It is happening again – I’m actually considering buying an e-reader. I regularly waffle back and forth between the ease and efficiency of accessing books in the public domain, and the joy and tangibility of my growing book collection. Right now, the Amazon Kindle is on sale, and I have to say – I’m actually tempted. It might be nice to be able to carry around a full collection of books without injuring myself and to check out books from the library without fear that I’ll accidentally shelve them in my own collection and forget about them.
Usually the sensory properties of physical books and my commitment to keep up the demand for them in bookstores and libraries (is there a better way to spend a lazy afternoon than sitting on the floor by the shelves?) win out whenever I consider getting an e-reader, but more and more I’ve been considering expanding my reading options. I’ve been reading public domain books on my phone (mostly Plato, although the Jowett translations are just not my favorite) and on my Kindle App, but the phone is too small for extended reading, and I feel I spend enough time on my computer as things already stand.
Additionally, I’ve just discovered BookBub, which aggregates great deals on books across several digital platforms (Amazon, Apple, B&N, etc.), and then organizes them for you according to your interests. It feels just a little like browsing the shelves at the library or bookstore, because instead of searching, you just click a category and view your recommendations. I’d be much more likely to pick up a random bit of fantasy or something fun – and that would be good for my writing, as well as my relaxation. Sometimes I need to remind myself that not every book has to be an investment, and this seems like a way to do that.
But rest assured, I’ll never stop buying and borrowing physical books.
Stories & Soliloquies 
16 thoughts on “Yet Another Literary Source: BookBub”
whitefrozen
Just do what I do, and buy the ebook and then go buy the hardcopy of every book you want. You’ll end up declaring bankruptcy sooner than you wanted but hey, them’s the breaks.
M. Joelle
As long as there are books, I’m happy.
SelfAwarePatterns
I’ve been reading ebooks for years now, but have never completely stopped buying paper books. I’m still likely to buy the paper version if it has a lot of visual content such as diagrams or pictures. For straight text though, I always get it digitally, if it’s available. Like whitefrozen, I’ll sometimes buy both editions when I want the benefits of both. I love deciding to buy a book and getting instant access to it, and having the ability to search it for words and phrases.
I have multiple Kindle devices, but I actually find that I do most of my reading on my iPad or Android tablet when at home, and on my iPhone when not. It helps if you lower the Kindle app specific brightness setting. Your position in the books auto-sync across devices, which is awesome (when it works).
M. Joelle
I use the Kindle App on my computer, but sometimes I can’t look at the screen anymore – I was hoping the actual kindle would be easier on the eyes.
SelfAwarePatterns
The standard Kindle devices (not the Fire) definitely are. But I find turning down the brightness on the iOS app helps a lot. (Note that the Kindle app has a separate brightness setting from the overall device brightness, so you don’t have to fiddle with it every time you switch into and out of the app.)
I agree that reading it on a computer becomes tiring. Aside from screen glare, it’s a just lot more comfortable to lay on a couch or bed with a phone, tablet, or Kindle device. In all cases, I find enlarging the text also helps.
coldhandboyack
Come over to the dark side. I do 100% of my reading on my iPad now. I have multiple apps, but the Kindle app gets the most action.
M. Joelle
But how will I scribble my notes and draw diagrams in the margins?
coldhandboyack
Maybe there’s an app for that. You can highlight and mark passages. Now I want to see the doodles.
M. Joelle
I’ll need a stylus of sorts, obviously.
coldhandboyack
That would be cool. Amazon needs to get right on this.
bloggingisaresponsibility
I hear you. I also like the tactile sensation of books, but really like the convenience of my tablet for reading. I also like that I can easily expand the text on my tablet, and stand it up so I can easily eat while reading.
M. Joelle
Convenience vs quality – but the ease of reading while eating is soooo tempting.
bloggingisaresponsibility
Agreed. Hands free reading. Being able to read a deep philosophical text while shoveling a 3 lb burrito in my mouth is a strong selling point 🙂
M. Joelle
Mmm burrito philosophy…
Steve Morris
Reading Plato on your phone? You deserve a medal!
The Kindle is much easier on the eyes as it uses e-ink and isn’t a backlit LED display. The Kindle Store has a much wider selection of books than Kobo/Nook.
I prefer paper books in general, but steal my wife’s Kindle when she has something interesting on it. Currently I am reading a 700 page book in hardback and my wrists are wishing it was an e-book!
M. Joelle
Sometimes you just need to read the Sophist, but you, sadly, only have the Gorgias – and carrying around the complete works ends up in that very same 700 page book problem you describe! 🙂