Looking for Suggestions for ebooks

[alandashby]

Over the last three days I have just fallen in love with the use of Ebooks, I decided to give it a try I have always been one for paper books. There is just some novelty to it. However, I thought about reading Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, I elected to read it by ebook and have truly enjoyed every minute of it.

My question to all of you is simply; what books are you reading on your handheld. I am nearly finished with the one that I am reading and am looking for some suggestions. I thought since I know that many of us have similar interests we may have similar interests in books, I am open for suggestions.

[Reinaldo]

Slate magazine, classic books, LOTR(17th time). I haven't read a lot of books lately though (paperback or eBook). I have been too busy to. Kinda makes me sad, I really enjoyed reading. :cry:

[Crystal Eitle]

I really enjoyed "In the Beginning was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson, avalaible here (http://esspc-ebooks.com/computer.asp).

[Raynne]

I have been reading some of Anne McCaffery's different series, and some Piers Anthony. Also the LOTR series.

[PetiteFlower]

17 times for LOTR? Impressive. I'm still trying to work my way through for the first time....people like you make me feel dumb :)

[Reinaldo]

I had began reading it long before it was a movie though. So I kinda got a head start. :lol: Its a great book though and I am glad that it has been ported to the Pocket PC.

[taxus]

I mostly read hardcore sci fi ebooks from Fictionwise, Palm Digital Media and Baen Books, and sometimes public domain ebooks from Project Gutenberg.

I like Fictionwise (http://www.fictionwise.com) most because most of their ebooks are unprotected and available in many formats including MS Reader, PalmReader and Mobipocket (they also have secure PalmReader, MS Reader and Mobipocket ebooks). They also have a reader rating system which is very handy.

A pioneer in the ebook market, they also publish short stories and novelettes. Perfect for light reading, and for discovering authors you haven't read yet.

For example I wouldn't have discovered N.D. Hansen-Hill (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/NDHansen-HilleBooks.htm) in my local bookstores, which seem more and more to keep series like Star Trek and Battletech, and less and less original works by authors like Greg Egan or Robert J. Sawyer.

I liked Hansen-Hill's Light Play trilogy, because sci fi is usually concerned with astrophysics or computer science, not biology.

Baen Books (http://www.baen.com) (sci fi and fantasy only) is the dead-tree publisher that is the most open to ebooks. A very good portion of the books they publish are made available in ebook format even before they're released in unprotected format (HTML, RTF, MobiPocket or MS Reader). Their Webscriptions (http://www.webscription.net/) service allows you to buy all of the books released in a given month (about 4 to 6 depending on the month), or to buy them individually (my prefered option).

I'm eagerly waiting for the next David Weber book (from the Honor Harrington series (http://www.baen.com/library/067157793X/067157793X.htm) in particular), the next Eric Flint (1632 series (http://www.baen.com/library/0671319728/0671319728.htm)), or the next John Ringo (March series (http://www.baen.com/library/067131985X/067131985X.htm) with Weber). Those war sagas are more likely to appeal to the masses. ;)

For more hardcore sci fi, I liked James P. Hogan's Cradle of Saturn (http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200002/0671578669.htm) (Asimov was reported to comment about Hogan's first book: "Pure science fiction . . . Arthur Clarke, move over!"), as well as Charles Sheffield (http://www.baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=csheffield)'s Convergent series.

Baen Books also have a free library (http://www.baen.com/library/) where you can sample books from some authors (including Flint, Ringo and Weber).

As for Palm Digital Media (http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com) (that's where you bought Down and Out I guess), I like them because their reader has the user-friendliest DRM. The secure PalmReader ebooks at Fictionwise usually come from Palm Digital Media, and cost a little less at PDM. What I really like about them (and Fictionwise too) is that they have older books from masters such as Robert Silverberg (who seems to be the most open of the lot to ebooks since dozens of his works are available), A.E. Van Vogt (only 2 of his though), Poul Anderson, Piers Anthony, as well as more and more new stuff from "youngters" like Greg Bear, Robert J. Sawyer, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

I just finished Van Vogt's Voyage of the Space Beagle (http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/book.cgi/0795304056), which was supposedly "the basis for the movie Alien", but it was only based on the general idea if you ask me. I loved it.

And finally, Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.net/): the idea is to eventually scan all public domain ebooks. Of course that means pretty old stuff, from Edgar R. Burroughs (Tarzan, Mars, Pellucidar series) or from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), for example. eBooks are made available in plain text format, but many sites convert them in PDA formats, MemoWare (http://www.memoware.com) being the one which comes to my mind first. Project Gutenberg's were almost the only available ebooks while I was eagerly waiting for sci fi stuff to be e-published later on sites like Fictionwise and PalmDigitalMedia (which first was PeanutPress then was bought by Palm). At least it "forced" me to stray a little off the harcore sci fi reading path I've kept to for the last 15 years.

I have to mention two more sci fi authors because they were among the first to epublish (by their own means):

Michael McCollum (http://www.scifi-az.com/)
John E. Stith (http://www.neverend.com/)

Their books are also available at PalmDigitalMedia (both) and Fictionwise (Stith).

McCollum is a hardcore sci fi writer. I liked a lot the Life Probe series and the Antares series (http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/book.cgi/0740805223). He finally published the 3rd Antares book last year, but I'd say it's not as good as the first two. The others, I had in dead-tree format.

I liked John E. Stith's Redshift Rendezvous (http://www.palmdigitalmedia.com/book.cgi/0740807528): an environment full of relativistic effects and optical illusions makes for a very interesting sci fi mystery/thriller.

In the last 3 years, as eBooks gained in popularity - and availability - my book expenses more than tripled... they probably quadrupled. And I now buy 3 times as many ebooks as dead-tree books. I love ebooks! I can carry my complete collection on a SD card...

[spursdude]

Microsoft has a huge list of free e-books, many of them classics here (http://www.mslit.com/default.asp?mjr=FRE).

[taxus]

Oh yes, that reminds me, I forgot to tell about the electronic text center (http://etext.virginia.edu/) at University of Virginia. Probably more useful than MemoWare. They carry MS Reader and PalmReader versions.

[PetiteFlower]

I tried to read it(pre-movie) twice, once in high school and again in college, both times I gave up midway through the 2 Towers. This time I finished 2 Towers(shortly before the movie came out) and I'm stuck again on Return of the King...and debating whether to try to finish it now or wait till after the movie so I don't get as annoyed if they make any other glaring horrible errors as they did with Faramir *sniff*

Sorry for the OT interruption :)

[Crystal Eitle]

As long as we're mentioning specific sites, I have to put in a plug for Blackmask Online (http://www.blackmask.com). Over 10,000 public-domain (read: free) eBooks, in a variety of formats, and fairly well-organized (i.e., browsable).

[mcasanova]

Sorry, but where can I find LOTR in ebook format?

[Weyoun6]

This is one I leave on my ppc all the time. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton.
You can get it on memoware for free (it's public domain)

Currently reading the Everlasting Man by G.K.C.

Other books on ppc - EON by Greg Bear, Red Planet & Double Star by RAH.

[xendula]

Sorry, but where can I find LOTR in ebook format?

oooh, well, LEGALLY you can't, because they don't want it to get published in ebook format. That's why people all over the world have scanned the books and share them through file sharing programs and the like. :wink:

I'm not sure if this post would get deleted if I gave you more info or whether the police would come and get me or something.

[Steven Cedrone]

I'm not sure if this post would get deleted if I gave you more info or whether the police would come and get me or something.

Well, the post would get deleted...Not sure about the police though... :wink:

Steven Cedrone
Community Moderator

[Reinaldo]

oooh, well, LEGALLY you can't, because they don't want it to get published in ebook format. That's why people all over the world have scanned the books and share them through file sharing programs and the like.

I'm not sure if this post would get deleted if I gave you more info or whether the police would come and get me or something.

8O I didn't know that. I always thought the book was an ebook and that it must be worth a lot of money. I have a *cough* LOTR ebook that I stumbled on for free. I took it because I have the actual full book and so I didn't feel AS guilty.

Why don't they want to get it published? Makes no sense.

[xendula]

8O I didn't know that. I always thought the book was an ebook and that it must be worth a lot of money. I have a *cough* LOTR ebook that I stumbled on for free. I took it because I have the actual full book and so I didn't feel AS guilty.
EXACTLY!! I also "stumbled" over it. Nice way to put it :lol:
I also have the paper books, but I still think carrying the .lit files around is not legal, because you are actually not even suppposed to copy more than 1 tenth (I think) of ANY book, whether you own it or not.
Why don't they want to get it published? Makes no sense.
It doesn't. I would gladly pay the price for certain ebooks, but if they never legally make it to the ebook-format, people will find other ways to get them. This is of course all hypothetical and I would NEVER be one of those people :angel:

Have a look at this thread. (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4972&highlight=lotr)

[ironguy]

Some of the first ebooks I read were the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. They are a great read as long as you consider the time they were written. The Tarzan series of books are good too. Many of ERBs books are available at several of the sites mentioned. They're all fairly short and lively.

Here's another vote for Baen and Fictionwise.

For a reader besides MSReader and Palm and Mobi, give uBook (http://www.gowerpoint.com) a shot.