Reflection--What I've loved best about my ereader...

[GraceKrispy]

What I've loved best about my ereader, besides the standard truths (e.g., portable, carries a zillion books, always with me, don't have to hold pages down, easily manipulated, yada yada yada), is that it has really expanded my range of reading material. There are so many great indie authors out there, and I find myself trying books I normally would have passed on by in a bookstore or even at the library. What's more, I try them, and I often love them! I used to think there were several genres I didn't like. Turns out that's not true at all. If it's a well-written and entertaining story, then the genre (to me) doesn't really matter at all. In fact, I realize I'm not that great at determining genres of books, either. If it's good, it's good!

It all started when I figured out I could download library books and I scoured my local offerings. They didn't have much of anything I normally would have chosen, so I branched out. I'm so glad I did! Reading is my favorite hobby, and the world has opened up to me like never before. It's the same feeling I had as a small child when I visited the library. A world of adventures, waiting to be explored by me. Now that world has opened up even further, and I feel like a kid in a candy shop again.

Have you had an unexpected benefit to your ereader? Something that you love about it that wasn't, perhaps, what you were expecting?

[grooks]

I would agree that reading new authors and genres were the biggest benefit of getting my first Reader.

[kindlekitten]

I'm reading a lot more as well because a lot of times I would get stuck in the scifi section, or develop tunnel vision and only head over to history. I still can't do romance. I've given it several shots and it just is not going to work for me

[Pomtroll]

I'm reading more authors than I ever did before. I may even go back & re-read some classics. What has made it easy to branch out is all the free & inexpensive books I have been finding.

I've even read romance & found some authors I can enjoy. If I would have had to pay full price I wouldn't have tried them.

[Caltsar]

The benefit to me isn't so much in having a single ebook reader, but being able to read the same books on my phone, my computer, my tablet, or any device with a screen as I can on by eBook reader. Because having a book with me is so much more accessible than carrying a bulky paperback with me all the time, I can pull out my phone and read a chapter or two during times I normally wouldn't think of having something with me to read. The eBook reader is so nice to use for the majority of my reading that it gave me the kick to transition to eBooks and the rest of the devices followed!

I'm reading almost as much as I did as a kid again thanks to my nook

[wvcherrybomb]

I absolutely was not expecting all the free books! Honestly, if I had any idea what I was missing, I would have bought an ereader years ago.

Like others, I am expanding my horizons like I would have NEVER done with pbooks. I have downloaded and enjoyed books by indie authors and in genres I thought I didn't like.

Recently, I have even gotten a couple of freebie fantasy/sci-fi reads that sound interesting to me. These are genres that I would never, ever have read before my Kindle. I haven't read them yet, but at least I will get the chance to try them.

And last, but not least, my Kindle has brought me to MR. I have participated in more forums than I can count over the years, but here I have found the most intelligent bunch of people in one place on the internet. I appreciate even those with whom I have differences of opinion. There is never a lack of thought provoking conversation here.

[Piper_]

Ten minutes ago, I was reminded of something else I love about my ereader:

It handles dog-drool from my ear-rub-seeking fur monster better than paper.

...And bubble baths... my Kindle survives those unscathed, thanks to ziplock baggies.

Alas, I'm stuck this week reading a p-book (a massive Sharon Kay Penman history I gave up waiting to be digitized), and the edges are already warping from last night's bubbles and tonight's puppy spit. lol

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

I absolutely was not expecting all the free books! Honestly, if I had any idea what I was missing, I would have bought an ereader years ago.

Like others, I am expanding my horizons like I would have NEVER done with pbooks. I have downloaded and enjoyed books by indie authors and in genres I thought I didn't like.

Recently, I have even gotten a couple of freebie fantasy/sci-fi reads that sound interesting to me. These are genres that I would never, ever have read before my Kindle. I haven't read them yet, but at least I will get the chance to try them.

And last, but not least, my Kindle has brought me to MR. I have participated in more forums than I can count over the years, but here I have found the most intelligent bunch of people in one place on the internet. I appreciate even those with whom I have differences of opinion. There is never a lack of thought provoking conversation here.

yes MR had been mostly (there have been moments!) a breath of fresh air compared to forums where it appears the goal is to be most like beavis and butthead as possible

[Xanthe]

I don't know that it's expanded my reading range that much since I'm pretty much genre-oriented at the moment, but it has introduced me to some new authors in my genre of the moment.

At this point in time, I find that I'm using books like comfort foods - I like my favorites and I'm not really in the mood to try new things. So indie authors are getting a short shrift at the moment.

The key things that I love best about my ereaders are the increased font sizes, which make reading so much easier in my current circumstances, and the fact that I can carry and re-read an entire series.

[caleb72]

When I finally switched to ebooks it was primarily a future space-concern. Knowing that I just can't bring myself to sell or give away any of my books I could see a problem developing. Once I was sure that Australians had more ready access to ebooks from places like Amazon and the Kindle 3 introduced eReading at a much cheaper price I bought into it.

However, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine what I was opening myself up to.

Project Gutenberg and Smashwords made me understand that I was not just changing a format, I was entering a completely new world. I'm pretty tech/net savvy and I had never bothered finding this out before so I was in for a major shock.

In a few short months I've downloaded and catalogued over 150 books, many of them free and many from authors I'd never heard of before. I have my Calibre, I have my Kindle and I'm as happy as the proverbial pig.

Geographic restrictions ironically brought the first real limitation into my reading. I knew if I were particularly desperate for a book that I couldn't find in Australia, I could just find it overseas and have it shipped to me. With eReading I can't do that.

Luckily for most independent authors and certainly for public domain works, this is rarely a problem.

Regards
Caleb

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by GraceKrispy

What I've loved best about my ereader, besides the standard truths (e.g., portable, carries a zillion books, always with me, don't have to hold pages down, easily manipulated, yada yada yada), is that it has really expanded my range of reading material. There are so many great indie authors out there, and I find myself trying books I normally would have passed on by in a bookstore or even at the library. What's more, I try them, and I often love them! I used to think there were several genres I didn't like. Turns out that's not true at all. If it's a well-written and entertaining story, then the genre (to me) doesn't really matter at all. In fact, I realize I'm not that great at determining genres of books, either. If it's good, it's good!

It all started when I figured out I could download library books and I scoured my local offerings. They didn't have much of anything I normally would have chosen, so I branched out. I'm so glad I did! Reading is my favorite hobby, and the world has opened up to me like never before. It's the same feeling I had as a small child when I visited the library. A world of adventures, waiting to be explored by me. Now that world has opened up even further, and I feel like a kid in a candy shop again.

Have you had an unexpected benefit to your ereader? Something that you love about it that wasn't, perhaps, what you were expecting?

Oh... dear... This subject line sounds like you've been cut off from e-readers for years...

[Wenznz]

I love all the new authors I've discovered, and I just had no idea that there were so many places to access books.
I also quite enjoy that I can read the odd trashy romance, and no-ones any the wiser!

[bevdeforges]

Like others have mentioned, I simply read much more since getting hooked on my Reader. But the other thing is that I pay more attention to book reviews in newspapers and magazines in order to find interesting reading out there.

Never used to be able to do this, as my book buying was limited to my trips back to the US, the rare times I got into Paris to the English bookstores or to making an order from Amazon UK. But now I can put something interesting-looking on my wish list and just wait for the price to come down to an acceptable level.

The one down side is that I've got a number of big, thick books on my TBR list and then I signed up for the 100 book challenge... oh well, I never figured on making 100 books, just wanted to see how close I could get.

[GeoffC]

I would agree, yes it has introduced me to new authors ....

Also, I would not be a member here, otherwise .....

[elemenoP]

something I wasn't expecting: because my ereader lays flat, "stays open," and can be read hands-free (except for the page turning, of course), I can get a few pages in while I'm doing something different. While I'm eating, of course, but other times during my day too.

eP