Musing: books - Ebooks?

[wilderthan]

I always found it odd that while I was happy to read fanfiction on my computer screen (when I read rather more fanfic than I do at the moment) I generally didn't want to read novels on the screen. I guess part of it is that fanfic is only available on screen -- unless you print it out, I suppose, but that adds a level of inconvenience -- and is usually much shorter. Still, if someone can sit reading different fics all evening, you'd think they could sit and read a single work in the same amount of time.

I read Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and Children of God on the screen, but it took me a while, so I thought I just wasn't comfortable sitting to read for that long -- I don't generally read long fanfic these days, let alone novels. But then in the last couple of days I've read three novels in ebook format, even in preference to the paper-and-ink copies I have. I suppose it helps that I can curl up with my laptop in a comfy place, here, which I couldn't when I was reading Mary Doria Russell's work.

I'm sure I would read ebooks even more happily if I had an ebook reader, so I can carry the books around with me. I was most irritated today when, going to the hairdresser's, I couldn't take Persuasion with me.

How do other people feel about ebooks? Do you think there's really a market for them? I've seen a lot more interest in ebooks with readers like the Kindle around, and I guess if they were cheaper they might be of more interest -- I'd certainly get one in a heartbeat if they were, say, £100.

Mind you, one of the things that irrationally irritates me about ebooks is pagination. I use Mobipocket reader, and what was page 550 a minute ago might suddenly be page 340 or 657 if I go back to reread a section. I suppose that's what comes of having the convenience of being able to adjust font size, margins, etc.

Three useful links, if you're interested in ebooks:
-A guide to free ebook sites.
-An ebook "lending library".
-Free out of copyright ebooks for the Mobipocket reader.

There are lots of others, of course... Feel free to share your awesome ebook resources, if you have any! Thanks to the downloading I've done today, though, my to-be-read "pile" has got rather larger...

Comments

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

I am not opposed to the idea of E-Books ™, but I am opposed to the E-Books ™ themselves because, y'know, if they really catch on, I'll be out of a job. ^_^;

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

I like having actual copies of the books themselves, to be honest. They're much more personal, and I love the way a shelf full of books makes a room look like home (at least to me). I'd hate to lose the ability to go to a bookshop and browse and flick through the books. And I like the smell of books and the feel of smooth paper under my fingers, and it always makes me laugh when I get my fingers covered in black ink as a result. So I don't think I'll be going all digital anytime soon.

[ina-noranaya.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm due to find out what reading a full novel as an e-book is like. But only because The Virtu is out of print. Since I read plenty of other things, fanfic included, on the computer, I don't object to e-books in general, but the fact that I won't have a hard copy of the second book in a four-book series puts my back up to begin with.

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like to have everything in the same format...

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

I like the fact that there are ebooks available that I can not find in hard copy, but beyond that I prefer to actually have one in my hand if at all possible. Part of it is because I tend to read when I have a minute out doing things or in the tub which makes it awkward at best to do if you are using ebooks. I find if I am at my computer and trying to read I tend to get sidetracked by the things I normally do when I am online - chatting, rping, writing, and playing games. But if I want to read I can pick a book and walk away. While I can the electronic media expanding more and more into arena of book publishing I can't see it ever completely eliminate hard copies.

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

I usually read and talk online at the same time. I think I'm getting along better with the ebook in this sense, because I can just tab between the conversation and the book, whereas before I'd find myself reading a chapter and then getting distracted.

[candeefloss.livejournal.com]

I've read books online before, but I can't say I really enjoyed it. It's fine with fanfiction, since those are generally short or otherwise updated in chapters I can go back to. But, I mean, I spend enough time ruining my eyes staring at a computer screen. At most I only read a few chapters at a time. Plus, distractions.

Hell, I just like owning books. You can take them anywhere. I guess the same would apply if you got a reader, but they're expensive, and ebooks are still full price as far as I know. Which is strange, because there wouldn't be any printing costs or anything.

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

Depends on where you get ebooks from. You can get big bundles of classic books for ridiculously small amounts of money... but new releases tend to be around the same price as in a proper paper-and-ink copy.

[wilderthan.livejournal.com]

I guess one of the main attractions for me is how many free ebooks you can pick up.