eBooks Revisited....

[roamer_1]

I have gone adventuring... And since my convalescence pretty much continues, my wandering this time is as an exercise of the mind.

I have this old droid tablet that is good for about nothing - Since I got my Surface, any tabletry conducted in EDL is going to be on that. So this poor ol droid is pretty much retired. So it will serve as a ready made reader, I think. It's a nice size for books. Big enough to read - better than a phone for that - but smallish enough to bring with me to a doctor's waiting room and the like.

So I want to revisit electronic books - Not audible now/yet.... just books.

Since I have become fairly reliant upon Amazon, what with Prime and all, I went looking there this time... With a stab at Kindle, which seems to be the mac daddy in this genre. I went through the motions and wound up purchasing a two book set by Preston/Child - Relic and Reliquary, a story I am familiar with and am happy to read again...

As a side note, Preston/Child has cranked out some 20 books since I last visited, so I have much to look forward to...

But 15 bucks for two books... This is a pretty steep hobby.

Looking for input - How y'all are doing this... Likes, dislikes wrt ebooks and readers... Might could be talked into a Kindle device eventually... if there is no better format.

At this point the price is prohibitive... Rebuilding a library of a thousand books or so would cost a fortune. Maybe there s a better way.

As for now, the app works fine on droids - and sync between devices is flawless. Figured out how to work the font and background color to get a cream colored background instead of bright white - I already know reading is going to fry my eyes, even with better coloring...

But it's pretty handy so far... And thirty pages in or so has not diminished the batt at all.
So it's functional. And I can read it laying down, or on my side, and without cheaters... All very much better than the paper page...

[bigheadfred]

I have a Fire HD 8 with Kindle Unlimited. Our town library isn't much so the tablet is the way to go. I have stopped watching tv and just read.  I've read those two books you mentioned, but it was a long time ago.

[berdie]

I bought a Kindle about a year ago...and still haven't hooked it up, lol.

If I go some where that I know there is a wait time, I find myself picking up a magazine or whatever book I'm reading and take it with me.

I can see your point about being able to lay down and read more easily. But if I lay down to read...it's lights out after about 2 pages.

I have found that most of the newer  e-books that I would be interested in are as expensive a hardback. I have a pretty large library that I could re-read...and never run out.  So I think I may have wasted my money on the Kindle.

[roamer_1]

I have a Fire HD 8 with Kindle Unlimited. Our town library isn't much so the tablet is the way to go. I have stopped watching tv and just read.  I've read those two books you mentioned, but it was a long time ago.

I have literally hovered over the 'Buy Now' button for an Amazon Fire 8/11 tablet several times. I'm this close [gestures accordingly] to going that way.  But I have not been in the Az environment, not knowing how it all works (what apps are available, how it might talk to my network, how to access it and how to back it up... So I have remained in Android and Windows.

But, if this Kindle thing becomes real for me, that might just be a tipping point.

However, I fear that the 'Unlimited' shtick would leave me with nothing at the end - Understand that I intend to rebuild my library - If I do it under Amazon Unlimited, then the minute I quit paying them their 10 bucks a month, any library I have developed vanishes... And i don't like that. I want a nice stash of books when I am done.

But that may be unreasonable... Even dumb. I am old enough that taking my repose among my leather-bound editions (even figuratively) is of little real value... It ain't like I can read em all again, again... I don't have that kind of time... Or purpose, anymore. So maybe i should be content with the entertainment of it, and not so bent upon research - But my way would be to consolidate and preserve... to curate. That way is hard for me to step out of.
 
So I am too tentative. Probably I will throw the switch and join under Kindle... Ten bucks a month, I can eat that up pretty easy reading one or two books a month (which I could probably read way more than that). I understand that probably precludes actual ownership. I expect the Kindle Fire platform with be too straight and narrow for me (unless of course, I figure out how to hack it). And 'Poof! No Eyebrows' if I ever quit paying the cheese.

I guess that's alright... Unless another option comes along.

[bigheadfred]

I have literally hovered over the 'Buy Now' button for an Amazon Fire 8/11 tablet several times. I'm this close [gestures accordingly] to going that way.  But I have not been in the Az environment, not knowing how it all works (what apps are available, how it might talk to my network, how to access it and how to back it up... So I have remained in Android and Windows.

But, if this Kindle thing becomes real for me, that might just be a tipping point.

However, I fear that the 'Unlimited' shtick would leave me with nothing at the end - Understand that I intend to rebuild my library - If I do it under Amazon Unlimited, then the minute I quit paying them their 10 bucks a month, any library I have developed vanishes... And i don't like that. I want a nice stash of books when I am done.

But that may be unreasonable... Even dumb. I am old enough that taking my repose among my leather-bound editions (even figuratively) is of little real value... It ain't like I can read em all again, again... I don't have that kind of time... Or purpose, anymore. So maybe i should be content with the entertainment of it, and not so bent upon research - But my way would be to consolidate and preserve... to curate. That way is hard for me to step out of.
 
So I am too tentative. Probably I will throw the switch and join under Kindle... Ten bucks a month, I can eat that up pretty easy reading one or two books a month (which I could probably read way more than that). I understand that probably precludes actual ownership. I expect the Kindle Fire platform with be too straight and narrow for me (unless of course, I figure out how to hack it). And 'Poof! No Eyebrows' if I ever quit paying the cheese.

I guess that's alright... Unless another option comes along.

I read a lot of sci to and fantasy. 10+ books a month. Unlimited works great for that. I'm not interested in owning most of those and won't read them again. I have boxes of books in storage One thing about the Fire is I use it for here. But the Silk Browser really sucks overall.

[roamer_1]

I bought a Kindle about a year ago...and still haven't hooked it up, lol.

If I go some where that I know there is a wait time, I find myself picking up a magazine or whatever book I'm reading and take it with me.

I can see your point about being able to lay down and read more easily. But if I lay down to read...it's lights out after about 2 pages.

I have found that most of the newer  e-books that I would be interested in are as expensive a hardback. I have a pretty large library that I could re-read...and never run out.  So I think I may have wasted my money on the Kindle.

See, I am right there. Right on that edge.

This is kinda weird. I have been in this house since '12.
One whole wall of my living room is dedicated to book shelves. I look at them every day... They wrap entirely around my TV. And they are, for the most part, empty. How sad is that?

See, I used to possess all the classics - hardback... Some even leather-bound. I had a massive religious library too - Old tomes, some even rare... It is the only real material hit I took in the divorce. She couldn't take my tools, and she couldn't take my truck... But she could take my library, which she sold for pennies on the dollar. That was probably the only injury I would admit, beyond the normal emotional destruction...

So I want that back. But the reality is actually different. Since I have to wear cheaters these days... Well, I hate cheaters. I hate em. HATE. Passionately.

Where that leaves me is in electronic media where I can control the font size and screen size to give me a reading media that is absolutely cheater free.

And (here's the punch line:) empty book shelves.
Life is hilariously cruel.

Now, I can go to my used book guy. My old man left a legacy in that shop, an account that I can never use up (he too was an avid reader) I can replace those hardbacks, some even leather bound, all paid out of the old mans' account - To be frank, the shop keeper would love to get the room...

So the injury can easily be remedied with little more than time and effort. And cheaters.
And I hate cheaters.

So here I am. 

[roamer_1]

I read a lot of sci to and fantasy. 10+ books a month. Unlimited works great for that. I'm not interested in owning most of those and won't read them again. I have boxes of books in storage One thing about the Fire is I use it for here. But the Silk Browser really sucks overall.

See, that's part of why I won't jump.
If I can't put Firefox or Chrome onboard, that messes with me. All my PIM and stuff is in Outlook. If I can't put that onboard... well that sucks. All my AI is Giggles. Even down to my watch. I have nothing in Alexa. This is either a quantum shift or a useless endeavor. And either one is uncomfortable.

Another... a DIFFERENT browser puts me in an existential crisis - ALL my online passwords are kept in one browser across all devices, windows or android. It is all seamless. Effortless.

Droppin a Fire tablet into the middle of that is friggin rocket science... Or uselessness.

I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks on a device and ten bucks a month *just* to read books. That's dumb.

So I guess you've answered that part for me.
Probably better to stay in Droid for the tablet and use Kindle at the app level.

That gives me a working tablet, good for all-around, rather than just a reader that is good for little else.

[bigheadfred]

See, that's part of why I won't jump.
If I can't put Firefox or Chrome onboard, that messes with me. All my PIM and stuff is in Outlook. If I can't put that onboard... well that sucks. All my AI is Giggles. Even down to my watch. I have nothing in Alexa. This is either a quantum shift or a useless endeavor. And either one is uncomfortable.

Another... a DIFFERENT browser puts me in an existential crisis - ALL my online passwords are kept in one browser across all devices, windows or android. It is all seamless. Effortless.

Droppin a Fire tablet into the middle of that is friggin rocket science... Or uselessness.

I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks on a device and ten bucks a month *just* to read books. That's dumb.

So I guess you've answered that part for me.
Probably better to stay in Droid for the tablet and use Kindle at the app level.

That gives me a working tablet, good for all-around, rather than just a reader that is good for little else.

I never intended to try to do the stuff on my tablet I do on my pc. Most of my time now is spent reading on here or X. So the tablet is fine for that.

[Cyber Liberty]

See, that's part of why I won't jump.
If I can't put Firefox or Chrome onboard, that messes with me. All my PIM and stuff is in Outlook. If I can't put that onboard... well that sucks. All my AI is Giggles. Even down to my watch. I have nothing in Alexa. This is either a quantum shift or a useless endeavor. And either one is uncomfortable.

Another... a DIFFERENT browser puts me in an existential crisis - ALL my online passwords are kept in one browser across all devices, windows or android. It is all seamless. Effortless.

Droppin a Fire tablet into the middle of that is friggin rocket science... Or uselessness.

I don't want to spend a couple hundred bucks on a device and ten bucks a month *just* to read books. That's dumb.

So I guess you've answered that part for me.
Probably better to stay in Droid for the tablet and use Kindle at the app level.

That gives me a working tablet, good for all-around, rather than just a reader that is good for little else.

I have a Fire 8, but I only use it to read books. Amazon started something new and costly for Magazines and Newspapers.  Fred is right, Silk sucks, and it's the only browser you can put on a Fire.  I would probably not buy another Amazon, but I can still read the books on my Droid and PC.

[roamer_1]

I never intended to try to do the stuff on my tablet I do on my pc. Most of my time now is spent reading on here or X. So the tablet is fine for that.

It's hard for me to give up that continuity - I can run any device I have from that crappy old Droid tablet I now use for a reader. And my Surface (which is my 'real' tablet right now) is quite literally a windows computer in tablet form - Anything I can do from a desktop, I can do on that.Some of it is awkward, but it can be done.

But reality is beginning to intercede. If I can't get back up, I have no need for Command Central... The ten(?) or so computers and all the gadgets and do-dads I currently maintain... Well, maybe I should be content with less... Maybe that all doesn't matter now, and can be surrendered, along with all the tools I can't get to out back...

The next year will answer that.  Maybe I venture out in this direction a bit too soon. 

[roamer_1]

I have a Fire 8, but I only use it to read books. Amazon started something new and costly for Magazines and Newspapers.  Fred is right, Silk sucks, and it's the only browser you can put on a Fire.  I would probably not buy another Amazon, but I can still read the books on my Droid and PC.

That old Droid of mine is an 8"... And I mean OLLLLLD. It's clunky and slow... I can still browse with it too, but even getting mail on it is a PIA. But still, I CAN, if I have to.

So yeah... OK. That much is determined. I will stick with Droid. I will save my shekeles and wait, and throw down on a newer samsung Tab A when the time comes to retire this one (which is not long)

That's probably twice the money it would take to go Fire... But I will pay it for the versatility. And let's face it - It will probably be the last one I buy. I have had this one close to ten years... If I get another ten...

[roamer_1]

So droid. That is determined.

But here's a question for all y'all... SIZE.

Are you happy with an 8" device? There is a happy place somewhere between 8" and 10" I suppose...

I can read from my phone. But it's not very comfortable. It's making do.
My 8" tablet is much better. I do adjust the font a bit bigger than natural... But not a lot
It works.
It's comfortable enough...

Of course it's glorious on my Surface.

But I already know that I ain't gonna throw my surface in my bag and take it out on the road except for special circumstance... If I am stuck in the hospital overnight, well then yeah... The Surface comes with.

But for everyday portability, the surface is too big. Unhandy to pack around.
The droid is mobedda for that.
I wonder if that is satisfactory, or if y'all would spring for a 10" or so if you had it to do again.

[Bigun]

I have owned several Kindles over the years but now greatly prefer the app on my computer.

[roamer_1]

Another question... Is there a better alt service than Kindle (ebook.com for instance), or just kindle and get it over with?

What about library format? Is there one format that is better?

Say I get a few years into Kindle, and then decide to switch to ebook.com (for instance), will the kindle format convert for reading in ebook'com's app? Will my purchased library move? Is there a way to set preferences to save books in a particular format, and which format is best for universal reading?

[Cyber Liberty]

Another question... Is there a better alt service than Kindle (ebook.com for instance), or just kindle and get it over with?

What about library format? Is there one format that is better?

Say I get a few years into Kindle, and then decide to switch to ebook.com (for instance), will the kindle format convert for reading in ebook'com's app? Will my purchased library move? Is there a way to set preferences to save books in a particular format, and which format is best for universal reading?

No options for a format, because the books are present on your device when you download them.  I have never gotten a book from ebook.com, so I don't know the answer to that one.

[Bigun]

No options for a format, because the books are present on your device when you download them.  I have never gotten a book from ebook.com, so I don't know the answer to that one.

I don't know either but would suggest that @Fishrrman might.

[Polly Ticks]

Say I get a few years into Kindle, and then decide to switch to ebook.com (for instance), will the kindle format convert for reading in ebook'com's app? Will my purchased library move? Is there a way to set preferences to save books in a particular format, and which format is best for universal reading?

In theory, you can download your books to your computer using the Kindle desktop app, then use Calibre to de-DRM them and convert to epub or whatever format makes you happy.  From there, you can upload them to whatever device you switched to.

I say "in theory" because I've not really tried it in a LONG time, and the Kindle and Calibre apps have undoubtedly been updated since then.  When I did do it, there was a particular version of the Kindle app you needed to use, along with the Calibre de-DRM plug-in.

Anyway, that's the high level scoop.  You can find a great deal more info on https://reddit.com/r/Calibre/

[Ghost Bear]

Another question... Is there a better alt service than Kindle (ebook.com for instance), or just kindle and get it over with?

What about library format? Is there one format that is better?

Say I get a few years into Kindle, and then decide to switch to ebook.com (for instance), will the kindle format convert for reading in ebook'com's app? Will my purchased library move? Is there a way to set preferences to save books in a particular format, and which format is best for universal reading?

I meant to post this last night, but it was late and I was tired.  Your question here directly leads into what I was going to post.

If you go to your Amazon account, look for the Digital Content section. It will list the digital books, magazines, videos, etc. that you have purchased through Amazon. Clicking on "Books" will show you a list of all of your books, when you bought them, what device they have been loaded on, etc. Each book will have buttons for various actions, one of the buttons is labeled "More Actions". If you click that, one of the actions is "Download & transfer via USB". If you select that option, it will download you book to your local drive, and save it in AZW3 format, which is an ebook format created by Amazon. That way, you can always have a copy of your book even if you close your Amazon account. You can also move it freely to any device you want.

Once you have your books downloaded, a very useful program to manage them is Calibre, which can be found here: https://calibre-ebook.com/. Calibre will let you convert your ebooks between multiple formats, including AZW3, MOBI, EPUB, PDF, even Microsoft Word DOC. Calibre will also let you download your ebooks to devices connected to your computer via USB, so you don't have to rely on Amazon doing it for you.

As for sources of ebooks, Amazon is certainly the easiest and most comprehensive, but there are other places to get ebooks. Barnes & Noble has their own similar service. You can also get free public domain books, magazines, and other publications in ebook format from Project Gutenberg. You can also find ebooks uploaded to the Internet Archive, although those may violate copyright in some cases.

Hope that information helps.

[roamer_1]

Anyway, that's the high level scoop.  You can find a great deal more info on https://reddit.com/r/Calibre/

Hope that information helps.

Excellent, excellent information - So would y'all say that .epub is the default or preferred book format? Is that non-DRM choice?

Sorry I am such a noob. If we were talking music, I could skool you. 
For instance, for non-DRM music, the overall choice would be .mp3, with a nod to .ogg (ogg vorbis) for those with a delicate ear...

MP3 is not the best, but it is the most ubiquitous.

Something like that, but for books.

TIA 

[roamer_1]

@Polly Ticks @Ghost Bear

WOO! yeah buddy! This Calibre gives me the fizz! 
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

My biggest dilemma is preservation and curation. This thing not only converts, but also has a logistical folder system that will make backup a snap.

The whole thing revolves around not having to buy it twice, and in that, slipping the bonds of DRM... and more importantly, figuring out a way to get it (my lib) picked up in my normal fat storage backup so that it will automagically wind up in my storage systems.

I am too old and tired to keep up with hacking this crap. I am sure I can go get whatever for free as a reasonably accomplished pirate... I ain't interested in all that. But I AM interested in high-grading the stuff I have already bought.

Thank you, THANK YOU! 

[Polly Ticks]

Yay!  Glad it works for you.  Yes, I love the organizational aspect of Calibre, too.

As best as I can tell, yes, I think epub is the most 'universal' thing, at least for now. Maybe @Ghost Bear knows something more, though.   

[Ghost Bear]

Yay!  Glad it works for you.  Yes, I love the organizational aspect of Calibre, too.

As best as I can tell, yes, I think epub is the most 'universal' thing, at least for now. Maybe @Ghost Bear knows something more, though.   

That's what I have read also, EPUB is the format that everyone except for Amazon uses. Amazon, of course, uses their own format.

@roamer_1 , I'm glad you are finding Calibre useful. I have been using it a lot lately and find it to be really powerful in many ways.

[Fishrrman]

Cyber wrote:
"No options for a format, because the books are present on your device when you download them."

and Bigun replied:
"I don't know either but would suggest that @Fishrrman might."

I do my ebook reading on my laptop (Apple MacBook Pro).

For book "formats", I use either "epub", "mobi" (I think this is "Kindle format"), or sometimes just pdf if that's all that is available.

For a reading application, I'll use a sub-app of "Calibre" called "e-book viewer". It's customizable and lets you adjust font type and size, etc. Also has a good bookmarking system. Works fine with both epub and mobi (and it works with other formats as well).

For pdf format, I'll use Apple's "Preview" app which comes with all copies of Mac OS.

I don't own a Kindle.
I do have a Samsung Android tablet, but don't use that for reading.

For sourcing ebooks, my favorite is that nebulous site "Z-Lib".
Best way to visit is by using the Tor browser.
Launch Tor, and open a secure connection to the dark web.
Then copy and paste this into it:
zlibrary24tuxziyiyfr7zd46ytefdqbqd2axkmxm4o5374ptpc52fad.onion

You'll need an email address and password to log into z-lib.
I suggest that you DO NOT USE your "regular" email address/password.

Go to a site like protonmail.com and create a FREE email account there.
Use a name that would not otherwise be associated with your own.
Same with the password.

Now use THAT for your z-lib logins.

TIP:
When I find an ebook I'm looking for, and there is more than one version available of the same book, I usually download TWO copies (at least). One in epub and one in mobi (if available). Then I'll look at both to see if one is better than the other. And then use "the better copy".

OK.
That's how I do it.
What you do with this information... is up to you.

[Sighlass]

Okular is what I use...

[roamer_1]

Alright, here's where I think I am for now...

I think I will sign up for kindle unlimited...
That gives me sync'd across devices and a good app across devices. It is flawless - I can go from tablet to phone, and from phone to my Windows Surface tablet or Windows laptop, and the app finds out where I last bookmarked, and lands me there every time (so long as there is internet/cell)

That's pretty flawless for IRL function. And for 10 bucks a month, providing that I actually get used to electronic reading, I can easily justify the cost by reading two books a month.

But here's the tricky bit... using Calibre, I can convert the 'rented' Amazon books to .epub, removing the DRM, and retain them in my Calibre library - Thus highgrading books I already have bought in paper...

Not to mention using Calibre to house an extensive variety of freely published works - all the old classics as an instance... not to mention most of the religious texts I work with, which tend to be available through colleges with seminaries...

Since the Calibre library can be redirected, its master copy can be kept within the folder structures I already have for media on my network. That means that part will natively hit my backup routines.

The only kludge is if I want to read from Calibre on android - I would have to grab a temporary copy of any book therein over to my android - And any of those may not sync bookmarks, unless I find an android app to resolve the matter - which is likely.

But that, I think, is how to go forward. Thank y'all