As you may have noticed I have been powering through a lot of books lately. Seriously never in my life have I been reading/listening to this many books and actually enjoying it. What I haven't yet shared is how I'm managing it all digitally and almost all for free. I'm not saying this will work for you, but hopefully it will be at least a little insightful. Here's how my drama plays out:
The Players:
Amazon Wish List: Here's where I keep a list of all of the books, music, games etc., that have caught my eye, and you can even add a note to help you remember who recommended it, etc. I've had this list going for years. Sweet!
Library 1: I used to live in an affluent county with over a million people. This is where I first started borrowing digital books, and since I still pay taxes there, I don't feel the least bit guilty about still using their database!
Library 2: Where I currently live. The database has a similar format and while the holdings vary slightly from library one, I use both libraries almost evenly.
When I first returned to the literary world, I checked out my Amazon Wish list and joined Good Reads I tweaked both my lists and was ready to see what the libraries had to offer.
Next I opened each library website with different tabs and logged in to my accounts. I searched for almost all of the books on my Amazon Wish list in the library's databases and added them to my "Wish List" at the libraries. If they were available in both audio and EPUB format, I added both! As far as I can tell there is no limit to the number of books a wish list can hold.
For books that are really popular or that I am super anxious to read, I put a hold on them at both libraries if possible. Then I'll get an email saying when it is available and I'll have 3 days from the time the email is sent to download the book, otherwise it is offered to the next person on the waiting list.
Now when ever I'm ready for another book, I just open both of my library wish lists and see which holdings show "Add to Cart" meaning it is currently available. This makes getting new books super fast! Add it to the cart, and a few minutes later it's fully downloaded to the computer and ready to transfer to my device! Yes there are a limited number of copies of each book, and there is a check out period, but THERE ARE NO LATE FEES! The only challenge is if you have not finished a book, you can not renew it. On my Sony Reader, it is no longer accessible after the expiration date (typically 3 weeks). This is a minor inconvenience when I can visit and check out books any time, day or night.
In the rare event that I need or want to buy a book, the Sony Bookstore makes it super easy and I have yet to encounter a book over $10. While I can't get into reading the newspaper online I absolutely love the Reader. (Especially after taking 4 boxes of books to Goodwill!)
Happy Reading Everyone.
The Players:
| Sony Reader PRS-300. This is ancient in the reader world, but it still works so why replace it? |  |
| Sansa C-140 A mere 2 gigs, and like the reader, ancient but works great for me. |  |
Amazon Wish List: Here's where I keep a list of all of the books, music, games etc., that have caught my eye, and you can even add a note to help you remember who recommended it, etc. I've had this list going for years. Sweet!
Library 1: I used to live in an affluent county with over a million people. This is where I first started borrowing digital books, and since I still pay taxes there, I don't feel the least bit guilty about still using their database!
Library 2: Where I currently live. The database has a similar format and while the holdings vary slightly from library one, I use both libraries almost evenly.
When I first returned to the literary world, I checked out my Amazon Wish list and joined Good Reads I tweaked both my lists and was ready to see what the libraries had to offer.
Next I opened each library website with different tabs and logged in to my accounts. I searched for almost all of the books on my Amazon Wish list in the library's databases and added them to my "Wish List" at the libraries. If they were available in both audio and EPUB format, I added both! As far as I can tell there is no limit to the number of books a wish list can hold.
For books that are really popular or that I am super anxious to read, I put a hold on them at both libraries if possible. Then I'll get an email saying when it is available and I'll have 3 days from the time the email is sent to download the book, otherwise it is offered to the next person on the waiting list.
Now when ever I'm ready for another book, I just open both of my library wish lists and see which holdings show "Add to Cart" meaning it is currently available. This makes getting new books super fast! Add it to the cart, and a few minutes later it's fully downloaded to the computer and ready to transfer to my device! Yes there are a limited number of copies of each book, and there is a check out period, but THERE ARE NO LATE FEES! The only challenge is if you have not finished a book, you can not renew it. On my Sony Reader, it is no longer accessible after the expiration date (typically 3 weeks). This is a minor inconvenience when I can visit and check out books any time, day or night.
In the rare event that I need or want to buy a book, the Sony Bookstore makes it super easy and I have yet to encounter a book over $10. While I can't get into reading the newspaper online I absolutely love the Reader. (Especially after taking 4 boxes of books to Goodwill!)
Happy Reading Everyone.
i wish i was as organized as you! i love my nook, but it has actually increased my book purchases. it's too easy to get sucked into late night instant gratification.
ReplyDeleteHey Nathalie! Those nook creators sure are brilliant like that! I didn't go into which Readers will accommodate library books but I'm pretty sure you can with the nook. We should talk books on Good Reads!
ReplyDeleteUPDATE! I logged on to the libraries today, and they have a KINDLE edition of almost every book! Welcome to the free world Kindle Readers!
ReplyDelete