Adventures with e-readers
I've mentioned before that I don't like tech. It isn't that I don't like it in theory; it's that I always end up having to fiddle with it and wrestle with it in order to get it to do the things that I want it to do. Well, and there's also the "expensive breakable object" factor. But, anyway.
Recently there's been a lot of discussion over on f_fa of cool science fiction/fantasy novels, so I figured hey, I might as well look into some of the things they're talking about. Only, I didn't want to buy physical books, because I have too many already (books are meant to go on bookshelves, not piled up on the floor. Alas, I don't have more room in my bookshelf. Or my drawers. Or...) And I didn't want to read them with my itouch either. I've tried reading on my itouch; it's a pain in the ass. The screen is so damn tiny!
Things that I have done and do not recommend: Reading the entirety of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables on a freakin' itouch.
But, anyway. My mother has an ancient Kobo Original that she never did use much, so I've asked to borrow it. I thought putting the novels that I wanted to read on there would be simple, but nothing is ever simple.
Example: I had to do a pin-reset the first time I turned it on. Not a good sign.
Then I spent a few hours wrestling with some DRM-locked files. Even after doing everything I was supposed to do, it still didn't work - though that might have something to do with the fact that the ereader is ancient and no longer supported, I don't know.
Anyway, point is, I had to have a very quick introduction to Calibre. Now I see why so many people swear by it. It shouldn't be so goddamn hard for me to be able to get the ebook files that I paid for onto my reading gadget, but there we go. At least I managed it?
Aaaand of course when I went down to the local Chapters to get a protective cover for this device, they didn't have anything that would fit it, because this version of Kobo has been obsolete for years. Wonderful. (Maybe I should order something on Etsy?) For now, I have a cloth bag that I can keep it in, but I'll have to get something sturdier if I want to use it more.
But. At least I have everything sorted out now. For the moment. I think. So, current ones on the reading list:
Saladin Ahmed - Throne of the Crescent Moon
Pat Cadigan - SF Gateway Omnibus including "Tea From an Empty Cup", "Mindplayers", and "Fools"
Various authors - Mothership: Tales From Afrofuturism and Beyond
Not to mention that there's a bunch of other non-sf/f stuff that I've wanted to read for ages, but was held back by the fact that the books are bricks and reading on an itouch is suffering. I want to read more Victor Hugo, and also some Russian doorstoppers (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc). Plus a bunch of Nordic noir authors that I tried, didn't like, but want to try again, without buying the physical book... I'm thinking mainly of Henning Mankell and Lars Kepler.
The main point is - if I can get myself used to reading on this thing, then it might go a long way toward my (admittedly minimal) efforts at making sure that the pile of books in the corner of my room doesn't get any bigger. (Though it'd be better if it got smaller... I'm working on it. orz)
This entry was originally posted at http://yuuago.dreamwidth.org/3383753.html. You can comment here or at the original entry.
Recently there's been a lot of discussion over on f_fa of cool science fiction/fantasy novels, so I figured hey, I might as well look into some of the things they're talking about. Only, I didn't want to buy physical books, because I have too many already (books are meant to go on bookshelves, not piled up on the floor. Alas, I don't have more room in my bookshelf. Or my drawers. Or...) And I didn't want to read them with my itouch either. I've tried reading on my itouch; it's a pain in the ass. The screen is so damn tiny!
Things that I have done and do not recommend: Reading the entirety of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables on a freakin' itouch.
But, anyway. My mother has an ancient Kobo Original that she never did use much, so I've asked to borrow it. I thought putting the novels that I wanted to read on there would be simple, but nothing is ever simple.
Example: I had to do a pin-reset the first time I turned it on. Not a good sign.
Then I spent a few hours wrestling with some DRM-locked files. Even after doing everything I was supposed to do, it still didn't work - though that might have something to do with the fact that the ereader is ancient and no longer supported, I don't know.
Anyway, point is, I had to have a very quick introduction to Calibre. Now I see why so many people swear by it. It shouldn't be so goddamn hard for me to be able to get the ebook files that I paid for onto my reading gadget, but there we go. At least I managed it?
Aaaand of course when I went down to the local Chapters to get a protective cover for this device, they didn't have anything that would fit it, because this version of Kobo has been obsolete for years. Wonderful. (Maybe I should order something on Etsy?) For now, I have a cloth bag that I can keep it in, but I'll have to get something sturdier if I want to use it more.
But. At least I have everything sorted out now. For the moment. I think. So, current ones on the reading list:
Saladin Ahmed - Throne of the Crescent Moon
Pat Cadigan - SF Gateway Omnibus including "Tea From an Empty Cup", "Mindplayers", and "Fools"
Various authors - Mothership: Tales From Afrofuturism and Beyond
Not to mention that there's a bunch of other non-sf/f stuff that I've wanted to read for ages, but was held back by the fact that the books are bricks and reading on an itouch is suffering. I want to read more Victor Hugo, and also some Russian doorstoppers (Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc). Plus a bunch of Nordic noir authors that I tried, didn't like, but want to try again, without buying the physical book... I'm thinking mainly of Henning Mankell and Lars Kepler.
The main point is - if I can get myself used to reading on this thing, then it might go a long way toward my (admittedly minimal) efforts at making sure that the pile of books in the corner of my room doesn't get any bigger. (Though it'd be better if it got smaller... I'm working on it. orz)
This entry was originally posted at http://yuuago.dreamwidth.org/3383753.html. You can comment here or at the original entry.