Got any tips for a newbie Kindle owner?

[citymama]

Especially the bargain kind?

MIL got me a Kindle as a belated birthday gift (yes, she is a sweetheart). I'm psyched but don't know the first thing about Kindles. Any tips to share for a newbie - mostly in the realm of how to build my library with good books without handing over even more of my paycheck to amazon.com?

MIL has a huge Kindle library. Is it possible to "borrow" her e-books using my account? How does this work?

Are there other sources of free books? Occasional promos to watch out for or sign up for? I almost always borrow books from the library or friends rather than buying them, so without some deals, the e-reader is likely to cost me more than I have been spending on books so far!

All forms of tips and advice appreciated! Oh, and this is the model I have - the 3G Kindle with keyboard:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HZYA6E/ref=famstripe_kk3g

Thanks!

[jbbhb]

Check your public library website, that's where I get a lot of mine. Enjoy:applause:

[azazela]

Check your public library website, that's where I get a lot of mine. Enjoy:applause:

That was going to be my big tip too! My library has a good amount of books available on Kindle through a third party website (ListenNJ in my case). I love getting books that way.

Your MIL can lend you books but only certain titles are lendable. The loan lasts for 14 days and you can only lend each book once, if I remember correctly, so if she lent books to someone else previously she can't lend the same books again to you.

If you have Prime, you can borrow one book per month but very little of what I want to read is borrow-able that way so I often forget to check. The full list is hard to find, here is the link (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-b_mrr_2?rh=n:283155,p_85:2470955011,p_n_feature_br owse-bin:618073011&bbn=283155&tag=kwab-20&ie=UTF8#/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_85%3A2470955011%2Cp_ n_feature_browse-bin%3A618073011&bbn=283155&ie=UTF8&qid=1320670272).

If you're in the mood to read classics with expired copy rights, there are tons of those out there for free.

I'll try to think of more tips :love-retry:

[Philly Mom]

If you are really close with MIL you can just register your kindle to her Amazon account and then you have access to her books. Just remember if you buy books from the kindle you are charging her credit card on record and unless she has prime, you don't have access to prime benefits.

[pinkmomagain]

If you are really close with MIL you can just register your kindle to her Amazon account and then you have access to her books. Just remember if you buy books from the kindle you are charging her credit card on record and unless she has prime, you don't have access to prime benefits.

This. I was lucky enough to be gifted a Kindle from a booklover who linked the kindle to her account. I have access to hundreds and hundreds of her books. BUT if I want a book, I usually buy it to one of my kids' kindles and read that book off of theirs, because I do not want to charge books to her account.

[mom2khj]

www.pixelofink.com

They list free books all the time.

Also, check your library. Ours typically has big wait lists, but they always seems to come available faster than I think they will.

[KrisM]

You can search Amazon in the Kindle store for "0.00" and get a bunch of free books.

This page has the top 100 free best sellers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/154606011. You can navagate the categories on the left to see more free books. This list changes pretty often and I've had very good luck finding things just by browsing this list.

If you pay for Prime, you can borrow 1 book per month.

[cookiemonster80]

I follow several people on fb that post freebies all day long-
Pixel of ink
Ereader news today
Tw frugal mommas they don't post as many books but I tend to like the ones they do have

[dhano923]

You can search Amazon in the Kindle store for "0.00" and get a bunch of free books.

This page has the top 100 free best sellers: http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/154606011. You can navagate the categories on the left to see more free books. This list changes pretty often and I've had very good luck finding things just by browsing this list.

:yeahthat: I get most of my books from the Top 100 free books on Amazon but do check the Top 100 Paid list too - you can often find books on there for .99, and I've even gotten a few for .05.

I also borrow from the library sometimes for the books I want to read but aren't free/cheap, but there is always a waiting list.

[JElaineB]

I get daily emails from Pixel of Ink and ereaderiq.com with free books on Amazon and also borrow lots of books via my public library's website.

[avd3875]

I check out this site almost daily: http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/

I just visit the site via my computer, but I'm pretty sure you can subscribe to it for $.99/month and have it delivered directly to your Kindle (not fire) each day.

[citymama]

Thank you all so much!


If you are really close with MIL you can just register your kindle to her Amazon account and then you have access to her books. Just remember if you buy books from the kindle you are charging her credit card on record and unless she has prime, you don't have access to prime benefits.

She does have Prime, and I am fairly close to her but I have dropped hints that were deflected, making me pretty sure the answer is that she would prefer not to share. She does share with my SIL (DH's sister) and with my FIL so that might be the limit she is willing to do so.


Check your public library website, that's where I get a lot of mine. Enjoy:applause:

How does this work? Sounds great! I'll check it out!

Also: how does the Kindle do by the beach or pool side? Just wondering how hardy/fragile it is. MIL bought me a leather case but it's not waterproof nor does it close all the way around.

Excited to have a lot less to carry on our vacation by way of beach reads!

[azazela]

How does this work? Sounds great! I'll check it out!

Also: how does the Kindle do by the beach or pool side? Just wondering how hardy/fragile it is. MIL bought me a leather case but it's not waterproof nor does it close all the way around.

Excited to have a lot less to carry on our vacation by way of beach reads!

Library - go to your library's website and poke around. At the very least when you do a search, you should be able to select for ebook as a category. However, at least in my library's case, once I figured out what third party website they use, I just do my searching for kindle books there. My library uses ListenNJ ("listen" because it also has, and probably started with, audiobooks). I don't know how many different sites there are and if they are all state specific like ours seems to be.

Durability - I wouldn't get it wet but it seems to do well on the beach/pool chair and such. I always put it away or off to the side before I do anything that gets my hands wet or before I handle (or get trampled by) wet children.

[KrisM]

Our Library uses Overdrive and I just go there, select my local library and log in with my card number. I browse books, put some on hold, check some out, etc. We get a 2 week lending period. I always am on the wait list for some, because who knows when they'll come up :).

I have a case for mine, rather than a cover. I read a naked kindle :). My case zips completely around, so I just stick it in there and in my bag if I'm at the beach, etc.

[azazela]

Our Library uses Overdrive and I just go there, select my local library and log in with my card number. I browse books, put some on hold, check some out, etc. We get a 2 week lending period. I always am on the wait list for some, because who knows when they'll come up :).

I have a case for mine, rather than a cover. I read a naked kindle :). My case zips completely around, so I just stick it in there and in my bag if I'm at the beach, etc.

I read a naked kindle too! :love-retry: I have this pouch (http://www.etsy.com/listing/102135922/kindle-case-kindle-fire-case-nook-sleeve) from Etsy. I added the padding and the velcro options and it's perfect! I love that it's pretty and it makes me smile just looking at it.

[KrisM]

Also, some books are lendable. I've never loaned one out, but if it says lendable under product details, you can lend it.

Product Details


File Size: 867 KB
Print Length: 387 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0545425115
Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)<LI id=sold-by-merchant>Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B002MQYOFW
Text-to-Speech: Enabled http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/carrot._V192251235_.gif (http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-ebook/dp/B002MQYOFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1344555507&sr=1-1&keywords=hunger+games#)
X-Ray: Enabled http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/carrot._V192251235_.gif (http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-ebook/dp/B002MQYOFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1344555507&sr=1-1&keywords=hunger+games#)
Lending: Enabled

The Lending:Enabled is what you need. Then, if she goes to "manage my kindle" in Amazon, she can select the 'loan this book' option and send it to you via your email address.

[KrisM]

I read a naked kindle too! :love-retry: I have this pouch (http://www.etsy.com/listing/102135922/kindle-case-kindle-fire-case-nook-sleeve) from Etsy. I added the padding and the velcro options and it's perfect! I love that it's pretty and it makes me smile just looking at it.

Much prettier than mine! I have this: http://www.amazon.com/YooMee-Neoprene-Sleeve-Amazon-Kindle/dp/B007VH81QK/ref=pd_sbs_a_13. It was labeled Verteks at the time, and a review complains that that is what it says now :). I paid about $5 and it came with a stylus. I like the front pocket - it holds the stylus and a book light, or my phone, etc.

[clb]

Also: how does the Kindle do by the beach or pool side? Just wondering how hardy/fragile it is. MIL bought me a leather case but it's not waterproof nor does it close all the way around.


My kindle is in the leather case too. I was paranoid about scratching the screen at the beach so I put the whole thing into a ziploc and then into my beach bag. I only took it out of the ziploc when reading. I was super careful but a grain of sand is stuck on the top of my screen. DH and I both tried unsuccessfully to get it out. It's as if the glue at the top of my screen gave and it lifted a little. It has been a few months, hasn't affected performance but it still annoys me.

I was really into the book I was reading or I wouldn't have taken it onto the beach. I do see plenty of people reading on Kindles at the beach though. I still take mine to the pool regularly.