Kindles, Etc.

Anyone who knows me at all should know that I am a major bookworm.  I have been my whole life.

There's a lot of "e-books" out there these days, but I still very much prefer a real actual book.

However, I have been swayed slightly.

First I must say that I have an app on my iPhone call "You Version".  It's a Bible app.  It's free.  I had downloaded it simply to have the Bible on my phone (for free) for anytime I needed/wanted to read my Bible when I might not have it with me.  When hubby got his iPhone I told him about the app & he downloaded it.  Of course he did more exploring than I had done.  I knew that they have TONS of translations of the Bible available, but I did not know that they had reading plans.  And, having never used a reading plan, I wouldn't have realized how valuable it can be even if I had noticed it myself.

Almost a year ago I started the one year Bible reading plan in the You Version app.  I will be finishing it up on February 5th.  I've been browsing the reading plans (there are literally TONS), knowing that I'll need a new one soon.  I have to say that I REALLY like following a reading plan.  It helps me stay on track, keeps me accountable, to read DAILY, which is what I ultimately want to be doing.  And it gives me structure, giving me a daily reading assignment.  I've tried reading & studying my Bible on my own & I always feel a bit lost I have to admit.  I really like the structure & accountability that a reading plan gives me.

Back when I first got my iPhone I was browsing free apps & I ended up downloading the Kindle app, which is free.  As I browsed for books I found there were actually some FREE books available.  They were mostly old books.  I got Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Phantom of the Opera, The Strange Case of Benjamin Button, Through the Looking Glass, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, The Velveteen Rabbit, & The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  I'm assuming there's no copyrights on these anymore, though I'm not sure if that's true or if that's why they're free.

I never really got around to reading ANY of them & later on my phone broke & when I replaced it I had to re-download all my apps & I didn't bother to download the Kindle app at all this time.

A few weeks ago someone posted on Facebook that there was a vegan cookbook about lentils for free (for one day only I believe) through Kindle.  I wanted that cookbook so I downloaded the Kindle app & to my surprise all those old books I had downloaded before were still there!

Someone asked the person who posted the free cookbook info how she had found out the book was free for the day.  She shared a link to an email list that emails you daily with the free books listed for each day.  I signed up for the list & enjoy browsing it each day & getting some more books.  They are a wide variety of topics.  I skip a lot of sections, but always take a look at "how to" type books, Christian books, cook books, & things of that sort.

Now I don't have as much time to read these days, since becoming a mommy.  But I sure do still love to read.    So far I've been reading an "actual hard copy book" during the day if I do have time to read.  (I'm currently working on "It Starts At Home" by Kurt Bruner & Steve Stroope & "The Warrior" by Francine Rivers.)  And then at night, before I go to bed, I'm reading a Kindle book.

And that leads me to one advantage that the Kindle DOES actually have.  (aside from the advantage of being able to get a FREE book, no one is handing out FREE hardcopy books unfortunately)  I LOVE to read before I fall asleep.  Since getting married I have not been able to do so however.  If I have a light on so that I can read I'm going to keep my hubby awake (& these days it will also keep the toddler awake).  But reading a book on my phone, with the Kindle app, doesn't require additional lighting, the phone lights up enough for me to be able to read, but not so much that it will disturb anyone else in the room.  This is a feature that I actually LOVE.

Now I don't have an actual Kindle, just a Kindle app through my iPhone (they also have an android app).  I'm sure there must be advantages to having an actual Kindle over doing it the way that I do, BUT I can say I'm quite sure I wouldn't want an actual Kindle.  It would just be one more device that I have to deal with, charging, keeping track of, etc.  Back when I first got a PDA, I had a PDA & a cell phone.  It was quite a hassle having to deal with two separate devices.  My next cell phone was a Palm Centro, with the PDA built right in.  And next was my iPhone (which I still have, I've had it for a while now) which isn't exactly the same as the Palm PDA, but it does the same stuff that I need/want.

Now, for anyone who knows my hubby, you know he struggles with reading.  I really believe it's because of his eyes (they don't work together, each eye is working separately--we found this out when I forced him to see an eye doctor after I had met him), but he does persevere with his Bible.  And he's become very accustomed to using the YouVersion app & reading plans that I mentioned previously.  But he recently wanted to get a book.  I looked it up on Amazon & showed it to him.  He didn't want to wait for it to ship though, he wanted to start reading as soon as possible.  I told him about the Kindle app.  He was hesitant.  He was concerned about losing the book if something were to happen to his phone (or his Samsung Galaxy tablet he also has).  I shared with him how when I recently downloaded the Kindle app once again all those books I had downloaded a long time ago were still in there.  It's pretty unlikely that he would lose the book.  I also shared with him that he could have it on BOTH his phone & his tablet--since they both have Kindle apps available.  At that point he was sold.  He got the Kindle app & then purchased the book.  He's been reading now, every single day, both his Bible & this other book.  He REALLY likes it in this format.  He always has it with him (unlike a regular book), he has it on both his tablet (which he prefers to read on, since it has a larger screen) as well as his phone, & he can still highlight, make notes, & easily look up words he doesn't know the meaning of.

I used to be VERY anti-Kindle (& all other e book formats) but I have to admit that I am coming around.  I still prefer an actual book, but there is a time & a place for a Kindle book in my opinion.  :)