And the Winner Is…

When we last met, I was in the middle of the great tablet/e-reader debate with my husband. As you know, we both had differing opinions on what I wanted or needed in one of these multifunctional gadgets! In the end, I left it up for my husband to research and surprise me…and that he did with the iPad mini! It was the one I had originally wanted, so I was quite thrilled and surprised to find it under the tree!!

So far, I have been as thrilled with it as I thought I would. For starters, it quickly synched to my iPhone, and I was able to get all my favorite games (very important), my calendar, and other apps. Friends told me to watch videos and shows, and I will admit the clarity is amazing!

As great as all that is, the ability to read on the go was the point, so I began searching for ways to get my hands on books (preferably free ones!). The app for my local library was by far the easiest. The books are easy enough to search for and borrow. The two cons are the wait lists for popular books are quite long and the overall selection. The selection has grown but seems to trend toward young adult, classics, how-to books, short stories, and romance. This seems to be the trend in most of the free books. I have gotten the Kobo app (for the Galaxy tablets) and the Kindle app (through Amazon)…and have had similar results. Each format is different, and the verdict is still out on which I prefer. My library app uses both Overdrive and Kindle, so those are the ones I have been currently trying.

I am still adjusting to reading on a tablet. I will probably always favor the “feel” of a book, but the lightweight feel of my mini is great, especially when I want to take it with me in my purse. The other odd thing is that feeling you get when you’re halfway or almost done with a book. With the e-book, even though the percentage of pages is at the bottom, the feeling of accomplishment is diminished. One pro my husband probably didn’t think about was the ease of my reading in bed now! No need for that bedside lamp since I can adjust the brightness factor while I lay back and read and he sleeps. (I can also check those games one more time before signing off for the night.)

I have finished my first e-book, “The Summer We Read Gatsby” by Danielle Ganek (a fun read), and started another.

I am looking for any and all suggestions from my e-book reading sisters! Do you have free book sites you like, ones you find offer more than others, or free books you would reccommend?