I too have lived far from a library and even now, our library is a bit limited.
It seems that you are outside the US-- it may be that you could access a library online. A lot of systems allow people to get a card for payment of an annual fee ranging from $20 to $80 (!). This allows access to their online stuff. I am not exactly sure how to do it because in one, I got my own card so I wouldn’t have to use my mother’s when I was visiting her, and the other we got when we moved outside the county to a place with a terrible library. So in both cases I was 1. there in person and 2. had a readon for doing it. But since bother systems had a system to deal with it, and I have heard of other systems which also do, I assume it is not uncommon. You might be able to get someone here in the States to set you up with a card. Get them to give you the contact info for the person who knows how to work the app because I can’t say that these apps are as easy to work as the apps which are not attached to libraries.
I also download a huge amount of stuff to read and to listen to–I don’t know if you can do that on your device.
Only 20, Didymus? Then there is no way I’m even counting or posting how many books are on my Kindle ‘to be read later’
Although this paid off in the last fortnight when I was ill and looking for some light reading and found many such titles waiting for me to read. All had been acquired as 1 or , or even free, specials.
And now I’m checking into Simon Winchester, thanks for the recommendation.
This is good advice. Although I have found that some weeks there are lots of offerings I find irresistible, and then there will be weeks and weeks where nothing really appeals.
This is where a mental or written account can come in handy–one week nothing appeals, the next week you have $10 to spend rather than just $5
And you can make this any amount that fits your budget. This way you will be in control of your spending, and not be shocked to find out you have spent $x on books! You will have spent what you are “allowed” to spend and have decided that is a reasonable amount.
You could then also give up buying books for Lent and Advent, if you wanted.
It is very reasonable (in my mind–ok, in my mind absolutely essential!) to spend a small amount on reading materials, esp if they are not going to clutter up your house! (Don’t look at my house… homeschooling seems to make biblioddiction impossible to cure!)
Yes, the Nook/Kindle/whatever e-book will be around another day, but at more than the 1 or special. When you think of it, 1 or is very little to spend on a book that you think you may enjoy by an author new to you, and if it turns out to be a book you don’t enjoy, the expense was not too much - but if you’re looking at say 10 or more, that’s a little different, expense-wise.
It there is a library nearby. In my home country I live on a farm, nearest library is at least half an hour away, and we mostly go to that town to go to Mass, the library is not open on Sundays. Where I currently live and work, there are no libraries with books in any of the languages I read. The same would apply to buying from sales, second hand shops, etc - only works if they are easily available where you live.
In both these cases my Kindle means I’m not deprived of reading.
If I were you, next time I would get a more flexible device which allow a wider selection. On my iPod, I can access more than just books, and also listening materials for when I am driving or doing dishes. You can also get Kindle and Nook apps so everything will transfer if you don’t want two devices, altho I have to say that I would keep what you have because the apps currently aren’t great. The iPod is good enough and easy to carry, but I think it’s probably easier to read on the iPad Mini. I think Samsung makes a phone which is an in-between size–don’t know if they have a separate device like Apple does.
