E-Book Resources

You probably remember that I bought a Kindle e-reader in November. I do enjoy my gadget, but I still read more printed books. I read 8-10 crime novels per month, and my principle is that I go for the cheapest possible copy. I understand if some writers grit their teeth when they hear about all the used books I buy, but then professional reviewers get all their review copies for free.

I know I am not the only e-book reader who is looking for new ways to get around the fact that some  e-books are more expensive than the paperback (typically $ 10-13 for Danish customers), and no matter what the retailers say, that is not a reasonable price. [Customers outside UK cannot buy e-books from e.g. Amazon UK or Waterstones]

So far I have found Smashwords, a wonderful site where many writers upload their older works at extremely fair prices.

If you are looking for free classics, ManyBooks.Net is the place to go, and if you are interested in review copies directly from the publishers, you may join NetGalley.

Where do you get your e-books? 
Have you found resources you will share with me and my readers? 

Readers´ resources: 

Ebooks.com

Read Without Paper 

Untreed Reads Publishing

Project Gutenberg

Book Depository (NB: they do not ship to Denmark) 

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Laura Wilson, Dying Voices (2000)

This British thriller is the author´s second stand-alone.

Young Dodie Blackstock´s mother was kidnapped in 1976 when Dodie was eight years old. Her father refused to pay ten million pounds to get her back, and when he agreed to six millions, the operation was botched so even though the kidnappers were apprehended, Susan Carrington was never found. She was later declared dead, and Dodie´s father married again.

In 1996 the police find Susan´s body, and she has clearly been dead for a few days only.
Throughout the rest of the book Dodie struggles to discover what happened twenty years ago and to come to terms with her mother´s disappearance plus her father´s unwillingness to pay the ransom. Her dominating father died a few years earlier, leaving her with a large fortune (though she would prefer to support herself) and a huge, looming shadow.

Of course we also hear about the police work. Futhermore, Dodie realizes that she is being followed. A bored teenager or someone related to the kidnapping affair? The main plot line is Dodie´s development, however.

I have read more convincing endings; still I enjoyed getting to know the character Dodie and for me the book was a genuine page turner.

I bought the e-book myself, and I enjoyed the new reading experience just as much as the actual book.
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Kindling your Curiosity

Yes, I have received my new gadget. I ordered my Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, latest generation Friday and held it in my hand Monday afternoon.(No picture as I am not writing this post from home).

Yes, I have bought my first books. One because I wanted it, and one because it is just too easy to hit that button! Well, I did browse for editions of Macbeth, but I don´t recall having chosen one. Fortunately it was the cheapest one available. (Not that I don´t think Shakespeare is value for money, it is just that I own two or three paper versions already).

Yes, I have read my first book. I had planned to read another book by Laura Wilson, but when I found her “Dying Voices” for less than eight dollars, I decided that that would be a very suitable test. (A short review will follow)

Yes, it is very easy to use. Most features are rather intuitive.

Yes, I enjoyed reading on the screen. I have shown it to several relatives and colleagues, and they all agree that the black letters on the white screen is just as perfect as reading on paper.

As I don´t know exactly how long the book is, I can´t say much about my reading speed, but I read it over two evenings (so definitely not slow motion).

A feature I really like is the icon which tells me how many percent of the book I have read. I think it is quite common for readers of crime fiction and thrillers that we want to know when we hit that crucial, final chapter.

So all in all, several large plusses.

I have only run into one problem yet. I have downloaded a NetGalley review book to my Kindle, but it seems to have vanished into thin air. According to NetGalley and Amazon, it should be enought to add my Kindle e-mail address to my NetGalley profile and add the NetGalley e-mail address to the list of addresses I am willing to receive files from. But no.

ADDITION: problem solved - I tried downloading them again, and this time it suddenly worked.

(Of course I am prepared to pay for most of my books, but Amazon just swallowed most of my 2011 book budget the other day)

Why I Went Over to the Dark Side

I have thought about this for a few weeks, and yesterday I finally did it. I ordered that Kindle e-reader from Amazon.

Some reasons for wanting an e-reader
As I read more and more British and American books, I want to cut shipping costs. As I always have to add a couple of pounds or dollars for the shipping, I have bought many of my books second-hand so far. Another reason for this is that when I buy new books, I have to pay 25 % in VAT as a Danish resident. With e-books I don´t have to pay more for my books than the rest of the world.

My second reason is that some publishers have begun offering me review examples of e-books. I don´t mind the least reading old books, but I like reviewing a few new ones once in a while.

Some questions I tried to find an answer to first
Could I read Danish ebooks in my Kindle?
(I won´t buy many, new ebooks cost from eighteen to more than thirty dollars. But what if a Danish publisher offered to send review examples of e-books?). The answer is YES, they can be converted via a free programme so I won´t have to buy a second e-reader.

I know how much I love the feel of a book in my hand. Could I get used to reading on the screen?
My first test: reading a PDF-book on my PC. I got through it in two days, and the reading experience was ok, but not recommended.
My second test: I downloaded Amazon´s programme: Kindle for PC + a free book. Clearly a better reading experience.

What is the price level?
Well, there is no clear answer yet. Though Danish e-books are expensive, they seem to cost 5-10 dollars less than paper editions. On the other hand, Amazon.com have just raised their e-book prices considerably.

What about availability? 

There is always Amazon.com, but a few weeks ago I thought I could also buy e-books via British chains like Waterstones. Not any more; recently some of the major British sellers have stopped selling to customers from abroad.

So why did I push that order button yesterday? 

Don´t know. Perhaps because my husband was tired of all my on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand vacillation. And don´t worry about me. Once I have made up my mind, I never regret it. I may not love my Kindle, but I´ll find the positive sides to owning it – and use it.

Some recent blog posts about e-readers: 

Kimbofo (who gave inspiration to the title)
Maxine about the restrictions.
Bernadette about her eAdventure.

Tell me your e-reader story: do you have one? Do you love it? 
Have you considered buying one? Why (not)?
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