Fantasy Aficionados discussion

I own a ereader…and a few bookshelves. I love the feel of physical books but ereaders are better for my space allowance. Since I love both…how to make the decision to buy a DTB or an ebook??

Example:

I want to complete the Green’s Secret Histories (I need Daemons Are Forever and From Hell With Love). The books are pubbed by Agency 6 (but it’s Penguin).

Should I:
-buy the ebooks for $7.99 from Penguin + sales tax (I received a 10% discount for my previous issues as can be seen here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...) This would also allow me to go buck wild at Penguin buying other Mercedes Lackey ebooks so I can drop my 10% discount on them all…but I’d told myself never to buy another Penguin ebook after the activity on the thread mentioned above.

- Buy the MMPBs from Amazon for $7.99 ea (it is Agency 6 after all)

- Buy the ebooks for $7.99 ea from Kobo (+ international transaction fee + sales tax)

- Buy the paperbacks from a local vendor (if they have it…bookstores aren’t well stocked around here, I’d more than likely have to find a B&N somewhere) for $7.99 + tax

I also want to read the Peter Grant Series: http://www.goodreads.com/series/51937...
Rivers of London/ Midnight Riot
Moon Over Soho

I am 100% buying the physical of Moon Over Soho because I want that cover (long story) but the other one? Meh, I can take or leave the cover. The Peter Grant series is pubbed by Del Ray/Random House (Agency 6) so I can:

- Buy the ebook for $7.99 from Kobo (+ international transaction fee + sales tax)

- Buy the Paperback from Amazon for $7.99 (typically I don’t pay sales tax with Amazon but I’m not sure about Agency 6 – I think they have to charge sales tax for that now)

- Buy the paperback from a local vendor (if they have it…bookstores aren’t well stocked around here, I’d more than likely have to find a B&N somewhere) for $7.99 + tax


What would you do?

MrsJoseph wrote: "I own a ereader…and a few bookshelves. I love the feel of physical books but ereaders are better for my space allowance. Since I love both…how to make the decision to buy a DTB or an ebook??

E..."

I prefer having pb and hb myself until they can get rid of the eyestrain involved with the e-readers.

Will you ever want to read them on holiday...? That's one major advantage of electronic books :)

MrsJ, I love the 4 for 3 promotions they have on Amazon for paperbacks. I am thinking the first two at least should be eligible.

I am more of a paperback girl when it comes to my collectible authors like SRG, so I'd say go with the PB.

I'm excited to read the Peter Grant series myself. I already own the first book. :)

I almost always purchase epubs first and then buy the hardcovers if I enjoyed them enough to add to my physical library. The only exceptions are my "buy on sight" authors like Rothfuss, Butcher, Erikson etc. I always purchase advance hardcover copies before bothering with an ePub for them :)

Rachel wrote:"Will you ever want to read them on holiday...? That's one major advantage of electronic books :) "

Depends on what kind of holiday - I wouldn't want to take my Kindle to the beach or to the pool, as I wouldn't want to leave it lying around when I went for a dip in the sea or the pool. Also, wouldn't want to get any sand or suncream on my nice piece of electronic kit! Still, would be nice to have the Kindle to read on the plane or in the hotel - save the paperback for the beach!:-)

I do read on holiday but not as much...I love beach holidays so the idea of taking my reader onto the beach and leaving it there for a swim isn't a comfy feeling...

Tough question.

You could do as some others do. Buy the PB and pirate the ebook...

Personally, I prefer PB. I love actually holding the book instead of flicking through them, like on an ereader. I've got very few HB's so they're not that heavy.

I enjoy my e-reader but I do feel a sort of disconnect to the books I read on it. I like it for quick and easy reads. But I miss the feel of holding the book, flipping the pages, seeing how many pages I have read (there's something satisfying to me in that and the way e-readers count pages just isn't the same) and I miss covers! Sometimes cover art is what brings me to the book to start. If the cover is interesting I find myself looking at it throughout reading. The outside of my closet is full of pictures I have taken of the covers of my favorites.

Well, I think I'm over getting the cover for Moon over Soho - it's been changed :0(

I think I'll get the MMPB of the Peter Grant series since they will cost more for the eversions once I toss in the kobo international transaction fee...

I'm still debating with the penguin books - they really pissed me off but a 10% discount is rather seductive.

Weenie wrote: "Rachel wrote:"Will you ever want to read them on holiday...? That's one major advantage of electronic books :) "

Depends on what kind of holiday - I wouldn't want to take my Kindle to the beach or..."

Ziploc bags. I read in the bathtub all the time and larger freezer bags work great! :D

Also, I LOVE my kindle. I have probably 10 boxes overflowing with books that I want to get rid of now that I have my kindle, plus a bookcase of books I want to keep and possibly lend out. My kindle lets me take all my favorite books and new ones and a friggin store with me where ever I go. Honestly, I only have 2 issues with it:
1)The lack of quick and easy organization
2)I'm much worse at remembering which books and authors I liked, so its harder for me to follow up on them.

Jason wrote: "Tough question.

You could do as some others do. Buy the PB and pirate the ebook..."

It would be terribly nice if amazon and other ebook sellers would let you download the electronic version if you buy the paperback version from them.

Umm, Jessica...what books do you have in those boxes? :-D

Jessica wrote: "Jason wrote: "Tough question.

You could do as some others do. Buy the PB and pirate the ebook..."

It would be terribly nice if amazon and other ebook sellers would let you download the electroni..."

I totally agree!

But then they wouldn't be fleecing their most important clients.

No to ebooks! I dont care if they are the coming trend, the next big thing, I will remain my happy, Luddite self (in this one instance) and but and read REAL books...

Traci wrote: "I enjoy my e-reader but I do feel a sort of disconnect to the books I read on it. I like it for quick and easy reads. But I miss the feel of holding the book, flipping the pages, seeing how many pa..."

I have to agree with you, Traci. My possessive nature demands that I own a physical copy of books I love.

I do have love my DTBs, too. :-) I'm open to both - I'd love to own every ML book ever written in both formats (but she's too prolific for that).

I would like to get all the Anne Stuart books on my Kindle and in paperback, so I feel you, MrsJ.

I bought my first kindle in August 08. I was traveling for 2wks to a month at at time and it was burdensome carrying enough books overseas to keep me reading (I read about 10 books a month).

At the time I had a library of about 2000 paper titles. In the past year, I've cut my paper library in half but I have some I still want - and I continue to buy some in paper but most of my purchases are ebooks.

I don't think you have to do one or the other. If you want it in paper, then buy paper. I prefer ebooks for everyday reading and reserve paper for out of print books or my favorite authors - who I try to buy as first editions anyways ...

Geoffrey I agree that ebook technology is a good adjunct to paperbooks. I find a lot of free, and often obscure, out of print books to read, and it's great to have the Kindle merely for that. Also, there are a lot of indie writers that are putting their books out as ebooks. I totally would have missed out on reading them were it not my being open to ebook reading.

Jessica wrote: "Jason wrote: "Tough question.

You could do as some others do. Buy the PB and pirate the ebook..."

It would be terribly nice if amazon and other ebook sellers would let you download the electroni..."

Seconded! Also, our house is absolutely full of books, and it would cost us thousands to replace them all with electronic copies (so we won't). I really don't believe you should have to buy the same thing many times in different formats. I felt the same when I went over to digital music - and at least it's easier to convert a CD into MP3s, digitising a book is not trivial!

I made a promise on my novel's website that I'll provide a download code for anyone buying the paperback (and, similarly, to provide alternate formats for free if someone buys e.g. Kindle and then switches to a different kind of reader). Only a couple of people have taken me up on it so far.

That's a great idea, Rachel! Too bad a lot of authors don't do the same.

I agree, Rachel. Awesome offer!

I love having both versions, although I must admit, for my favorite books there's something about owning the hardcover copy that feels good.

Hardcovers do feel...decadent sometimes. :-)


I have a rule - if its hb and on sale and looks good - it gets purchased! (Even if I've never read the author before)

I love hardbacks, the size, the feel of them in your hands, the smell...

For me, nothing beats the smell of brand new books, its one of the many reasons that I love reading.

I'm moving my personal library over to digital to save space in our apartment. I will miss the smell of a new book, but I won't miss hunting my shelves for the other half of the book I am re-reading that I have already read into pieces! LOL My husband put a ban on hard covers long ago - he got tired of rolling over onto them in the middle of the night! I often fall asleep with books in bed! So far, the transition has been smooth, and I remember to turn it off and put it on my nightstand before I fall asleep. So, I would vote for digital as I just love mine and my library will be endless when I really get rolling on my shopping!

I love both. But, yeah, books do indeed take up too much space. I have to limit my own physical library to favorites. The rest are all on ebooks.

Oh I love my hardcovers. They're my sweet, sweet babies. I seriously have a fire escape plan than goes family, books, pets, self. With a double check for my books before self.

Jessica wrote:"Ziploc bags. I read in the bathtub all the time and larger freezer bags work great! :D"

Lol, brilliant idea, thanks! I mean the bags, not reading in the bath bit!

MrsJoseph wrote: "I have a rule - if its hb and on sale and looks good - it gets purchased! (Even if I've never read the author before)"

I like that rule. :D

Grant wrote: "Oh I love my hardcovers. They're my sweet, sweet babies. I seriously have a fire escape plan than goes family, books, pets, self. With a double check for my books before self."

OMG! LOL! Books before pets, Grant? You have a gazillon books...

Grant wrote: "Oh I love my hardcovers. They're my sweet, sweet babies. I seriously have a fire escape plan than goes family, books, pets, self. With a double check for my books before self."

I know. With digital collection methods, I'm not even so worried about rescuing the family photos anymore. Of course...my house is made out of concrete block...so if anythings burning in it...it's probably going to be the books. WaHHHHH

Excuse me while I go curl up into a ball.

Jessica wrote: "It would be terribly nice if amazon and other ebook sellers would let you download the electroni..."

Oooooo I would seriously buy more hardcovers if publishers did something like that. As it is...unless it's a new Stephen King or a Wheel of Time book...I don't have room for the hardcover.

but i'd MAKE room.

Surprising ways that paper books annoy me after six months of owning a nook:

1. The viewing angle changes from page to page. With an ebook, you're always looking directly at the text.

2. Flipping a page seems way too strenuous now.

3. The weight distribution of the book in your hand slowly changes as you read it.

4. My cat keeps stealing my bookmarks.

Hey I would like to put out that pets came before self. I'm not That evil! lol

Steve wrote "My cat keeps stealing my bookmarks.

Lol..okay that's pretty dang funny :)

Grant wrote: "Hey I would like to put out that pets came before self. I'm not That evil! lol

Steve wrote "My cat keeps stealing my bookmarks.

Lol..okay that's pretty dang funny :)"

Can't you put a stack of books under one arm and a pet under the other? SOrta like two fisting but without the drinks...

We got Kindle about a year or so ago, but we barely use it. The thought was that it would curtail me from buying so many physical books, but that hasn't happened. It's not actually mine, so maybe if I had one of my own, I'd get more e-books, but I still like the actual book. If a book I want to read is coming out in hardcopy, I buy it that way. I'm really not a very patient person when it comes to books. If I want to read it, I buy it. I guess I should use the library more. It'd save me a bundle of money.

I always wonder how many books I'd be able to cram in my car if I had to evacuate my house. (You'd better believe I'd try to get as many as I could.) Even thinking about my books burning makes me sad. I would hate to lose my collection.

Oh yeah, plus I suscribe to the Easton Press and am adding a bunch of really nice leather editions to my collection. Mostly classics right now, but I'm eyeing the science fiction collection they do.

@Ameila - now why would you go and do a thing like that??! I've always tried to avoid learning who makes the best collectors editions...now I'm feeling the need to buy: http://www.eastonpressbooks.com/leath...

:-)

That looks like a great set. They are such pretty books to have on my shelf. I haven't decided if I actually will read any of my pretty leather copies or just leave them pristine.

See, if I buy those I really need to buy two sets: 1 for me and 1 for my mom...

It does look lovely, doesn't it?

Beautiful books. I wonder if you can get leather-bound Fantasy novels anywhere

They only have a small amount here...I would be interested in others...

I would too. You're the Internet search guru, MrsJ. Find us some leather-bound fantasy to swoon over :)

Yeah, the Easton Press is lacking in fantasy books. I wish they had a collection with fantasy books. They have one signed science fiction, but I read much more fantasy than sci fi.

If you find a good one, Mrs.J let me know too. I'd love to get some of those in my collection.

Grant wrote: "I would too. You're the Internet search guru, MrsJ. Find us some leather-bound fantasy to swoon over :)"

Well, there is this: http://www.biblio.com/bookstore/new-b...

and this: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/
where I found these:
McCaffrey: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/a...
Melville: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/a...
Le Guin: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/a...
Lewis: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/b...
JK Rowling: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/a...
Cherryh: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/a...
Carroll: http://www.leatherboundtreasure.com/b...


There! Find the next set. Someone find me some Lackey!

Good searching. In your first link, there was some Mercedes Lackey - the Arrows trilogy.

I love Lackey too. I've read all of her Valdemar books and own them all - mostly mmp.

I also love, love Robin McKinley, especially her older stuff. In fact my email id - Narknon - comes from the Blue Sword. I was disappointed with Pegasus though. I so didn't expect it to be only part of a story. (She never writes sequels.)