Hi Adam, I’m really enjoying your videos and am happy to see your channel growing. Having been a reader all my life, I’m faced with some dilemmas in my old age. My eyesight is not what it used to be and reading is a lot more difficult. My favorite format has always been the trade paperback size. Love the size, the feel in my hands, the flexibility as opposed to the smaller paperbacks. But, smallish print and too light ink, especially in newer books, makes reading pretty difficult. Seems like ebooks would be the perfect solution with being able to adjust type size, but I haven’t been able to warm up to them. I often download books from the library, read a few chapters, and stop. I don’t know why my mind wanders reading on a device and not when I’m reading a physical book, but it does. My least favorite format is audiobooks, with a few exceptions. The only ones I’ll listen to are books read by the author, mostly non-fiction. That being said, I would like to recommend the very best audiobook I’ve ever listened to and thoroughly enjoyed - The Book Thief read by Allan Corduner. I had read the book and loved it and then decided to listen to it. It’s quite a performance, he does an amazing job. It’s good you’re a reader as I’ve written a short story here.😂
Thanks for sharing, Terry, and thanks for watching! I understand where you're coming from about the difficulty of getting into ebooks. I will say that for whatever reason (maybe it's the different display, maybe it's the dedicated device), I find reading on an e-reader infinitely easier/better than reading on phone or tablet. It sounds like the ideal for you is large print paperbacks, which are pretty readily available for popular books, but a little harder to come by for other books. Also, for what it's worth, it sounds like you're older than me, but eye strain is something that I think applies at all ages, and I think is worth considering (my wife makes fun of me when she sees the font size I set my e-reader to...) PS: Don't worry about the length of comments here! There are people who have written dissertations in the comments on these videos, and I love it. The whole reason I started this channel was to have conversations :)
@@ADudeWhoReads First off, not only am I older than you, my daughter is older than you, lol. I do read on my iPad and don’t have a dedicated reader. I just went on my library site where I download free ebooks, and it looks like I can transfer my loans. Thanks for the tip!
Usually purchase Ebook first, if really love it, will buy hardcover for collection. For the classics I love, will buy the most beautiful hardcover/cloth bond for collection.
That's a great tactic. The other thing I've done is take a book out of the library and if I feel I want a copy of it, then I'll go and buy a hard copy. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I listen to books and do consider it reading, just a different way of doing so. I would never have gotten through Tolstoy reading with a book or e-reader with the names and places. Listening was the way I learned to love _Anna Karenina_ and _War and Peace_ . However, when I read _Murmur of Bees_ by Sofía Segovia, I listened and found I needed to read along to make sure I was "seeing" names properly and learning the places. This was the first book I had done this with and I loved it. But, for various reasons, reading with my eyes all the time, just isn't physically possible. (If you have not read _Murmur of Bees_ yet, I *highly* recommend it. It's magical realism at its finest.
At the end of the day, a lot of this will come down to what works for you. For ME, I don’t think I could have gotten as much out of War and Peace if I hadn’t been reading it with pen in hand and scribbling notes and thoughts as I read. I suppose I could do this with an audiobook as well, but I’ve never tried that to be honest… And thank you for the recommendation on Murmur of Bees. I will check it out!
I feel like I'm pretending to red if I listen. I know I'm missing alot. The only times I listen (ripped books on cd) is when I want to be distracted on long bike rides or if a topic is too heavy for me not to get bogged down on and getting through it once helps my understand what slowed me down with context. That's never for fiction. More theology or philosophy.
@rogerhuggettjr.7675 Interesting in that it's almost the exact opposite of what I listen to on Audiobook. Whereas you use them for heavy topics, I use them for light / fun reading, where really all I'm trying to get out of the book is the story, and no deeper analysis or learning. Just goes to show: different strokes...
I prefer a physical book. There is nothing like the tactile pleasure of a book or the smell of a book. A few years ago, I found it necessary to wade into e-books. My hands had been giving me issues with weakness and loss of dexterity. The Kindle allowed me to keep reading. Reading is like breathing. The condition is progressing and sometimes I can’t manage the weight of the Kindle. Haven’t delved into regular audio-book usage. So grateful that the option is available when the time comes that I lose the ability of using my hands effectively.
I'm truly sorry to hear about your hands. Audiobooks are an alternative, but for someone who loves the physical aspect of reading, they can be a big let down. They are making e-readers lighter and lighter, so perhaps there's still some hope. If not, maybe a stand? Certainly not ideal, but we'll do anything just to keep breathing!
Hang in there & do not despair! I have neurological issues and use *audiobooks* as needed and its actually turned out to be very enjoyable…..they are lovely and allow you to keep hearing new stories!! Set a few of your favourite books right next to you while listening to the audiobook (I have all my old Tolkien books stacked up on an end table) this way you can still smell that wonderful book smell (heck, you can even have one sitting in your lap with your hands resting on it). Then, sit back and pretend you are Lois IXV being read to by one of your courtiers 🩵
@@ADudeWhoReads My autocorrect’s Roman numeral game is weak! I wrote *Louis XIV* & autocorrect changed it to *Louis IXV* ☠️….at least they both get you to Louis the 14th IF you stare at it long enough 🤣
@@GreatGreebo Actually, it autocorrected Louis to LOIS in the original, which made it even funnier, because I don't know who Lois the 14th was, but she must have been important if she had courtiers reading to her. 😉
Love your videos- thank you. I love my hardbacks. Some are collector's editions with beautiful illustrations and paper. Others are second hand because I just lrefer a hard cover. These are often cheaper than paperbacks and often less heavy. My second choice is audio. I do a lot of crafts and I can listen while I sew or knit or cook. If it's a writer I especially enjoy I find an audio can add greatly to my appreciation and give me added insight into their work. I find it's very much worth listening to a sample before buying though. Much narration is brilliant but some is truly dreadful. I tend to choose a paperback if it's a writer new to me or if hardbacks are not available at an affordable price. I have some treasured paperbacks I would love to replace with hardback if I could find copies. E books are totally lost on me. I have tried some but nea rly always give up. I lose concentration and simply miss the much loved feel of a book in my hands.
Thank you and thanks for the comment! Sampling an audiobook is a definitely a good tip, because some narrators can most definitely ruin a book. I actually tend to borrow a lot of my audiobooks from the library (using the Libby app), because if I want to "re-read" a book, it generally means that I like it enough that I'd want a physical copy anyway, so I don't mind just borrowing the audio version, and then buying a physical copy if it's something I really love.
Hardcovers: I don't have the room for them. With The Final Architecture series (Adrian Tchaikovsky) the 1st two books were paperbacks so I *had to* pick up Lords of Uncreation when the hardcover came out. Paperbacks: I very rarely write in a book and because I have a large manga collection I treat all of these books with kid gloves. Kindle: For whatever reason I was reading mostly independent authors. Book of the New Sun I'll start soon (I hear Gene Wolfe is a bit "deep" so highlighting may help). Audiobooks: No sure why I've never went this route.
In fairness, the exception to my rule about marking up books (which is to mark them up as much as possible) is books with art in them. If a book has art in it, I treat it like a sacred object (and put it on a high shelf where the kids can't reach it...)
I want to add a gentle comment. I wanted to watch your _Gardens of the Moon_ review, but I don't have 27 minutes to watch a review. 6-10 minutes, yes. Especially if it is a book I don't know or even know the genre. I really love what you have to say, but perhaps breaking a segment into two or three different episodes? Or even just different videos. Just a thought.
Thanks for the feedback! I’m still learning this whole UA-cam thing so I’m not going to pretend I have the right recipe. I really appreciate feedback like this. Specifically for the Garden of the Moon video, the reason it’s so long is because I give my thoughts on the book as I’m reading it, so that video is actually filmed over the course of a couple of weeks. If you’re looking for my general thoughts on the book as a whole though, what you can do is just watch the last section of the video that starts at 21:00 (the chapter is called “Thoughts on the book overall”). It’ll take less than 5 minutes and I won’t be offended that you skipped the “vlog” portion 😉 Thanks again for watching and your continued support!
Or you could pause it and watch on your own schedule. If you don't have the attention span for a sitcom length video, how in the world will you have the attention span for such a 1) long, and 2) complex/difficult (from all I've heard) series?
@@Yesica1993 Thank you. The reality is, even if I WANTED to make my videos shorter, I'm just too long-winded :) That said, I know there are people who are looking for quick overviews, rather than long rambling discussions. For those people, I try and summarize my thoughts in my wrap ups and use Time Stamps so they can skip ahead if they want. Or, maybe, I'm just not the right source for them. That's cool, too. To each their own! As always, thanks for your comments, and I hope you're one of those who sticks around for my long ramblings! ;)
On audiobooks. I do not use an app for that. I go to my local library and checkout or order a audiobook. Take it home and burn all the cds to my computer. That way I never lose said audiobook and I don’t have to have internet to listen to it. I have multiple backup ext hard drives so I never lose the audiobook
I probably should have mentioned in the video that I also take audiobooks out of the library, but I use digital services like Libby. Keeping the book forever isn't that important to me. Also, I don't own a CD player or writer anymore... so, there's that! Thanks for the tip, though, and thanks for watching!
Are you referring to being able to touch the screen without making it change pages? On the recent Paperwhites (like the one in the video), there's an option under the "3 dots" menu when you're in a book that says "Disable Touchscreen." When you tap that you get the following message: "Choose this setting to temporarily disable the touchscreen. You can still turn the page by swiping on your kindle. To enable the touchscreen again, press the power button once to put your Kindle in sleep mode and once more to wake it up." Hope that helps!
No harm in that! Some paperbacks are beautiful. But there's something about that look of a bookshelf full of leather-bound hardcovers that appeals to the romantic in me. But when it comes to a fight between the romantic and the minimalist, the minimalist wins every time :)
Hi Adam, I’m really enjoying your videos and am happy to see your channel growing. Having been a reader all my life, I’m faced with some dilemmas in my old age. My eyesight is not what it used to be and reading is a lot more difficult. My favorite format has always been the trade paperback size. Love the size, the feel in my hands, the flexibility as opposed to the smaller paperbacks. But, smallish print and too light ink, especially in newer books, makes reading pretty difficult. Seems like ebooks would be the perfect solution with being able to adjust type size, but I haven’t been able to warm up to them. I often download books from the library, read a few chapters, and stop. I don’t know why my mind wanders reading on a device and not when I’m reading a physical book, but it does. My least favorite format is audiobooks, with a few exceptions. The only ones I’ll listen to are books read by the author, mostly non-fiction. That being said, I would like to recommend the very best audiobook I’ve ever listened to and thoroughly enjoyed - The Book Thief read by Allan Corduner. I had read the book and loved it and then decided to listen to it. It’s quite a performance, he does an amazing job. It’s good you’re a reader as I’ve written a short story here.😂
Thanks for sharing, Terry, and thanks for watching!
I understand where you're coming from about the difficulty of getting into ebooks. I will say that for whatever reason (maybe it's the different display, maybe it's the dedicated device), I find reading on an e-reader infinitely easier/better than reading on phone or tablet.
It sounds like the ideal for you is large print paperbacks, which are pretty readily available for popular books, but a little harder to come by for other books.
Also, for what it's worth, it sounds like you're older than me, but eye strain is something that I think applies at all ages, and I think is worth considering (my wife makes fun of me when she sees the font size I set my e-reader to...)
PS: Don't worry about the length of comments here! There are people who have written dissertations in the comments on these videos, and I love it. The whole reason I started this channel was to have conversations :)
@@ADudeWhoReads First off, not only am I older than you, my daughter is older than you, lol. I do read on my iPad and don’t have a dedicated reader. I just went on my library site where I download free ebooks, and it looks like I can transfer my loans. Thanks for the tip!
@@TerryJ950 Hah! Fair enough!
I also like *all* the options myself. I definitely tailor my book type to what I’m trying to accomplish with said book.
Seems like the logical thing to do!
Usually purchase Ebook first, if really love it, will buy hardcover for collection.
For the classics I love, will buy the most beautiful hardcover/cloth bond for collection.
That's a great tactic. The other thing I've done is take a book out of the library and if I feel I want a copy of it, then I'll go and buy a hard copy. Thanks for watching and commenting!
I listen to books and do consider it reading, just a different way of doing so. I would never have gotten through Tolstoy reading with a book or e-reader with the names and places. Listening was the way I learned to love _Anna Karenina_ and _War and Peace_ . However, when I read _Murmur of Bees_ by Sofía Segovia, I listened and found I needed to read along to make sure I was "seeing" names properly and learning the places. This was the first book I had done this with and I loved it. But, for various reasons, reading with my eyes all the time, just isn't physically possible. (If you have not read _Murmur of Bees_ yet, I *highly* recommend it. It's magical realism at its finest.
At the end of the day, a lot of this will come down to what works for you. For ME, I don’t think I could have gotten as much out of War and Peace if I hadn’t been reading it with pen in hand and scribbling notes and thoughts as I read. I suppose I could do this with an audiobook as well, but I’ve never tried that to be honest…
And thank you for the recommendation on Murmur of Bees. I will check it out!
I feel like I'm pretending to red if I listen. I know I'm missing alot. The only times I listen (ripped books on cd) is when I want to be distracted on long bike rides or if a topic is too heavy for me not to get bogged down on and getting through it once helps my understand what slowed me down with context. That's never for fiction. More theology or philosophy.
@rogerhuggettjr.7675 Interesting in that it's almost the exact opposite of what I listen to on Audiobook. Whereas you use them for heavy topics, I use them for light / fun reading, where really all I'm trying to get out of the book is the story, and no deeper analysis or learning. Just goes to show: different strokes...
I prefer a physical book. There is nothing like the tactile pleasure of a book or the smell of a book. A few years ago, I found it necessary to wade into e-books. My hands had been giving me issues with weakness and loss of dexterity. The Kindle allowed me to keep reading. Reading is like breathing.
The condition is progressing and sometimes I can’t manage the weight of the Kindle. Haven’t delved into regular audio-book usage. So grateful that the option is available when the time comes that I lose the ability of using my hands effectively.
I'm truly sorry to hear about your hands. Audiobooks are an alternative, but for someone who loves the physical aspect of reading, they can be a big let down. They are making e-readers lighter and lighter, so perhaps there's still some hope. If not, maybe a stand? Certainly not ideal, but we'll do anything just to keep breathing!
Hang in there & do not despair! I have neurological issues and use *audiobooks* as needed and its actually turned out to be very enjoyable…..they are lovely and allow you to keep hearing new stories!! Set a few of your favourite books right next to you while listening to the audiobook (I have all my old Tolkien books stacked up on an end table) this way you can still smell that wonderful book smell (heck, you can even have one sitting in your lap with your hands resting on it). Then, sit back and pretend you are Lois IXV being read to by one of your courtiers 🩵
@@ADudeWhoReads My autocorrect’s Roman numeral game is weak! I wrote *Louis XIV* & autocorrect changed it to *Louis IXV* ☠️….at least they both get you to Louis the 14th IF you stare at it long enough 🤣
@@GreatGreebo Actually, it autocorrected Louis to LOIS in the original, which made it even funnier, because I don't know who Lois the 14th was, but she must have been important if she had courtiers reading to her. 😉
Love your videos- thank you.
I love my hardbacks. Some are collector's editions with beautiful illustrations and paper. Others are second hand because I just lrefer a hard cover. These are often cheaper than paperbacks and often less heavy. My second choice is audio. I do a lot of crafts and I can listen while I sew or knit or cook. If it's a writer I especially enjoy I find an audio can add greatly to my appreciation and give me added insight into their work. I find it's very much worth listening to a sample before buying though. Much narration is brilliant but some is truly dreadful. I tend to choose a paperback if it's a writer new to me or if hardbacks are not available at an affordable price. I have some treasured paperbacks I would love to replace with hardback if I could find copies. E books are totally lost on me. I have tried some but nea rly always give up. I lose concentration and simply miss the much loved feel of a book in my hands.
Thank you and thanks for the comment! Sampling an audiobook is a definitely a good tip, because some narrators can most definitely ruin a book. I actually tend to borrow a lot of my audiobooks from the library (using the Libby app), because if I want to "re-read" a book, it generally means that I like it enough that I'd want a physical copy anyway, so I don't mind just borrowing the audio version, and then buying a physical copy if it's something I really love.
Hardcovers: I don't have the room for them. With The Final Architecture series (Adrian Tchaikovsky) the 1st two books were paperbacks so I *had to* pick up Lords of Uncreation when the hardcover came out.
Paperbacks: I very rarely write in a book and because I have a large manga collection I treat all of these books with kid gloves.
Kindle: For whatever reason I was reading mostly independent authors. Book of the New Sun I'll start soon (I hear Gene Wolfe is a bit "deep" so highlighting may help).
Audiobooks: No sure why I've never went this route.
In fairness, the exception to my rule about marking up books (which is to mark them up as much as possible) is books with art in them. If a book has art in it, I treat it like a sacred object (and put it on a high shelf where the kids can't reach it...)
I want to add a gentle comment. I wanted to watch your _Gardens of the Moon_ review, but I don't have 27 minutes to watch a review. 6-10 minutes, yes. Especially if it is a book I don't know or even know the genre. I really love what you have to say, but perhaps breaking a segment into two or three different episodes? Or even just different videos. Just a thought.
Thanks for the feedback! I’m still learning this whole UA-cam thing so I’m not going to pretend I have the right recipe. I really appreciate feedback like this.
Specifically for the Garden of the Moon video, the reason it’s so long is because I give my thoughts on the book as I’m reading it, so that video is actually filmed over the course of a couple of weeks. If you’re looking for my general thoughts on the book as a whole though, what you can do is just watch the last section of the video that starts at 21:00 (the chapter is called “Thoughts on the book overall”). It’ll take less than 5 minutes and I won’t be offended that you skipped the “vlog” portion 😉
Thanks again for watching and your continued support!
Please don't give in to the people wirh goldfish length attention spans! No one forces you to watch anything in one sitting.
Or you could pause it and watch on your own schedule. If you don't have the attention span for a sitcom length video, how in the world will you have the attention span for such a 1) long, and 2) complex/difficult (from all I've heard) series?
@@Yesica1993 Thank you. The reality is, even if I WANTED to make my videos shorter, I'm just too long-winded :) That said, I know there are people who are looking for quick overviews, rather than long rambling discussions. For those people, I try and summarize my thoughts in my wrap ups and use Time Stamps so they can skip ahead if they want. Or, maybe, I'm just not the right source for them. That's cool, too. To each their own! As always, thanks for your comments, and I hope you're one of those who sticks around for my long ramblings! ;)
On audiobooks. I do not use an app for that. I go to my local library and checkout or order a audiobook. Take it home and burn all the cds to my computer. That way I never lose said audiobook and I don’t have to have internet to listen to it. I have multiple backup ext hard drives so I never lose the audiobook
I probably should have mentioned in the video that I also take audiobooks out of the library, but I use digital services like Libby. Keeping the book forever isn't that important to me. Also, I don't own a CD player or writer anymore... so, there's that! Thanks for the tip, though, and thanks for watching!
Can you please explain how to adjust the screen sensitivity as you said🤔..... I can't seem to find anything about it👍
Are you referring to being able to touch the screen without making it change pages? On the recent Paperwhites (like the one in the video), there's an option under the "3 dots" menu when you're in a book that says "Disable Touchscreen." When you tap that you get the following message: "Choose this setting to temporarily disable the touchscreen. You can still turn the page by swiping on your kindle. To enable the touchscreen again, press the power button once to put your Kindle in sleep mode and once more to wake it up." Hope that helps!
Found It 👍 Many Thanks!
Glad I was able to help!
I prefer paperbacks, including for aesthetic reasons.
No harm in that! Some paperbacks are beautiful. But there's something about that look of a bookshelf full of leather-bound hardcovers that appeals to the romantic in me. But when it comes to a fight between the romantic and the minimalist, the minimalist wins every time :)