Living in Israel, I sometimes find it difficult to get my hands on certain books in English. New books are exorbitantly priced - from what I've heard, local bookstores are controlled by some sort of cartel that sets prices artificially high.
Used books are priced high, too. There is no such thing as a used book for a quarter here (oh, how I miss those deals). Every so often I buy a book at the local secondhand shop for 10 shekels, but most of the time, used books in English are priced at 20 shekels and up. And internet shops with free shipping, like BetterWorldBooks.com
and Book Depository are great, but lately their prices have been creeping higher. Globally, prices for nearly everything have been creeping higher.Enter the Kindle
.My boys were gifted Kindles - the really simple kind
- about a year ago. While we have had a little bit of bad luck with breakage, Amazon customer support has been amazing! Now we download lots of books - usually the cheap or free ones, but once in a while something new and popular too! We now have an endless supply of reading material available (just not for Shabbat)! And we don't have to wait for a shipment to arrive.So yes, perhaps I spend a lot of time searching for worthwhile free books on Kindle (they come and go really quickly), but I have been very very happy to do it.
There are email lists to which you can subscribe and hear about free or discounted books.
ReplyDeleteTry Book Basset, or Book Gorilla.
Thanks! I subscribe to several already, but I'll check those out too!
DeleteIf you still have a valid US library card you can borrow ebooks from the library
ReplyDeleteMine is long expired - the one we belonged to required proof of residency every year. And I haven't been successful using a borrowed card. But I'll try again!
DeleteI love mine too... we are a 4 Kindle family at the moment - 2 keyboards and 2 kindle fires (I have one of each).. and now am craving the Kindle Fire HD which I might just get especially since my kids keep taking the Kindle Fire.
ReplyDeleteI get books from the US Public Libraries as well as getting "free books" on Amazon when they are promoted. I could not imagine life without it. I still have a massive pile of paperbacks to get through - for Shabbat and the pool.
Nice! If you are going to buy another... please use my Amazon links! No extra cost to you, and I get a small commission!
DeleteThanks!
My Kindle has saved my life! I can't live without books!
ReplyDelete