Book Blogger Hop: June 20th - 26th — Preferred Book Format

Hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly meme where our fellow blogger submit new topics and everyone joins in with their answers.

This Week's Topic/Question:

Do you prefer Nook, Kindle, other reader, or paper book?

My Answer:

I love books — I don't have a time to be what I call "paper purists." I will take books in any, and every, format I can get my paws on. I'm a book hoarder -- and proud!

I do, however, have a few strategies that I use that can affect the format I choose:

Nook: 

I own a Nook, so I'd say this was my preferred eBook reader. Until I got an iPhone, that is, and discovered how much better it fit in all my purses. I do use Nook iPhone app though. But the actual device stays at home. 

Kindle (via desktop/iPhone app): 

Since I have a Nook, I did not buy a Kindle. But I worship Amazon, so I take advantage of its iPhone app. Another reason I use this app is for the freebies. There are a lot of daily newsletters (BookBub, Book Gorilla & eReaderIQ Daily) that inform me about discounted & free ebooks you can get from Amazon. 

iPhone iBooks App: 

Any ebooks I did not get from Amazon, or buy on my Nook, are here. 

Audible (online & iPhone App: 

Like I said, I hardcore-love Amazon, so of course I'm on Audible. Audiobooks are magic; I'm obsessed with audiobooks and I don't get why people hate on them. Didn't you have a favorite book as a kid; didn't you love having your parents read to you? THAT'S why people like audiobooks. Sometimes you just want to be told a story, and a good storyteller should be appreciated and never passed by. To me that's who audiobook narrators are — superb storyteller. They breathe a different life into a book and make the characters come to life in a different way than in your mind. For me, it's not a matter of audiobooks being any better or worse than reading a story in a book, it's just a different experience.

Another good reason to choose audiobooks are for the harder narratives: written in a different time period or that uses language/slang that is not your own; non-fiction and/or autobiographies, Shakespeare and books that my book club picks that I have no interest in reading.   

For any of you audiobook virgins who want to give it a whirl, I'll recommend the book and narrator that made me fall in love with the format: Ready Player One by Ernie Cline, expertly read by Wil Wheaton. 

iPod Classic: 

I keep it old school; whatever audiobooks I didn't get through Audible go on my iPod Classic. I never upgraded; I take advantage of everyone one of those 160 GB, my friends. 

Purist Formats: 

Don't get me wrong. I might named a lot of electronic ways I experience books, but that's not the only way. There also are hardbacks and paperbacks spilling out of bags, covering all the surfaces of my apartment and falling out of my car. These books tend to be acquired from the library, independent bookstores and book swaps from my book club. Also, I've been going to a lot of book signings and have signed books in these formats.