March: National Reading Month!

Hi everyone!

I've had the first couple of days of the month off from work, so I’ve been working on compiling a couple different book lists for you! March is National Reading Month, and so what better way to celebrate than with book-inspired posts all month long! I'll be sharing multiple must-lists with you, including my inspiring reads, as well as my all-time favorites and current wish list. I will also post my current reads, guilty pleasures, device-musts, and more. First things first, today I want to talk about my favorite book-related websites, apps, & tools: Goodreads, Audible, PaperbackSwap, the Amazon Kindle, & the Barnes & Noble Nook.

Goodreads is a website where members can share their book reviews and recommendations, as well as catalog their book wish lists, track their current reading, and explore new titles based on their ratings. The purpose of this book-centered social network is to help members find and share books that they love. Membership is free, and the website operates similar to Facebook, where you can add friends and their status on books, as well as what they are reading, wishing, and rating appear in a news feed. There is also an app available for Android and iPhone. Click {here} to see my profile and add me as a friend! 

Audible is an Amazon owned company that opened in 1995 and was purchased by Amazon in 2003. Audible functions as a seller and producer of audio entertainment, featuring digital audiobooks, radio and TV programs, and audio versions of magazines and newspapers. For a monthly subscription fee, beginning at $14.95 per month, members receive one credit every month to be used to purchase any audiobook on Audible that can be played from various devices. If you’re unsure about listening to a book for the first time, Audible offers a great introductory free-trial period for new users. Sign up and get the first 30 days at no charge including a free audiobook of your choice! The membership is only a monthly commitment, meaning you can cancel anytime, including before your trial ends and you will not be charged at the next billing cycle.  

PaperBackSwap (PBS) is an online marketplace for trading and purchasing books with other people across the United States. First, you choose a membership upon signing up—ranging from free (with a $0.49 fee for each trade) to $20 a year. Then, you list books that you have at home that you would like to swap to other club members. Once another club member requests your book, you simply print out an automated shipping label, apply postage, and ship it off to them. When that person receives their book, you receive a book-swapping credit that you can then use to request and receive your own book from another club member by searching by title, author, ISBN, and more in the PBS database of over 4 million hardback, paperback, audiobooks, and textbooks! Click {here} to see my profile and add me as a friend! 

The Amazon Kindle is a series of eReaders marketed by Amazon.com. Featuring the Amazon Marketplace, pretty much every book available in eReader format is available in the Kindle Store. Kindle devices allow users to shop for, download, browse, and read ebooks, newspapers, magazines, and other digital content. The Kindle Fire even has the capacity for Android apps and games, videos, music, TV shows, and more. Kindle reading apps can also be downloaded for free on a multitude of devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac. I have used three Kindle Reading Devices in my reading lifetime, but my current personal Kindle is the Kindle Paperwhite, and it has quickly and easily become my favorite. The Kindle Paperwhite can be purchased with or without “special offers” meaning advertisements can appear on the lock screen or the homepage. The Paperwhite features a special back-light that allows it to operate in bright sunlight with no glare like that of a tablet or smart phone. This light feature can also be adjusted to be dimmer or brighter so that your eyes won’t tire or feel strained while reading in the dark. The Paperwhite holds a single charge for up to two months, well over enough time to finish a single book—and on that note, another nice feature of this device is the option to see your reading speed as you go (by minutes left in chapter and time left in book). The device is thin and light weight, making it especially nice and comfortable to hold for hold periods of time as well as to take along during travel.

The Nook is an eReader device by Barnes & Noble. I have never used an actual Nook Reading Device, but I have used the free app on my iPhone and iPad. The Nook is a nice device for a fan of the popular bookstore; however, my biggest turn off is that you can only purchase Barnes & Noble books at Barnes & Noble prices. And Amazon has most titles for good deal cheaper in their Kindle Store. I’m nothing if not a die-hard bargain hunter, so that’s where the conversation ends and begins for me. As I said, I've used the available Nook reading apps on both my iPhone and iPad, and those are very nice. The operating system is also very smooth and user friendly. The Nook comes in multiple E Ink formats as well as Nook Color, comparable to the Kindle Fire. The newest Nook Device features “Glowlight,” which uses E Ink with back-light technology comparable to the Kindle Paperwhite. The price for this device is nearly $50 cheaper than the Kindle Paperwhite (ad free), but do keep in mind the cost of the content and how that will add up quickly, an important consideration when purchasing any digital content device.

Those are my must-haves when it comes to all-things-books! What are some tools you use when it comes to purchasing and reading books? Look for more posts all month long about the books I'm currently reading & craving, as well as the ones I've always loved. Thanks for reading :) !! xo