Why I don’t hate #Amazon ~ Getting English books in a non-English speaking country #ExpatLife
[image error]There are a lot of Amazon haters out there, and I get it. Really, I do. Amazon has done a lot of shady things from deleting legitimate reviews to making algorithms that seem designed to beat-down the indie writer. As an indie writer, I have experienced both of those problems. Still, I don’t hate Amazon. Before you pull out your hair in frustration of my love for Amazon, let me explain.
I’m not just a writer, I’m also a reader. In fact, most of the times I prefer reading over writing. (Writing can be freaking hard!) I’m also an expat who has lived in a variety of countries. When I first moved overseas, it was the dark ages. Things like the internet and eBooks were the fodder of sci-fi novels. You had to rely on bookstores for books. (I still LOVE bookstores.)
Initially, my love for books didn’t take too much of a hit from living overseas. The military, of course, has their own bookstores full of English books (although choice was always limited to the bestsellers). And when I left the military and eventually moved to The Netherlands, I didn’t fret. Anyone who has visited Holland knows how international the country is. This was true twenty years ago as well. English books are widely available, including at train station kiosks!
[image error]But then I moved to Germany. The only English books available in my town were the Penguin classics the German high schoolers were required to read – most of which I’d already read or, frankly, didn’t want to read. This is when my love affair with Amazon began. I could get almost any English language book I wanted on the site. My mailman and I became friendly. I may have even hugged him when the final Harry Potter book was delivered – on my birthday no less!
[image error]After a year or two in Germany, I threw away my legal career. No longer could I afford to buy a load of paperbacks each month. I’d been fighting the ereader revolution, but after I discovered most classics were available for free on the kindle, I bought the cheapest version I could find. I spent that first year reading Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.
And then I moved to Istanbul. Frankly, I would have NEVER survived living in Turkey without my ereader. English books in Istanbul are few and far between. Those that are available are over-priced and often limited to bestsellers or non-fiction titles. No thanks.
[image error]Although I’m no back living in the Netherlands where English language books are plentiful, I still use Amazon regularly. As an indie author who is addicted to reading, I simply can’t afford to buy every book I read in a physical format. Amazon and kindle unlimited allows me to continue my addiction to reading without breaking the bank.
And that’s why I still love Amazon.
