Janie Grace Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 It's a Paperwhite. Do I want a case? What kind? Any special features that aren't self-evident? I'm super excited but pretty ignorant about e-readers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 First of all, you will LOVE it. I do have a thicker firm fabric case for mine...just bought it at Walmart when I got my kindle. I do like the case. I will try to link later some sites for free books. Depending on what genres you like and your tolerance (or intolerance) for "adult" scenes, you might find a ton of free books or just a few. Often I will find 1-2 good ones out of the 100 listed for free.....but that is still way better than none. I have rad a lot of books I would never even have heard about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I like my case because I can just toss my Kindle in my bag and not worry about it. I have a photo of myself reading it under water. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00RZQEA62/ref=ya_aw_oh_bia_dp?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you have prime you get to borrow one book a month from the Kindle owners lending library. You can change the font size by moving your fingers together or apart on the screen. You can change it to widescreen reading. Learn how to use the Kindle flash cards. There's a highlighting feature and you can access your highlights online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store/zgbs/digital-text/ref=zg_bs_fvp_p_f_digital-text?_encoding=UTF8&tf=1 Here is a link to the top 100 Free Kindle books. This selection can change hourly, daily, etc....while some stay on here for weeks. If you click on the left and then ebooks you can further refine the type of books by genre, interest, etc. I have gotten a lot of great books this way. Sometimes you have to wade through 99 ones that don't fit your reading requirements to find the 1 gem. Other times I can find several that look great. If avoiding explicit scenes is something you want to do, you can sometimes tell by the title or cover. Many times the description will mention if there are explicit scenes, lots of language, etc. I also check the 2 and 3 star ratings for comments as often they will say if this is a problem. If all else fails, with a free kindle book you just hit delete if something comes up you don't want to read......or even if the book just doesn't interest you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 First of all, you will LOVE it. I do have a thicker firm fabric case for mine...just bought it at Walmart when I got my kindle. I do like the case. I will try to link later some sites for free books. Depending on what genres you like and your tolerance (or intolerance) for "adult" scenes, you might find a ton of free books or just a few. Often I will find 1-2 good ones out of the 100 listed for free.....but that is still way better than none. I have rad a lot of books I would never even have heard about. Oh wow... there are more stores than just Amazon/Kindle Store (are those two the same)? I don't mind some adult content but I am not into romance as a genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Oh wow... there are more stores than just Amazon/Kindle Store (are those two the same)? I don't mind some adult content but I am not into romance as a genre. The link I gave is for the Kindle store but makes it so much easier to find the FREE books. By clicking ebooks on the left you can go to specific genres. Sometimes they put things in weird spots but it is a good basic guideline to help you find books that might interest you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I'd definitely get a cover or case, even if you only use it when you're taking the Kindle with you and take it off/out to read. There are a lot of different kinds available, and what works best depends on the user. It doesn't need to be as protective as a phone or iPad case, so just get something that you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 I'd definitely get a cover or case, even if you only use it when you're taking the Kindle with you and take it off/out to read. There are a lot of different kinds available, and what works best depends on the user. It doesn't need to be as protective as a phone or iPad case, so just get something that you like. So I've been looking at a bunch online (Amazon, etsy) and I am wondering if I want a case (where you actually keep the reader in it with velcro or corner tabs) or a sleeve. I kind of like how light and slim it is just to hold the Kindle... thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 You can get advanced copies from netgalley.com, and of course anything in the public domain from project gutenberg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I don't think anyone has mentioned the library yet. Check with your library system to see if they have Overdrive, which is the platform used to loan ebooks. I love the freedom of borrowing library books from my computer while wearing my pj's. :) 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 I don't think anyone has mentioned the library yet. Check with your library system to see if they have Overdrive, which is the platform used to loan ebooks. I love the freedom of borrowing library books from my computer while wearing my pj's. :) Ooooooooh, that sounds awesome. Off to check out their site... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I like a case, I find it easier to hold the kindle with a bit of friction from the case. And mine is magnetic, so when I open the case it turns on my kindle, and off when I close the case. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Oh, and I love the dictionary feature, so that if I don't know a word I just touch it and it pulls up the definition. And for books with lots of characters, if the book is xray enabled I can click on the character and refresh my memory as to who they are. It brings up a list of other times they were mentioned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Check out the Kindle daily deals (you can get a daily email). That's how I get most of my books. Most of the daily book deals are $1.99, but some are more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 In addition to all the recommendations already posted, here is a site with daily deals, but I mostly click on the free category near the bottom on the left. You can also customize the suggestions. https://www.bookbub.com/home 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Amazon also has an editor's list of soon to be published books that they put out each month, and you can pick a book each month for free! Kindle First 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I have this cover http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G8ZFP24?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage. It works well and has protected my Kindle from many drops. It is also cheap. The not really leather has held up pretty well. It is almost two years old and is just starting to show wear. (The pleather on the outside edge has come off. You can't actually even tell when you look at it. I only know because I peeled the loose strip off.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 (edited) You can use a quart size Ziploc as a waterproof case for reading in the tub. On the Kindle store page, click on the link for Whispersync for Voice. This has Kindle books and their corresponding Audible audiobooks. There is a list of free public domain kindle books with low cost audiobooks. There is also a link for one free book and audiobook each month. (Although lately they've been taking longer to put up a new book.) Edited December 26, 2015 by melbotoast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 My other hint is to ALWAYS take it with you when you leave the house. Today I drove 35 minutes away to bring foster DS to a visit. There is a store right by the meet up place I want to go...but they don't open for an hour. I forgot to grab my kindle so now I need to figure out what to do for an hour. If I had my book I would go into a local fast food place, get something to drink and enjoy reading in the quiet for an hour. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Oh, and get a square trade warranty on it! I broke mine once, and square trade sent me the money to replace it, no questions asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Ottakee, my next project is to change my purse. I need one to fit my new kindle paperwhite. The paperwhite is smaller than I anticipated, but my purse was too small to fit it! :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 (edited) A word of caution about free Kindle books. When I got my first Kindle I went crazy getting free books. After a while I stopped because I realized that most are poorly written, full of mistakes for lack of a real editor, and some are even poorly formatted. There are a few gems. The Silo Saga (3 book series) and The Martian come to mind*. However, many are a waste of time. I don't grab the free ones anymore unless they have decent reviews or are classics. When I want to read a Kindle book for free, I borrow it from the library.YMMV *Of course these aren't free anymore now that they've achieved popularity. Edited December 26, 2015 by Lady Florida 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 A word of caution about free Kindle books. When I got my first Kindle I went crazy getting free books. After a while I stopped because I realized that most are poorly written, full of mistakes for lack of a real editor, and some are even poorly formatted. There are a few gems. The Silo Saga (3 book series) and The Martian come to mind*. However, many are a waste of time. I don't grab the free ones anymore unless they have decent reviews or are classics. When I want to read a Kindle book for free, I borrow it from the library.YMMV *Of course these aren't free anymore now that they've achieved popularity. I realized this pretty quickly. Even if they have decent reviews, I know that many self-published authors have networks of other authors (and friends) who write glowing reviews in exchange for the same. It is all about gaming the Amazon reviewing system, it seems. I think I will stick to critically reviewed books. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 In addition to all the recommendations already posted, here is a site with daily deals, but I mostly click on the free category near the bottom on the left. You can also customize the suggestions. https://www.bookbub.com/home I was just going to come here to post this as well. I get emails from them daily with free books. For me, 90%+ are not books I would want to read, but I do find some gems in there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I was an early Kindle user. Back then there were many really good free books from the major publishers (not self published drivel). If an author was getting ready to release a new book, the publisher would often make an older book by the same author free to help drum up interest. Or the first book in a series would be offered for free. It was great. I miss it. :( 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 If you have the budget, Kindle Unlimited is about $10 a month and there are a lot of REALLY GOOD books on there that you can then borrow for free. Books published by big houses, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I realized this pretty quickly. Even if they have decent reviews, I know that many self-published authors have networks of other authors (and friends) who write glowing reviews in exchange for the same. It is all about gaming the Amazon reviewing system, it seems. I think I will stick to critically reviewed books. Yes! Look for reviews outside of Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 If you want to manage your own ebooks instead of letting them live in Amazon's cloud (and possibly be edited, deleted, etc.) Calibre is an awesome free ebook management program. http://calibre-ebook.com/ If you have a lot of ebooks, it's handy to have the ability to add your own tags, sort books by series, convert them to other file types, etc. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Yes! Look for reviews outside of Amazon. :iagree: I spent $4.99 on an ebook from Amazon a couple weeks ago that had five stars and was, I'm fairly certain, written by a spambot. It was four hundred pages of nonsensical word vomit. They really need to up their quality control on self-published books. It's getting ridiculous. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 On the Kindle store page, click on the link for Whispersync for Voice. This has Kindle books and their corresponding Audible audiobooks. There is a list of free public domain kindle books with low cost audiobooks. There is also a link for one free book and audiobook each month. (Although lately they've been taking longer to put up a new book.) Whispersync for Voice Adding a link for OP since that makes it easier to find. I have one of those cheap ($10?) magnetic covers for mine that turn it on/off. I like it even though it makes it thicker. I set up folders on the Kindle for the kids & for my "next reads" and "to read later" books. When I'm done, it makes it easy to have the next book ready to go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Dh, ds, and I all have this cover for our Kindles and we like it. Weirdly, some colors cost more than others. It is magnetic and automatically puts the Kindle to sleep and wakes it up (though you still have to swipe to open the home page). I like to read when I'm eating alone, and I can stand the Kindle up while I do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I got my kindle a few years ago and it's still "naked". I've never had an issue. It does look slightly beat-up, but not too bad. You can turn off a setting somewhere so that it doesn't refresh the screen with each page turn, and that makes pages turns slightly quicker and I've never noticed a decrease in readability. Can't remember what the setting is called though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 :iagree: I spent $4.99 on an ebook from Amazon a couple weeks ago that had five stars and was, I'm fairly certain, written by a spambot. It was four hundred pages of nonsensical word vomit. They really need to up their quality control on self-published books. It's getting ridiculous. You may already know this, but in case anybody here doesn't, you can return ebooks for a refund. I have done it before when the book I got was no more than a glorified blog post and commercial for a diet. I mostly get the books that are only temporarily free. Those are usually better than the ones that are always free. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I got my kindle a few years ago and it's still "naked". I've never had an issue. It does look slightly beat-up, but not too bad. I kept my first Kindle - the 3rd generation Kindle Keyboard - naked. Then it slipped out of my hands and flipped over in a freak sort of way, hit the corner of the table and cracked the screen. When I bought my Paperwhite I immediately bought a case. I take it out of the case when I read in bed, but all other locations get the case. The Paperwhite is a bit easier to grip though because it has a more of a non-slip back. The earlier models were plastic all around and were easier to drop. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Another reason to have a cover is that it makes it easier for me to find my Kindle. I choose a color that is not present in my home, so when I scan a room, my Kindle is easy to spot. This is usually a color I don't particularly like, so it pops. I discovered that dark or neutral colors blend into the background, which is not a good thing when I've misplaced my Kindle. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 What I've never understood is how/whether I can get publicly-available works (Gutenberg, etc) onto my Kindle Paperwhite, and how. I've downloaded some free classics through the Kindle store, but I don't know if I can do more than that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I have one - a case that just folds under when reading is good. I usually get samples for books and delete them if they are obviously awful. I have not worked out how to get non amazon books in kindle format onto my kindle yet although I have got pdf books on by emailing them to my kindle email address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I have one - a case that just folds under when reading is good. I usually get samples for books and delete them if they are obviously awful. I have not worked out how to get non amazon books in kindle format onto my kindle yet although I have got pdf books on by emailing them to my kindle email address. Kindle email address? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Kindle email address? Every Kindle e-reader or Fire is assigned one. You should be able to find it somewhere in your settings or on your Amazon account info. I think. I've never actually used any of mine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I LOVE our library's Overdrive system. I hardly ever buy ebooks or audiobooks because between my library's system and the system of another library where I pay to have a card, I can find way more than enough to read and listen to. Here's my tip: Close your Kindle cover when you're not using your Kindle or when carrying it in your purse. I have a bad habit of leaving the cover open (it has an elastic band that holds it back), and now my Paperwhite screen has several nicks and tiny cracks that are fairly distracting when reading. They don't stop me from using my Kindle, but I do have to make a concerted effort to ignore them at the start of a reading session (I can successfully tune them out after that). Enjoy your new toy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 (edited) What I've never understood is how/whether I can get publicly-available works (Gutenberg, etc) onto my Kindle Paperwhite, and how. I've downloaded some free classics through the Kindle store, but I don't know if I can do more than that. Besides the email address mentioned above (which I never use), you can download the kindle version to your computer and transfer via usb. That is what I have always done. Here is an example of a book at Gutenberg. You will see the choices, two of which are for the Kindle. Just click on your choice and it will download it to wherever you have downloads set to go on your computer. Then hook your Kindle to the computer via usb and you should be able to drag and drop the book onto it. The email addy can be found under the devices tab under "manage your content and devices" at Amazon. It is also in your Kindle settings somewhere. It is typically just your email address that is associated with your Amazon account, but ends in kindle.com instead of yahoo or whatever. You can change it if you want. As I said, I never use it. Edited December 27, 2015 by VaKim 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 If you haven't already purchased a cover, try eBay. I purchased a thin hard plastic one that is magnetic (turns itself on and off) from China for $8; it didn't even take long to arrive and I love. The cheapest local one I could find was bulky and about $40. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I just found out that you can loan and borrow books from friends who have Kindles. Not all books are loan-able and those that are may only be loaned once period of two weeks but it's a great way to share books with friends. You must be careful, though, not to borrow a book you cannot finish in the two week period as once that 14th day is over the book is removed from your list and 'returns' to the owner and you cannot borrow it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 My sister sent me all of her kindle book collection through something called "we transfer". I currently have 800+ books. Let's just say she's a woman of few hobbies, and is a D.I.N.K. person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Yes to downloading Calibre - I do it on my laptop. It was relatively easy to use & it will convert PDF's & other formats to work on your kindle. My dd got a Fire for Christmas & she has been going crazy finding new books to add. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I second overdrive through your library. I borrow the vast majority of kindle books I read. Hint: if you are a slow reader like me, put the kindle into airplane mode to prevent books from getting returned before you've finished them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 (edited) I second overdrive through your library. I borrow the vast majority of kindle books I read. Hint: if you are a slow reader like me, put the kindle into airplane mode to prevent books from getting returned before you've finished them. :iagree: I was just going to post this. Yes, if you need longer to read a borrowed book, just don't connect to the internet until you are finished. It can only be removed by internet connection. My librarian friend taught me this. :) Editing to add, I keep it in airplane mode (internet off) unless I am putting a new book on. The battery lasts much longer that way. Edited December 28, 2015 by VaKim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Editing to add, I keep it in airplane mode (internet off) unless I am putting a new book on. The battery lasts much longer that way. :iagree: I don't usually need to have my Kindle connected to the internet other than when I'm downloading books. The rare exceptions are if I'm reading a book where I want to use the translation or Wikipedia features. For looking things up though, I usually just have my phone near me when I'm reading and use it to look up what I want to know. Translation is only needed if I'm reading certain classics where they assume everyone speaks and reads French. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaSprout Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Old thread alert! I do a lot of .pdf reading on my treadmill. I have an iPad mini, but really like the borrowed kindle paper white I have this week. I spend too much time in front of screens. If I send my .pdf files by the email address to the paper white, will that be workable? I want to be able to highlight and clip. They are mostly journal articles with small print, so zooming in would be necessary (I don't have the email for the borrowed kindle). I tried it from my gmail account to the browser and it wouldn't open. If I can email right to a kindle from my student canvas account (I'm graduate student), then it would be a worthwhile purchase. If it's a multi-step thing though caliber it wouldn't. DC likes the paper white for reading in the car, but I can't justify another gadget for that! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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