eBooks - the hunt for the perfect library

[sobrique]

OK, so I've been hunting down ebooks, for my ebook reader.
It's kinda fun.
So far I have discovered:
Sony store, doesn't sell to the UK.
Waterstones website is terrible, and their selection is unimpressive.
Sony's Ebook library product is similarly, pretty horrible.

Places to buy stuff include Powells - a US Retailer, which 'ships' Ebooks to the UK.
WHSmiths seems to have a reasonable selection and search engine.

And 'webscription' is one that showed up looking for Deed of Pakesennarion.

But expect to have to play 'hunt the book' when there's one you want.

Also, prices seem extremely variable.


Locke Lamora
$11.50 Each
Ebook $6.20
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780553903584-0?search_avail=1
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780553902716-0?search_avail=1

Richard Morgan
Altered Carbon
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780345457707-0?search_avail=1 $7.09
(paperback - $11.50)
Market Forces http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780345457769-0search_avail=1
Ebook $13.27 (paperback $11.50)

Peter F Hamilton
Night's Dawn:
Reality Dysfunction is £7.19, paperback is
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.dosku=6365232
Neutronium Alchemist is
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.dosku=6365206 £6.39
Naked God is unavailable as an ebook.

The latest set 'void trilogy':
Dreaming Void -
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.dosku=6345263 - £7.19
Temporal Void (Unreleased in Paperback)
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.dosku=6515084 - £15.19, £13.29 in Hardback (no paperback yet, but it'll be about £8)

Dan Simmons
Hyperion - Not available it seems
Terror -
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?show=ELECTRONIC%3AADOBE%20DIGITAL%20EDITIONS%3A9780316003865%3A9.75 $9.75 - $10.50 paperback

Frank Herbert:
Dune -
http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?show=ELECTRONIC%3AADOBE%20DIGITAL%20EDITIONS%3A9781436233286%3A14.80 $14.80 - $5.50 paperback

Gibson
Spook Country -
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9781429550727-0?search_avail=1 - $13.88 -
paperback is $17.95

Iain M Banks
Use of Weapons -
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780316068796-0?search_avail=1 - $11.53 -
paperback is $8.95
Alternatively on Waterstones store, they're going at £7.19 (mostly - matter
is more expensive, being the latest) Paperbacks are going for £5.99.

J. R. R. Tolkien
Not commercially available.

Steven Erikson - none available.

And of course a special mention for Elizabeth Moon's 'Deed of Paksennarion' - not easy to find, but 'Webscriptions' has it, for the bargain price of $6. Or free, if you just want the first book. Now, despite this being the 4th time I'll have paid money for that book, I consider that excellent value. http://www.webscription.net/p-100-the-deed-of-paksenarrion.aspx

Basically, some ebooks cost more than paperback, some less. And in a few cases, cost more/about the same as hardback. Availability is spotty, but improving.

Generally though, battery life seems extremely good - plenty of reading over the last few weeks, hasn't depleted the charge much at all - down a bar, maybe.

The reader itself is a joy - lovely high contrast print, on a single page. And more importantly, can be read one handed, leaving a hand free for my coffee whilst I'm wandering around. Book is lightweight and easy to use too. Which for me, is worth the premium that 'ebook' seems to carry - most of the cases above they're more expensive than hardcopy, but as someone who would pay hardback prices for a paperback, just so I don't have to carry a hardback around, that's not a huge problem.

My only real grumble is that I can't easily share books. Oh, and the lack of amazon style 'here's stuff you might like'.

Comments

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

You are a crazy fool, and I love you dearly.