Reading - what is your style?

[Robin]

Karlyne, calm down girl., or you could talk about Girlebooks.

[Karlyne]

I'm thinking that my football loving friends would really snort over Girlebooks!

[Bill]

Karlyne wrote: "Just curious, all you tech savvies, how does Kindle handle out-of-print books? A lot of my favorites are."

It is between the weight of a paperback book and a hardbound book that isn't very thick. - Bill

[Karlyne]

That's amazing!

[Robin]

How much does it weigh? Between a paperback and hardbound book is no indication.

[Bill]

Karlyne wrote: "Just curious, all you tech savvies, how does Kindle handle out-of-print books? A lot of my favorites are."

I think I posted my last answer to the wrong question. I follow a number of authors who have a backlist from the 1990s and 1980s. Fortunately a number of them have republished their old books on Amazon so they are now available. What a thrill to find a book I have been searching in used book stores to no avail is now available on Amazon.

[Robin]

oops, I guess someone thought that you wanted to know how much a Kindle weighs? Bill message. 103.

[SarahC, Austen Votary & Mods' Asst.]

Message 86, Karlyne does ask how much a Kindle weighs. Thanks Bill for the reply. Hope you are well, we haven't chatted in a while.

[[deleted user]]

Robin wrote: "How much does it weigh? Between a paperback and hardbound book is no indication."

A Kindle weighs a little under 9 ounces (maybe a little more if you get a cover). Lots less than a usual book. For those of us with bad hands, it is a tremendous difference!

[Robin]

Thanks Megan, I like paperbacks or hardbound books myself.

[Karlyne]

I find it absolutely amazing that a Kindle weighs about a half-pound. I mean amazing!
I can't wait to find somebody with one so I can politely ask if I can heft it...

[[deleted user]]

Karlyne wrote: "I find it absolutely amazing that a Kindle weighs about a half-pound. I mean amazing!
I can't wait to find somebody with one so I can politely ask if I can heft it..."

I hope you find someone too! Most Kindle owners do love to play show n' tell! Too bad we seem to live on opposite ends of the country! ;-)

[Karlyne]

I know! I'd love to "borrow" yours for a few minutes. But I'll be flying into Chicago in a few weeks, so I'll keep my eyes peeled in the airport; surely I'll find one there!

[[deleted user]]

Karlyne wrote: "I know! I'd love to "borrow" yours for a few minutes. But I'll be flying into Chicago in a few weeks, so I'll keep my eyes peeled in the airport; surely I'll find one there!"

Good luck hunting one down in the wild!

[Karlyne]

You have no idea! (But I do love my slice of rural America!)

[Robin]

you make it sound like a wildlife documentary, catching the wildebeest, instead its catching the kindle. LOL

[Karlyne]

Well, let's see: a hen turkey and her two babies, 7 or 8 deer, hawks and miscellaneous birds, all outside my kitchen window (not counting the domesticated animals who wander into the field illicitly). And I live in the "city" limits!

[Robin]

that's nice, we just get the occasional mynah bird, and I see cardinals on the way to work in the morning. Must be nice with all those animals outside. Do you live on a huge acreage, or something? Sounds very appealing.

[Karlyne]

Nope, just a city lot, but it backs onto a 40 acre alfalfa field which ends at the Snake River. We sort of lucked into this place (bank repo) when we were considering moving closer to the kids(read "grandkids"). I was worried about living in "town" (pop. 2800), after being in the mountains for so long, but I'm really enjoying it!

[Robin]

Sounds nice, very tranquil compared to the city, I suppose.

[Jennifer]

I'm about to be a Kindle convert, and I can't believe it. I thought I'd never give up paper, but once I saw the e-ink screen, I was ready to give eReaders a try. I read mostly in bed, and it's just easier to hold the Kindle than to keep the book open, especially hardcovers. The only drawback is bathtub reading...Based on the number of paperbacks I've dropped in the water, I'm going to have to put the Kindle in a ziploc bag. Yikes!

[[deleted user]]

Jennifer - I would avoid the bath reading! Other than that, the Kindle will become addictive. I have had one since April. I adore the thing. And I absolutely love the built in dictionary. When I read a paper book, I am forever trying to get the cursor down to a word to look it up - except for the whole part there is no cursor ;-) Even my husband noticed me doing that one night. And be sure to monitor the free books (there are several good blogs that follow that) - every once in a while there will be a really good one and my reaction is "You're kidding right? FREE - YIPPEE"
Enjoy the ride!

[Robin]

My local library is touting e-books, but I don't know the first thing about this, I know that you have to have some kind of gizmo to use the service. Can someone please tell me about this?

[Lori]

I like to read one book at a time and just go for it, but I do not read books that I do not like.

I love to read a lot of different types of fiction, and there are some series that I also really like- Agatha Raisin, Aunt Dimity... I find that a series gives me comfort because I know that they will always be good.

I sometimes read on my Iphone- it is a bit smaller screen than I would like, but it works.

Now that I am here in Belgium I am always at the English library, as I have left my own library in Turkey (where I am based). I love my library, and they are more than helpful when it comes to bringing things in that they don't have.

[Robin]

Belgium, Turkey, such exotic locales. People would say Hawaii is exotic but not like Turkey, and Belgium, do you like Belgian Chocolates. We usually have Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts at this time of year, once a yearLOL

I love to read series books also, since I know the characters, like Kate Collins, Laura Childs, and of course, Kinsey Milhone.

[Lori]

Robin wrote: "Belgium, Turkey, such exotic locales. People would say Hawaii is exotic but not like Turkey, and Belgium, do you like Belgian Chocolates. We usually have Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts at this t..

I don't really think of these places as exotic anymore- I've been in Turkey so long that it just feels like home, and Belgium is too rainy to be 'exotic' haha. ALthough they are both amazing places to live!

Belgian chocolate it the BEST! Even if you buy something cheap, it is very very good!

Thank you for the new series suggestions, I am always looking!

[Gemma]

I prefer good old printer's ink and paper as opposed to Kindle, which makes me something of an oddity for someone of my age group. I buy hardcover when I can--it lasts longer and looks better. As to what I read, that's as varied as a bowl of mixed nuts. I'm consistent only in that I prefer to read one book at a time.

[Sheila]

Gemma wrote: "I prefer good old printer's ink and paper as opposed to Kindle, which makes me something of an oddity for someone of my age group. I buy hardcover when I can--it lasts longer and looks better. As t..."
I also prefer books to ebooks and like a variety of genres. However I rarely read one book through but rather alternate between challenging classics, some sort of non-fiction (biography or history), and lighter pop fiction, mystery, or graphic novel.

[Robin]

I have found that I have a ton of books by my bedside, and whatever strikes my fancy I will read. I don't just read the one book, and I end up finishing all of the books. It just takes a little longer, though.

[Sandysconnected]

KOBO! I got a Kobo eReader last month and I love it. Although, I will never give up my beloved hardcovers and paperbacks, this is the most convenient thing I have when it comes to reading. It goes with me everywhere.

[Robin]

Don't have Kobo, don't do e-reading.

[Hope]

I like both hardcover and paperback. Hardcover holds up better over time, but paperback feels more comfortable in my hands. I often read more than one book at a time, but one book will always get more focus than the others. I'm addicted to classics...especially Dickens.

I don't have an eReader yet, but I want one. I'm leaning towards the Nook right now.

[Robin]

Good choice in Dickens. And I do think hardcovers last the test of time. Usually have hardcovers for books from the library, and an occasional one that I personally own. What Dickens do you like?

[michelle]

I like both hardcover and paperback books, but I prefer hardcover more. I can leave them open and not have the pages collapse (and end up closing the book) on top of each other. Plus they seem to last longer than paperback books.

[Simerpreet]

I prefer paperback and I can only read one book at a time. I also have a hard time letting books go even if I can't find it in me to keep reading. I have two books that I can't read but I can't seems to let them go.

[[deleted user]]

I prefer paperbacks, as I usually read in public transport and keep books in my handbag; when I do with a hardcover edition I have the fear of damaging it. I tend to re-read the books I loved and often pick books from public library and later buy my own edition if I feel I am going to re-read it in future. I also have the goal of getting my own real library with beautiful editions of my favourites, in that case I would go for hardcovers

[Robin]

I like your answer Antia. It depends on the book, if it is something that I may re-read I also buy hardcover, I have Cranford, hardcover, and Great Expectations, hardcover.

[Hope]

Robin wrote: "Good choice in Dickens. And I do think hardcovers last the test of time. Usually have hardcovers for books from the library, and an occasional one that I personally own. What Dickens do you like?"

My favorites from Dickens that I've read so far would be Our Mutual Friend and A Tale of Two Cities. I like to get hardcover editions of books I really love, too, because the paperbacks wear out from me thumbing through them so often. ;)

[Robin]

I may end up with all Dickens as hardcovers,one so far, with Bleak House a paperback but a substantial book anyway.

[Diane]

I just recently (about 6 months ago) got a kindle. I was considering it for a long time. I thought I would miss the feel and smell of a real book. But I have found that I LOVE my kindle!

[Katie]

I don't really care whether it is a hardcover or paperback. I like the "stability" of a hardcover more, but I really don't have that much of a preference (though I do admit to buying copies of my some of my favorites as hardcovers, too). I don't really have an interest in Kindles or anything else similar to it. I understand the convenience of it, but I much prefer to physically hold a book. If the time should ever come (which I hope it won't) that books will no longer be available, I will then give in and buy a Kindle. Until then, I will just live in the dark ages with my books. :)

I guess I would be a collector of books. The only books that I have ever gotten rid of were the ones that I did NOT like at all. Why have them in my collection if I hated them? It isn't like I am ever going to read those again! I own an insane amount of books, though. I would like to get them in some sort of order, but I have no idea how to begin.

I read pretty much anything. It doesn't matter whether it is a series or not. It doesn't really matter what genre it is either. Most books that I have read are mine. I will check some out of the library if they are ones that I know I won't find anywhere else, or they interest me but I don't care to spend the money on them. I generally read one book at a time. I have gotten into the habit lately of reading more than one, but I seem to end up focusing on only ONE of those books. It always is the one that I find the most interesting at the time.

[Robin]

Same here for me, Kassak.

[Jennifer]

I got a Kindle for Christmas, and though I said I'd never like it, I LOVE IT. I love having all my books in one place and the e-ink screen is a pleasure to read.

[Shea]

I am a library person. I could never read all the books I read or watch all the movies I watch if I had to buy them. I will buy a book if I really want to read it and can't get it through my library OR if I read it, LOVE it, and want it in hardcover (i.e. all Austen and Outlander/Gabaldon books). I used to read only one book at a time but now usually have several going. I like to read fiction and non-fiction (especially biographies). I just recently purchased a Nook because there were several books I wanted to read that are no longer in print, however, they were available through the library in an electronic version. My Nook hasn't arrived yet so I can't say whether I like it or not. I chose the Nook over the Kindle because I didn't want to have to purchase everything from Amazon. With the Nook you can use Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million for purchase and free books are available through the library.

[Ivonne]

I like real books, hardcovers or paperback. Even when, currently I'd love to have a kindle or an iPad, for comfort matters (and since I move all through the city a lot, carrying books on my purse or bag is a little bit heavy).

[Sigrid]

Hey :)
I prefer hardcover books, and I prefer to buy them. That's because I'm a collector. Hardcover books lasts longer than paperbacks, so they stay nice-looking longer and then you can read them as many times you want, without the book really showing it.
I also try to pick the most fancy looking editions of a book. I love those really old ones, with yellow covers and everything, though I don't have a lot of them.. :/
I suppose it's because I like wondering about who's had the book before me, and I like to make up a little story about it. I also love the smell of old books.

I usually like reading one book at the time, and really focus on that one, but I usually end up reading more than one. Also, if I have a lot of time, and it's a really good book, I can read the whole thing in one day ^^

I aslo usually like stand-alones rather than series'. I don't know why, but maybe it's because the seconds and thirds aren't usually as good as the firsts. Also, I think a story is usually better if you can fit it inside one book, no matter how long.

[Robin]

Series of books gets old for me. The first Sue Grafton was good, now she just repeats herself, even though the subject may be different or the plot. I like hardcover as well, I got Great Expectations, and a Leo Tolstoy small hardcover. Hardcover I usually obtain from the library. The smell of old books is good, too.

[Sigrid]

I think it depends a lot on the author whether a series of books is good or not. It can be really bad, like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, or it can be really good, like the Harry Potter series or His Dark Materials.

[Stephanie]

I prefer paperbacks, because of their weight and they are cheaper. I always buy them. i don't like used books, only if they are really old (ca. 100yrs or older), and those i collect. I thought about getting a kindle or else but i have to hold real paper in my hands when reading and my bookshelves would look a bit empty without any books in it.

[Sigrid]

I have to hold books in my hands too! It's just wrong not to! :P