E-Reader Check-In

It's been a while since I blogged about e-readers, and I thought it would be a good time to check in. I've had my kindle for over two years now, and the love affair is nowhere close to being over. I still buy some paper books--mostly friends' books and hardbacks that I know I'll want to pass on to my husband and/or look at the pictures. For example, I recently bought the paper versions of the new biography of Mickey Mantle (The Last American Boy), and Unbroken, by Laura Hilldebrand. [As an aside: If you haven't read Unbroken yet, I highly highly recommend it. You'll draw a lot of attention if you take it out. I've never had so many people come up to me in the gym and tell me how much they loved that book, LOL.] But the Kindle is hard to beat for ease, convenience, and instant gratification. I'd estimate 75% of my book purchases are e-books.

From the discussions online and the articles in the newspapers and industry rags, you'd think that everyone had jumped on the e-book bandwagon, but I think the numbers of e-reader owners are still relatively small (but growing). So how about you . . . do you own an e-reader (if so which one). If you don't, do you want one? Or are you happy with paper books and determined to resist all the hubbub?

There had been one interesting--and I think very exciting--development out of all this. Self e-publishing has become a very viable option for authors. I have a friend who is NY published with a major house but has also published a number of books on her own though Kindle, Smashwords, etc. She is having ENORMOUS success (can I stress enormous!). Self-publishing in the past year or so has really exploded, and I think has become a very exciting way to get books in front of readers that otherwise wouldn't have been published. For example, finishing a series that a publisher has declined to continue, or an author who's been let go by one house and unable to catch on with another, etc.

Anyway, just thought I'd check in and get your take!