How do YOU find good e-books?

[Ransom]

Originally Posted by crich70

I find Gutenberg good for a starting point as far as classic PD books, but the site does have two drawbacks.
1. The books at Gutenberg often don't have a proper working TOC for moving round in the text and

True, and they often don't have proper indents and will sometimes have blank lines between paragraphs. (block format)

2. If you're searching for a book that isn't PD you'll not find it there. So a book by Bram Stoker would be there, but books by writers like Issac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke aren't there.

Well I did say "I find most everything at Gutenberg." Unfortunately a few of my favorite authors wrote between 1930 and 1960 (CS Lewis, Arthur C Clarke, and Charles Williams in particular). But the vast majority of readable material for anyone in the upper half of the IQ spectrum is going to be in public domain. My friend Ann and I have desperately tried to find some modern authors who are worth reading but have had very little success. That post that linked to the page where you try to tell male from female authors is a good example. Of the ten samples given, only one or two of them didn't read as though they were written by grade schoolers. I can't say I was shocked though when the key to the authors was given and I found that most were well-known modern authors. It's just that bad today.

[GraceKrispy]

I check out the self-promotions forum here or other recommendations made here, look at the bookstore we used to have (Borders) and find interesting books to look for in digital format from the comfort of my home, look at other recommendations on Amazon, look at the free books offered through Sony or Amazon.....

[vxf]

Originally Posted by Ransom

Considering how few good authors there have been during the past 50 years, I find most everything at Gutenberg like everyone else.

Few? Yes.
More than I can read? Yes as well.

Orhan Pamuk
Salman Rushdie
Khaled Hosseini
Umberto Eco
Louis De Bernieres
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ian McEWan

are all in my list of favorite writers and all contemporaneous.

And some of the recent Man Booker winners are also astonishingly good writiers... Steve Toltz, Aravind Adiga, Kazuo Ishiguro, Yann Martel come to mind.

By the way... to reply to the OP... when i am out of ideas, I check the list of Man Booker winners. I have yet to find one single bad book in that list. No other single award/recognition/critic seems to match my taste as that list does:

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Ransom

True, and they often don't have proper indents and will sometimes have blank lines between paragraphs. (block format)



Well I did say "I find most everything at Gutenberg." Unfortunately a few of my favorite authors wrote between 1930 and 1960 (CS Lewis, Arthur C Clarke, and Charles Williams in particular). But the vast majority of readable material for anyone in the upper half of the IQ spectrum is going to be in public domain. My friend Ann and I have desperately tried to find some modern authors who are worth reading but have had very little success. That post that linked to the page where you try to tell male from female authors is a good example. Of the ten samples given, only one or two of them didn't read as though they were written by grade schoolers. I can't say I was shocked though when the key to the authors was given and I found that most were well-known modern authors. It's just that bad today.

Touche on the most part of the sentence. As far as what is readable though I think that's more subjective myself. Granted there are probably some bad books that shouldn't have been printed, but that is the case all through the history of publishing I think. I tried reading "Cat's Cradle" when I was younger and couldn't make sense of it. Another reader might have better luck. I think part of it also depends on where in their career a given writer is. A first published book isn't necessarily going to be as well written as one that comes later on, and if their health is in decline (later in their career) again they might not write as well. Or their last work might even be edited for publication by someone else as designated by their estate. Part of it might also be the faster paced world we live in now too. 50+ years ago you had to type out the manuscript on paper and then after giving it a good read through (to check for errors etc.) you wrapped it up and mailed it to the publisher who would then look it over and put it through more editing etc. before it would reach the stage of printing. All this took about 18 months to 2 years. Now days you just type it out on a computer monitor, run spell check, hope you caught any errors, and email it out to the publisher. The world has changed a lot since those days.

[Ransom]

A first published book isn't necessarily going to be as well written as one that comes later on, and if their health is in decline (later in their career) again they might not write as well.

You never know when it comes to that. You know how much I like Chesterton, but nearly everyone would agree his work became sub-par as he aged. But generally speaking, I find that there are very few authors who write anything worthwhile before they're at least 35-ish, and many are past 40.

What's really strange to me is that most musicians are basically considered has-beens by the time they're 35 or 40, but writers are just getting it into gear during that same age. But after 65, writers are often considered washed-up too. But then classical composers often do their best work after 70. Crazy world--.

[SylvieB1984]

What I am doing right now on my Kobo is going through all the free classics that I have never read and that I think look interesting. Currently reading Ann of Green Gables, and it's great. Can't believe I never took the time to read it before.

[GeoffC]

MR - Recommendations and, occasionally, Author Promos.

Smashwords & Fictionwise - choice of reading material usually serendipitously ...

Otherwise tried and tested Authors from the days of yore when I read paperbacks.....

[crich70]

Originally Posted by SylvieB1984

What I am doing right now on my Kobo is going through all the free classics that I have never read and that I think look interesting. Currently reading Ann of Green Gables, and it's great. Can't believe I never took the time to read it before.

I've never read the book either. One of my own favorite Classics is Treasure Island. I don't know how many times I read the Reader's Digest book version of the story when I was a kid. There is just something magical about a hunt for treasure while fighting pirates.

[Pinecone]

1) I buy books written by authors I like.

2) I browse pBook stores and see what interests me.

3) I get recommendations from others.

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

MR - Recommendations and, occasionally, Author Promos.

So agree with this. The Reading Recommendations is my favorite thread here...and through it, I've added tons of titles to my 'wish' list.

I really appreciate the contributors to that thread!

[crich70]

I often go through the "free Indie" thread here at MR to find new books that might be of interest. I've added a lot to my elibrary that way.

[RichL]

I mosey on down to the corner of 10th and Burnside then wander through the aisles of Powell's books "-)

[Ransom]

Originally Posted by RichL

I mosey on down to the corner of 10th and Burnside then wander through the aisles of Powell's books "-)

Yep; I have a friend who tells me about any good new books she's read, and she's usually on the money about them, but other than her, I only find out about books by walking into B&N and searching through the "new arrivals." I don't read much modern fiction, but I do find some modern non-fiction things I like now and then.

It also gives me a chance to browse the women. I can judge a woman pretty quick sometimes by what she reads. And if you see one reading one of your favorite books, it's a good conversation starter. But if a girl on the train has an e-reader--forget about it! How am I supposed to know what the heck she's reading on that thing? Whatever their strengths, e-readers are conversation killers!

[amward]

Originally Posted by Ransom

Yep; I have a friend who tells me about any good new books she's read, and she's usually on the money about them, but other than her, I only find out about books by walking into B&N and searching through the "new arrivals." I don't read much modern fiction, but I do find some modern non-fiction things I like now and then.

It also gives me a chance to browse the women. I can judge a woman pretty quick sometimes by what she reads. And if you see one reading one of your favorite books, it's a good conversation starter. But if a girl on the train has an e-reader--forget about it! How am I supposed to know what the heck she's reading on that thing? Whatever their strengths, e-readers are conversation killers!

You could always pretend you didn't know what it was and ask her about it. Or if that's too obvoius ask what sort it is and why she likes it.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Ransom

Whatever their strengths, e-readers are conversation killers!

and it is one of the most important Pros of the ebook readers