Recently Completed Books On The Kindle

[1369]

The Last Stand of Fox Company: A True Story of U.S. Marines in Combat (http://www.amazon.com/Last-Stand-Fox-Company-Marines/dp/0802144519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265731565&sr=8-1)

The true story of 246 Marines and Corpsmen tasked with holding a vital pass along the MSR during the 1st Marine Division "breakout" of the Chosin.

It is unfair to compare their story to the legendary "300" at the battle of Thermopayle.

They were better.

Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu (http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Stoned-Savages-Through-Islands/dp/0767921992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266247130&sr=1-1)

An account of a man and his wife who decide to chuck it all and move to the islands. Good quick read and the author has a great sense of humor.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (http://www.amazon.com/Do-Androids-Dream-Electric-Sheep/dp/B000EWDJ3O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266247247&sr=1-2)

The novel that inspired the movie "Blade Runner". I wish I had read this before ever seeing the movie. Kind of anti-climatic for me.

Up on deck, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (http://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Impact-Highly-Improbable/dp/1400063515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266247350&sr=1-1).

[I. Hustle]

How badass is that kindle? Are the books cheaper since they don't have to be printed?

[1369]

When I first got it, I didn't think I'd like it but it has grown on me. Most of the books available are priced about the same as a paperback. I've also downloaded a bunch of the "classics" (The Man Who Would Be King, Princess Of Mars, A Tramp Abroad, etc) that you can get for free.

[I. Hustle]

That is awesome dude. I want one bad so that I don't have random books lying around in my car, desk, home, etc. That way I can just download them the the day they come out instead of looking all over the place for them.

[mrsmaalox]

My dad is really, really loving his. My sister in law has one and I believe she said she's got all her grad school text books on it; I think that's pretty cool. I am seriously considering getting one for my daughter to put an end to the piles of books around the house---I've never been a fan of cases of already read books in the house. I only keep one book in progress, and one on deck ready to go; when finished I pass them on to someone else.

[I. Hustle]

My dad is really, really loving his. My sister in law has one and I believe she said she's got all her grad school text books on it; I think that's pretty cool. I am seriously considering getting one for my daughter to put an end to the piles of books around the house---I've never been a fan of cases of already read books in the house. I only keep one book in progress, and one on deck ready to go; when finished I pass them on to someone else.

Hey since you are a richer and love buying those things go ahead and get me one too. Or just give me your daughters because she is already tired of it.

[Spurminator]

If I'm going to spend the time reading a book I want to put it on a shelf for the world to see and congratulate me.

[CuckingFunt]

If I'm going to spend the time reading a book I want to put it on a shelf for the world to see and congratulate me.

Same here.

Especially now that I can be double congratulated -- once for just reading the book, and once for rejecting cold, impersonal techno-gadgets.

[v2freak]

I got one for college. It's good for your literature classes, religion classes, cultural classes etc, but not for much else. It's certainly no good for science classes or art classes where diagrams and pictures are of monumental importance.

The last book I completed on my Kindle was Oryx and Crake (2003) by Margaret Atwood.

[Kori Ellis]

We bought one for timvp's dad for Christmas, and he seems to like it a lot. Personally, I love having lots of books around the house -- so I'm sticking with actual books for now.

[Dex]

But I can't put a Kindle on my bookshelf like a trophy once I'm done with it.

[leemajors]

If I'm going to spend the time reading a book I want to put it on a shelf for the world to see and congratulate me.

I just check them out from the library :depressed

[1369]

The last book I completed on my Kindle was Oryx and Crake (2003) by Margaret Atwood.

If you liked Oryx, then give "The Year Of The Flood" a run. It parallels the story.

[mrsmaalox]

:lol I've never walked into someone's house and thought "Ooooh look at all those books!! Man what a brainiac" I always think "Damn, I wonder whose job it is to dust those things?!?"

[1369]

We bought one for timvp's dad for Christmas, and he seems to like it a lot. Personally, I love having lots of books around the house -- so I'm sticking with actual books for now.

I'm the same way with having books around. The Kindle was a gift, and I've found it has grown on me. The only thing I don't like is if read a really good book I want to share, I don't know of a way, short of loaning the whole shebang, to get around that.

[Spurminator]

I just check them out from the library :depressed

I used to do that when there was a library closer to us... Although there were times when I liked a book so much that I went out and bought it, even though I probably won't ever read it again.

[ShoogarBear]

I bought one of the original Kindle's about one month before the new one came out. But I'm not bitter.

I love it, because it saves me lugging a bunch of books around, and the dictionary feature is awesome. The new DX would be perfect for me because it can handle native pdf papers, but I haven't gotten one because they still don't allow you to sort titles into folders.

I've been getting a bunch of the cheap/free classics: reread The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Count of Monte Cristo. Also, finished the last Spenser mystery about a week before Robert B. Parker died.

Next up: Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

[ShoogarBear]

once for rejecting cold, impersonal techno-gadgets.

Wow, that's a big step forward for you. :p:

[ShoogarBear]

Deleted double post.

[Slomo]

If I'm going to spend the time reading a book I want to put it on a shelf for the world to see and congratulate me.


Same here.

Especially now that I can be double congratulated -- once for just reading the book, and once for rejecting cold, impersonal techno-gadgets.


We bought one for timvp's dad for Christmas, and he seems to like it a lot. Personally, I love having lots of books around the house -- so I'm sticking with actual books for now.

This is all very nice in theory. Frankly I ran out of space for books in my house years ago (and I still can't get out of a bookstore empty handed).

My first e-reader was the prototype of the SONY 500 e-reader 4 (5?) years ago. I absolutely love it and since I go in average through 1 book per week - usually while traveling, it is THE solution for me. There's a perverse luxury of having a small library available to you all the time. I currently own my 4th reader (destroyed and/or lost the previous 3).

There's software online (I like Calibre) that allows me to create e-books from pdfs and similar, so I actually use my e-reader for books and for professional literature.

I'm going to buy a kindle sometime in the next year since amazon has started offering it in Europe and while it has a reduced catalog compared to the US it's still the largest one available here.

I never could read for longer periods from an electronic screen. My eyes would hurt and a headache would follow shortly. I have no problem with the "electronic ink" screens used in e-readers and I can honestly say that it doesn't really feel any different from paper.

[ShoogarBear]

My sister and brother-in-law got the Kindle app for the iPhone and it is AMAZING. I was skeptical at first because of the small screen size, but if I had an iPhone (and if it did true multitasking), I would probably use that exclusively.

[ShoogarBear]

There's software online (I like Calibre) that allows me to create e-books from pdfs and similar, so I actually use my e-reader for books and for professional literature.

If you get the Kindle DX, it reads native pdf so you won't need the conversion. Like I said, the problem is organizing mass quantities of papers without the ability to use folders.


I'm going to buy a kindle sometime in the next year since amazon has started offering it in Europe and while it has a reduced catalog compared to the US it's still the largest one available here.


The Whispernet is cool, if a little buggy at times. But what are you going to do with your eReader inventory then?

[Slomo]

If you get the Kindle DX, it reads native pdf so you won't need the conversion. Like I said, the problem is organizing mass quantities of papers without the ability to use folders.

In theory the SONY e-readers always had the ability to display pdfs. In reality most pdf manuals were unusable. The latest versions are better at it, but with Calibre you can actually reformat a few things and adapt it to the reader.

I absolutely agree on the folders though. All of the above is useless without some sort of filling system (the Sony has so called collections) and I use "my" books on a memory stick and the "real" books on a CF. Not ideal but it works.


The Whispernet is cool, if a little buggy at times. But what are you going to do with your eReader inventory then?

Very good question to which I don't have an answer yet. Since my first reader I was always able to transfer my inventory from one model to the other (sometimes using not completely kosher methods), but for the kindle I don't know yet what to do.
For now I've decided to delay the purchase as long as possible and hope that a (better) solution becomes available.

[Bender]

That is awesome dude. I want one bad so that I don't have random books lying around in my car, desk, home, etc. That way I can just download them the the day they come out instead of looking all over the place for them.
so we're supposed to believe you read books?

[I. Hustle]

so we're supposed to believe you read books?

lol believe it or not.Just finishing up a Koontz book.

Also I would have gone with:

So we're supposed to believe you can read?

[Bender]

So we're supposed to believe you can read?
:lol yeah, that would have been good too.

Except you seem like a smart guy, just not the literary type...

[The Reckoning]

i think my uncle (not blood related) was in Frozen Chosin. he said they had to shave three times a day or the razor would rip the flesh off the chin because of the cold. he still has the leather satchel of a chinese artillery commander that he shot.

[exstatic]

Same here.

Especially now that I can be double congratulated -- once for just reading the book, and once for rejecting cold, impersonal techno-gadgets.


Wow, that's a big step forward for you. :p:

Oh, fucking SNAP. :lol

[CuckingFunt]

Joking aside, I'm curious about the Kindle and know people who love them, but can't help thinking I would miss the ability to mark things. I can't think of a single book of mine that doesn't have at least a couple of notes written in it, and most of them are highlighted and flagged within an inch of their lives and have notes scribbled in every available bit of margin.

[1369]

You can do that with the Kindle. Bookmark, highlight, annotate and it even has a function to highlight a word to get a definition.

[leemajors]

Joking aside, I'm curious about the Kindle and know people who love them, but can't help thinking I would miss the ability to mark things. I can't think of a single book of mine that doesn't have at least a couple of notes written in it, and most of them are highlighted and flagged within an inch of their lives and have notes scribbled in every available bit of margin.

Ugh. I don't write in my books, or deface them. I leave my paperbacks sitting down on the short side to reduce wear on the spine. I don't really lend my books out much because people don't treat them the same way. :lol

[CuckingFunt]

Ugh. I don't write in my books, or deface them. I leave my paperbacks sitting down on the short side to reduce wear on the spine. I don't really lend my books out much because people don't treat them the same way. :lol

I write in my books. Specifically and exclusively. If someone else dared scribble a note in one of my books, or disturb one of my notes for that matter, I would be most annoyed.

Other than the writing and highlighting, I'm very OCD with my books, though. Most people think I have a bookcase filled with untouched and unread books until they pull them from the shelf and see all the little tags sticking out -- there's not a cracked spine or dogeared corner in the collection.

[I. Hustle]

:lol yeah, that would have been good too.

Except you seem like a smart guy, just not the literary type...

The internet is a getaway. I have always loved to read. I take at the very least an hour and a half out of every day to dedicate to a book. If I, by some miracle, have more time than that I like to just relax and read. It's also my favorite way to fall asleep.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1396/securedownloadmid157073.jpg

:wakeup

[Duff McCartney]

A Fine Balance. That's a book I recently loaned to my cousin. Fabulous book. I recommend it to everyone.

[mrsmaalox]

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/1396/securedownloadmid157073.jpg

:wakeup

I got this app and I think it works great. I was at a basketball tournament this weekend and I found myself sneaking a peek between games, half time and even time-outs. The print looks like the Kindle and was quite comfortable. I think I may use this more than I thought. :)

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I got this app and I think it works great. I was at a basketball tournament this weekend and I found myself sneaking a peek between games, half time and even time-outs. The print looks like the Kindle and was quite comfortable. I think I may use this more than I thought. :)

You're welcome. :D

[Viva Las Espuelas]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_70030_14613540_fe_img_1/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311

man. Sucks to have bought an actual kindle. :lol

[Slomo]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_70030_14613540_fe_img_1/?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311

man. Sucks to have bought an actual kindle. :lol

I still can't read longer text (an hour or more) off a computer screen, while I see no difference between reading a book or an e-reader like the kindle.

Back on topic:
Just finished Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Ejoyed it much more than I thought I would.

[Bender]

bumpity bump

any more improvements to the kindle since this thread was alive?

How durable is it, like if it's dropped, or gets wet?

I'm a cheapskate so I'd be interested in the public domain free stuff... Can you go to places besides thru kindle where you can d/l and convert public domain books and then load them on your kindle?


Back on topic:
Just finished Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. Ejoyed it much more than I thought I would.
great, great book. Later I think Follett wrote a continuation of the story. Cant remember the title.

[DarkReign]

Never heard of a "Kindle", until now.

[Slomo]

As I don't use the kindle but the SONY e-reader I can't help you with your questions. I am however looking into buying a kindle simply for the fact that is has the best catalogue of books over here.


...

great, great book. Later I think Follett wrote a continuation of the story. Cant remember the title.

Yes, it's "World Without End" - Also very good and enjoyable although not quite as good as "Pillars of the Earth".

I'm currently on book three of the Stieg Larsson trilogy - very good story telling with an unexpected main character.

[Bender]

I would want to use it to read some old public domain stuff, for example... pulp fiction from the 30s - 50s.

Munseys.com has lots of that stuff. You can d/l in various formats. I assume the kindle has a usb connection to transfer the content from PC.

I'm disappointed that books I read as a kid, such as by Jim Kjelgaard, are not available on the Kindle or on the public domain places I've been on.

[slacker77]

My wifes bday is coming up and she is wanting one of these.I stopped by barnes and noble yesterday and they have their version "the nook".I guess the question I have is,which of the two is better?I don't really know to much about e-books.

[CubanMustGo]

Ya know, I like the Kindle, but I don't like the fact that they charge you basically the same amount as the dead tree edition.

[BlairForceDejuan]

The Kindle just dropped in price a couple weeks ago. Amazon stock is killing right now. It's jumped almost $15 per share in the last two weeks.

Support Amazon. They are one of the few online shopping sites left fighting Use Tax :lol

[koriwhat]

for some reason my eyes don't hurt reading from my ipad until around the 2nd or 3rd hour of reading, if i decide to read that long. i usually read from my computer screen but my eyes start hurting a lot faster than reading from my ipad, probably the bigger screen of the computer.

anyhow, i fuckin' love my ipad for reading but if you're going to read strictly epub books and that's your main point in buying an e-reader, i would definitely go with the kindle or similar. no need to spend extra money on an ipad when you just wanna read a couple books.

[Slomo]

for some reason my eyes don't hurt reading from my ipad until around the 2nd or 3rd hour of reading, if i decide to read that long. i usually read from my computer screen but my eyes start hurting a lot faster than reading from my ipad, probably the bigger screen of the computer.

anyhow, i fuckin' love my ipad for reading but if you're going to read strictly epub books and that's your main point in buying an e-reader, i would definitely go with the kindle or similar. no need to spend extra money on an ipad when you just wanna read a couple books.

Have you tried reading books on e-paper screens. Do your eyes hurt at all?

Ipad's screen is of very high density and good quality, therefore you feel the effects of the screen later - at least that's my experience (so far the best screen for reading I've seen that isn't an e-paper). For me any type of long term reading from light emitting screens (back lit LCD, AMOLED...) just hurt my eyes. I can read as long as I want from the e-paper screens.

[Slomo]

Ya know, I like the Kindle, but I don't like the fact that they charge you basically the same amount as the dead tree edition.


Yep, I'm sure they could do a lot on the price front if they wanted. At the same time they have a winning product on their hands.

Demand vs. supply

[Spurminator]

Just finished Stephen King's Under the Dome. 3/5... Not a bad mindless read. It's too bad King still doesn't know how to resolve his novels after creating interesting premises. And he still writes one-dimensional villains.

This was the first King novel I've read since I read The Dead Zone in junior high or so, and I don't think I'll be reading any more of them (especially if they're 1,100 pages long).