Cozy Mysteries discussion
What do you think?
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E-Readers
I usually use my iPad to read but recently bought a Kindle Paperwhite because it was nice and simple and can be read outdoors without any glare. It's tiny and fits in my purse and the battery charge lasts forever, it seems. If you wait until after Thanksgiving, it might go on sale.
The new kindle paperwhite looks great selling from amazon at $129.00. Ihave had paperwhites for years and love it.
I've had several Paperwhites for years. They are great. They are the size of a paperback book and light. I like to lie down on a couch and read.I got the Kindle Oasis and it is larger. It is also uncomfortable to hold in one hand. (I do have small hands.)
I also have the Kindle Fire 8 and Mini iPad. Both I have found to be too heavy to hold up in one hand and read.
I guess it depends how you read your books. I cannot sit at a table or desk and read.
I know nothing of the other makes, i.e., Kobo or Nook.
I love my Kindle PaperWhite. Between my mom and I, we've owned about six different Kindles since 2011. Over the years, I've gotten over 16,000 free Kindle books from Amazon and keep both of our active Kindles loaded up with the "next to read" books. :)
Mod
Mod
On the other hand, the Kindle does have much more memory than my Nook. I am obliged to instantly archive anything read on the Nook if I wish to download something new. I'm sure this differs somewhat for newer Nooks or depending on model (I've had my nook about 5 yrs now).
For my own use, memory is irrelevant. I see no reason to keep tons of books on my Kindle. My goal is 10 or less, but I often have a few dozen. They are so easy to grab from the Amazon Cloud that I don't need to keep them physically stored on my Kindle device.
If you're looking for a Kindle, Amazon has a lot of pre-black Friday sales going on right now, especially on their own brand products, so you might find a good deal now. If not, I'm sure there will be decent sale prices on Friday :)
Mod
Prior to black Friday is a good moment to look for it, yes.
I have a Kindle, so I'll admit I haven't paid much attention to this aspect, but it used to be hard to find ebooks in formats other than Kindle. Is that still the case? Every day, there are dozens (if not more) of freebies and inexpensive books available for the Kindle, but I don't know if that holds true for Nook, Kobo and other formats.
I have a Kindle Voyage. It's my second Kindle and I'm a fan especially of the lighting feature.I have a dedicated e-reader because other devices (tablets, computer, et al.) are back-lit and cause eye fatigue if you read for long periods.
I have never heard of a Kindle Discover.
Mod
Yes - It's a Kindle Voyage... Amazon asks you to name your device and I named mine "Discover". (I edited my original post.)
Nell wrote: "I have a Kindle Voyage. It's my second Kindle and I'm a fan especially of the lighting feature.I have a dedicated e-reader because other devices (tablets, computer, et al.) are back-lit and cause..."
Exactly, I do have a Kindle Fire 7x strictly for games and internet, but I have 2 Kindle E-Ink-e-Readers for reading, as well. The E-ink is so soothing to the eyes, allowing one to read for much longer. My first bought one in 2011 and still going, is the no longer available-Kindle-Touch, and the one I read on all the time now, is my Paperwhite, with the light,because I read mostly in the evenings and at night and there is no light near my recliner where I read.
I’ve had a Kindle Paperwhite since Christmas 2013, and I love it. I use it in bed when I wake up during the night. I read for 1-3 hours and then usually go back to sleep for a while. I use it during the day, too, and often take it with me when I leave home. I have an older Kindle with page-turn buttons on the sides, and I like it, but I rarely use it anymore.I check for free and discounted Kindle books every day, and I’ve gotten thousands of freebies. I keep only 300 or so books on my device because having too many downloaded slows down my Kindle; I like instant page turns. Like Randy said, “...books are so easy to grab from the Amazon cloud.” All I need is a Wi-Fi connection.
The newest Paperwhite is waterproof, and I wouldn’t mind having it, but I don’t need another Kindle. I don’t like reading books on tablets. I have an iPad Pro, which I love, but I rarely read books on it. My elderly mother-in-law has a Kindle Fire, which I’ve had to help her quit a bit with, and I don’t like it at all.
Here are Kindle cozy mysteries sorted by Price:Low to High: https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_.... You should see a lot of free ebooks there. Be careful though, because lately there have been books showing up on those early pages that actually do cost something. I don’t know why that is now happening,
AlegnaB † wrote: "Here are Kindle cozy mysteries sorted by Price:Low to High:"Instead of sorting high to low, you can actually tell the Amazon search to only show the free Kindle books:
https://www.amazon.com/s?field-price=...
Such search results are the basis of the "newly free" Kindle book lists that I publish every day:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Randy wrote: "...Instead of sorting high to low, you can actually tell the Amazon search to only show the free Kindle books:https://..."
Thanks! How did you get it narrowed down to $0-$0? I can narrow down to English by checking boxes, but I can’t find a way to get to the price. I’d like to use your method for another genre.
Just add the "&field-price=0-0" parameter to the URL you would otherwise use. It used to be a option on the page that could be selected...Or, if you know the node (i.e. "n:6190476011"), you can just change that in my cited URL.
Or, after using my cited URL, just navigate to the other genre via the left-hand genre navigation area. It will retain the price range as you change genres.
I have a paperwhite and love it. I don't like to play games on my Kindle. I love the size and weight and I load it up with books from the library and free from Amazon. I noticed that the price goes really down near Mother's Day.
I have a Kobo which I just adore, which is also waterproof. I read a lot in the bath! I also love the freedom that I can get ebooks from Overdrive, cloudLibrary, Kindle store, Kobo store, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, etc.; I'm not tied down to just one store like the kindle is.
Julesy wrote: "I'm not tied down to just one store like the kindle is."Most of the books for my Kindle come from NetGalley, but I know I can get books from sources other than just Amazon. My library is a great source, and I have friends who have used Smashwords and Overdrive as well.
I use a Kobo Aura, a Kindle Paperwhite as well as a small, cheap Android tablet. I like the Kobo and Kindle better than the tablet, but sometimes my husband wants to read a book from the library that I have borrowed, so he is using the Kobo. If I want to read the same book before it is due, I'll use the tablet. I know you can use a Kindle with Overdrive in US to borrow from the library, but that option isn't allowed in Canada. I rarely go anywhere without whatever device I'm using to read.
C. wrote: "Nell wrote: "I have a Kindle Voyage. It's my second Kindle and I'm a fan especially of the lighting feature.I have a dedicated e-reader because other devices (tablets, computer, et al.) are back-..."
I also still use my "antique" Kindle Touch and I love it! If I'm getting dressed or have a moment of insanity and decide to dust, I can let the computer voice read to me. I know they no longer offer that feature so I'm sticking with my Touch. I also sometimes read on my Galaxy Tab but as we all know you can't use it outside which is another great feature of using a Kindle.
I have a Samsung Nook Tab E (9.6" screen). It is a tablet, not a dedicated e_reader. It gets used more as a reader than for game playing. This is my third Nook. My only complaints are the rather small onboard memory, 16k. Also the search function is not as good as it used to be prior to the most recent software "upgrade".I added a Kindle Fire 8" earlier this year. I really enjoy it as well. The lack of onboard memory is also a concern.
The outdoor mode allows the Nook to be used outside better than the Kindle.
I love my kindle. I have had almost a dozen, so at least one of each generation. However, each generation seems to be less reliable than the previous one. I am lucky if one lasts for 8 months. The last two made it six months so I finally bought the extended warranty. Always the same repair code 2 issue, and usually after they do a software upgrade.I have seen posts on how to reset it to factory setting to get longer life from it, but have been unable to do so successfully.
Now that tablets have come down in cost I don`t know that I would buy another dedicated ereader.
I do appreciate the kindles with onboard lighting.
Mod
Finally treated myself to a 10 inch Kindle Fire tablet/ereader, which is full color with a backlit screen. It's very much a table and I find myself playing games on it too. I got Kindle Unlimited to have accesses to thousands of free Amazon ebooks and I love it. It was starting to get heavy when I'm reading for a long time, so I got a new case (suppose to arrive later today!) that has a strap on it to make holding it easier. I upgraded partly because I had trouble reading my old kindle because it wasn't backlit.
It's Nook for me...My first e-reader was my laptop (HA!), which I still use. I also read on a ChromeBook.
Really... I purchased a Nook Simple touch early on and love it. It actually is still my go-to e-reader, especially for grab and go. I have the main books/series I read loaded on that device.
Later I purchased a Kindle Fire 7", a hybrid reader/tablet. This allowed for reading the e-freebies I was getting for Kindle and to entertain myself with a few apps. "Few" being the operative word because my Kindle had only 8-gig of non-expandable memory, which I thought was more than enough until I found that 4 of that was partitioned for Amazon use, leaving only 4 for my use. EEK! I swore off getting Kindles because of this and because Kindles are proprietary (format can't be read on other readers), I use this "reader" for my main Kindle reading.
I followed that up with a Nook Tablet 7", which I also like very much. Since this is an Android tablet, I was able to get apps via the Google App store. Again, something that allows me to read as well as play. This holds my secondary books/series.
Then, I saw a great deal on an 8" Kindle Fire and broke down and bought one. (Some of the apps I had no longer work with the 7".) While I love the 7" (other than the low storage and the non-working apps), the 8" is too heavy to hold for long periods of time, especially with one hand And for being only an inch larger, I find it unwieldy and uncomfortable. I use it mainly propped up beside my bed. The books loaded on this are freebies I want to read, but they're not a priority, that is, not favorite authors/series at this point. (I may actually donate this to my local library if I can get myself around to it.)
I love the look and size of the Kindle Paperwhite and the Oasis, but I am done with spending my money on Kindles -- fool me twice. If I have the need to invest in another reader, I'd look at the simple Nooks again. Though wider than a paperback, they're comfortable to hold and use. I like that I was able to program the page buttons for easy use with the left hand.
For me, the biggest pro for going Kindle is the amount of freebies available. Though sometimes freebie offerings are duplicated at Barnes and Noble, Apple, KOBO, and GooglePlay, -- and when I have a choice, I choose them -- the sheer number available for Kindle (the MOBI format) leaves the others in the dust. Also, some books are exclusive to Amazon/Kindle. :o(
HOWEVER... What I love about my Nook is that I can purchase books via B&N, Apple, KOBO, GooglePlay, etc. and load them onto the Nook because they all use the same format (EPUB). Loading files onto the device(s) is easy, as is deleting and organizing the files. Though some have to be loaded via Adobe Digital Editions (DRM files), that process is not difficult. The Nook is lighter than the tablets and is for READING only (no distractions!).
One other thing I'd suggest is to visit a Barnes and Noble store if you can to see their different offering and to hold them. Also, the libraries here allow for check-out of e-readers. You might check your local library system for the same and sample the different readers. This way you can get something that feels good to you.A friend of mine has a smaller Kindle Paperwhite that fits easily into his pocket. That would be a temptation since B&N doesn't have one that small. However, unless my Kindles need to be replaced for some reason, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be buying one. I love my Nooks and if it wasn't for the Kindle freebies, I would use them exclusively.. I hope all my e-readers last a long time!
Karen, I too love my Nooks. I have had at least 3 and I am looking for another one.There is a lady on Facebook marketplace that has a Kindle Fire for $25 but I prefer to have a new one. Buying an used one I just do not want might be wrong with it.
Barnes and Noble has a tablet for $50 I am thinking about buying. The Nook that I have my late husband bought for me on after Christmas sale in 2012. The battery has died but I have loved that Nook.
Happy Reading!
Pat wrote: There is a lady on Facebook marketplace that has a Kindle Fire for $25 ..."I have purchased two second hand. As long as Amazon will offer me $30 as a trade in for a used Kindle, I am willing to buy one second hand for up to $20. In my opinion, the older ones are far better than the newest versions. My $10 one is my current back up and I am very happy with it. That said, the $20 insurance/ extended warranty on a new one has been my best decision.
Just got this in e-newsletter: The Best Ebook Readers (That Aren’t Kindles)I haven't shopped e-readers lately, but the pricing in this article... Sheesh! It makes it almost -- almost! -- worth it to get a low cost tablet and load the Nook and Kindle apps. (Thankfully, I am not in a position to need to shop for a new e-reader.)
Pat wrote: "Barnes and Noble has a tablet for $50 I am thinking about buying."
The good thing about the B&N tablet is that you can load the Kindle app and have access to both worlds. Though, maybe you can do that with a Kindle Tablet, too, I don't think I've tried. However, I don't have experience with the newer Nook models and don't know what their pros and cons are,
If you've been using and buying for your Nook, you need to have access to a reader that can read EPUB format. Kindle format is MOBI so without an app for Nook-books, you won't be able to read your library.
Laura wrote: "I have purchased two second hand. As long as Amazon will offer me $30 as a trade in for a used Kindle, I am willing to buy one second hand for up to $20."
Smart, Laura!! Maybe I should think about a trade-in for my 8" Fire. Hmmm...
Though, that would be breaking my no more Kindles rule. But, is it breaking the rule if I trade in??? :o)
I have several cheap Android tablets. You can put a Kindle app for .mobi formats and a Kobo app for EPUB formats. There is probably a Nook app that you could download as well. I have a Nook app on my iPod Touch (the only Apple device I use) I have found that you should have at least 16 GB for your Android tablets. It doesn't matter what brand. The 8Gb tablets run out of room to do updates. (At least mine did.) I also have Overdrive and their new app Libby that I can use to borrow ebooks from my library. All these apps are free on Google Play.
Mara wrote: "I have found that you should have at least 16 GB for your Android tablets. It doesn't matter what brand. The 8Gb tablets run out of room to do updates."
Ain't that the truth!! I agree, 16GB minimum -- and, I'd go for 64-256 or more if it was available at a decent price. I was surprised at how fast my 7" Fire filled. Granted since 4GB of the 8 was partitioned for Amazon use, I only had 4 to fill, but it went so fast. Who knew book files could be so big! Thankfully, my Nook Tablet is expandable via microSD. (I don't have it in front of me, but I think it started as a 32GB device.) Plus, I try to be timely about deleting what I've read from the device(s) so older files aren't taking up valuable space.
Mara wrote: "I have a Nook app on my iPod Touch (the only Apple device I use)."
I love Apple products, but my wallet does not. Family members have iPads and I like them, especially for entertainment, but I find the regular-sized (and now larger) iPads too uncomfortable for extended use as e-readers. Maybe because I'm used to the 7" size, but I look at iPad Minis or iPod Touches for e-reading. However, the wallet holds me back (good thing!). Maybe I'll get a pity hand-me-up when others upgrade. ;o)
If you get at least a 16GB Android tablet, the apps will go on the tablet., but you can save the books to the mini SHDC (memory) card that you buy separately for added memory. Some of the older or cheaper tablets limit the size of that card to 32 GB. I recently bought a Samsung tablet. It was on sale, and still not cheap as it is a 32GB tablet. It is 8". I bought a cover for it as well that folds out like the ebook covers and makes it feel more like holding a book as well as protecting the device. It says that it can use a 128GB memory card. I had a 64GB one on hand so it works fine. I have a Kobo Aura and a Kindle Paperwhite as well, and use them all, but the advantage of the tablet is that it can use all the different formats and still get email, camera, etc. on the one device. You turn pages the same way in the apps as on the ereaders. The books don't take much memory, so you can keep as many as you like.
I prefer 32 gb tablet compare to 16 gb. The one my late husband gave me spoiled me rotten. My roommate brought me RCA tablet 16 gb and it is already full and very slow.I had the Kindle app on it but I did not like it.
I guess you can say that I only like the Nooks the best.
The lady that had the Kindle for sale. The screen was cracked and no charger for it.
I am going to wait for the Nook to go on sale. Usually on Easter or Mother's Day.
Happy Reading!
I live on an island called Mauritius. Amazon doesn't ship anything here. I buy my books on bookdepository. I mostly use e-readers to read. I used to get anything I wanted on ebay. But now most top sellers don't ship to my country. This is alarming to me as I can't live without a dedicated, e-ink reader. If it comes to the worst, I'll have to ask my overseas relatives to buy and bring one Oasis, or Paperwhite to me.
Pat wrote: "I am going to wait for the Nook to go on sale."@Pat: I know this is 5 months after the fact, but...
I posted this in May in a couple of other conversations. I didn't even think to put it here. If you're still looking for a new Nook:
The "NEW NOOK 7"" (and I don't know what "new" means) Nook Tablet 7" (which is my N2) is only $49!! -- that's $70 cheaper than their basic Glowlight version. I know that B&N sells Samsung Nooks, including a 7" 8gig tablet with better specs for only $80 more, so this may be a way to get rid of old stock. ???
The $49 Nook Tablet is not a Samsung-branded tablet, but runs Android and can access the GooglePlay store (though, to be fair I am not a huge app user and don't know how many apps work with it; the ones I use are fine, but I know there may be some that aren't compatible). The tablet I was perusing has a 16gig hard drive, expandable by microSD. The older Nook Tablet I have now has a proprietary power/charging cable, but the one on the site says it uses micro-USB (a plus, let me tell you!).
Just thought I'd pass the information for people who may be looking for a new reader (that can do some other things) without breaking the bank. -- Also, if you have a B&N card, it's 10% off. It's not the $25 I got when I purchased mine, but even $5 is better than nothing. Though my Nook Simple Touch (pre Glowlight!) is my go-to reader, I like my Nook Table and haven't regretted the purchase. The proprietary cable was a hassle and I purchased several replacements to have on hand. The change to micro-USB is an improvement since I could use my N1's or even my phone's cables. One fewer cord to carry.
The size is a bit larger than a paperback, but not by much.
The following link is the American Library Association's petition regarding the new Macmillan Publishing e-book policy. I strongly urge you to read and sign it.https://ebooksforall.org/
Julesy wrote: "I have a Kobo which I just adore, which is also waterproof. I read a lot in the bath! I got a new ereader earlier this year, a Pocketbook Touch HD 3. It's waterproof, like my Kobo H2O, because I read a lot in the bath and at the beach. However, the PB is a bit quirky and I don't like the touch controls as much as my Kobo, which is much more intuitive and reactive. I am eyeballing the Kobo Forma which is a flexible ereader instead of a glass screen (withstands twists and bends without breakage). However, my husband thinks I need another ereader (currently have 4) like I need another hole in my head. He just doesn't understand us e-bookaholics!
Julesy wrote: "However, my husband thinks I need another ereader (currently have 4) like I need another hole in my head. He just doesn't understand us e-bookaholics"That's my best reason for not getting a new one. Not the husband/partner part, but the needing another reader like a hole in the head. Since all the ones I have are all in good to great condition, I just can't justify getting another.
~and~
Julesy wrote: "I am eyeballing the Kobo Forma which is a flexible ereader instead of a glass screen (withstands twists and bends without breakage)."
Based to your comment, however, I looked at the Forma. There are a lot of features on it I like, including how easy it makes checking out library books. I like that it can be switched for use with the left or right hand and that the buttons for page-turning can be toggled. As mentioned in previous posts, my go-to reader is my original Nook Simple Touch. It has paging buttons in both sides (either handed!) and also has the ability to toggle which button goes forward or backwards. Having the external buttons along with the touch screen helps a lot when my hands are covered and touch screens don't work (like in the winter when my hands are under the covers or in mittens/gloves without "touch" abilities!)
Another plus is that it's not a Kindle. Though I like my Kindle Fire 7" (first gen), half its non-expandable hard drive is partitioned for Amazon use. It also can't "read" epub files. Yes, you can get library books, but other than that you're limited to buying/getting from Amazon. They do have a lot of freebies, which I love, but... At least with other e-readers I can load books purchased from other e-book retailers.
The only cons I see are the price and the size. I find the 7" readers are the perfect size for me. The 8" Kindle I (stupidly!) purchased is unwieldy. The Forma looks really light, but I still don't know about the 8" size. And, at almost $200, I don't think so.
If I needed a new paperwhite e-reader, I'd look at this, but would most likely go for one of the less expensive versions. There's a Walmart exclusive 6", but it, too, doesn't have external paging buttons. I'd have to research other models.
Really, I'd most likely see about getting a new Nook Simple Touch (though I think they only have the lighted version now) because most Kobo readers don't have button page-turning. I utilize my Nook's touchscreen, but when my hands are covered, the buttons are the best.
I most likely wouldn't go for another tablet reader unless I needed a new tablet. Tablets are nice to have for fun and reading, but not so much for just reading, especially if you're outside. (I actually tried that today. To my dismay, I could barely make out the type.)
Karen wrote: "It also can't "read" epub files."There is a well known program, Calibre, which can convert books from any format to any format. It can also remove the DRM that is embedded in your e-book. All you need is the required plug-in.
Luffy wrote: "There is a well known program, Calibre, which can convert books from any format to any format. It can also remove the DRM that is embedded in your e..."Thanks for the reminder about Calibre. I downloaded that software (and another) a few years ago, but haven't loaded or used it yet. How have you found it?
Actually, I've been lucky to find most of what I read in epub format. There are also a couple of online converters -- Online-Convert (won't convert DRM) and Send Epub to Kindle (don't know whether or not it converts DRM).
While I like my K-Fire 7", it's a pain to convert and send to if I want to read something I've purchased outside the Amazon universe. (I haven't tried dragging and dropping.) I love my Amazon freebies -- about 95% of my Amazon reading -- but I prefer my Nook(s), which I can easily load with books from anywhere (including those converted from Kindle format). Actually, the best for me has been to have the Kindle App loaded on my Nook Tablet. That way I get the best of both worlds. (The last time I checked, though there are "universal" readers, there is no Nook App for Kindle.)
Plus, lighting isn't always conducive to reading since I only have Kindle Tablets. I might be more into using Kindle if I had a paperwhite version. But, since I'm satisfied with my current paperwhite (eInk) reader, I'm not looking for another.
My main gripe is that Amazon owns a huge chunk of the e-book market, but doesn't support the epub format. Don't get me wrong, I like Amazon and buy from them and the sheer number of items available is unequaled (currently); I just wish their system was more open. But... I guess it does work both ways since I can't read Kindle format on my Nook Simple Touch (though I can read epubs purchased from iTunes, Kobo, Indiegogo, GooglePlay, etc.)
Oh well... I'm just happy to have e-readers and items to read on them!
For the record, I no longer remember the exact reason why, and when did I download calibre. But it's been an invaluable asset.
I have both a Kobo e-reader (Aura) and a Kindle (Paper White). I have used them both a lot and like them, but the different formats are a nuisance. I have purchased several inexpensive Android tablets which are now unusable even though they are like new. They have such a small memory that gets taken up by software that I don't use, then they won't work because they have no more room to do updates. About a year ago, I bought a Tab A 8 inch 32 GB Samsung tablet. It will take a 256 GB mini SD card. I bought this year's model for my husband. His will take a 512 GB mini SD card, so lots of room. I put both library apps: 3M Cloud & Libbey, The Kobo app, and the Kindle app on these. If I used Nook or other formats, I'm sure there would be an app for them. I purchased covers for these tablets (Amazon is best for this). They work just like the covers for the e-books in that when you open them, it is similar to holding a book and when you close them the tablet goes to sleep. They have been on sale for the last little while and are about the same price as a Kobo or Kindle. This would be my recommendation now when someone asks about which e-reader to buy. You can do everything else with it as well: take photos, listen to music, use email (internet needed for this to send & receive, but downloads to your mail app to read whenever). It fits in my purse to take with me when I might be waiting.
Karen wrote: "Thanks for the reminder about Calibre. I downloaded that software (and another) a few years ago, but haven't loaded or used it yet. How have you found it?"Just do a google search on "calibre" and you will find it easily. I have been using it for YEARS. I can even sideload books with calibre without a USB connection. As far as removing DRM, I am not sure if legally we are allowed to discuss that on these forums. I guess it's up to mods to decide. Yes, there are ways to remove the DRM, but there may be publishers who browse these forums and they may take issue with it being openly discussed here. Just my 2 cents.
Mara wrote: "They have such a small memory that gets taken up by software that I don't use, then they won't work because they have no more room to do updates. "That is my issue with my Kindles, more so the 7". It is only 8gig of non-expandable memory. That was partitioned with 4 gig going for Amazon software use. There were apps loaded I would never use but could not uninstall. I filled what was left for personal use pretty quickly. I love the size and workings of it, but am to the point of having to delete items to load items doing that via wi-fi is a hassle. Though it works, it's no longer being updated so some apps don't work on it any more. (How sad it is that they're -- a lot of tech, really -- set up to be discarded as useless within a couple years of purchase.) However, reading on it (and occasionally playing, surfing, etc.) is still good.
My Nook Simple Touch has less internal memory, but at least is expandable via micro SD (though I don' think the newer simple Nooks are). I don't need to carry my entire library, but I like having a variety and more than enough for a few months' reading so I'm not constantly deleting and reloading.
If I were advising people on a new e-reader, I'd suggest an eInk version IF it had expandable memory. They're easy to use and look good in all lighting conditions (except darkness, of course! -- unless you get one that lights up). And, batteries don't need to be charged daily. I'd also look for one with both touch and external buttons for paging. Their drawback -- or not, depending how you look at it (no distractions) -- is that they're pretty much for reading only.
As with you, I'd also suggest they look into a tablet with expandable memory and load all the necessary reading apps. They may not do as well in sunlight, but having the added benefits (apps, internet surfing, streaming, etc.) would make up for that. There are some inexpensive tablets of varying sizes out there that would do the trick. (Sadly, at the cost of some of the higher end eInk and Paperwhite readers (expandable, waterproof, buttons, etc.), one could get a good Android Tablet with expandable memory and still have a lot left over for book purchases.)
Hi Karen. I forgot to mention that the brightness of the screen is adjustable and it only needs to be charged once or twice a week, depending on how much it is used. I use mine daily. In the reading app, you can adjust how the pages turn. I like the page curl myself. It is very much like turning pages in a book. It also gives an option of using the volume control button to turn pages. My husband is 88. He is computer illiterate, doesn't type, but has a little netbook that I bought and set up for him several years ago. His daughter e-mails him every day. He also gets email from several organizations to which he belongs. It has Windows 7 and will soon be unsupported by Microsoft, then anti-virus, etc. He has become used to reading on the Kindle or Kobo e-readers and has done okay. If there is a problem, he hands it over to me and I deal with it. He was head of the English Dept. in a large secondary high school, but has been retired for over thirty years. He still loves to read. He had used my tablet to read a few books and didn't get too frustrated. It was a try-out to see whether he would be happy with a tablet or whether I should replace his netbook with a Chromebook. With the tablet, he has has all the reading options as well as email, and it can be held easily and used while in his recliner, The Chromebook would basically be an update for his email. We saw that he was able to use the tablet with my help to bring up the apps. He will be able to do this himself fairly soon, he is just apprehensive of making a mistake. He likes that he is able to see the book covers in color and read synopsis of books, too. In the apps, the same as on the e-readers, the size of the type can be chosen, the brightness, even day or night settings, and how the pages turn. If it is an audible, (which we haven't used yet) there is an outlet for earphones or speaker. His birthday was near the end of October and there was a sale on the tablets, so I purchased one as a birthday/ Christmas gift for him. In the pre-black friday sales, I saw the same thing for another $50 off. I went back to the store with my receipt and they refunded me the $50.00 plus the tax on it. That brought the price down to about what I would have paid for an e-reader, and less than I would have paid for a Chromebook. I paid extra to get a mini-SD card and cover, but I ordered them from Amazon and got a really good price on them. It still came out to less than a Chromebook. After having previous Android tablets with only 8 GB of memory, I vowed never to buy anything less than 16GB again, 32 is much more to my liking. There are 64GB and 128GB tablets available, too, at a higher price, but the 32GB is very adequate with the 256 GB Mini SD card for our needs.
I am looking at getting me a new e-reader and I need recommendations.
I do not play games on my e-reader just books so I do not need anything fancy.
Thanks for your assistance and happy reading!