Top Three E-readers You Should Check Out

By Shea Garner

Hitler burned books. America is phasing them out. Say goodbye to that new book smell. For that matter, say goodbye to that old book smell too. Hardcover vs. paperback: what’s the difference? We now have e-books.

The introduction of electronic reading in the digital age has been pretty revolutionary. Yet the argument between physical vs. digital media continues to grow. That book you pull off of your shelf when you have free time or are feeling down? It’s now on your iPhone.

The question is a simple one: do you enjoy the nostalgia of curling up with your romance novel (Fabio cover included) and flipping through the worn, brown pages until you reach your favorite part? Or do you prefer quick searching it on your Kindle so you can get your fix, fast and easy? In situations that have nothing to do with reading, I’d prefer the latter.

Amazon has recently introduced an “e-book lending library” which allows you to share your e-books with other customers. This sanctity used to only be known to book-club members and tag sale early birds. It’s almost blasphemy.

But honestly, this could be said about most digital media. Do you prefer records or CDs? VHSs or DVDs? Before you know it, you’ll be called a hipster for owning the hard copy of a novel. If you’re looking to jump on the e-book bandwagon, check out the best-sellers below.

Kindle- When you hear “e-reader,” you probably think Kindle. And being the top e-reader on the market, you have a right to think that. Amazon offers three versions of the Kindle- the Kindle, the Kindle Touch, and the Kindle Fire. The first two are black and white, while the latter two are equip with a touch screen (and the Fire is in color). If you want a simple e-reader, this is the buy for you.

iPad- Apple offers iBooks for the iPad and even your iPod touch and iPhone. Most people might not want to read on a small screen, so the iPad would be the way to go. With features that venture beyond the e-reader world, such as web browsing, music storage, apps, and more…who can say no?

Google iRiver- The Google iRiver works seamlessly with Google Books. The iRiver is black and white and sans a touch screen but, hey, we give Google an “A for effort.”

What do you think of e-readers and e-books? Let us know in the comments section below.