I am one of those people who appreciate new technology but it does take me awhile... I am not the type of person to want the latest piece of techno-gadget-on-the-market... I prefer to stand back, well back and observe before I decide...
With music going all digital on us and the saddening disappearance of our quirky, smaller CD shops; when the Kindle/Kobo were first released, I was stunned. What was going on? Were they now trying to replace our gorgeous paperback books? I love browsing and selecting books, I love how they feel when I am reading etc. So to think of not turning pages or being able to look over the front/back cover of a book seemed... I don't know... techno-gone-crazy. It was a step too far. I was adamant there and then that I wouldn't desire/require one of these devices for reading.
That was until my husband arranged for me to borrow a Kobo E-Reader.
He just brought it home the other day and left it on the side, occasionally reminding me that it was there.
I turned it on just to show gratitude for the thought.
*Sigh*
I looked through the list of titles and saw they had some classics on there.
I am ashamed to admit that somehow my love of reading has seen me by-pass the classics so I had resolved to do something about it... I saw "A Christmas Carol" listed and started reading. I read it in a day...
The following Pros:
Hmm...
After giving it a go, my choice would still be a book but I will now have to admit that this piece of nifty technology has it's place.
And after a conversation with my hubby about the latest e-readers out there, the new edition Kindle makes it onto the wish-list...
P.S....
Have you got a favourite classic and why would you recommend it for me to read?!
With music going all digital on us and the saddening disappearance of our quirky, smaller CD shops; when the Kindle/Kobo were first released, I was stunned. What was going on? Were they now trying to replace our gorgeous paperback books? I love browsing and selecting books, I love how they feel when I am reading etc. So to think of not turning pages or being able to look over the front/back cover of a book seemed... I don't know... techno-gone-crazy. It was a step too far. I was adamant there and then that I wouldn't desire/require one of these devices for reading.
 |
| The Kobo E-Reader.... |
He just brought it home the other day and left it on the side, occasionally reminding me that it was there.
I turned it on just to show gratitude for the thought.
*Sigh*
I looked through the list of titles and saw they had some classics on there.
I am ashamed to admit that somehow my love of reading has seen me by-pass the classics so I had resolved to do something about it... I saw "A Christmas Carol" listed and started reading. I read it in a day...
The following Pros:
- Lightweight
- Comfortable to hold
- Clear screen - looks like the page of a book
- Tracking progress of a book
- Pick up where you left off - no more falling bookmarks
- A dictionary function (I was delighted with this function as I like to try and look up words I don't know but tend to forget or loose the piece of paper that I've written the word on...)
- The fact that nosey people can't tell what you are reading!
- You can carry a whole library on these things!
- No back-light. I like to read whilst I am in bed, but my son is sleeping in his cot and I can't put the bedside lamp on. A back-light option would be useful...
- I found it slow to load up each page
- I kept trying to use it as a touch screen... which is weird considering I don't have anything touch screen...
Hmm...
After giving it a go, my choice would still be a book but I will now have to admit that this piece of nifty technology has it's place.
And after a conversation with my hubby about the latest e-readers out there, the new edition Kindle makes it onto the wish-list...
P.S....
Have you got a favourite classic and why would you recommend it for me to read?!
I never liked the idea of a Kindle either - but then I also thought, 'it saves the trees though!' ...I'm still not persuaded to get one... yet.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite books is called Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo - Even though it's initially aimed for younger readers, it is still a engaging read for older people too. It is a gripping story about a young soldier during World War I. I would recommend you read it if you have't already!!
Oooh yeah... That's another plus point for getting an e-reader...
DeleteI never thought I would be persuaded, but it's now on my wish-list... :)
Thank you for your suggestion, I will admit now that I am not all that keen on books with a war theme... but this sounds like it may have many different layers to it so I will definately find out a bit more about it before making up my mind up.
Thank you for swinging by Kayleighbub!
Oh, I completely agree. I was so positive I would ''never ever ever'' get an e-reader. Well you can see from my picture that changed...! I love my Kindle. It's opened up a whole world of reading for me. I find regular books so much heavier and difficult to hold now. I love having hardcopies on my shelf but for actual reading, I prefer my Kindle now!
ReplyDeleteFavourite classics? Lots! How about The Picture of Dorian Gray? Frankenstein is awesome, too. And any of Jane Austen's novels. I don't know if you've heard of http://www.gutenberg.org/ but it's really handy for classics.
Happy e-reading!
Hello Nicola!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how adamant I was not to bother with it... *shame face* I guess it was a bit like when the mobile arrived... now nobody can live without those! Another lesson learnt on giving new technology a chance. (My husband thinks it's hilarious that my mind has been swayed...)
Thank you for your suggestions, I will be heading out to the library in the next week or so, so I think I will look out for these, especially The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Thanks for your time and comment!
Ps: I will check out the web address too!
I love my Kindle. The "cheap" one. Light, handy, but...I still love to hold the printed word in my hands. Nothing beats the smell and feel of a good book. Besides, I only live 3 blocks from my local library.
ReplyDeleteI stopped by your blog after seeing that you visited mine. I like it. Good luck on your writing (long-term-goal.)
Hello Jimmie!
DeleteIt's true, there really is something about the look and feel of a good book!
Thank you for taking the time to stop by, comment and follow me here at Read, Write, Blog! It is very much appreciated. I stumbled upon yours purely by chance, after pressing the "next blog" button, and I really enjoyed what I read.
I've still got loads to learn in regards to blogging and writing but I'm really enjoying the journey.
Keep Bloggin'!
I keep on thinking about getting a Kindle but there's always something about it which stops me. I would like to use it for my Uni work - you can store and read PDF files on it but there's not much support out for it yet. Also, although there's a huge selection of books to buy there are still loads of good books which are missed (particularly in the fantasy genre). The prices of the books can sometimes exceed getting a physical copy, and most importantly you can't share or borrow books. I know, at least for the kindle, you can buy a peripheral if you want a backlight, but apparently it's a bit clumsy to use and VERY expensive. I think I'll get a kindle one day, but at the moment the technology isn't quite there yet.
ReplyDeleteI want to recommend the book I'm currently reading, but because I haven't finished reading it yet there's a danger I might end up disliking it for whatever reason! It's a classic fantasy book called "Tigana" by Guy Gavriel Kay. Just the way he writes it's like he paints with words. It's often described as being the greatest single-volume fantasy novel ever written, which is why I picked it up. Once I've finished with it, I'll let you borrow it if you want. :D
If I'm honest I'm a bit tired with trilogy fantasy books after experiencing Robin Hobb's "The Farseer Trilogy". The first two books were AMAZING, but the very last book was such a disappointment that it ruined the whole story. It felt like such a waste of my time getting to the last book and not enjoying how the story unfolds. The last trilogy book I read was Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" series. It's got a lot of good reviews, and it was OK, but I personally felt like it really dragged a bit.
Hi Stevie Boy!!!
DeleteThanks for coming to follow my blog and for taking the time to comment.
I would imagine that the technology will develop as the demand/requirements of the product grow.
I still don't understand how they could have missed the idea of a backlight... it just seems the most obvious of functions...
I would definately like to borrow Tigana :D Though my tbr pile is rather huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge, so I may not get round to it very quickly...
It's a shame when trilogys let you down and fizzle instead of making a bang, but don't give up on fantasy all together, if you have time, explore the genre a bit more... I don't know if it will help, but check out one of the blogs on my list: Fantasy's ink. This blogger may have a review that may tempt you.
Cheers Bro (Poke) x