Submitted by PennyPannaCotta t3_10prpu7 in books

To safe money, I have installed app to read ebook and audiobook, but I literally does not suit me. I don’t know why but it is hard for me to concentrate on audiobook and ebook make me feel… uncomfortable. I’m absolutely not type of old conservative woman. I’m still in high school. But I only read books online if they’re novel that aren’t published in my country recently, or books that I think the translation suck because of serve ( maybe unreasonable ) censor. Reading paper books still work well for me until now. My family have some financial problem so I need to save money, but it is not the only issue. Both of me and my grandpa really like books so my house is kinda full, and I don’t want to throw away any.

In addition, library in my school and my hometown is really a thing that I should consider the last. Don’t mention the school library, the only okay library here is the national one, yet it is really far. What should I do?

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buliuyy t1_j6m0u9q wrote

Apps to read ebooks are not comparable with a e-reader ( kindle etc.. ). For sure not everyone’s cup of tea, but in my case I started to read more often while traveling. Having a library on you backpack is great. You can get books much cheaper if not for free. Saving favorite quotes and search are also great features.

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PennyPannaCotta OP t1_j6m1vv1 wrote

I have thought about that before but buying a kindle is way more expensive and inconvenient in my situation. Though is is not popular in my area so there are not many good kindle eBooks in my language, and the price of a kindle is not affordable to my pocket - money

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curiousdiscovery t1_j6m2ggo wrote

Nah, you’re not alone. I’m not a fan of ebooks at all.

I love audiobook for reading non-fiction books, especially if they are read by the author. But I find it extremely hard to read audiobooks for any sort of fiction. Those ones doesn’t seem as compatible with my brain

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leela_martell t1_j6m2h92 wrote

I love audiobooks but I can’t get into ebooks. I have started like 20 ebooks on my app (Storytel) but I haven’t made it past 20 pages. My city library is wonderful though so I don’t mind, I just use the app for audiobooks and get physical books from the library. I’m in front of a screen so much anyways.

I do know e-readers are supposedly much better than the apps, but I don’t want a Kindle and if I get a Storytel reader I’ll never have any use for it if I change apps at some point. I already had to downgrade from limitless to 100 hours per month cause they hiked up the prices so much (Storytel unlimited in my country is 22€ per month. Why are book apps so much more expensive than streaming? Netflix is 8€, Spotify Premium like 10€.)

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Missy_Pixels t1_j6m3had wrote

For ebooks, try reading in dark mode if it's an option, and turn off the Internet on the device you're reading on. It will help you focus better and be less distracted.

For audiobooks, try doing something while listening. I find crafts or jigsaw puzzles help me focus while I listen otherwise I have trouble too.

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kinsbrr t1_j6m5or0 wrote

I cannot make myself read ebooks. I have found second-hand books on Amazon for cheaper before though. Maybe you could try that?

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Thornescape t1_j6m7rhw wrote

There's nothing wrong with personal preference. It's somewhat silly how some people try to pretend that everyone has to like the same things. It makes no sense at all.

I started reading ebooks a decade ago, and now I have a hard time reading paper books. They just feel awkward and uncomfortable to me, even though I used to read them all the time. My preferences changed.

However, I also greatly prefer to read on my phone. I don't even like using a tablet or an eReader. They are fantastic devices, but I just don't prefer them. Reading on a computer screen is far worse. I respect audiobooks greatly, but I can't stand using them myself.

There's nothing wrong with having personal preferences. It's also good to try things and expand your options. On rare occasion I've read a book on my computer when forced to do so.

More options is good, but it's also perfectly fine to have your preferences. Just don't expect everyone to have the same ones.

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HappyLeading8756 t1_j6memi0 wrote

I also love physical books but at certain point I had to choose between getting used to ebooks or not reading at all since physical books are expensive and I had no possibility to get books from local library.

For ebooks, you may need time to get used to them. I struggled as well at first but then I found the book that completely sucked me in, to the extent that I did not care about the discomfort anymore. After that, reading ebooks came gradually easier and easier. By now I have read ebooks for about 10 years, most of it on the phone or tablet (thankfully, I have Kindle now).

What can also help is trying different setups (fonts, backgrounds, etc.)

Great thing about ebooks is that there are free ebooks and eLibraries + if you have Amazon, they have monthly offers for really cheap.

As for audiobooks, I have tried them but I get easily distracted, so they are no no for me.

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Aerosol668 t1_j6meqvt wrote

Audiobooks don’t keep my interest. I need to read a book to be able to visualise people and scenes. That’s just a me problem.

eBooks on the other hand are no different than reading hard-copy books, and sometimes even better (portability, low-light conditions, being able to adjust font size).

I have hundreds of paper books that I haven’t read, I’m working my way through them (in shifts, I also read ebooks), but I won’t buy an ebook if I already have a physical copy. Read what you have, save yourself some money. Don’t buy a reader until you need one, if you can’t afford it.

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maplestriker t1_j6mhev2 wrote

I only read ebooks out of convenience. I read a lot. If I bought physical copies I wouldn't be able to afford food and I also don't want to deal with storing them. Library isnt an option because it's a bit further away and I'm notorious for not returning the books in a timely manner, if they even have what i want to read. So ebooks it is.

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CarobExtension7923 t1_j6mp8ov wrote

Another day, another ebook vs audiobook vs paper book debate on Reddit 😀 . Not everything has to be tribal , you can actually do all 3 and there is a purpose and occasions for all 3.

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Ineffable7980x t1_j6mrjdg wrote

I read ebooks and listen to audiobooks, but my preference is still for physical books.

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greenhouse5 t1_j6mvfk6 wrote

If you are in the US get the Libby app and use earphones. Earphones were essential for me. It’s my favorite way.

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teachertraveler1 t1_j6mvzig wrote

My mom was completely against ebooks until we got her a tablet she could read them off of and realized reading doesn't have to be painful. She has arthritis in her hands and holding the physical book literally hurt her. With ebooks she can read as much as she wants, usually a book a day. My dad can increase the size of the font and read better too. Ebooks make reading so much more accessible!

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r--evolve t1_j6nk59f wrote

Some people, even with honest efforts, just don't benefit from ebooks or audiobooks. No problem if print books are the only format that suit your preferences, and it says nothing about you on a personal level.

I get most of my print books secondhand (thrift shops, used bookstores, etc.) with prices ranging from $1 to $10 each, or as gifts. If you're on a budget and the national library is the last resort, try to borrow as many books as possible on each visit? This way, you get the most out of your traveling efforts.

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cmpear t1_j6oyqnl wrote

For audiobooks, I experiment with authors and genres I'm uncertain I'd like, but reserve reading for stuff I expect to be good. I've also got a few "started as an audiobook, was great, but will continue as an audiobook". Really takes the tedium out of many chores.

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overthebridge65 t1_j6p7qn1 wrote

I think with Kindle, I can't retain the name of what I'm reading and the synopsis so I've to Screenshot what it's about.. One of the main reasons why I switched back to physical books!

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