tech

13 More Reasons You'll Love an eReader/Kindle

Your eReader replaces are those heavy books you had to lug around

I've offered 12 reasons you'll love an eReader/Kindle, but below are 13 more which are bound to convince you if haven't yet made up your mind.

1. Book reviews & suggestions available from your device. No need to look them up separately. 

2. More comfortable to hold in your hand than a book.

3. You can loan eBooks out on many eReaders.

4. No lugging around heavy books. Store hundreds on your eReader. 

5. It's one click to add your book to Goodreads.

6. The Kindle & many other eReaders recognize how fast you are reading so at a glance you can understand how long it will take you to finish a chapter or the book. 

7. Depending upon the eReader, you can save special pages throughout the book, make notes & highlight passages...& export these as a simple file for book club. If you ever re-read a book, everything remains available.

8. Some eReaders have a glare-free screen & automatically adjust your screen brightness to your current light condition so your eReader can go from full sunlight to dusk to nighttime with the screen showing the correct brightness for your eyes automatically.

9. With a Kindle & many other eReaders, words you look up in the dictionary are automatically added to a Vocabulary Builder which you can review to reinforce retention. 

10. Your eReader will automatically save your place in the book.

11. Many eReaders also have apps which allow you to pick up where you left off on your eReader & snatch a few minutes of reading on your phone.

12. With some eReaders, you can lookup word definitions, characters, settings, footnotes & many translations without losing your place in the book. 

13. Less clutter around your home. No more books stuffed everywhere or boxes hidden away. Keep only a smattering of special books on your bookshelf & coffee table.

I went from an eBook hater to a huge proponent. Try out an eReader & I'm sure you'll become an instant convert too.

Final note: I cherish my current Kindle Voyager & I loved my previous Kindle Paperwhite. Don't be snookered into the expensive Kindle Oasis. The Paperwhite? Delightful. The Voyage? A bit nicer, but pricier.

9 Easy Ways to Win Free Books

I never believed I could win a free book. I thought it was mostly a scam till I won a lovely bundle of books after just entering 2 random contests. I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first because I received the notice on April Fool's Day, but I actually won!

Email noting I won 

Then, I spoke to a number of bookish friends who assured me this wasn't a fluke. They win great books all the time. Want to get in on the action? Here are 9 easy ways to find & enter book giveaways.

1. Search Book Riot's giveways or get their newsletter delivered to your inbox.

2. Sign up for publisher newsletters: Choose a few of the largest publishers in the world or the publishers/authors of your favorite books. 

3. Enter Goodreads giveaways.

4. Follow book groups on social media like BookAholic Cafe on Facebook.

5. Check out Bookstr's giveaway page.

6. Search for social media giveaway tags like #bookgiveaway on Twitter.

7. Use the compiled book contest page on Bookloons to find the perfect book giveaway.

8. Join Free Book Friday.

9. Enter one of the weekly giveaways on Authors Cross Promotion.

Good luck to you all! 

12 Solid Reasons You'll Love an eReader/Kindle

Kindle eReader

I adore the smell of books, but a gift of a Kindle one year turned me from an eBook hater to a huge proponent.

I believed eReaders would tire my eyes like a computer screen or iPad, but they offer a screen made for reading. With it's "E Ink" technology, the Kindle in particular reads like paper.

Today, I convinced someone to buy their first eReader. Here are the solid reasons I gave to join the eBook army & why you'll love an eReader/Kindle.

1. Access to a larger world of books at your fingertips. Electronically obtain books no longer in print or only available in print in a few countries. 

2. You'll spend far less money. eBooks cost less money & tons of free eBook sites exist from Kindle Unlimited to BookBub.

3. No need to charge your eReader daily as with your phone. Most only require a single charge to last weeks & you can extend the time by turning off the wireless.

4. You won't run of out reading material. No new books on hand? Download one immediately anywhere.  (All Kindles come with WiFi, but you can also purchase one with FREE 3G which works almost any place on Earth. I bought a book while on a tiny island halfway around the globe.)

5. eBooks embody environmentally friendliness. No paper=no tree cut down & nothing manufactured. 

6. Smaller or hard to read print won't bother you. Simply adjust the text size or the font.

7. An eReader can fit in your purse, briefcase, backpack or even your pocket.

8. You can read free samples of books before you buy.

9. Many eReaders are backlit making it easy to read in dim light or complete darkness.

10. If you accidentally attempt to purchase an Amazon book you've already bought, your Kindle will notify you beforehand.

11. You can still love your library & enjoy more convenience! Yep, libraries lend eBooks which you can borrow while at home or on vacation.

12. No library fines. Libraries automatically return eBooks by their due date. And if you haven't completed the book on time, don't connect your device to the Internet & the eBook won't be removed. Still no fine & more time to read.

I've never known anyone to switch over to a good eReader & regret it. And remember, it doesn't preclude you from reading a paper-based book, but you may end up falling in love with eBooks that you end up reading 99% of your books this way.

Final note: I cherish my current Kindle Voyager & I loved my previous Kindle Paperwhite. Don't be snookered into the expensive Kindle Oasis. The Paperwhite? Delightful. The Voyage? A bit nicer, but pricier.

(Here are 13 more reasons which are bound to convince you if haven't yet made up your mind to buy an eReader.)

A Reader's Best Friend—the Library Browser Extension

This is the most magical piece of technology for library lovers out there—a FREE browser extension that checks to see whether a book you are perusing online is available via your library as a hard copy, ebook, or audiobook called Library Extension. And it works for multiple libraries at one time in case you have borrowing privileges at more than one library!

You simply install the extension on your browser & select your library (or libraries) from a list. Anytime thereafter that you view a book on a major book site (e.g., Amazon, Goodreads, Audible, Barnes & Noble, etc.), the extension will show you whether your library has it in their collection, in what format, & whether it’s available (or there’s a waitlist)! With a touch of a button, you can then snag the book from your library.

Note: This extension includes libraries around the world, but if your library isn’t there, just send a message to Library Extension Support. I asked for an obscure library to be added & it was done quickly.

Check out the video I put together to show you how Library Extension works: