Love to Read?

Post date: May 19, 2019 9:38:12 PM

I love to read. However, in order to move into our Villa, I had to get rid of half a dozen small book cases—and lots of books. Fortunately, my reading habits changed about a decade ago, as we began to collect digital devices like smartphones and tablets. Here’s why you should consider adding reading apps and eBooks to your devices, and how to get started.

You might ask why read eBooks?

1. You can have 500 books loaded on your iPad, Kindle Fire, or iPhone. If you’re going on a trip, all you need is that device, not a stack of physical books. In addition, some books are literally heavier than others, and easier to take with you digitally. Take Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin: it’s 2.7 pounds while the hardback version of War and Peace weighs in at a hefty 4 pounds.

2. You don’t have to get rid of ten books if you buy ten new eBooks.

3. You can adjust the font size and style, add notes, check for a word’s meaning, and adjust the screen to read at night.

4. Many of the books you download give you the option to buy the Audible book for as little as $1.99

We got our first iPhones ten years ago, and I was skeptical of the small screen, but I downloaded a reading app and books. Then, a friend was hospitalized in Iowa City. Reading a book on my iPhone while waiting to visit him helped me pass the time. As we drove home, I continued to read, and was amazed that the screen was readable in the dark. Since then, I’ve acquired a Kindle paperwhite, iPad and Kindle Fire, and love reading on all of my devices.

Some of my friends complain that they like the feel of “real books,” and I understand that we all have our personal preferences. I’m in a book club and try to get our selections as eBooks, but from time to time, I buy the book in print. I remember sitting down in my favorite recliner with one of these books. I got comfy, began reading, and at one point, I tapped the book on the edge of the page, and laughed at myself. I had gotten so caught up in the story that I was impatient to get to the next page, and had "forgotten" it was a real book, not an eBook on my Kindle. The story is the important thing! My book club had a good laugh when I confessed my mistake.

So, if you haven’t explored eBooks yet, and want to check them out for yourself, how do you start?

1. Decide on a device. You have several options:

· If you have a smartphone or tablet, you’re set.

· Or, you can repurpose an older device. Lots of us have an older smartphone in a drawer. Charge it up and download the free Kindle app from Amazon; my old iPhone is my go-to device for when I don’t want to tote a bigger device.

2. Set up an Amazon account if you want to use the Kindle App. While eBooks come in a variety of formats, I recommend you use Kindle since many of us already have Amazon accounts, and there are thousands of titles.

3. Download the Kindle App on any device that you want to use. For an iPhone, go to the App store. For an android, go to the Google Play store. For your PC, go to Amazon and download the app right there.

4. Check out some of these great websites to find free or low-cost eBooks, to build your library. First, go to the website and sign up for a daily email. Then, check your email, and when you see a book you like, click on the link, taking you to the Amazon Kindle Store, where you can download it. Customize your picks by selecting from the list of Genres, which include Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Horror, Religion, Adventure, Biography, History, etc.

Freebooksy https://www.freebooksy.com/

The Fussy Librarian https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/

Bargainbooks https://www.bargainbooksy.com/

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/launch

Still skeptical? Did you know there are several lending libraries right here on campus? Mike and I used to visit Windridge to use their Nu-Step machines, and walked right by their nice library. Furthermore, there is a basket in each building’s library for returned books so volunteers who organize the libraries can return the book to the right spot. So, whether you grab a “real book” or your Kindle, iPad, or smartphone, it’s a great time to read a good book.

This column appeared in the March edition of the Western Home Journal.

https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/8aa78e57/files/uploaded/WHC%20The%20Journal%20March%202019.pdf

Last Updated May 19, 2019