I’m considering reading ebooks. I’ve always just bought books or borrowed from the library. But I’m thinking I should stop buying books for various reasons (reading more, running out of space, getting old, etc). And the library doesn’t seem to be stocking books as much as I remember. Whenever I want to read something (usually because it’s already popular and I’m late to the game), I’m faced with a waitlist that spans weeks.

What’s recommended?

1. Library ebook app (Libby? Palace Project?). Seems like this is free. Concerned about app privacy, malicious or not, and malware. I’d need to download some app from the App Store - don’t know anything about these ebook providers. Safe companies? Safe apps? No issues with hacking, privacy, malware? This seems like it may be a good path if safe BUT ebooks here also seem copy limited with waitlists (perhaps shorter and faster?).

2. Kindle: Seems rather costly unless I’m always reading at least a couple books a month (which I’m not sure I will). I guess I can subscribe and unsubscribe as needed. But still seems a bit costly given library is free. Would like to compare app / system safety and privacy. I’d imagine that Kindle would perhaps be favored here. And no waitlists. And larger title base. But costly.

For you semi-avid readers, what have you found works best? Consider that I’ll read in spurts - I’ll read a some books or a series. Then take a break (month or few). Then read for a month or two. Repeat.

Kindle seems like the better experience route but is costly ($12/mo vs free).

My 88 year old dad loves to read, they had shelves of books for years, but now we bought him an Amazon Kindle membership and the Kindle App on his iPad.

Just beware that the Kindle membership won't include the latest and greatest books in the free section.

Those books will be less expensive to buy as eBooks from Amazon for the Kindle..

Woot has Kindles on sale from time to time, and Amazon always has a deal.

Library free eBooks work well but you'll still run into limits on book checkouts and the apps can be cumbersome but work.

A combination of both is good, and advantages are that the Kindle app will remember what page you left off when you stopped.

Our library uses Libby. I also use a Kindle but only read free books there. For the last couple years I’ve been using Libby for my reading, 14 day time allotment, which I do easily. I’ve averaged 100+ books per year through Libby and keep a half dozen free books from Kindle stored as backups. I have not had any issues with the library ebooks or the Libby app.

Ugh.

Spot checking some of the titles read of late, Kindle seems to have 3 categories:
1. Free w/ Prime: usually the classics. And what seems like a bunch of no-name authors
2. Free w/ Unlimited: a good selection BUT some of the titles are not available in #1, 2.
3. Buy from Amazon: some of the titles read of late aren’t available for borrowing; must purchase the book/ebook from Prime. Ironically, the library has both the physical and ebooks available to borrow; I would have thought the library catalog would be much more limited in comparison.

I was hoping to keep this simple and cheap - one or the other. But it seems I may have to leverage both unless I just forego some books of interest and/or just settle for waitlists. Presuming I don’t buy books, either physical or electronic, anymore.

Would be nice to have a senior / retiree discount on kindle for the budget conscious (those w/o incomes).

My wife uses Libby on her Kindle. My Kindle is too old to use it.

For me it’s a Kindle Paperwhite. I mostly buy e-books from Amazon. I occasionally borrow an e-book from a local library via Libby. That works quite well if the library has the book that I want.

It’s been a long time since my most recent physical book purchase. No book shelves in my home!

IME, most e-reader software will allow reading multiple book formats, EPUB, MOBI, Kindle, etc. and there are plenty of applications that will convert one format to another. Perhaps the most convenient of these is an application named "Calibre" (there are macOS, Linux, and Windows versions) that organizes your e-book library, does format conversions, etc. It includes a reader as well. For reading I mostly use PureLibro on my iPad. It does not tie to on-line book stores, but works with downloaded books. Most of the other readers I've tried are tied to commercial e-book providers, and constantly nag you to buy more.

There are also many free-of-cost sources for downloadable books on the 'net, the most noteworthy being Project Gutenberg that has thousands of out-of-copyright works and classics.

Additionally, public libraries often allow checking out of e-books. This appears to be a growing trend.

I used Calibre to convert my wife's book from Word to Kindle format so I could proofread it without printing hundreds of pages.

Very simple interface

quote:

Libby

Safe, your local library uses it.

I use the Libby app, download from the county library, no cost.

Every once in a while, Amazon offers a three-month FREE "trial" subscription to Kindle Unlimited; I usually do this, and cancel a few days before the end of the three month period.

I am invested in google play ebooks but have stopped buying.

I signed up at my local library and they use Libby and Hoopla. Libby has a selection of ebooks you can send to your kindle, but not all books. The other books can be read on the Libby app.
Hoopla ebooks can only be read in the Hoopla app.

Each library's contract with the ebooks service will determine what is available so if you can, sign up through different libraries. My mother lived 2 hours north of Philadelphia, but was a library member because the Philadelphia library had a larger selection of ebooks.

I tried Kindle unlimited for a while. There wasn’t a good way to search for books and they would have books 1 and 2 in a series, but not book 3. I cancelled it before the free trial was up.

I used to spend big money on books and then ebooks. My goal has been to not buy ebooks unless it is something I think I would revisit. Pretty much all of my reading in now through Libby or Hoopla. One nice part of this is that I don’t feel heavily invested in the book. Not feeling it partway through? Return it and move on to the next book.

Both Libby and Hoopla will give you 21 days, you just have to change the default from 14 days to 21 days. They will also let you renew the loan for another 21 days if you need more time. Both will let you have multiple books checked out as well as books on hold, basically a waiting list. I just went on a 2 week road trip and had 4 books loaded up on my Kindle to make sure I had enough. Spoiler, 1 only got through 2 of them, it was a good trip.

I read on my phone, my tablet, and my Kindle. The Kindle is my reader of choice but reading on my tablet and phone doesn’t suck at all. I like having my book wherever I am, but my Libby app search defaults to Kindle friendly ebooks.

Libby can send ebooks to your Kindle. That's how I read most things these days. I've had a Kindle for 15+ years, never paid for any memberships or books.

Right now I'm reading Suttree by Cormac McCarthy. Checked it out from the library on Libby, told it to send it to my Kindle Paperwhite, voila. As an added feature, the book only returns itself (automatically) if your Kindle is connected to the internet. Put your Kindle in airplane mode after downloading the borrowed book and you can keep it as long as it takes to read.

I too read several books in batches between long breaks but I also have several technical and cooking books I frequently refer to. I use Libby to manage my library books from a couple of different libraries. A 2018 Paperwhite (PW) to read novels and non-fiction; Kindle app on my phone, tablets and laptop if I need color, to see diagrams or access when I don't have the PW with me. The PW is horrible for maps and diagrams.

I have a Prime account so I get access to a small collections of ebooks that rotate from month to month. It also offer a first read of about a half dozen ebooks each month. I had a Kindle Unlimited subscription but was not utilizing it enough to justify the cost; that was before the price increase.

Library ebooks will have a substantial waitlist on new releases. You can manage/suspend your holds in Libby to schedule your check outs if you are reading a series. I place my holds way in advance for the books in the series for the holds to work their way down. I then suspend once I am next in line. I do this for all the books, then check them out at the same time, download to my PW, put the PW into Airplane mode so the loan expiration does not affect my access, and finally check them all back in early after I double check my downloads. I can then read at my leisure. The only drawbacks are you cannot add any additional ebooks during this time and you lose the sync between all you Kindles.

Not really what you’re asking, but I regularly purchase ebooks from Barnes & Noble, and have a large number in my library. Although not always, they are usually less expensive than physical books. I often reread books, so I like to have them available. I’m going through the Aubrey/Maturin series for, I believe, the fourth time. I recently finished Victor Davis Hanson’s The Second World Wars the second time and before that Carnage and Culture at least twice.

As long as I have a connection, I can purchase and download a book for reading literally in a few minutes as soon as they are released. Many “classics,” i.e., older books, are available very inexpensively.

BookBub is another source for cheap or free Ebooks. You get an email, usually with at least one or two free options and other really inexpensive ones, every day.

My mom bought me my first Kindle (refurbished) as I was walking out the door to Afghanistan.

I was not sure I would read it but I took it anyways.

I had always been a hold a book in your hands type off reader and I had book cases and book cases. Heck, when I lived in Columbus, OH I spent half my paycheck every weekend at Half Price books, near Ohio State Univ.

I have been a loyal fan ever since.
Now, I occasionally get physcial books from the library but they had an announcement on their website that stated the company they usually got books through went out of business and they are searching for a new one.

I do get ebooks throug the library and I belong to Kindle Unlimited.

I like Kindle Unlimited but some months are better than others (I do read 3+ books a week though).

What I like is that you can turn the membership on and off. In the winter I usually turn it off for three months or so, and pick it back up in Spring.

The pisser is that now they are offering the same books I bought years ago, and spent thousands of dollars on, as ebooks.

I read at least a book a week, a lot of times two. I have a Kindle and a Libby tied into my local library. Most of what I want to read is on a wait list, too, so I keep several books on at a time. I go to the library and put holds on hard copies, both the large print and regular, large comes quicker in most instances. Then I put it on hold in Libby, too, three chances to get it. I still buy books but most often used on Thriftbooks.

Thanks all. Sounds like there is no perfect single solution. Sounds like generally what works / is necessary is a combo of Libby, kindle unlimited, and ebook purchase. And perhaps physical books (library or purchase).

I wonder what it would take for us to finally just have a one stop shop.

^^^^^^^^

quote:

I wonder what it would take for us to finally just have a one stop shop.

Communism.

ETA: Of course most of the books will be out of stock. Except for “Lenin’s Greatest Moments”.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pipe Smoker,

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
BookBub is another source for cheap or free Ebooks. You get an email, usually with at least one or two free options and other really inexpensive ones, every day.

+1
I've got all kinds of books on my kindle that I haven't even read because I just couldn't pass them up for $1.99.