Kindle library books

A few weeks ago Amazon added library books to the Kindle. Yes!

Now you can browse and download library books to your Kindle from the comfort of your own home. While I enjoy reading on my Kindle, the price of Kindle books has inched upwards since they were first introduced. I haven’t used my Kindle a ton, because it’s expensive to feed. Kindle library books are great because they’re free and sometimes available instantly.

Don’t have a Kindle? No worries. If you have a smartphone, you can use the Kindle app to read Kindle library books on your phone. At first I scoffed at this idea thinking the screen size was too small, but I’ve found that reading books on my phone isn’t that bad. Having books on my phone is handy when I’m waiting for an appointment to start, or my daughter’s piano lesson to end.

To see which Kindle library books are available – go to your library’s website. The downside?

• You can’t download library Kindle books over 3G (you need to use Wi-Fi or a USB cable connected to your computer).
• The lending period is 21 days, so read fast.

My public library also has eBooks in PDF and Adobe ePUB formats, which you can read on your computer. So check out the ‘Downloads’ section on your library’s website. You never know what you might find.

It’s raining books

This weekend was wet in Seattle, but my family had an great time relaxing with a few books.

Me: I read Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. A YA book about a young man with Asbergers who is pushed into the ‘real world.’ The protagonist is curious, compassionate, intellectual and wonderfullly naïve. I enjoyed spending the day inside the mind of someone who sees the world a little differently.

Meanwhile my teenager discovered James Bond books. She devoured Live or Let Die, Dr No, and The Spy Who Loved Me (all by Ian Fleming).

My youngest laughed her way through Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney. This series has helped my nine year old appreciate the teen in our house (as far as teenagers go, she is a good egg). Also, my youngest is happy that her school doesn’t have bullies as in the Wimpy Kid.

Sunday morning we made a quick dash to the library to ‘replenish our supplies.’ If it had been a beautiful sunny weekend we probably wouldn’t have read so much.

Thank you Seattle, for giving us plenty of time to read.

How about you? What did you read this weekend?

(The library is an incredible free resource. Why not use it?) 

52 ways to use your libary card

Swapping books in your jammies

Lately, I’ve been swapping old books for new books without leaving my home. I started using PaperBack Swap last month and so far I’m enjoying it immensely. I like the idea of swapping what you don’t want for what you do.

How does PaperBack Swap work? First you locate a stack of books that you don’t plan on reading or rereading. Next, log in to PaperBackSwap.com and post your unwanted books for others to consider. You earn 2 credits when you post your first ten books.

Credits are the currency of PaperBack Swap; you use credits to acquire/request books. You earn a credit each time you mail a book, and it costs you a credit when you request a book. Lightweight books can be easily mailed from home without a trip to the post office, enabling you to send and receive books in your jammies (if you so desire).

While I’m enjoying the service, I’ve been disappointed several times when the book I wanted wasn’t listed on the service. Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life was one such book. I was, however, ecstatic to find Animal, Vegetable, Miracle available for download through my local library using OverDrive.  I downloaded the audio book and was listening to it in minutes (for free). Wow!

To see if audio book downloads are available through your local library, check OverDrive’s library list or your library’s web site.

Have you read anything good lately? Please leave your book recommendations in a Comment.