I bought a Nook for my dad for his birthday

Camy here, and I just bought a Nook for my dad for his birthday. I wasn’t entirely sure how that would fly since Dad turned “seventy-mumble” this year. He’s actually rather decent with new technology, but once in a while it will take him a little longer to figure something out than it used to.

But Dad also loves to read novels. (So does my mom, so I got my love of reading from both sides.) I got him into ebooks several years ago when I first discovered that many science fiction books were available as ebooks, and since Dad had a PDA at the time that could read ebooks, he bought several and loaded them onto his PDA to take with him wherever he went, so he could read any time.

However, at one point his PDA battery got drained entirely and when he rebooted it, he found that he was denied permission to read his ebooks, which was security protected. He tried his password but it just wouldn’t work.

I got him a Nook Color for his birthday since it also has lots of apps he can download so he can play games on it. I called him to ask how he’s been liking it, and apparently he’s been reading a lot more now than he had been for the past couple years. He downloaded his favorite author, Alan Dean Foster, and bought the last few Flinx books in the series. Mom says he’s reading on his Nook every night before bed. He also plays a poker machine game app that he downloaded.

Yay! I finally got Dad a present he actually likes! And thank goodness the Nook was a) inexpensive enough that he didn’t feel bad I was spending money on him, and b) easy enough to use that he didn’t have any problems setting it up. Plus now he’ll be able to find and enjoy the science fiction novels he loves. And as he gets older, he’ll be able to increase the font size if he needs to. (Which, er, his daughter already has to do ...)

So would you get a Nook or Kindle for yourself or your parent?



Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is the third book in her Sonoma series, Stalker in the Shadows. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

Books, Books and More Books by Merrillee Whren

Marta's post yesterday about what is happening in the world of books made me think about all of the books I own--many of them still unread. My to-be-read pile is huge. Here is a photo of a portion of one of my bookshelves. I have only read a small fraction of these books, but I keep collecting more on the Nook I received from my daughters for Mother's Day this year. I'm thinking it's a good thing since I don't have any room on my bookshelf. Some of these shelves are double stacked. On the other hand, since I don't have to worry about where I'm going to put more books, I can get more. Now instead of having a to-be-read pile, I will have a to-be-read list.



How big is your to-be read pile?

Giving Kindle Books

Camy here, admitting I am woefully behind the times.

Yes, it’s true. I did NOT know that you can now give Kindle ebooks to people!

All you need to do is enter their email address. The person you’re giving the Kindle ebook to doesn’t even have to own a Kindle! They can receive the book and read it on their computer or iPad. However, they can’t read it on any other ereader device like the Nook or Sony.

(Barnes and Noble, you are failing me. When can I give Nook ebooks to people????)

My first Love Inspired Suspense, Deadly Intent, has been out of print—or rather, off the shelves. The ebook version is still available, but I don’t have any more print copies to give away.

But now I can give away ebook copies!!! Yay!!!!

So on my Street Team Book List, I have now added Deadly Intent, Kindle version, so that anyone who wants one can pick that book. I can just get their email address and give my wonderful Street Team member a copy of Deadly Intent via email!

I know lots of you prefer print books, but I have to admit that reading a book on a Nook or Kindle is pretty much the same thing. I still get lost in the book and don’t notice the carrots burning. Also, you can shove an ereader into a plastic ziplok bag and take it into the tub with you for a bubble bath. :)

And yes, I have accidentally dropped a book I was reading into the tub. It was a horrible experience that will scar me for life because I tend to be really careful with my books. I don’t like to crease them if I can help it.

I will read used books and library books, but I don’t really like it that much. I prefer new books. And Nookbooks and Kindle books never have a funny smell from the pages (like cigarettes or wet dog or body odor or mold) nor do they have dog-eared pages or nasty unidentifiable stains on the covers that feel unpleasant as I hold the book.

Yes, I am a freak. But especially stains and smells from a used book will drive me NUTS. I can’t even enjoy the book. I think that is why I’ve been so gung-ho on the entire ebook thing. Ereaders are as clean as you keep them, and books never have smells or stains.

Okay, I went off target, sorry. Anyway, I am SO thrilled to be able to give the Kindle version of Deadly Intent! Naomi is one of my favorite characters. Although I think her sister Monica (whose book is coming out in Spring 2012, Stalker in the Shadows) might be a close second.

So, weigh in! Do you mind used books? Would you rather receive a Kindle book or a used print book?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is her humorous contemporary romance Sushi series and her romantic suspense, Formula for Danger. In her spare time, she is a staff worker for her church youth group, and she leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders dogs, knitting and spinning wool, running, Asiana, and other frivolous things. Sign up for her quarterly newsletter for giveaways!

Click here to find out how you can join Camy's Street Team—it’s free and there’s lots of chances to win prizes!

So much for multi-tasking!

Hello from Lisa Mondello. School is finally out. I had another child graduate from high school and two others finish the high school year on Monday. End of the school year means paperwork and lots of it! Not only do they bring home lots of "stuff" from school, we need to get paperwork ready for the next year.

This is why I love the fact that so much paper we used to push is going digital. I love that Harlequin is releasing all our books in ebook form. Now no matter how old the book is, you don't have to worry about it being out of print. If you discover a new author and want to go back and get her/his backlist, you can!

I was on the wave of the first ebook push years ago when my first books were published. I owned a Rocket ebook reader and loved it! (My tired eyes mostly loved being able to change the font size.) Now there are so many more ebook readers on the market. For those of you who love the feel of paper on your fingers as you read, I understand. One of the things I always wondered about is if the concept of physically visiting a bookstore would end if we eventually went all digital. I love going to the bookstore and spending time walking the aisles and just looking. It's much harder to browse on line and get that same experience.

But I do love technology and now that both the Nook and the Kindle have dropped their prices, I'm seriously thinking of taking the plunge and getting a new ebook reader. (Yes, my old Franklin still worked and I couldn't justify buying something new...until now.) Nook and Kindle aren't the only books on the market. Sony has several models and I just saw in Barnes and Noble an advertisement for another ebook reader. The name escapes me at the moment.

So tell me about your experiences with ebook readers. Have you given any a test drive? Do you own one? Which is your favorite and why?

Until next time, many blessings, Lisa Mondello

Fresh-Start Family Love Inspired Romance October 2010

http://www.loveinspiredauthors.com/

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