The Sunday Salon... Are eReaders Taking Over the World?

Imagine someday that "dead tree" books are the rarity, and that the "now" generation has grown up never having to turn a page.. at least not one made of paper. It may not be so far fetched... at least to an extent. I remember going to a show in NYC where a mentalist was performing. The mentalist asked for audience members to shout out numbers one at a time so he could write them down on this huge gridded board. He then asked a boy to come up on stage and help him with the next part of the trick. The boy was 8 or 9 years old. The next part of the trick involved the boy to hold onto a special cassette tape. The mentalist then went back to the board, added up all the numbers and turned to the boy. He told the boy that he could now put the cassette tape into the player, turn it on and we could all listen to what the mentalist had already predicted all those random numbers to add up to-- except the boy had never seen a cassette player before. The boy wasn't embarrassed, acted like the cassette player was an antique from the 16th century, the audience laughed and all of us who knew what a cassette player was felt very old... Could the "dead tree" book go the way of the cassette player? Only time will tell...

It's Sunday! The week has passed like a flash, and I'm reeling from a busy week. It seems that my week has been filled with reading on my Kindle, and hearing other eReader news. So I thought I would devote this Sunday's Salon to take a look at the new pricing of eReaders and some new offerings that will surely make a choice of an electronic reader even more difficult. But choice is good, right?! As even more eReaders and Tablets flood the market, prices are coming down... at least for the eReaders themselves...

The Kindle 3 from Amazon, the latest generation of Kindle has been arriving in homes steadily since the end of August. It's lighter, smaller, has redesigned controls and the all new wonderful e-ink Pearl display. Feels great in my hands. I can read any PDF documents I send to it easily, I can navigate easier with the new navigation square, and it's just so nice. The screen is beautiful, sharp with more contrast. Kindle offers the ability for multiple family members under the same account to share books, and even read them at the same time. In fact most Kindle ebooks can be loaded on up to 6 devices, such as iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC. After using this latest Kindle offering, my Kindle 2 feels big and heavy! Pricing on the new, latest generation Kindle's:

• Kindle 3G & WiFi... $189 (choice of white or graphite)
• Kindle WiFionly ... $139 (graphite color only)
• Kindle DX with 3G, and BIG 9.7" display... $379 (graphite color only)

The Kobo eReader from Borders was really on the right track... Originally wanting a smaller, thinner eReader for ePub books made me look at the Kobo. The design of it is so nice- it's thin, simple controls, feels nice to hold with a rubbery like quilted back and could fit easily in one hand. The Kobo ebook store was easy to navigate, and I could read my Kobo ebooks from multiple platforms. Although customer service was a bit lacking at first. Kobo was really a separate company from Borders, so when I was having a software issue right out of the box, I had to navigate between Borders customer service and Kobo customer service in Canada. Very frustrating, but it eventually worked out. I was looking for a bare bones, nothing fancy ePub reader and I thought that this was the answer, BUT the text was not sharp on the screen. Or maybe just not sharp enough for my liking... Prices have slowly come down for the Kobo. And they needed to because for the price of the bare bones Kobo, you could just about buy yourself either a WiFi only Kindle or Nook. And WiFi is a nice feature. Price for the Kobo...

• Kobo ... $129.00

The Nook from Barnes & Noble has really come a long way. I had tried a Nook when they first came out and was having problems accessing my library, and it was slow navigating. I now chock that up to growing pains. I really wanted to love that Kobo, but after my DH got a Nook for reading ePub books I had to admit that the Nook's screen display was just so much nicer than the Kobo. I liked the design of the Kobo, but it all really comes down to the screen and being able to read, so back went the Kobo and the Nook became the eReader of choice for ePub books. The screen is so nice, with e-ink technology, sharp and variable font size. The design itself is nice and very comfortable to hold while reading. I am getting use to using the touch screen on the bottom to navigate, which at first seemed a bit awkward, but is slowly becoming second nature. It is also SO EASY to download ebooks from my library using Adobe Digital Editions! We opted for the WiFi only and it's perfect since we have WiFi at home. Barnes & Noble has also been running a promo for free B&N classics for the Nook this past month. A nice way to add some great ebooks to your Nook for free. And a great way to promote the Nook! Prices on the Nook...

• Nook with WiFi only... $149
• Nook with WiFi & 3G... $199

Sony has always seemed to be the third wheel after the Kindle & Nook exploded on the scene. My first eReader was a Sony Pocket Reader and I loved it. I still like it. It's small, the screen is sharp, enough contrast, and easy to navigate controls. There is no WiFi or 3G, but it's very easy to plug it into the computer, access your Sony library and buy and download your books. At the time it was a novelty, there wasn't much of a selection of ebooks, and libraries hadn't really jumped on the ebook lending band wagon. Things have changed... Sony just announced the Sony Reader Pocket edition and the Sony Reader Touch edition are getting a revamp. A updated design, and some great new features. First they've stream lined both readers. They are thinner, the controls have been updated, no more wheel

on the bottom for navigation or buttons on the front side, now you have can turn your pages with forward/backward controls on the bottom OR swipe your finger across the page! E-Ink is still the technology of choice for these screens as well. Sony has also added the ability to highlight and scribble notes right on the screen with the help of a stylus! And you are suppose to be able to export those notes too! Adjustable font sizes and styles, along with the ability to read both ePub files and PDF's puts Sony back in the running. I do prefer the page turning forward/backward to be at the sides of the readers, but with touch technology, I'd probably be swiping anyway. Also, the screen on the Sony Pocket Edition is 5 inches, just slightly smaller than the other eReaders, but still a nice size to read and this also makes it one of the smallest eReaders. BUT the Sony Reader Touch Edition has the full 6 inch screen size found on the other eReaders. Sony has this great video on their site promoting their new readers, just make sure you're looking at under "overview" and click on the play button. Now pricing is a bit steep, but Sony has a great reputation, and products, and this might keep them in the game. Prices may drop too, and you can still get the previous generation Sony Pocket Reader at a great reduced price. The new Sony Readers will start shipping 9/16. Prices on the Sony Readers...

• Sony Reader Pocket Edition (prs-350/new model) available in silver or pink... $179.99
• Sony Reader Touch Edition (pre-650/new model w/ 6"screen) available in black or red... $229.99
• Sony Reader Pocket Edition(prs-300/old model) available in silver, rose or blue... $116.99

And another choice...

• Aluratek's eLibre Pro sold by Borders... ePub & PDF reader w/ 5i nch screen. Even though this does not have e-Ink technology, I've heard that the screen is very just as nice, with good contrast and sharp fonts. NORMALLY priced at $119.99, it is ON SALE until 9/14 for $99.99! Hey, it also comes with a built in mp3 player!

We haven't even touched on Tablet Readers! Which included The Cruz Tablet at $199, the Pandigital Novel (looks like a tablet) at $249, the iPad starting at $499!

So what do you think about the future of "real" books? Brian Palmer wrote a post for Slate Magazine entitled Should You Ditch Your Books for an E-Reader? pointing out some of the environmental issues of Paper vs. Plastic reading, including you'll need to read 23 new books to break even environmentally with your Kindle. Of course, borrowing books from the library and sharing your own books is also great for the environment!

Next Sunday, back to Books with Buzz! And a sneak peek at this coming week.. Historical fiction fans be on the lookout for a giveaway of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel! Details on tuesday! And in the meantime, let me know what eReader you just love and why!

Happy Reading, digital or paper... Suzanne

The Kindle Korner & eReader Price Wars...

Interested in a eReader? This may be the time to buy. Yesterday, there was a bit of a price war going on in the eReader market... First Barnes & Noble announced their Nook eReader with Wi-Fi & 3G would be priced at $199 (down from $259). And the Nook with Wi-Fi only price is $149. No sooner did Barnes & Noble make their announcement, then Amazon jumped on the band wagon. The Kindle 2, the latest generation model, with global 3G coverage is now priced at $189 (down from $249)! And of course the Kobo eReader, Borders new eReader offering, is priced at $149. With those eReaders, you still have more choices- The Sony Touch priced at $199 (down from $250), The Sony Pocket priced at $170, and coming soon the Aluratek Libre (7/20 from Borders) so far priced at $120. Here are the links to check out all these great bargains...

• Nook eReader with Wi-Fi & 3G($199) & Wi-Fi only($149)... Barnes & Noble
• Kindle 2 with Global 3G Coverage ($189).... Amazon
• Kobo eReader ($149)................................... Borders

*Update on the Kobo eReader! As of 6/22 until ? you should get a $20 gift card with your Kobo eReader purchase. Look for it when ordering.

• The Sony Touch eReader ($199)................. Sony
• The Sony Pocket eReader ($170)................ Sony
• The Aluratek Libre (coming 7/20 "$120"). Borders

While you are at the websites, you can find more information on what each of these eReaders offers. The Nook, Kobo, Sony & Aluratek eReaders are ePub friendly. ePub (electronic publication) seems to be the standard form for eBooks. Kindle does not support ePub, they have their own format supported by books you buy at the Amazon site.

Do I have a preference? I love my Kindle 2, but if I want to read books in the ePub format I needed another eReader. I bought a Sony Pocket eReader for that purpose, and have enjoyed using it. I decided I would try the Kobo eReader because it's design is similar to the Kindle2, and I really like the Kobo book site to buy eBooks. I just received my Kobo eReader in the mail on thursday (review coming soon...) and I really am liking it. There are some draw backs, such as speed ( it is SLOW when loading your books), but the feel is similar to the Kindle and it is light! Do you have an eReader yet?! Share what one you like and why!

*Oh and just a note here, if you are interested in buying the Sony Pocket eReader after looking into all the choices, you can buy the Sony eReaders from Borders, BUT the price reduction (for now) on the Sony Pocket eReader is only if you buy it directly from the Sony Store.

The Sunday Salon... "Books with Buzz" and a peek at a new eReader!

What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake.

Summer finally came in Connecticut and by the end of the week the rain came back! But rainy days just give us an excuse to stay inside and crack open a book- without too much guilt...

This week I finished a "spicy" read by Allyson Roy called Babydoll. This wednesday, the husband & wife team of Alice and Roy, who make up the author "team" Allyson Roy, will visit Chick with Books and talk a little about their working relationship. I'll have a review of Babydoll, which they call Madcap Noir, where crime, comedy and romance meet- and such a fun read! Think of it as a Stephanie Plum novel with a bit more "heat"- you see Saylor Oz, our "detective", is a sex therapist who handles the occasional murder... this is the second novel starring Saylor Oz and I'm sure there will be more in this series. Then we can take the fun little quiz Alice & Roy wrote up especially for us here! Wednesday will be a fun guest post to promote the recent release of Babydoll and is part of their virtual book tour!

Gregory Maguire is well known for his adult books, Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister and A Lion Among Men, where he re-imagines the stories of well known fictional characters. But he is also a children's author. And recently he published a YA book, Missing Sisters, which I picked up for my Kindle this week. The story of a young 12-year old girl living in an orphanage, not being adopted because of hearing and speech problems, but with a lot of spunk touched me... "Set in 1968, Alice, a 12-year-old beset by hearing and speech impediments, lives in an orphanage run by nuns in upstate New York. After Sister Vincent de Paul, Alice's closest friend and supporter, is severely injured in a fire, no one explains to Alice that the sister has been sent for a long stay in a nursing home. Alice, worrying that Sister Vincent has died, makes a pact with God: until she knows that Sister Vincent will recover, she won't even consider an offer of adoption that has been extended to her--her first. A girl Alice despises gets her place, but Alice has a drama of her own, inadvertently learning that she may have a twin sister. With a mixture of cunning and courage, Alice finds her." I haven't seen too much publicity for this book, but sounds like a wonderful read! Look for a review this coming week...

Last sunday, Marie of The Burton Review recommended Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. She called it one of her most engrossing reads! She also pointed out that Burnt Shadows is shortlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize... The Orange Prize for Fiction is awarded to the woman who, in the opinion of the judges, has written the best, eligible full-length novel in English and first published in the United Kingdom. Burnt Shadows starts on that fateful day in 1945, when the bomb dropped in Nagasaki and ends in a prison cell in the United Stateds in 2002. "Hiroko Tanaka is 21 and in love with the man she is to marry, Konrad Weiss. As she steps onto her veranda, wrapped in a kimono with three black cranes swooping across her back, her world is suddenly and irrevocably altered. In the numbing aftermath of the atomic bomb that obliterates everything she has known, all that remains are the bird-shaped burns on her back, an indelible reminder of the world that she has lost. From here she starts her search for new beginnings..." An epic tale that touches on a tragedy and the way our own histories can be transformed by one... I picked it up this week and opened it up to find Kamila Shamsies writing to be simply wonderful. Not only is the writing beautiful, but so it the cover! This is a book that should not disappoint! Thanks Marie for the recommendation!

And now a peek at a new eReader that just came out this week... Sony just released 2 new eReaders- The Sony Reader Touch, and the Sony Reader Pocket Edition. I had the opportunity to look at both this week and was impressed with the Pocket Edition that Sony released. It's just shy of being the size of a mass market paperback. It's easily held in one hand, although you need to click the wheel to turn the pages with the other hand, and it's slim. The text has a nice contrast- one of the problems Sony has been dealing with in it's development of their eReaders. There is no wireless connection with this eReader, but it's easy enough to download books from your computer. The Sony eReaders also work with ePub format, which Google just announced that it was going to use with it's book downloads and also quite a few text book publishers announced that it was going to use. Although I'm still a Kindle girl, this eReader is a temptation. And it might tempt other people as well because the Pocket Edition is about $100 less expensive than the Kindle 2.

Ok, that's what I've been reading and reading about this week, what about you?! What books have you read?! Don't be shy, share what you've been reading this week! Or let me know what you think of this week's "Books with Buzz"!

Happy Reading.... Suzanne