About 6 million e-books are readily available for you to download and read.
But here's the catch - that figure only applies to e-books on Amazon. Other websites have as much as 50,000 e-books minimum. Don't allow easy-to-access resources to fall out of grasp; get an e-book reader now.
But the question is are e-books worth it?
E-books are worth it, and they can be a great substitute for physical books. It's recommended to buy an e-book reader to have great benefits like eye protection and convenient reading.
10 Amazing Reasons why e-books are worth it
I have read books ever since they became available for smartphones. Their portability is the primary reason why I think they're worth it.
At college, I've always had the liberty of not looking bulky at classes. And that's because an entire semester of academic resources - which would require a big backpack to carry - are conveniently stored on my phone.
The second is e-books don't get damaged.
Printed books get torn, crumpled, molded, or corroded. E-books aren't prone to these issues. And I can read them again in the next years without any blotches or faded characters. The only thing that I have to worry about is accidentally deleting them or losing the storage where they're in.
With that being said if portability and longevity are your reading concerns, e-books will help.
Of course, you can't read them without an e-book reader. Setting aside the fact that it's what you need for reading e-books on any device, what are other reasons for you to buy and download?
Also, an e-book reader is your personal library and librarian...
The e-book reader comes with a smart function. It arranges all the downloaded e-books according to genre, title, or author. This makes it easier for you to find the material that you need.
Simply put it organizes all the e-books in the storage so that you won't have to painstakingly search for what you want to read over the chaotic mix of PDFs, docs, e-books, pictures, and other digital material in the downloads folder of your memory card.
All that you have to do is tap or click the search bar, type the book title or author, tap or click the search button, and the e-book that you want immediately pops up.
An E-book reader is helpful if you have sensitive eyes. In smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops, the e-book reader has a brightness adjustment function that's independent of the display settings of your computer, tablet, or smartphone.
With this, you can adjust the brightness of the screen if you think that it's too bright or too dim for comfortable reading. This function is very handy if your eyes are sensitive to the presence or absence of light.
An E-book reader prevents eye strain. Are you the type who loves to read so much to the point that the eyes get itchy, sore, or watery? If that's the case, an e-book reader is a more eye-friendly medium for reading.
An e-book reader allows you to adjust the size of an e-book's font. Having the option to make texts bigger or smaller makes it easier for the eyes to focus and avoid strains.
An E-book reader allows you to read in various contrasts. You can set e-books to various contrasts. The default setting is a white background that pairs with black text. You can also use the brown background that pairs with black text.
Nevertheless, what you might find very comfortable for reading is the negative motif wherein the background is black while the text is white.
An E-book reader allows for convenient reading.
You'll need to use both hands when reading a printed book whether it's big or small. But for reading using an e-book reader? The dominant hand is all that you need.
In connection, you can read anywhere and anytime too. With an e-book reader, you can always read comfortably when camping, riding the public transit, being with friends, etc.
An E-book reader can link to online e-book sources.
Not all e-books have the linking feature. As far as I know, only Amazon Kindle can link to commercial e-book websites like Scribd and Project Gutenberg.
But the point is; any e-book reader that can link allows you to access e-books without visiting websites that can send malware to your device.
You'll find this advantageous if there is sensitive information in your phones such as linked credit or debit cards, digital identification cards, etc.
You'll Always Start Where You Stopped Reading. An e-book reader has an automatic bookmark function. This means that it displays the current page of the e-book that you've read recently.
This is very handy if you're the type to forget to put bookmarks on print books. It also saves you the pain of folding the pages.
The e-book reader keeps your reading up to date since it displays the current page where you left off. With that being said, no more bookmarking and goodbye ugly folded pages.
Getting To A Specific Chapter Without Rummaging Through Numerous Pages
People reading a 1,000-page print novel had to turn countless pages to find their favorite chapter. And if ever you did the same before, I'm sure that you found a task very irritating.
Those using e-book readers have an easy time skipping one chapter to the next. It's because the specific chapters are shown on the bookmarks tab. And the e-book reader takes you to a specific chapter the moment you tap it.
There's also the search tab too. To skip, all you have to do is type the title of the chapter or a specific phrase or word that's unique to it.
Some E-Book Readers Have Reading Communities
E-book readers have reading communities where you can interact with other bookworms, get reading recommendations, or even promote your self-published book. This doesn't apply for all though. One that I know is Kindle. Its reading community is called Kboards. In a nutshell, it's a forum for kindle authors and readers.
If you don't like the Kindle community, try the NoBooko community. NoBooko community consists of users using the Nook and Kobo e-book readers.
What Are The Disadvantages of E-books?
Reading e-books doesn't have a lot of downsides. However, I know one disadvantage that publishers and authors find fatal - piracy.
E-books are easier to distribute than print books. Furthermore, making illegal copies is also easy. All that a hacker needs to do is buy the original and make a duplicate by retyping or pasting it.
With that being said, you can get e-books of all popular novels, books, journals, and other materials for reading if you know where to look.
Getting pirated e-books come with a price. Most have malware and hackers use this to steal data from your phone, tablet, and pc. Non-permitted access to your emails and other accounts is another probable effect too.
How Much Does An E-Book Reader Cost?
You can use an e-book reader for free. However, be prepared for an endless bombardment of ads every 2 - 4 page whenever you're reading. Another downside is the push notifications that your device receives.
So for a hassle-free reading, use a premium e-book reader. Revenue generating strategies very. For example, one might offer subscription services or payment before download, while the other goes for in-app purchases and payment for using advanced features. For these, expect to spend $50 maximum on average.
If you're using a laptop or desktop, you can get away from installing an e-book reader. Just visit e-book reader websites compatible with Chrome, Opera, and Firefox. Again, be very cautious about which to visit because some might send malware.
Physical e-book readers are more expensive than e-book reader applications and software. What you'll find useful is the Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and Likebook Mars, and Boox. These come in different modifications so I can't give you a specific price. But generally, these physical readers require a budget not lesser than $90-$700.
What's The Best E-Book Reader?
Try using Lithium e-book reader. It's an app that's compatible with IOS and android. You can also use it with a PC through an android emulator. What I like about Lithium is that it's free, doesn't have ads, and allows for font adjustment, background color change, and brightness adjustment.
For desktops and laptops, the best e-book reader is IceCream Ebook reader. I love using it because it can also read PDF files aside from e-books. Furthermore, its user interface allows for easy navigation.
If you want to read timeless classics, then try Aldiko Ebook reader. Aldiko links to a book archive consisting of public domain books. I've finished reading all of the volumes of Sherlock Holmes with this e-book reader for free. Aldiko is compatible with android and IOS.
As for Kindle, you'll find the Kindle Oasis great. It's packed with features for convenience; automatic brightness adjustment, tap or button page turn operation, multi-colored backlight, a large display, a powerful processor for smoothly transitioning from one page to the next, and a posh leather cover.
If you're not sure about Kindle Oasis, alternatives for it are:
- Kobo Aura Edition
- Sony DPT-RP1
- Likebook Mars E-book
- Boox Note 2.
Is It Better To Read Books or E-books?
Both are equally good. Choosing which to use for reading greatly hangs on to your personal preferences.
Print books are the best if you love to read traditionally. Furthermore, books are what you need for getting that bookworm vibe in your office or room they serve as decorations.
In contrast, get e-books if you want to read anytime and anywhere comfortably. They're also best if you're bookshelves can't store additional books. The most notable thing about e-books is that you can create a digital library on your phone, computer, or tablet that's always accessible.
But why choose if you can use both? As for me, I'm using e-books and books for reading. I read e-books for indulging myself with the latest novels and other literary works at a cheaper price. As for books, I read them if I can't get a copy in e-book format.
