Has your ebook reader widened your world

tech_au · 11-20-2008, 05:34 AM

Having owned my Sony reader for 6 months now, I was just thinking "Hey this ebook reader has expanded my reading world". Have other people experienced the same thing or do they just read the same genre in ebook format that they previously read in pbook format.
Previously I read mostly thriller/adventure books but my recently read freebie ebook list has been :
Down Time series by John Feinstein(SF humour)
Please by Peter Darbyshire(General Fiction)
City of Pearl by Karen Traviss(SF/Fantasy)
Frenzy by James Causey(60's pulp fiction from munseys.com)
so I guess it has a major impact on my reading habits.

Sparrow · 11-20-2008, 05:40 AM

Since I prefer reading ebooks to pbooks, and available ebooks are a subset of available pbooks - I could argue that my eReader has actually narrowed my world.

mtravellerh · 11-20-2008, 05:45 AM

My world has been pretty wide already, so no.

It's only a gadget, after all, so no influence on what I read (maybe on where).

Only change is: I read a lot more then before.

DDHarriman · 11-20-2008, 05:54 AM

No it did not.

ErwinOtten · 11-20-2008, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Since I prefer reading ebooks to pbooks, and available ebooks are a subset of available pbooks - I could argue that my eReader has actually narrowed my world.

dito

Ned · 11-20-2008, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Since I prefer reading ebooks to pbooks, and available ebooks are a subset of available pbooks - I could argue that my eReader has actually narrowed my world.

Is that strictly true?
I'm currently on with some e-Book Classics that aren't available in print.

HarryT · 11-20-2008, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ned

Is that strictly true?
I'm currently on with some e-Book Classics that aren't available in print.

As Ned very rightly says, it works both ways. Although there are many modern books which aren't available as eBooks, it's equally true that there are huge numbers of eBooks which are long out of print as printed books.

Take one of my favourite authors, for example, Sir Henry Rider Haggard. You'll probably only find two of his books in print easily: "King Solomon's Mines", and "She", but you'll find all 60+ of his novels in my 16-volume "Haggard Anthology" here on MobileRead.

Gaurnim · 11-20-2008, 06:51 AM

I did try some different things that were available as free eBooks, that I might not have tried if they only had been available in pBooks.
Mostly these are books that were mentioned here on MobileRead, that I wouldn't have browsed if I hadn't possessed a Cybook.

So I guess I can say the same thing as you, tech_au.

carandol · 11-20-2008, 08:05 AM

I've been reading a fair number of classics which I would never have got my hands on otherwise, including some pretty obscure stuff which would probably have required a visit to a major academic library to get hold of.

And while there are lots of modern books that aren't available in ebook format, there are also lots of books, particularly in the SF and Fantasy genre which I would never have seen in England, because a lot of books don't get published over here.

The multitude of free books also makes me more willing to try something new, because if I don't like it I haven't lost any money, nor even the effort of lugging it home from the library. I guess that means I start a lot more books than I finish these days.

The only disadvantage I can see is that I keep finding books that my friends would like and not being able to lend them on because my friends don't have ebook readers.

carandol · 11-20-2008, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Take one of my favourite authors, for example, Sir Henry Rider Haggard. You'll probably only find two of his books in print easily: "King Solomon's Mines", and "She", but you'll find all 60+ of his novels in my 16-volume "Haggard Anthology" here on MobileRead.

Yes, thanks for those! Although... finding a rare Haggard in a 2nd hand bookshop used to be a cause of much rejoicing. Now I've got the whole set, all the joy has gone out of life.

(Only kidding

)

Gaurnim · 11-20-2008, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carandol

And while there are lots of modern books that aren't available in ebook format, there are also lots of books, particularly in the SF and Fantasy genre which I would never have seen in England, because a lot of books don't get published over here.

I thought about the same thing, and forgot to mention it.
Lost of english language books aren't available here in France or take a long time to become available, so having the Cybook expands the list of books available.

mjh215 · 11-20-2008, 08:21 AM

I've forced myself to it down and read ebooks at times I might have thrown on the TV to justify the expense of the reader. Otherwise I'm not certain it expanded my reading, as I always had rather diverse taste.

-MJ

desertgrandma · 11-20-2008, 08:41 AM

Oh, definitely. I am reading authors I never would have thought of..........Richard Kadrey, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Aldous Huxley, Sapper, Doctorow. And, of course, the infamous E M Forster, he of the "Passage to India".

These books are being read on the recommendations of members here, and I'm finding lots of new worlds to explore.

Surfergirl · 11-20-2008, 09:13 AM

Absolutely! I've picked up things like the Dr Thorndyke books from here (which I would never ever have come across in pbook), Lies of Locke Lamora (after recommendation from people in this forum), and the 'Odyssey' book recommended by Harry.

(And reading the Odyssey has also given me the kick up the backside I needed to start trying to learn Latin, which I've wanted to do for years!)

garygibsonsf · 11-20-2008, 09:36 AM

I buy a lot *more* books than I used to, since I used to subconsciously worry if I'd have anywhere to put books in my house, etc. So I certainly read a lot more, although maybe not necessarily more outside my usual habits. Also, since I'm currently living in Taiwan, distance has ceased to be a barrier to my purchasing - the only barrier is whether a certain book is available in an e-edition or not. I also like that if I read about a book on a blog or a review site or wherever, I can check it on an ebookseller site and, if I like it, download it - convert it if necessary - and be reading it on my Sony 500 *minutes* later.

I have, however, downloaded several out of copyright 'classics' with an intention of at least giving them a try. The most recent addition is Joyce's Ulysses, something I previously would have been pretty unlikely to purchase, but did download from one of the legal download sites.

11-20-2008, 05:34 AM	#1
tech_au Oz Bookworm Posts: 516 Karma: 4056 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS 505,PRS 650	Has your ebook reader widened your world Having owned my Sony reader for 6 months now, I was just thinking "Hey this ebook reader has expanded my reading world". Have other people experienced the same thing or do they just read the same genre in ebook format that they previously read in pbook format. Previously I read mostly thriller/adventure books but my recently read freebie ebook list has been : Down Time series by John Feinstein(SF humour) Please by Peter Darbyshire(General Fiction) City of Pearl by Karen Traviss(SF/Fantasy) Frenzy by James Causey(60's pulp fiction from munseys.com) so I guess it has a major impact on my reading habits.

11-20-2008, 09:13 AM	#14
Surfergirl Enthusiast Posts: 49 Karma: 299 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: PRS-505 (Blue)/PRS-505 (Red)/iPhone 3GS	Absolutely! I've picked up things like the Dr Thorndyke books from here (which I would never ever have come across in pbook), Lies of Locke Lamora (after recommendation from people in this forum), and the 'Odyssey' book recommended by Harry. (And reading the Odyssey has also given me the kick up the backside I needed to start trying to learn Latin, which I've wanted to do for years!) Last edited by Surfergirl; 11-20-2008 at 09:18 AM.

11-20-2008, 09:36 AM	#15
garygibsonsf Addict Posts: 321 Karma: 432192 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite	I buy a lot more books than I used to, since I used to subconsciously worry if I'd have anywhere to put books in my house, etc. So I certainly read a lot more, although maybe not necessarily more outside my usual habits. Also, since I'm currently living in Taiwan, distance has ceased to be a barrier to my purchasing - the only barrier is whether a certain book is available in an e-edition or not. I also like that if I read about a book on a blog or a review site or wherever, I can check it on an ebookseller site and, if I like it, download it - convert it if necessary - and be reading it on my Sony 500 minutes later. I have, however, downloaded several out of copyright 'classics' with an intention of at least giving them a try. The most recent addition is Joyce's Ulysses, something I previously would have been pretty unlikely to purchase, but did download from one of the legal download sites. Last edited by garygibsonsf; 11-20-2008 at 09:39 AM.

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11-20-2008, 05:40 AM	#2
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Since I prefer reading ebooks to pbooks, and available ebooks are a subset of available pbooks - I could argue that my eReader has actually narrowed my world.

11-20-2008, 05:45 AM	#3
mtravellerh book creator Posts: 9,657 Karma: 3856660 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Luxembourg Device: Kindle Scribe	My world has been pretty wide already, so no. It's only a gadget, after all, so no influence on what I read (maybe on where). Only change is: I read a lot more then before.

11-20-2008, 05:54 AM	#4
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	No it did not.

11-20-2008, 06:51 AM	#8
Gaurnim Final Five n°42 Posts: 789 Karma: 3599 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lyon, France Device: Cybook Gen3	I did try some different things that were available as free eBooks, that I might not have tried if they only had been available in pBooks. Mostly these are books that were mentioned here on MobileRead, that I wouldn't have browsed if I hadn't possessed a Cybook. So I guess I can say the same thing as you, tech_au.

11-20-2008, 08:05 AM	#9
carandol Evangelist Posts: 423 Karma: 2153430 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: BeBook	I've been reading a fair number of classics which I would never have got my hands on otherwise, including some pretty obscure stuff which would probably have required a visit to a major academic library to get hold of. And while there are lots of modern books that aren't available in ebook format, there are also lots of books, particularly in the SF and Fantasy genre which I would never have seen in England, because a lot of books don't get published over here. The multitude of free books also makes me more willing to try something new, because if I don't like it I haven't lost any money, nor even the effort of lugging it home from the library. I guess that means I start a lot more books than I finish these days. The only disadvantage I can see is that I keep finding books that my friends would like and not being able to lend them on because my friends don't have ebook readers.

11-20-2008, 08:21 AM	#12
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	I've forced myself to it down and read ebooks at times I might have thrown on the TV to justify the expense of the reader. Otherwise I'm not certain it expanded my reading, as I always had rather diverse taste. -MJ

11-20-2008, 08:41 AM	#13
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Oh, definitely. I am reading authors I never would have thought of..........Richard Kadrey, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Aldous Huxley, Sapper, Doctorow. And, of course, the infamous E M Forster, he of the "Passage to India". These books are being read on the recommendations of members here, and I'm finding lots of new worlds to explore.

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