Best Way to Get Books?

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How do you typically obtain your books?

Purchase (Online)
32
33%
Purchase (In-Store)
24
24%
Rent (from library)
29
30%
Borrow
13
13%
 
Total votes: 98

ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
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Re: Best Way to Get Books?

Post by ianbuchanan »

RabidFox wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 15:48
ianbuchanan wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 15:34
RabidFox wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 14:44

I'm sorry, I think that you misunderstood me. What I said was that Kindle tends to be less expensive than print. Or at least, in my experience that has been true.

But, yes, Kindle PC is wonderful. I'm very glad that it exists.
Oh, I see, thanks for clearing that up. How long have you had your Kindle?
I bought my Kindle Fire in 2012, so well over five years. However, I have not used it much. But I do use Amazon all the time, and they always have the Kindle version of the book listed alongside the physical version. So I'm used to seeing both prices.
I see, why haven't you used your Fire much? Do you have any issues with it?
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

thaservices1 wrote: 02 Jun 2018, 10:01 My favorite buying spots are thrift, second-hand stores and yardsales. Huge variety with small costs. A lot of coffee shops have nice book swaps. If I was after a new release and wanted to cut my spending, I would try eBay and Amazon, there's bound to be someone selling off their copy at a discount.
Very cool that you try all of those methods! Thanks for sharing! Do you ever visit your local library (assuming you have one)? Just curious, as I've found mine to be just the perfect resource to feed my reading habit.
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thaservices1
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Post by thaservices1 »

ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:54
thaservices1 wrote: 02 Jun 2018, 10:01 My favorite buying spots are thrift, second-hand stores and yardsales. Huge variety with small costs. A lot of coffee shops have nice book swaps. If I was after a new release and wanted to cut my spending, I would try eBay and Amazon, there's bound to be someone selling off their copy at a discount.
Very cool that you try all of those methods! Thanks for sharing! Do you ever visit your local library (assuming you have one)? Just curious, as I've found mine to be just the perfect resource to feed my reading habit.
Yes I do and anytime I'm traveling I stop at libraries too. There are often free racks of old books to browse through and libraries often have sales as well. My favorite was a library sale of a paper grocery bag full of your choice of books for $1
"It is not the critic that counts..."
- Roosevelt
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RabidFox
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Post by RabidFox »

ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:52
RabidFox wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 15:48
ianbuchanan wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 15:34

Oh, I see, thanks for clearing that up. How long have you had your Kindle?
I bought my Kindle Fire in 2012, so well over five years. However, I have not used it much. But I do use Amazon all the time, and they always have the Kindle version of the book listed alongside the physical version. So I'm used to seeing both prices.
I see, why haven't you used your Fire much? Do you have any issues with it?
I am not a big fan of the Kindle. It's okay, but... one thing I don't like about it is that there is no page count. There is no way to jump to a certain page in the book, except by using the Table of Contents. I can't simply enter in a page number and the device jump to that page. Instead, there is a really strange system of keeping locations, and the numbers used are very big ones. Without knowing what page I am on, I feel like the book drags on forever, because I am used to understanding where I am, an actual book making this completely obvious.

Another problem I have with it is that it is difficult for me to control it. Other people may find this very easy, but I feel like a computer is the only way to go if you want to digitally organize something. All I know how to do is scroll through a tiresomely long line of different books. I don't know how to put them in categories, and I don't know how to search for specific books.

I got out my Kindle just now so that I could better answer your questions, and found out something awful. This is now a new problem for me with my Kindle. All of my new Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm comics show up, but I can not actually read any of them. It gave me an error message that asked me if I wanted to purchase the comic books again. I got on Amazon, tried to deliver my comics to my Kindle—Thinking that was all I needed to do—and Amazon told me that my comic books can not be delivered to my Kindle. I can only read them on my PC. I have no idea why.

Yeah, I think that just completely killed it for me. I already wasn't fond of my Kindle.
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thaservices1
Posts: 630
Joined: 21 Apr 2018, 22:22
Favorite Book: Nightlord: Sunset
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Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thaservices1.html
Latest Review: ChatGPT for Entrepreneurs by Steven A. Ridder

Post by thaservices1 »

I've been using my Fire tablet for the first time for doing these book reviews and I am not a huge fan either. I like that I don't have to have a light on to read but after a few days of reading I starting getting a headache. I've adjusted the brightness so it doesn't happen as quick but it still gets to me after awhile. I know that some of the books I've gotten from here have different format options and some are not compatible with Amazon devices. I've had 2 so far that I had to read on the PC, which for me was worse. And some of the PDF formats I've gotten have had TINY text and it's a pain to zoom in each and every page. I wish there was an option to change text size like on the Calibre reader on PC.
"It is not the critic that counts..."
- Roosevelt
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RabidFox
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Post by RabidFox »

thaservices1 wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:27 I've been using my Fire tablet for the first time for doing these book reviews and I am not a huge fan either. I like that I don't have to have a light on to read but after a few days of reading I starting getting a headache. I've adjusted the brightness so it doesn't happen as quick but it still gets to me after awhile. I know that some of the books I've gotten from here have different format options and some are not compatible with Amazon devices. I've had 2 so far that I had to read on the PC, which for me was worse. And some of the PDF formats I've gotten have had TINY text and it's a pain to zoom in each and every page. I wish there was an option to change text size like on the Calibre reader on PC.
There's a way to change the font size on both the Kindle Fire and Kindle for PC. Unless you're talking about PDF files. From my experience, I can only use zoom with PDF.
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thaservices1
Posts: 630
Joined: 21 Apr 2018, 22:22
Favorite Book: Nightlord: Sunset
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 89
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thaservices1.html
Latest Review: ChatGPT for Entrepreneurs by Steven A. Ridder

Post by thaservices1 »

RabidFox wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:36
thaservices1 wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:27 I've been using my Fire tablet for the first time for doing these book reviews and I am not a huge fan either. I like that I don't have to have a light on to read but after a few days of reading I starting getting a headache. I've adjusted the brightness so it doesn't happen as quick but it still gets to me after awhile. I know that some of the books I've gotten from here have different format options and some are not compatible with Amazon devices. I've had 2 so far that I had to read on the PC, which for me was worse. And some of the PDF formats I've gotten have had TINY text and it's a pain to zoom in each and every page. I wish there was an option to change text size like on the Calibre reader on PC.
There's a way to change the font size on both the Kindle Fire and Kindle for PC. Unless you're talking about PDF files. From my experience, I can only use zoom with PDF.
Yes its the PDF ones that I have trouble with. The other formats seem to always have a comfortable text size.
"It is not the critic that counts..."
- Roosevelt
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

thaservices1 wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:05
ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:54
thaservices1 wrote: 02 Jun 2018, 10:01 My favorite buying spots are thrift, second-hand stores and yardsales. Huge variety with small costs. A lot of coffee shops have nice book swaps. If I was after a new release and wanted to cut my spending, I would try eBay and Amazon, there's bound to be someone selling off their copy at a discount.
Very cool that you try all of those methods! Thanks for sharing! Do you ever visit your local library (assuming you have one)? Just curious, as I've found mine to be just the perfect resource to feed my reading habit.
Yes I do and anytime I'm traveling I stop at libraries too. There are often free racks of old books to browse through and libraries often have sales as well. My favorite was a library sale of a paper grocery bag full of your choice of books for $1
Yeah, definitely have heard of those types of sales! Do you find some good stuff at them or mostly old, disregarded books?
User avatar
thaservices1
Posts: 630
Joined: 21 Apr 2018, 22:22
Favorite Book: Nightlord: Sunset
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 89
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thaservices1.html
Latest Review: ChatGPT for Entrepreneurs by Steven A. Ridder

Post by thaservices1 »

I still have the Webster's Dictionary I got from that sale and I chopped up a grade school science book I got too for pictures to use in my collages. That was five-six years ago so the rest have been read and passed along long ago :)
"It is not the critic that counts..."
- Roosevelt
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

RabidFox wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:18
ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:52
RabidFox wrote: 01 Jun 2018, 15:48

I bought my Kindle Fire in 2012, so well over five years. However, I have not used it much. But I do use Amazon all the time, and they always have the Kindle version of the book listed alongside the physical version. So I'm used to seeing both prices.
I see, why haven't you used your Fire much? Do you have any issues with it?
I am not a big fan of the Kindle. It's okay, but... one thing I don't like about it is that there is no page count. There is no way to jump to a certain page in the book, except by using the Table of Contents. I can't simply enter in a page number and the device jump to that page. Instead, there is a really strange system of keeping locations, and the numbers used are very big ones. Without knowing what page I am on, I feel like the book drags on forever, because I am used to understanding where I am, an actual book making this completely obvious.

Another problem I have with it is that it is difficult for me to control it. Other people may find this very easy, but I feel like a computer is the only way to go if you want to digitally organize something. All I know how to do is scroll through a tiresomely long line of different books. I don't know how to put them in categories, and I don't know how to search for specific books.

I got out my Kindle just now so that I could better answer your questions, and found out something awful. This is now a new problem for me with my Kindle. All of my new Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm comics show up, but I can not actually read any of them. It gave me an error message that asked me if I wanted to purchase the comic books again. I got on Amazon, tried to deliver my comics to my Kindle—Thinking that was all I needed to do—and Amazon told me that my comic books can not be delivered to my Kindle. I can only read them on my PC. I have no idea why.

Yeah, I think that just completely killed it for me. I already wasn't fond of my Kindle.
I appreciate your thoroughness and explanations. Definitely mentioned some issues I could have envisioned, and others I would not have, so thank you. I've always been a hard copy book reader and I, for fears such these issues you've mentioned, have stayed away from e-readers. Plus, I just love the feel of a hard copy book.

did you enjoy anything about the Kindle, or was it all essentially negatives?
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

thaservices1 wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:26 I still have the Webster's Dictionary I got from that sale and I chopped up a grade school science book I got too for pictures to use in my collages. That was five-six years ago so the rest have been read and passed along long ago :)
Very cool! Yeah, I'm sure you can find some cool stuff!
User avatar
thaservices1
Posts: 630
Joined: 21 Apr 2018, 22:22
Favorite Book: Nightlord: Sunset
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 89
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-thaservices1.html
Latest Review: ChatGPT for Entrepreneurs by Steven A. Ridder

Post by thaservices1 »

ianbuchanan wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:21
thaservices1 wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:05
ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:54

Very cool that you try all of those methods! Thanks for sharing! Do you ever visit your local library (assuming you have one)? Just curious, as I've found mine to be just the perfect resource to feed my reading habit.
Yes I do and anytime I'm traveling I stop at libraries too. There are often free racks of old books to browse through and libraries often have sales as well. My favorite was a library sale of a paper grocery bag full of your choice of books for $1
Yeah, definitely have heard of those types of sales! Do you find some good stuff at them or mostly old, disregarded books?
Two of them I remember particularly were 1930's originals The Turning Wheels and All This and Heaven Too. Both were pretty incredible insights into how much of history I really don't know. Both really great reads. They were both worth in the $2-5 range so if I had been going for value that would have been pretty good profit ;)
"It is not the critic that counts..."
- Roosevelt
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RabidFox
Posts: 40
Joined: 26 May 2018, 15:35
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 10

Post by RabidFox »

ianbuchanan wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:28
RabidFox wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:18
ianbuchanan wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 16:52

I see, why haven't you used your Fire much? Do you have any issues with it?
I am not a big fan of the Kindle. It's okay, but... one thing I don't like about it is that there is no page count. There is no way to jump to a certain page in the book, except by using the Table of Contents. I can't simply enter in a page number and the device jump to that page. Instead, there is a really strange system of keeping locations, and the numbers used are very big ones. Without knowing what page I am on, I feel like the book drags on forever, because I am used to understanding where I am, an actual book making this completely obvious.

Another problem I have with it is that it is difficult for me to control it. Other people may find this very easy, but I feel like a computer is the only way to go if you want to digitally organize something. All I know how to do is scroll through a tiresomely long line of different books. I don't know how to put them in categories, and I don't know how to search for specific books.

I got out my Kindle just now so that I could better answer your questions, and found out something awful. This is now a new problem for me with my Kindle. All of my new Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm comics show up, but I can not actually read any of them. It gave me an error message that asked me if I wanted to purchase the comic books again. I got on Amazon, tried to deliver my comics to my Kindle—Thinking that was all I needed to do—and Amazon told me that my comic books can not be delivered to my Kindle. I can only read them on my PC. I have no idea why.

Yeah, I think that just completely killed it for me. I already wasn't fond of my Kindle.
I appreciate your thoroughness and explanations. Definitely mentioned some issues I could have envisioned, and others I would not have, so thank you. I've always been a hard copy book reader and I, for fears such these issues you've mentioned, have stayed away from e-readers. Plus, I just love the feel of a hard copy book.

did you enjoy anything about the Kindle, or was it all essentially negatives?
One of the things that I like best about the Kindle Fire is its option for enlarging text. Then you can customize it even more, and change the colour of the font and the background. I always use sepia with my Kindle. There's the fact that it's thin, making it easy to store and very portable, and it can be recharged using a plug, so no bothersome batteries. Lastly, the screen lights up, so you can read without worrying about clarity and shadows.

It's a neat idea, but, in my opinion, it needs work. Even the Fire 7, just from the screen shots, looks supremely confusing.

But I prefer actual books anyway, so I don't really have any use for an e-reader. If I really want to read something that is digital, then I would much rather use my computer.
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

RabidFox wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 22:08
ianbuchanan wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:28
RabidFox wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:18

I am not a big fan of the Kindle. It's okay, but... one thing I don't like about it is that there is no page count. There is no way to jump to a certain page in the book, except by using the Table of Contents. I can't simply enter in a page number and the device jump to that page. Instead, there is a really strange system of keeping locations, and the numbers used are very big ones. Without knowing what page I am on, I feel like the book drags on forever, because I am used to understanding where I am, an actual book making this completely obvious.

Another problem I have with it is that it is difficult for me to control it. Other people may find this very easy, but I feel like a computer is the only way to go if you want to digitally organize something. All I know how to do is scroll through a tiresomely long line of different books. I don't know how to put them in categories, and I don't know how to search for specific books.

I got out my Kindle just now so that I could better answer your questions, and found out something awful. This is now a new problem for me with my Kindle. All of my new Planet of the Apes: Cataclysm comics show up, but I can not actually read any of them. It gave me an error message that asked me if I wanted to purchase the comic books again. I got on Amazon, tried to deliver my comics to my Kindle—Thinking that was all I needed to do—and Amazon told me that my comic books can not be delivered to my Kindle. I can only read them on my PC. I have no idea why.

Yeah, I think that just completely killed it for me. I already wasn't fond of my Kindle.
I appreciate your thoroughness and explanations. Definitely mentioned some issues I could have envisioned, and others I would not have, so thank you. I've always been a hard copy book reader and I, for fears such these issues you've mentioned, have stayed away from e-readers. Plus, I just love the feel of a hard copy book.

did you enjoy anything about the Kindle, or was it all essentially negatives?
One of the things that I like best about the Kindle Fire is its option for enlarging text. Then you can customize it even more, and change the colour of the font and the background. I always use sepia with my Kindle. There's the fact that it's thin, making it easy to store and very portable, and it can be recharged using a plug, so no bothersome batteries. Lastly, the screen lights up, so you can read without worrying about clarity and shadows.

It's a neat idea, but, in my opinion, it needs work. Even the Fire 7, just from the screen shots, looks supremely confusing.

But I prefer actual books anyway, so I don't really have any use for an e-reader. If I really want to read something that is digital, then I would much rather use my computer.
I see, so it sounds like you like the physical aspects of the Kindle (portability, size, etc.) and a few of its features. Your problems seem to lie with its usability. I can definitely understand that and envision both the pros and cons. I think today's e-readers are all melding into modern-day tablets, which increase their functionality, but also the possibility of causing great confusion. Simplicity is something that they should, in my opinion, place great importance on. Keep it to just reading and picking out books, nothing more is really desired it seems like from those purchasing e-readers.
ianbuchanan
Posts: 421
Joined: 01 Mar 2018, 19:48
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by ianbuchanan »

thaservices1 wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:30
ianbuchanan wrote: 06 Jun 2018, 17:21
thaservices1 wrote: 04 Jun 2018, 17:05

Yes I do and anytime I'm traveling I stop at libraries too. There are often free racks of old books to browse through and libraries often have sales as well. My favorite was a library sale of a paper grocery bag full of your choice of books for $1
Yeah, definitely have heard of those types of sales! Do you find some good stuff at them or mostly old, disregarded books?
Two of them I remember particularly were 1930's originals The Turning Wheels and All This and Heaven Too. Both were pretty incredible insights into how much of history I really don't know. Both really great reads. They were both worth in the $2-5 range so if I had been going for value that would have been pretty good profit ;)
Very cool! Just curious, what were those two books about? What's your go-to way to get books?
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