pdf, epub and a Kindle format.
There are many categories of reading in fiction including crime, humour, sci-fi, romance, historical and poetry. Also available are a selection of non fiction titles on a variety of subjects. Well worth a look for ebook fans and it costs nothing but a little time. If you don't like any particular books you have chosen just delete them from your reader or computer. If you don't have an ebook reader then there are apps / programs available on the internet to enable them to be read on your tablet, computer or laptop.
At the moment I am reading One Clown Short by Linda C. Wright from the Funny and Humorous section. A strange story set in a weird company, staffed by weird characters, which supplies items to circuses. So far I have found it difficult to put down.
good book is hard to beat. I still prefer the traditional type of book, but e readers have their uses particularly if travelling.
ReplyDeleteDave: I've found a few of the paper books I bought are on greyish paper and a few with greying print which I find harder to read. I need good contrast these days or my eyes soon get tired.
DeleteI love ebooks. I currently use a Kindle Voyage after using a Kindle Paperwhite with E ink for a few years. I like the Voyage because i can read in the dark or in bright light. It is great to be able to select the font and adjust font size and boldness. The battery lasts for a very long time. I check out ebooks from the public library I belong to (these are free in the US, not sure what libraries are like in the UK). I can even check out books from my location here in Belize. And I buy or borrow books from Amazon or Baen Books. I also purchase "bundles" of books from StoryBundle - you might really like that, John. I actually prefer ereaders because they are easier for me to hold than a book is. I think I have "abibliophobia" - fear of running out of reading material. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWilma: StoryBundle looks an interesting idea. I'll keep my eye on that. I'm like you. I find a reader easier to hold these days. No having to flatten an open book without breaking the spine. It is great to be able to choose a font and size of text. Our public libraries do have a system where e-books can be 'borrowed'. I've not got round to using that yet.
DeleteI like the Kindle but have never tried anything else.
ReplyDeleteAdrian: I only went for the Kobo reader as I but quite a few books from them.
DeleteI will check out the website John. I do have a Kindle Fire which I love using for fiction. I usually buy books from Amazon but I keep meaning to check out the local library where I think you can borrow e-books. I still much prefer a proper book for non-fiction/reference and when I can buy the book for nature writing. But find the Kindle ideal for fiction especially books I will probably not read again. When I had a book clear out it was mainly old fiction paperbacks that "got the chop"!! I kept most of the reference/non-fiction.
ReplyDeleteRR: I'm the same when it comes to non-fiction. Much easier to browse and flick back and forth in a real book.
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