The Kindle Chronicles discussion

My Iphone version of Kindle updated to include both the text and audio versions of a book, if I own both, of course. It allows me to download the audio and switch back & forth between how I want to read the book. I really like it, particularly for audio books such as Goblin Emperor or the Ancillary books by Ann Leckie where I have a little trouble figuring out who is who from the Audible version.

I would like to see them add X-Ray to the Audible app:
- People/Places/Terms in current chapter/book
- navigation to mentions of same

This should be at least possible with any audiobook that has a companion ebook (or vice versa). They already have XRay info compiled in most cases, and would just need to 're-index' it to point to locations in the audiobook.

The other thing would be to add Goodreads integration, and sharing which includes a pointer to an audiobook clip (and/or transcription to text), as with the 'Overcast' podcast app Len mentioned in TKC 375.

I would like to hear/see (-: "text to speech in my Kindle Android app.

I heard Amazon intends to enable the Bluetooth chip in the basic Kindle to handle Audible books. Also heard at least current Paperwhite plus the Voyage have Audible Bluetooth chips that give them the same potential.

Fingers crossed!

Still don’t have it. Agh.

I just saw a beautiful scene with a backlit book shelf (Toy Story 3), and I found myself accepting that paper books are here to stay for decades at least. Emotionally I had not accepted it at all; to people like me and Len, the advantages of ebooks are so huge that we just can’t think why anybody would choose to stay with paper. (I haven’t finished a book on paper since the iPad came out.) But most books are bought by people who only read a couple of books per year, and to them it’s a special occasion. And they don’t want a non-tablet ereader, it’d get lost. And they like a break from screens.
And for those of us who grew up with them, full book shelves are too special anyway. It’s always a bit weird for me to visit a home without book shelves.

I'm sure you are right, Eolake, about the reasons that many people prefer books on paper. I think taking a break from screens is a big one, and the pleasing aesthetics of books in a home.

I think a shelf of books is pleasing but my space is limited. I read exclusively electronically these days. I might buy the OCCASIONAL paper book but less and less. To my own surprise, I am reading a lot on my iPhone. I'm a big fan of the Kindle app.

Yes. On my blog ereaderjoy, I was lobbying for two years for Apple to come out with a larger phone, largely because I thought it would be a terrific ereader device, and it is. A larger screen is a bit better, but this fits in a pocket and is a phone and camera too! (And audiobook reader and web browser and scanner, and...)

Has anyone had any trouble with the latest version of the Audible app for Android? After mine updated recently, it closes immediately after it opens. Restarting the phone didn't help. I had to revert to an earlier version of the app. Thanks for any suggestions about how to fix this.

I like the new iOS app a lot.
Only I don’t see the “Community” and “More” buttons which are supposed to be at the bottom of the Library view. Neither on iPad nor iPhone. Am I overlooking something?

As for reasons for a paper book...I buy paper when I want to share a book or a book that is non-fiction that I want to jump around in. Basically a reference type book. I know Amazon says you can share a book but there are so few that allow sharing, it isn’t really good. I also know you can jump around in ebooks but it is too difficult.