What are we reading?

[Staggerwing]

Maps and graphics are probably the e-ink readers' biggest Achilles Heel. A larger tablet such as the Kindle Fire 8" or Ipad Mini is better because the resolution lets you see the map, etc, better and you can zoom in. Flipping back and forth from a map on one page to text on an other can be a little more tedious on all devices (you don't have that finger-tip "it's right about here" feel) but you can bookmark a much used page and return to it with two or three clicks. Another option is to print out a map that gets used a lot and leave it on your nightstand. This is very helpful with books such as David Weber's Safehold series.

IIRC, Best-buy has the Kindle Fire HD (second to last model) on sale (at least as of yesterday). It's not the greatest all-around android tablet but it is pretty well devoted to reading books and watching movies/tv shows. You need an Amazon Prime membership to get the most out of it though.

[Gusington]

I read at night in bed with a booklight religiously...every single night.  I never thought of it as a chore nor did I think of the booklight as a pain and The Wife hasn't complained...guess I am just lucky. These days my biggest problem is staying awakelong enough to make any progress.

The features you guys bring up above sound nice and all but they won't replace my love for real books anytime soon. If they stop producing real books well then I suppose I will have to get a reader and my dream of opening The Gus Library of Mahogany and Leather will die.

[airboy]

For traveling - nothing beats a Kindle.

I buy more Kindle books than physical books now.  But a good part of this is my (and wife's) allergy problem with deteriorating paperbacks.  First edition (not book club) hardbacks are almost always printed on acid free paper - so they can stick around forever.

But the wife persuaded me that if I'm rebuying something, or if something is only available in paperback, that I should get the Kindle edition.

[JasonPratt]

Of course!

I read that in Raul Julia's voice.

Not sure how well that fits with Ricardo Montalban's rich Corinthian leather voice, but...

What made you take the plunge in the first place?

Parents bought me a paperwhite (not called that at the time) with a keyboard (because I despise having to pick at a keyscreen) several years ago for Christmas (plus a leather holder with built-in reading light.

It sat in a corner charging for a year, through the following Christmas. I'd feel guilty about not using it every once in a while but then I would go read a book and the guilt would subside somewhat. ;)

One day it occurred to me that it would be nice to use it to store some research texts, both in searchable doc-conversion formats and as pdfs (though the Paperwhite sucks moderately hard at presenting pdfs but still I can read them without needing to lug around a giant-ass computer).

Now I have no less than 300 texts on it (maybe more like 400 -- I don't have it with me at the moment), and adding more on a regular basis. Some are bought, some not. I rebought most of WoT for example for convenience during my ultimate re-read of it last year.

[vyshka]

Parents bought me a paperwhite (not called that at the time) with a keyboard (because I despise having to pick at a keyscreen) several years ago for Christmas (plus a leather holder with built-in reading light.

Paperwhite is the kindle version with a backlit screen.



Another reason I like it is the form factor and weight - very easy to hold. weighs less than a lot of paperbacks, and currently probably has 2 bookcases worth of books stored in it. I have the original kindle fire as well and that isn't nearly as nice to hold as the kindle paperwhite. As someone else mentioned it is great for travelling as well.

The book light I had worked well enough with hardback books, but I would still need to turn the light towards the page I was reading. Reading a paperback with it though was more of a chore. With the paperwhite, the page itself is lit up and it doesn't strain your eyes at all. The screen for the fire being led, didn't bother me really (not like they tend to say it will for people), but I don't like it nearly as much for reading as the kindle. The E-ink display is so nice, that if I turn off the backlight it looks just like I am reading something printed on paper.

Don't get me wrong I still love regular books, have bookcases of them all over the house, and will continue buying them, but the kindle paperwhite is a joy to use.

[Gusington]

Logic points towards getting a digital reader but I'm just illogically resistant to.it. Allergies, research...I totally understand those reasons. And I do wrestle with my booklight on occasion but I tend to win and show it who"s boss.

[OJsDad]

Logic points towards getting a digital reader but I'm just illogically resistant to.it. Allergies, research...I totally understand those reasons. And I do wrestle with my booklight on occasion but I tend to win and show it who"s boss.

If you have a B&N near by you can go check out the Nooks.  Or if you have a Best Buy or Wal Mart, they both carry the Kindles and the Nooks in store.  Not as sure about the selection you'll find in Wal Mart, but the BB that I've been to have both.

[Greybriar]

I've nearly finished Sojourn by R. A. Salvatore. I am really enjoying the books about Drizzt.

[JasonPratt]

Paperwhite is the kindle version with a backlit screen.

So... wait, then what's the old version with the eInk version of an etch-a-sketch??

[JasonPratt]

I've nearly finished Sojourn by R. A. Salvatore. I am really enjoying the books about Drizzt.

I've been seriously thinking about going back and plowing through the whole series (which has added a bunch of books since I was last following it).

[BanzaiCat]

I have a Nook, a first-gen Kindle, and a Kindle Paperwhite, and the Paperwhite is by far my favorite of the three.

[Shelldrake]

Just finished A Sword Into Darkness.  A Sci-Fi about a billioniare that builds his own starship to defend earth from an alien invasion when the government won't believe him.  Good story and only $0.99 at B&N.

I really enjoyed this one too. The reasoning behind the alien invasion was quite inventive.

[vyshka]

Paperwhite is the kindle version with a backlit screen.

So... wait, then what's the old version with the eInk version of an etch-a-sketch??

I just think they called the earlier versions a Kindle. The larger version was named something like Kindle DX. Then they came out with the Fire tablet, and last year the paperwhite with the backlit screen. I guess next up is a phone. :)

Has anyone tried the Nook competitor to the paperwhite, the glowlight? Looks nice, but as with all nooks for me it would be lacking the major feature of having access to the amazon kindle store. I guess the nook store could be as well stocked, but I doubt it.

[Staggerwing]

The Nook store is actually Barnes&Noble. Not quite Amazon but not too rinky-dink either.

[OJsDad]

Paperwhite is the kindle version with a backlit screen.

So... wait, then what's the old version with the eInk version of an etch-a-sketch??

I just think they called the earlier versions a Kindle. The larger version was named something like Kindle DX. Then they came out with the Fire tablet, and last year the paperwhite with the backlit screen. I guess next up is a phone. :)

Has anyone tried the Nook competitor to the paperwhite, the glowlight? Looks nice, but as with all nooks for me it would be lacking the major feature of having access to the amazon kindle store. I guess the nook store could be as well stocked, but I doubt it.

I don't know about the Nook Glowlight, but the color Nooks all come with Google Play, and you can install Kindle reader on them.  I'm pretty sure the Kindle's are locked down and you cannot install Google Play.