Looking for advice from those of you who have experience with electronic books.
I'm considering purchasing a Kindle or other such unit I can store titles on to read during the wet season when outside activities are curtailed.
I'm looking for a simple, robust unit with good battery life that I can recharge using USB connections as I don't want another charger/plug to haul about.
Let me know what works and what doesn't.
Thanks for your help.

Kindles work great and the battery lasts for days/weeks. I think I am on my third or fourth Kindle . . . not because the older units broke just because the new units have different features, screens, etc. I much prefer using my Kindle to trying to read books on an iPad.

If you have a smartphone or tablet computer or laptop or desktop the app is free. All you need is an Amazon account...

I used points on my credit card to get a Kindle Whitepaper or Paperwhite. Looking at the device there no way to tell what model it is. I think that's by design.

I read about an hour a day (on my commute to work) I charge it about once a month with the USB cable.


Geek stuff follows....

Most of my books are on the PC cataloged in a sw package called Calibre (free). I can upload books from it and it can read what books are on the Kindle. The good thing about Calibre, I can rename any book and categorize them.

The reason I mention the rename function = I've been reading a series, like Connellys Henry Bosch books. I want to read them in order. I guess I can read one then delete it but why.

My wife bought me a paperwhite for my birthday. It's a neat device, and I downloaded a few books, but I really can't get into reading on it for extended periods of time. It feels sort of like watching a movie one frame at a time versus at speed. I find when I read I am constantly flipping back pages to check something or other, and that is really laborious on Kindle, and I have a hard time reading with momentum - yeah, hard to explain. BUT - I do take it on trips and enjoy having some books on tap without taking up much space, which, for that, it is very useful. It does have an ad when you open it, but once you are into a book, it does not flash ads, so there is no distraction. I have not charged mine since late Jan, and it's still got plenty of battery - keep the wifi off, and backlight as low as possible and it will last a very long time.

I have had a Kindle Paperwhite for three years now, and it's great for trips and, more importantly, when I must wait an hour past the time of my appointment to see one of my doctors .

I get most of my books from bookbub.com. After determining the genre I prefer, they send me a daily email listing six discounted books.

The books I choose are delivered instantly to my Kindle at prices ranging from $0.00 to 1.99 and billed to my credit card by Amazon.

Bill Quimby

I have a friend that had a severe stroke a few years ago. We were friends from several of our book clubs.After her strike she could not retain the written word by the time she got to the bottom of the page (hell for a bibliophile) but her husband bought her a kindle + now that works for her;don't ask me how,it just does.

If it's a backlit model, I'll guess that the blue LEDs they use somehow stimulate her brain in a way that yellow light does not. Iphones have a "night mode" that changes the display from the bright bluish tone to yellow to help people get to sleep better after staring at their phones in bed. Reverse inference is that blue light keeps your brain awake longer. But I'm no doctor.

I have last years model Kindle Fire. Love it! Never thought I'd give up hard copy but.....

I have a Kindle Paperwhite and love it. As a hardcore bibliophile I was very reluctant to embrace the E-book concept but after trying it out I must say I shouldn't have waited so long. I picked up a leather book style cover for mine so that it actually feels like a book. Storage on the device is large so that you can load quite a few books. The battery life is substantial - I go weeks between charges. The font size is adjustable so you can customize it to suit your eyes. The size of the device is small enough that you can take it with you anywhere without much bother. The paperwhite version is great for any lighting condition and very easy on the eyes. I don't think you will be disappointed if you buy one.

I have many friends who love reading, especially old books that one can get free or very cheap on the Kindle.

I have set up an account, and we all share any books any of us buys.

It really is like having your very own library.

The new Kindle Oasis lasts for a very long time, and I also have the Kindle app on my ipad.

One is never far from reading an enjoyable book now.

Thanks Saeed.
How do I go about accessing the free books you mention and how do I search for hunting books specifically?
Can I use the iBook facility on my iPad to read these ?

Saeed, I have something that you or your friends might be interested in. I have a complete (17 volume) set of Richard Burton's translation of the Arabian Nights.My set is #xx of only 1000 printed in the late 1800s. In perfect condition w/oilskin over all the illustrations.I found this set at an antique store several years ago.I looked online to try to establish value + all I could find were broken/not complete sets + they started at $1250.00.No complete sets were listed.P.M. me if you or yours are interested in talking about it. Thanks.

I'm on my second Kindle. It is a paper white. I read 2-3 hours a day. Book books are uncomfortable now. I don't search out cheap. I read authors, subjects, and so forth. It is very inexpensive entertainment.

Had the Kindle, went to just having it on my phone. Great for impromptu waiting in line. I've got Nyshens, Nuemann, Cedergren, Dyer. That being said, still favor books. Pics and images are far better. And the smell of books, new and old, is priceless. Digital has its place, but not on a book shelf.

Kindle; the best thing I have ever bought! It’s light and has back-light. I read more books than ever since I have a Kindle. It’s also great for traveling.
Here are a few good titles available on Kindle:
- Augusts in Africa: Safaris into the Twilight: Forty Years of Essays and Stories
- Petersen's Hunting Guide to Africa: A Comprehensive Guide to Hunting Popular African Game (out mid 2018)
- The Africa House: The True Story of an English Gentleman and His African Dream
- Boddington on Buffalo

They are just a few.
It would be great if eventually more new hunting books are available on Kindle

quote:

Originally posted by tomahawker:
Had the Kindle, went to just having it on my phone. Great for impromptu waiting in line. I've got Nyshens, Nuemann, Cedergren, Dyer. That being said, still favor books. Pics and images are far better. And the smell of books, new and old, is priceless. Digital has its place, but not on a book shelf.

Problem that I have with that is my phone is preflip phone. It is a phone and has a 1/2" screen.

I have a Kindle Lite,Nook White, and a Kindle Fire,,kinda handy as I usually have a couple books going at the same time. I do most of my reading in the early am hours,they are perfect for that.

I have a kindle - dunno which model but its a couple of years old. I have a bunch of free hunting books downloaded , plus a heap of other modern books .
great for reading in the bath...... and on planes , although I do still prefer a real printed book

I have the Kindle app on my iPad Pro.
It's pretty good now, I rarely buy a book now unless it's in kindle format.......

And the best thing about them is that they are instantly downloadable.....no more freight charges!

I have the Kindle Fire. It was a surprise gift and I thought I'd hate it compared to "real" books. But I love it. I travel a lot and it's light, especially when you're almost done with one book and you sort of want to bring a second. Plus I can make the font bigger as my eyes change, it's backlit so I don't wake my wife reading, etc.

I also have the phone app. Awesome for hiking or when I have to wait somewhere and wasn't anticipating it ahead of time.