I have 201 “books” on my Kindle, but of course they’re not really books, they’re digital files that once read have no further value unless I re-read them (unlikely) or somehow transfer them to someone else, which I don’t know how to do. At first, the unit was handy, especially when traveling when I didn’t have to load my luggage with real books. But now, the novelty of the Kindle has worn off, and I find myself using it less and less as I return to the old way of buying physical books. Also, price is a major consideration. For example, take a look at Off the Grid, the latest novel by C.J. Box. It’s only available in two formats, hardcover for $17.66 (I get free shipping with Prime) and Kindle for $13.99. The hardcover is only $3.67 more than the the Kindle edition, and when I’m done with it, I could theoretically sell it to a friend for half of what I paid for it, or $8.83. Or, I can trade it in to a book exchange for it’s full retail value of $27.00 for credit to use in the purchase of other previously-owned (to use an automotive sales term) books. Now, take a look at Box’s previous book, Endangered. The Kindle price is $9.99 but the trade paperback is just $6.73. You tell me which version is a better buy. I’m not sure what I’m going to doing with my Kindle with 201 “books” on it. All I know is that I’m not buying any more digital book files.
March 29, 2021
Since I wrote that post years ago, I’ve found a better way to use my Kindle. See here.
