Ebooks vs. Print Books

I will never forget the year that I got my very first Kindle.

My husband and I were eating dinner with my faculty and staff from work and one of my coworkers said, "So Jennie, how do you feel about these new Kindle things?" That was the very first year of the Kindle ... hence "Kindle things." With my husband sitting right next to me I said, "I don't want one of those. I would definitely miss my books too much, so I don't think that I would ever get one."

I am sure that you see where this story is going. Guess what I got for Christmas? You guessed it... A brand new Kindle. Chris later told me that it had come the day of the dreaded conversation. Oh the irony, right?

I kid you not, it sat in its box for over a year. I couldn't bring myself to touch it. It felt like I was betraying my children. You should have seen the day I had to pack up books and put them in the attic to make room for toys. I cried. Chris laughed. Opening that box and pulling the dreaded Kindle out meant that I was cheating those books out of being flipped through, my nose going straight into them and smelling the fresh ink, and the joy of curling up on the couch with my blanket and book in front of the fire. I couldn't do it.

A little over a year after I got it I felt like it was taunting me so I opened the box. I moved slowly with it. Working my way up to using it more than once a week, I found that it was actually a little enjoyable to use. Again, the sense of cheating ripped through me so I quit reading on it for a few months. Finally, I had a great friend introduce me to the fact that I could get my romance novels (some were even FREE) and keep them on my Kindle. Well that was all it took. Everyone has something they read or do simply because they need a break... my thing is reading trashy romance novels.

Fast forward another year to today. You rarely see me with out my Kindle and a YA book. My purse is large and most people say, "oh it's because you are a mom of little kids," to which my husband says, "No; she has to carry around all of those books!" He just doesn't understand.

I believe that there are pros and cons to the ereadership that is becoming a phenomenon. I had quite a few students receive a Kindle for Christmas this year and they love them. I have helped them find sites for free books and showed them all kinds of tricks with them. No... I haven't shared my trashy romance novels with them. I do have a much wider range of reading material on my Kindle now that I have decided to embrace it! My uncle's school even has all of there textbooks on Kindle's. Each student has one! He told me a few months back that now the problem they are having is that the students have figured out how to get around the blocks and download books... GOD FORBID THEY READ!!! haha!!

Here are some of the pros and cons (in my opinion) of the ereaders and ebooks:

Pros
- Teenagers will read more because it is technology. If it is remotely techno they love it and this gets them involved in reading in a whole new way.

- The ability to instantly have a book you want and not have to wait to go to the bookstore because it is 1 am! (Not that I have ever done that before)

- Portability. You can take it anywhere! Get a cover and put it in your purse, book bag, briefcase or diaper bag. It can fit wherever you go. Some books are big and bulky and this eliminates that problem.

- Notes and highlights can be made. As you are reading you can make notes, highlight passages or bookmark something to come back to it. Yes, you can do that with print books but some print books (textbooks, books from the library, etc.) that you are reading don't have options like that.

Cons
- The loss of print. No more smelling books :(

- When you meet an author, you have nothing for them to sign. What are you going to say, "Hey, can you sign my Kindle?!" Yeah... NO!

- Not everything is available in ebook format right now. Granted, this "con" will eventually go away, but it is an issue right now.

- When is the last time you had to charge your book to read it? Get my point. Sometimes you forget to plug it in and you are right at a good part, laying in your bed, and then everything goes black. Oops!



Though there are pros and cons to this argument, I have to admit that I am leaning more towards the pro side. I will never stop purchasing print books no matter what though. One thing that does peak my interest is the concept of author royalties when it comes to ebooks.
HERE is an article about the pros and cons of ebooks and print books from the publishing standpoint. And THIS article says that authors earn more with ebooks. "Writers get between 40 and 70% for every eBook sold." I'll have to do more research!

I hope that I have brought some things to light for your when it comes to ebooks and ereaders. I am obviously a fan of the Kindle. Chris bought me a new one this year for Christmas and I love it even more!! I will continue to post free ebooks that I find on here when I find them. Just letting you in on my secret... here are the two sites who keep me posted on the freebies.

EReaderIQ

BooksOnTheKnob

Here is a great video that shows you all you need to know about the newest Kindle.


I would love to know what you think so let me know! Happy reading all!

Haunted (Dreaming Anastasia 2) by Joy Preble

Haunted (Dreaming Anastasia #2)

by Joy Preble

Genre: YA Historical/Paranormal/Romance

Pages: Paperback, 320 pages

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (February 1, 2011)

Anne Michaelson’s world turned upside down last fall when a handsome, blue-eyed and temporarily immortal Russian named Ethan informed her that she had a destiny to save the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, held captive for decades by the witch Baba Yaga. But Anastasia had her own thoughts about destiny. And Anne and Ethan discovered that some things aren’t so easily undone. Now, six months later, the craziness in Anne’s world hasn’t gone away. Neither have her feelings for Ethan. Anne still has powers she doesn’t fully understand. She’s still dreaming about Baba Yaga’s forest. And she’s got a new boyfriend – very normal and very sweet lifeguard, Ben Logan. As for Ethan, well, he hasn’t quite gotten over the events of last fall, either. And he definitely hasn’t gotten over Anne. In short, everyone’s haunted by something – or someone.

Enter the rusalka – a Russian folklore mermaid with a malevolent streak - and a particular interest in Anne. When Ethan suddenly returns from Europe, Anne’s world collides with the paranormal once again. Her heart torn between Ben and Ethan, Anne’s search for the rusalka’s identity reveals deep and startling secrets - including the true source of Anne’s powers.

Like Dreaming Anastasia, Haunted is a wild adventure of a tale, a genre blend of fantasy, folklore and romance.

What an amazing follow up to a debut. This novel, just like its predecessor, was not a disappointment. There are brand new elements to the history introduced and themes revisited from the first book. Anne and Ethan have learned a lot from them and are at a new place in their lives. They quickly find out, though, that it isn’t always easy to move on as they both think that they can do.

Preble has given us another novel that leaves us looking at the clock and realizing it is two a.m. and when we finish… drooling for more! (My tweet to her when I finished was begging for info on the next one… I simply got the release date! HahaJ) Tess has to be one of my favorite characters. She is the best friend we all have and I can hear her voice so well throughout this novel. Secondary characters are often overlooked but Tess makes sure that we all remember her and I love her all the more for it!

Haunted will hit book shelves February 1, 2011 so make sure to check it out!

Visit Joy Preble HERE to find out more about her and her novels.

Happy reading everyone!

100 + Reading Challenge

Last year was a crazy year and I was disappointed in myself for not doing so many posts. I swear it wasn't because I wasn't reading! So this year, I will be better about it. I am, once again, going to participate in Home Girl's Book Blog 100+ Books Challenge... this year I will get it! Click HERE for more details about the challenge. She also has 25, 50 and 75 book challenges this year!

I have a mix of YA Novels, Children's Books, Adult Novels and Professional resources that I will be listing. I will keep track of all reads here. Let me know if you are participating too! Happy reading all :)

1. Haunted by Joy Preble (review here)
2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review here)
3. When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Munoz Ryan
4. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
6. The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
7. Storm Runners by Roland Smith (review here)
8. I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (review here)
9. House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
10. Beastly by Alex Flinn (review here)
11. Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney
12. Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
13. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (review here)
14. Stellaluna by Jannel Cannon
15. The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton
16. The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks
17. No Place to Run by Maya Banks
18. Hidden Away by Maya Banks
19. The Frog Prince, Continued by John Scieszka, Steve Johnson
20. Marty McGuire by Kate Messner
21. Wither by Lauren DeStefano (review here)
22. Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare
23. Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare
24. Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare
25. Heaven Can't Wait by Pamela Clare
26. Naked Edge by Pamela Clare
27. Trial By Fire: The Firefighters of Station 5 by Jo Davis
28. Under Fire: The Firefighters of Station 5 #2 by Jo Davis
29. From Reader to Writer: Teaching Writing Through Classic Children's Books by Sarah Ellis
30. All Year Long: Funny Readers Theater for Life's Special Times by Diana R. Jenkins

April
31. Hidden Fire: The Firefighters of Station 5 #3 by Jo Davis
32. Line of Fire: The Firefighters of Station 5 #4 by Jo Davis
33. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott (review here)
34. Ride the Fire: The Firefighters of Station 5 #5 by Jo Davis
35. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning
36. Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning
37. Rock Me by Cherrie Lynn
38. Karma by Cathy Ostlere

May
39. Marty McGuire by Kate Messner (review here)
40. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (review here)
41. Divergent by Veronica Roth (review here)
42. Hotel No Tell by Daphne Uviller (review here)
43. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (review here)
44. Breaking Point (I-Team #5) by Pamela Clare
45. The Writing Workshop: Working Through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts)
by Katie Wood Ray and Lester Laminack
46. Writer's Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher & Joann Portalupi
47. The Guy Next Door by Lori Foster, Susan Donovan and Victoria Dahl

June
48. Abandon by Meg Cabot (review here)
49. Someday by Alison McGhee, Peter Reynolds
50. Because of You: A Book of Kindness by B.G. Hennessy
51. If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade
52. Ladder to the Moon by Maya Soetoro-NG
53. I Want My Hat by by Jon Klassen
54. When You Dare (Men Who Walk on the Edge of Honor #1) by Lori Foster
55. Between by Cyndi Tefft (review here)
56. Trace of Fever (Men Who Walk on the Edge of Honor #2) by Lori Foster
57. Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley (review here)
58. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (review here)
59. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma (review here)
60. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey
61. Undeniably Yours by Shannon Stacey
62. Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey
63. Die for Me by Amy Plum (review here)
64. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell (review here)
65. Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian (review here)
66. Chasin' Eight (Rough Riders #11) by Lorelei James

July
67. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (review here)
68. Where She Went by Gayle Forman (review here)
69. In Transit by Kathleen Gerard (review here)
70. My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody (review here)
71. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (review here)
72. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (review here)
73. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan
74. I Can Tie My Shoes by CB Publishing
74. A Treasury of Curious George by Margret Rey, H.A. Rey
75. A Storm Called Katrina by Myron Uhlberg
76. Bad Island by Doug TenNapel (review here)
77. Sidekicks by Dan Santat (review here)
78. Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush (Hagar)
79. Micro Fiction: An Anthology of Really Short Stories ed. by Jerome Stern
80. Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know About Researching and Writing Creative
by Lee Gutkind
81. Craft Lessons: 2nd Edition by R. Fletcher and J. Portalupi
82. Study Driven: A Framework for Planning Units of Study in the Writing Workshop
by Katie Wood Ray
83. The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
84. Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice
by R. Ayres and S. Schubitz
85. Hourglass by Myra McEntire (review here)


August

86. Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen
87. Burned In: Fueling the Fire to Teach by Audrey A. Friedman and Luke Reynolds
88. Where Was George Washington by Carla Heymsfeld
89. H is for Hero: A Military Family Alphabet by Devin Scillian
90. A Symphony of Whales by Steve Schuch
91. A World of Words: An ABC of Quotations by Tobi Tobias
92. Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope by Jenna Bush (Hagar)
93. The Subject is Writing: Essays by Teachers and Students by Wendy Bishop
94. Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle
95. About Hummingbirds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill
96. A Frog Thing by Eric Drachman
97. Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins by Dianne Ochiltree
98. The Pink House by Kate Salley Palmer
99. Older Brother, Younger Brother: A Korean Folktale by Nina Jaffe
100. The Frog Princess by J. Patrick Lewis
101. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
102. Stellaluna by Jannell Cannon
103. Turquoise Boy: A Navajo Legend by Terri Cohlene
104. Savor the Danger by Lori Foster
105. If I Ran the Rain Forest by Bonnie Worth
106. Burned In: Fueling the Fire to Teach by AA Friedman & L. Reynolds
107. Changing the Game by Jaci Burton
108. The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson (review here)
109. Populazzi by Elise Allen (review here)
110. Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by C. Grennan
111. Readicide: How Schools are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It by K. Gallagher
112. Teaching Middle Schoolers to Write: What Every English Teacher Needs to Know
by Laura Robb

Welcome 2011... and free ebooks for all!

Twitter Background

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you have all had a wonderful start to your new year and have started on your resolutions. I know I have. This year I have a few bloggie resolutions, which are:

1) Read more. I read a good amount last year but I also wasted time doing nothing when I could have been reading... so I will be more focused on reading!

2) Find more innovative ways to incorporate my students in blogging about books. My kids read great books and we are constantly having amazing conversations about them, so this year I will be letting them venture into the blogging world with me.

3) Blog more. There are many great literary based things going on and it is my goal to keep you all informed throughout the year and keep updated with it all.

I have other personal goals and resolutions, but those will stay with me for now!

One of my favorite gifts this year is my new Kindle from Santa :)! My hubby now has my first generation so we have been downloading books today (and transferring a ton in my case) and I have come across some great freebies and wanted to share them with you all. If you don't have an ereader, don't fret! You can download Kindle for PC HERE. I also found a great site that keeps up to date with freebies out there and you can check it out HERE. On to the freebies...

From Amazon:

Wish by Alexandra Bullen

House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings Series, book 1) by Robert Liparulo

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents: A Magical Christmas Menu Sample
by Dinah Bucholz

Don't Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Beasts and BFF's by Shannon Delaney

Swashbuckling Fantasy: 10 Thrilling Tales of Magical Adventure by Margaret Peterson Haddix, D.J. MacHale, Anne Ursu, Holly Black and Scott Westerfeld



From Barnes and Noble:

Maximum Ride: Fang by James Patterson

The Demon Girl by Penelope Fletcher

Reckless (Reckless Series #1) by Cornelia Funke


I hope you all have a happy new year and that you make reading a high priority! Check out my 2011 Debut Author Challenge HERE to see what great debut's are coming out this year and challenge yourself to read them to!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

~Dr. Seuss