Doesn't fit? Book related? Then put it here!

[Sharon]

Hmmm so do I, but it's not sounding good.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I agree..

[B the BookAddict]

I think it has a big battle with Amazon, Brenda, as it always has. Fingers crossed for it's future, it's one of my favourite publishers.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I agree Bette. It was bad enough when they combined, but to lose them both completely would be devastating!

[marlin1]

Brenda wrote: "One of those topics I'm not sure where to put!

For those who are NetGalley users, I just noticed my auto approval for Random House had disappeared, so I emailed one of my contacts. She replied to ..."

I'm sad about that too, many of my favourite authors are with them. I don't always get what I request on Netgalley which doesn't always bother me (sometimes it does!) But for me Netgalley lets me see what is coming up and that's what I'll miss : (

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Totally agree Marlin. It's sad for such a big publishing house to pull out from NetGalley - I guess we have no idea what's going on behind the scenes...

[Kerrie]

Brenda wrote: "Good on him! My son is currently reading the physical books! They're HUGE!"

I've just begun the first of the epic books that belongs to a friend, and am paranoid the pages are going to fall out as it has been loaned to many others and the pages quite thin and text soooooo tiny. Am afraid there may be going to be a bit of skipping some description here if I am to make my quota over summer challenge though....mmmm...or a different choice of text...

[Kerrie]

Hi All, I'm wondering if anyone can help me - and advise if this is a scan or real: I discovered a kindle app that seems to be free on Amazon- yet you pay $13 or so per month to be a member....so not free really. Anyone done this and found it of value/not. Curious. Thanks. (I saw it when went on to Amazon to check e-deal of month/day.)
I also located online books from the WA e-library (for starters) but can't tell if you need to be a member to purchase. Anyone ever borrowed books online? (I'm old fashioned and used to going to a real library though am getting addicted to Booktopia.) Must not be looking in right spot.
And final question - if you have read a book and want to keep it on your kindle can you zip/condense it or will the kindle app get 'full'? My list of 'want to reads' grows faster than my 'have reads' since joining Goodreads so I don't want it to crash as the have reads grow.
Thanks in advance for any tips on the above.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Your kindle books which you buy from Amazon are always there on their site (under your account) so you can get them any time you want. You can store them on a cloud (but don't ask me about this as I don't understand it at all!)

I know my kindle is able to hold around 2000 books, so I don't think I'll run out of space - probably have around 1000 on it now though I've not counted ;)

Don't know about the other part of your question I'm sorry Kerrie - hopefully someone else can help there :)

[Ryan]

Kindle unlimited is a way for Amazon to guarantee regular payments from customers. If you can read more than $13/month worth of books you win, if not, you would've been better off just buying books as you go.

As for the cloud, it's just a fancy term for anything you use or 'own' (like the right to download a book) that exists on someone else's computer. An example of someone else's computer is Amazon's servers where your list of purchases resides. This is cloud storage. You can buy a book without the need to immediately download it to your own device. Instead you can download it at any time, provided you have an internet connection. You can also download it multiple times (for example if you delete it from your device) at no extra cost other than the data you pay for through your provider.

[Ryan]

I should add that yes your device could end up full, but book files without pictures are very small compared to the storage you'll get in a modern device, so it's unlikely you'll fill it with ebooks. Far more likely is that you'll fill your phone/tablet with videos, photos or music.

As for 'borrowing' electronic content, I've never done it, unless you consider trial versions of software. I assume it involves downloading 'content management software' (i.e. an application) that allows a third party (whomever you're borrowing the content from) to control your access to the borrowed content (e.g. deleting or locking the book at the end of the borrowing period). There are ways around this but they are illegal in pretty much every country that has a McDonalds.

[Kerrie]

Brenda wrote: "To my mind it sounds a little expensive to me Dana. You'd be still paying $10/month whether there was anything you wanted to "borrow" or not... but that's just me;)

Now if it was annual...."

This kind of answers my question about the monthly fee for 'free' books Brenda. Thanks.

[Kerrie]

Brenda wrote: "Your kindle books which you buy from Amazon are always there on their site (under your account) so you can get them any time you want. You can store them on a cloud (but don't ask me about this as ..."

Thanks Brenda. That makes sense. I am not up to 1thou books yet:)

[Kerrie]

Ryan wrote: "I should add that yes your device could end up full, but book files without pictures are very small compared to the storage you'll get in a modern device, so it's unlikely you'll fill it with ebook..."

Thanks for the feedback Ryan. I didn't know about being able to upload if I accidentally delete a book either- so thanks for the extra tit bit.
Learning a lot from this group. Thanks for sharing folks.


Brenda wrote: "Your kindle books which you buy from Amazon are always there on their site (under your account) so you can get them any time you want. You can store them on a cloud (but don't ask me about this as ..."

[B the BookAddict]

Thanks for the 'cloud' explanation, Ryan. I've always imagined my things stored on cloud as being up the the ether, lol:)

[Ryan]

No probs B. Another very common example of cloud storage is webmail. Many people don't use an email client (a program on their computer/tablet/phone that downloads their emails from the server, e.g. Outlook) but rather use their browser to access email sitting on their host's servers (e.g. Gmail) without ever storing them locally. If you email stuff to yourself so you can access it from any device that's also cloud storage. It's been around for a lot longer than 'the cloud' has been a buzzword.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I don't know if this what you mean Kerrie but I borrow ebooks all the time from the library. You join Overdrive or Borrowbox and borrow through any library you are a member of. Free!
My only complaint is my library only gives me ten days to read the book and then poof! it is gone:)

[Carolyn]

Can you renew the books (like a regular library book) before they go poof! ?
I've only borrowed a few ebooks but my library gives you a 3 week loan so maybe it varies (or maybe it's changed since I last borrowed one a while ago).

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

B the BookAddict wrote: "Thanks for the 'cloud' explanation, Ryan. I've always imagined my things stored on cloud as being up the the ether, lol:)"

That's what I say - when I download a book while we are away, but it doesn't actually doesn't appear on my kindle (no internet) - I say it's floating in the ether ;)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Phrynne wrote: "I don't know if this what you mean Kerrie but I borrow ebooks all the time from the library. You join Overdrive or Borrowbox and borrow through any library you are a member of. Free!
My only compla..."

But you could renew couldn't you? Like a "normal" library book?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Carolyn wrote: "Can you renew the books (like a regular library book) before they go poof! ?
I've only borrowed a few ebooks but my library gives you a 3 week loan so maybe it varies (or maybe it's changed since ..."

Haha! Double up ;) Sorry Carolyn :)

[Carolyn]

Great minds Brenda! Lol!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

:D

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

Carolyn wrote: "Can you renew the books (like a regular library book) before they go poof! ?
I've only borrowed a few ebooks but my library gives you a 3 week loan so maybe it varies (or maybe it's changed since ..."

No you can't renew before it expires. You have to wait until it is gone and then ask for it again. Usually it's okay but of course there is always the chance someone else has reserved it and they get it first. This may just be my library though.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Sounds a bit annoying!

[Alik]

I have both BorrowBox and Overdrive library accounts but must say I far prefer BorrowBox for its format and ease of use. When I borrow my library books from there you can immediately renew a further 2 times which gives you 42 days all up. I usually return them long before then though, depending on how many other library books I have put at the time.

[Li'l Owl]

Kerrie wrote: "Hi All, I'm wondering if anyone can help me - and advise if this is a scan or real: I discovered a kindle app that seems to be free on Amazon- yet you pay $13 or so per month to be a member....so n..."

Hiya Karrie,
I use the Kindle app from Google Play store for my Android devices and it's free. You only pay for the Kindle books you want. I find quite a few books for $4.99 or less. In fact, I find many to be $1.99 or $.99. I would assume that you can get the free kindle app on Apple phones/tablet, too. I don't know about the storage, though. The only thing I do know is you don't have to have all books downloaded to your device. Like Brenda said, you can store them on cloud.

Maybe this'll help? =o) x

[Li'l Owl]

Hiya again Kerrie,
I sent some info I found for more about your question. I hope it helps. =o)

[Kerrie]

Sounds like my next techno adventure is to explore finding Overdrive and Borrow books folks. Though I may just do one book at a time as I fear I would get a tad frustrated it if went awol aka poof before I had finished then was borrowed by someone else so I had to wait to find out the ending:)

Alik wrote: "I have both BorrowBox and Overdrive library accounts but must say I far prefer BorrowBox for its format and ease of use. When I borrow my library books from there you can immediately renew a furthe..."

Brenda wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "Thanks for the 'cloud' explanation, Ryan. I've always imagined my things stored on cloud as being up the the ether, lol:)"

That's what I say - when I download a book while..."

Carolyn wrote: "Can you renew the books (like a regular library book) before they go poof! ?
I've only borrowed a few ebooks but my library gives you a 3 week loan so maybe it varies (or maybe it's changed since ..."

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

From what everyone is saying it may only be my library that does the poof thing:) Borrowbox is just the app that allows you to borrow ebooks from your library and obviously every library has it own rules.

[Margaret]

Kerrie wrote: "Sounds like my next techno adventure is to explore finding Overdrive and Borrow books folks. Though I may just do one book at a time as I fear I would get a tad frustrated it if went awol aka poof ..."
Like Alik, I also have BorrowBox and Overdrive library accounts, and agree Borrowbox is much more user friendly. To answer Carolyn's question, yes you can renew them before they go 'poof' if they are not already reserved for someone. You usually get an option to do so 3-4 days out from when due. Also they cannot actually go "poof' if you have already downloaded them...or maybe I'm wrong there??... Anyway.. most time much easier than visiting library....but then, that does get you out of the house.....

[marlin1]

I'm late to the party for this thread but thought I'd also mention that your also restricted to the applications the library that your a member of uses ie South Australian libraries are combined and use Overdrive.
You can't read library books on a Kindle ereader in Australia but you can download the books to a Kobo ereader but on an ipad/tablet/computer you read the books through the relevent app.

I think you can set your own lending time to 7,14 or 21 days and it sends an email to remind you that it will expire or renew.
Sorry if I have repeated things....trying to type and listen to hubby at same time!

I use to stalk Overdrive but now have to far too many books to read.

[Angela]

I just heard that Samhain Publishing is closing, and there is a limited time to download your books. Just letting you all know.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Angela :)

[Veronica ⭐️]

I've just discovered that through the Goodreads app on my iPad you can scan the cover of your book and add it to your Goodreads shelf. Isn't that cool!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Wow really Veronica! That's great :)

[B the BookAddict]

Yes, Veronica, it's a great idea. Even though I don't use the app, I did know that and feel wee bit jealous.

[Suz]

Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "I've just discovered that through the Goodreads app on my iPad you can scan the cover of your book and add it to your Goodreads shelf. Isn't that cool!"

Oh Veronica, I wish I'd told you that earlier. I use my phone in the same way, especially if I'm at Vinnies or Anglicare to see if I've got it. Or if anyone from AR has rated it highly. I love it!

[Suz]

Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "I've just discovered that through the Goodreads app on my iPad you can scan the cover of your book and add it to your Goodreads shelf. Isn't that cool!"

Oops I didn't read that properly - you say Cover??!

[Veronica ⭐️]

Suzanne wrote: "Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "I've just discovered that through the Goodreads app on my iPad you can scan the cover of your book and add it to your Goodreads shelf. Isn't that cool!"

Oops I didn't read that properly - you say Cover??!
."

Yes! You can put the scanner over the cover and it does a scan. It occasionally gets it wrong but it still looks really cool while scanning. Something new to play with :)

[Veronica ⭐️]

Did everyone get the Bookstr email? They are getting rid of bookshelves. They will retain quizzes and book news but doesn't really seem worthwhile having the account if they don't have our bookshelves on it.

[Dale]

Does seem pointless Veronica.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "Did everyone get the Bookstr email? They are getting rid of bookshelves. They will retain quizzes and book news but doesn't really seem worthwhile having the account if they don't have our bookshel..."

They are taking away what is important to readers! As Dale says - what's the point then!

[Veronica ⭐️]

Michael wrote: "Marianne has started a thread about what is happening at Bookstr here :)"


Thanks Michael.

[Marianne]

I see there's a GR Giveaway for Dead Again that any Sandi Wallace fans might like to enter....

[Dale]

Brenda wrote: "Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "Did everyone get the Bookstr email? They are getting rid of bookshelves. They will retain quizzes and book news but doesn't really seem worthwhile having the account if they don..."
Which is what I told them for all the good it will probably do.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Exactly..but at least it's worth a try :)

[Dale]

My thoughts exactly Brenda.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Has anyone been receiving email notifications today? I stopped getting any at all about two and a half hours ago...

[Deb]

Veronica ⭐️ wrote: "I've just discovered that through the Goodreads app on my iPad you can scan the cover of your book and add it to your Goodreads shelf. Isn't that cool!"

That is cool! I remember how chuffed I was to discover the barcode reader...