Reminder: World Book Night Deadline

Several months ago I shared my excitement with you about World Book Night by writing a bubbly post that you can read, here.

For new readers of this blog: World Book Night is an amazing initiative. Many, many, volunteers, publishers, authors and organizations come together to offer a BOX of FREE BOOKS to “givers” who hit the streets at the end of April and distribute the books. They just give them away. Sharing the love of reading.

It is great fun to be a giver, and pass out these books. I know at first glance it seems suspicious to some. But … it is REAL. It is LEGITIMATE. It is AWESOME.

Last year I was selected as a giver. It was an amazing experience.

Once I was notified that I had been chosen, everything followed easily and smoothly.

I was asked where I would like to pick up my books (I selected my local library).

I was given a window of dates to retrieve them. When I went to the library, there was a nice neat box with my name on it, full of 20 new books to give away.

On the designated date I did as instructed and just gave them away.

That’s all there is. Spreading the joy of reading. What a pleasure!!

You can be a giver.

All you have to do is answer a few questions on the website of World Book Night. It costs you nothing, and the benefits are awesome.

The deadline has been extended to January 25. This deadline is coming soon, so hurry hurry!

Just visit the World Book Night Website to learn more and apply to be a giver.

Observing E-Readers in the Wild

photo credit: Bruce Stokes via photopin cc

Before heading out on my blogging break, I loaded up my Paperwhite with several books to read.

One of my biggest joys while traveling is the opportunity for lots of reading time. An e-reader is a glorious invention for travel, because you can bring an entire library of books and magazines and yet carry it all in the palm of your hand. Awesome.

Most interesting to me is how common e-readers have become.

I remember not-that-many-years ago when I got my very first Kindle. I never took it out. I kept it at home because whenever I used it in public it caused such a flurry. To whip it out and read with it in public was nearly impossible because people would stop and ask questions or simply want to see it. And since I enjoy sharing 🙂 I wouldn’t get much reading done.

But today! Oh, my. E-readers are everywhere.

Over the last two weeks I found myself in several places where lots of people were reading. Relaxing reading and/or waiting-for-something reading. But basically, rooms full of strangers, reading.

And so I did some very unscientific counting, in a variety of different places. If I saw reading people gathered in clusters, I counted.

E-readers vs paper books.

E-reader here, book there. Book, book, e-reader, e-reader, e-reader.

The winner? E-readers usually outnumbered paper books whenever/wherever I counted. I’d get results like 6 to 4 or 8 to 5 or 3 to 4. Almost half, but usually nudged in favor of the e-reader. Not always, but usually.

Totally unscientific, but certainly interesting. And a big big change from the hiding-the-Kindle days.

Another Podcast Recommendation (for Readers!): Books on the Nightstand

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I am a big huge fan of podcasts. I am also a huge fan of books. Bring them both together, and, well… I’m happy.

The only thing thing that limits my podcast listening is time. There are so many wonderful choices, that it is tough to narrow them down.

In the past, I have shared some of my favorites, A Way with Words and the Moth for starters. Today I will be suggesting another, a podcast for readers, called Books on the Nightstand.

But before I do, let’s digress a moment to talk about the Podcast App. I had some misgivings when it first appeared, but all is well, now. It is a great app, and I use it every day. Podcast subscriptions update automatically, and I am notified when I have something new to listen to. The timer is absolutely the best thing ever invented. 🙂 All’s good with the Podcast app. No iPhone or iPad is complete without it!

If you are a reader, and you like to read/think about/learn about/chat about books, this podcast is made for you. I have listened to many others, but I keep coming back to Books on the Nightstand.

It is a regular (usually weekly) conversation about books between two folks who are part of the book business (altho they make the point that this podcast is totally separate from their jobs). Ann and Michael chat about their favorites, or about general topics, and every week after a listen I always add more books to my “to read” list.

Their conversation is always interesting and their recommendations are sound. They also maintain a website where you can listen to the podcast, and look over previous episodes.

They have developed a marvelous database on their website of books that they have discussed, with references to the posts and podcasts where they have been mentioned. This is an awesome resource.

And finally, if you get really involved, they organize several gatherings during the year, throughout the country, called “Booktopia”, bringing readers and authors together.

Subscribing to Books on the Nightstand is free in the iTunes store.

How to Gift a Kindle Book

photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography via photopin cc

Books are a favorite gift for all gift-giving reasons, and at this time of the year, book sales go way up.

But what if the person you are gifting uses a Kindle?

If you have readers on your gift list who are doing most of their reading on a Kindle, you might consider buying them an e-book for the holidays.

Of course you could always go the gift-card route, and let them choose their own, but that is not the object, here. We want to give our recipients a special e-book, one that we have chosen just for them.

So what do you do if you have a particular book in mind that you want to share with the Kindle-reader in your life?

Easy-breezy.

Here is how you can “gift” a Kindle book:

Sign in to your Amazon account.

Navigate to the book that you want to give as gift. For the purpose of this example, I selected “Pillars of the Earth”. You’ll see a list of many ways that the book is offered.

Make sure you highlight KINDLE EDITION on the book choices.

Once you have indicated that you are interested in the KINDLE EDITION, look on the upper right side of the screen. You will see this button: “Give as a gift”

Click on “Give as a Gift” and you will be taken to the order page (captured below), which will allow you to add your own message and choose WHEN you want the gift delivered via email to your recipient. So, you can buy it now, and request that it be delivered on Christmas Day, or on a Birthday, or whatever. (Handy!)

You also have the option to have the email delivered to yourself, so that you can wrap it up or send it in the mail or present it in person to your gift-ee.

**Thanks to Katie at Ipad Investigation for pointing out that this service is not available on the UK website. I can’t imagine why not, but ……

Holiday Deals in Kindle Books (and “real” books, too!)

I love to grab a bargain!

Amazon is running some awesome book specials now for the Holidays. I’m going to direct you to a few, but I suggest you check back with Amazon OFTEN during the next three weeks. Spend a little time browsing, and you’ll be able to get yourself some great reads for the coming winter months.

Holiday deals for Kindle books are here.

I just grabbed John Jakes’ The Bastard (for my Kindle) for $2.99. I’m delighted. (Although I read the whole series in the 70’s, I’m looking forward to a re-read!)

Amazon is also running another GREAT book deal. For 12 days, Amazon is putting up ONE best-selling book for sale (per day) for at least 75% off the regular price. This is fun! Today’s deal was Gone Girl, which, if you follow best seller lists, you know has been up there for several weeks. Usually $13.93 on Amazon for the Hardcover, today they sold it for $2.99.

Here’s the catch: You have to snag the book quickly, because it is only on sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time. So figure out what time that is for you in your time zone and try to remember to check here at the appropriate time.

Each day will be a new bestselling book. It will be fun to see what books are offered each day! (I believe these books will all be of the paper variety, but you never know. I’m hoping a Kindle book or two will be offered for these deals.)

World Book Night 2013

I am SO excited to share this information with all of you!!!

World Book Night 2013 is underway!!!

If you haven’t heard of it, you are in for a treat. And after you learn about it, please spread the word!

What is World Book Night? It is an annual celebration that spreads the love of reading. One on one. Person to person.

Tens of thousands of people go out into their communities on April 23 and hand out free books (half a million in the US, alone), sharing their love of reading.

World Book Night takes place in the US, in the UK and Ireland, and Germany with plans to expand to other countries as well.

Did you notice the FREE part?

I learned about it last year, and was fortunate enough to be selected to participate in the event. It was an awesome experience and I encourage anyone who enjoys books and reading to apply to be a “giver” as soon as you finish reading this post.

When you apply, you will be asked these three questions:
* Where do you intend to give away the books?
* To whom do you intend to giveaway books to?
* Why do you want to give books away?

You will also be asked a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice of a book to give away. The 2013 list is here. I am also including images of the 2013 list throughout this blog post.

After you apply to be a “giver” you simply wait and hope you are chosen.

If you are chosen, in early April (approximately) you will be given a box with 20 brand new books (one of your 3 choices).

That’s it! Then, on April 23, your “obligation” is to go out into the world and give the books away. How awesome is that?

The whole process was well communicated. I was offered a choice of several nearby locations where I could go to pick up my box of books. I was given a window of a few days to collect the box, (I chose my library) and when the time came, I walked up to the desk and a box of fresh new books was waiting for me.

If you have never heard of this before, you might be questioning its legitimacy. All those free books!? Really??? Yes, REALLY !!

This is awesome collaboration of publishers, book sellers, libraries and volunteers.

I have already applied, and I hope that you do, too. What a wonderful way to share your love of reading.

Please explore the World Book Night website. You will find all the information you need, and the application to be a giver.

And please….. pass this information on!

Choosing Between the Kindle Paperwhite, the Basic Kindle, and the Kindle Keyboard

photo credit: WingedWolf via photo pin cc

If you are thinking of getting a Kindle eReader, or perhaps making a change from the one you already have, you can get a ton of information from the Amazon website. Each Kindle has its own product page, with all the details spelled out, and by scrolling down the page, you’ll find a chart to help you compare the models.

My attempt here, will be to sum all this up by highlighting some pros and cons.

First of all… all three Kindle models have a great many things in common. They ALL have: brilliant, sharp e-ink technology; adjustable font sizes; adjustable fonts; choices for line spacing and words per line; sync with Kindle apps; cloud storage for your library; free samples; wireless downloading (you never need to attach a Kindle to a computer); built in dictionary; highlighting and bookmarks; note sharing; and real page numbers (helpful for book groups).

You can shop for books directly from all three, although personally … I don’t shop that way. I enjoy browsing through books and reviews directly on the Amazon website from my computer. When I find a book that I’d like to sample or purchase, I use the buy/sample button on the right side of the screen. By the time I reach for my Kindle, the book has appeared on the device.

All of the Kindles are easily managed on the Amazon website. (I’ll dedicate another few posts in the near future on “how to” manage your Kindle library.)

So now…. let’s look at some things that set these Kindles apart from each other.

Kindle Keyboard 3G

The Kindle Keyboard is the oldest model of the Kindle that is still available for purchase. I am currently reading on a Kindle Keyboard, and it is a great eReader. I truly have no complaints.

This is now the only model available with a physical keyboard. Some people prefer it over a virtual keyboard (which exists on the other two models).

The page-turning buttons are on the sides, conveniently placed so that you can easily read one-handed. The buttons are quiet. Menu buttons take you to the home page, turn the wireless on/off, etc.

I am a bed-reader. It’s my before-sleep ritual. Research has shown that reading from a back-lit screen (a tablet/computer screen) can interfere with sleep, so an e-ink screen is a preferred choice for nighttime reading. I stop using my iPad an hour or so before bed, and never use it to read at night. I use my Kindle Keyboard, with a clip on book light.

This Kindle has 3G and it is free. No fees, ever. This means that no matter where you are in the world, you can download a book in seconds.

3G on the Kindle Keyboard also means that you do not have to look for a wireless point to download a book… it just does the job wherever you are. ** If you don’t have wireless in your home, this is a very important point to consider. **

There are speakers on this Keyboard Kindle. (No speakers on the Basic or the Paperwhite).

Battery life is awesome. 8 weeks with the wireless off.

Kindle Keyboard 3G $139

Basic Kindle

This is the basic model bare-bones simple Kindle. No keyboard, no touch system. You access the menu, etc, from buttons at the bottom. Page turn buttons on the sides.

It is the lightest of all Kindle models.

This basic Kindle uses a wireless connection to download books. So you would need to be in a wireless environment to receive books. There is no 3G version available of this Kindle.

4 weeks of battery power with the wireless off.

It’s simply a great simple e-reader.

Basic Kindle $69

The Kindle Paperwhite

This is the newest entry to the Kindle eReader family. The Paperwhite is a little bit larger than the Basic Kindle and a little bit smaller than the Keyboard Kindle.

There are two versions of the Kindle Paperwhite (well, to be VERY specific, there are actually four versions):

– wireless only with special offers $119
– wireless only without special offers $139
– 3G with special offers $179
– 3G without special offers $199

The Paperwhite uses touch screen technology.

(A word about the touch screen … I have ordered this new Kindle and I am hopefully optimistic, BUT, I will admit, I do have concerns and I wish they had kept some physical buttons. I owned a Kindle Touch for about a month and never could get used to it. If I touched the screen by accident I would lose my place, and I never seemed to touch it ‘right’. The Kindle Touch and I never became friends. I sent it back. (Amazon has a very generous return policy). Since they have discontinued the Touch model completely, I am hoping they have improved the touch screen for the Paperwhite.)

The Paperwhite has some new features: Resolution and pixel density have been improved, which means even sharper print. They have also added “time to read” which helps you know how long it will take you to finish a chapter or a book. Apparently this feature will constantly change and adapt to your personal reading habits. There is also the new ability to sync Audio and Print reading (listen to an audio version for a while, and then when you revert to reading, the Kindle will put you on the correct page). This is new and they are just beginning to offer packaged audio/text books.

The Paperwhite has 6 fonts to choose from (more than the other models).

I am most excited about the new light system! I’ve learned that the engineering for this screen light is amazing. Although the pictures you see for the advertisements of this Kindle make the screen appear white, (so that it almost looks like a tablet back-lit screen) ….. it is important to know that it is NOT back lit. It is still an e-ink screen. BUT it is covered by light in an awesome layered way. There are no little lights pointing at the screen, but rather this is layered technology (years in the making) and it actually spreads the light out uniformly across the screen in a way that is undetectable to the reader. Think of it as flattening out a fiber optic cable (or spreading mayonnaise across a slice of bread 🙂 ). Light is evenly spread all over the text. You have the ability to raise or lower the intensity of this light, making it brighter or dimmer depending on your circumstances. And, my understanding is, that the lower you reduce the light, the more it looks like a standard, familiar e-ink screen. It is because of this light that the screen appears white when looking at the photographs of the device.

And as for battery life, even with this lit screen, battery life is still an awesome 8 weeks with the wireless off.

For me, this screen light was at the top of my wish list, and I have taken the plunge and ordered the Paperwhite, wireless, with special offers with a mix of caution and excitement. While I’m excited to see the lit screen, I’m remembering my bad experience with the original Touch. They claim it is improved, so I’m hoping they are right.

Kindle Paperwhite $119 and up

The Bottom Line

You can’t go wrong with the Basic Kindle or the Kindle Keyboard 3G. I truly have no complaints about the Keyboard model and I’m only upgrading because of the screen light. At this point the Paperwhite looks like an awesome product, I’ve read some very favorable reviews, but personally I would have preferred hardware buttons rather than the touch screen.

Points to remember:

All Kindles do a super job as an e-reader.

Price differences alter “extras”, not the basic reading experience.

Choose carefully between “wireless” and 3G. If you do not have a wireless environment in your home, you’ll find the 3G more enjoyable.