I also recommend the HD+. The 9" HD screen is great for watching videos and reading magazines, PDF's, graphic novels, etc. Because it has access to Google Play there's probably no reason to root it but with the SD card slot, you can easily do so or run a dual boot system to run stock Android Jelly Bean. Inexpensive, preconfigured cards are available from N2A or AFN (Google for more info) or you can do it yourself following instructions on the XDA-Developer Forums.
The form factor and weight are great, better than most large screen tablets except perhaps the newest Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. I also live outside the US and have no problem using mine overseas. I don't use the Nook store and don't miss it since the selection and prices aren't all that great anyway. I do, however, use the Kindle for Android app and buy ebooks from Amazon. Their app works fine on the HD+. I buy my apps from Google Play.
For more info about my preferences, see my post (#6) in this thread:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=226536