I’ve recently started getting paid to review ebooks. I question whether this is a good thing to do because I’m reading books I would never think to pick up on my own so I don’t feel my reviews are accurate. If I don’t normally read mysteries I don’t have anything to judge or compare to. Some books are torture to read but some people might enjoy their particular genre.

I try to write fair reviews based on the writing ability not the subject matter but some are just so hard for me to read. Others have surprised me because the synopsis sounds so uninteresting but the book ends up being completely different.

I’ve only refused to read one book and that was because I had read two of the authors previous books and knew that he needed a good editor to trim down his 700 page manuscript. I did not want to waste my time in order to make $5.

Yep, that’s what I make to do these reviews. Not exactly a fantastic career choice. I just figure, if I’m not doing anything else, then why not? Of course I don’t read every word or do research into the author or topic, but I get a fair sense of the mood and tone of the book and whether I like it.

The main dilemma for me is that people are reading these reviews and possibly basing their purchases on what I say. These aren’t books I’ve chosen to read or genres I necessarily enjoy so I don’t think my judgements are accurate.

Also, there are certain tricks such as purchase times and endorsing other reviews that are used to boost ratings that aren’t exactly honest.

I will eventually get tired of giving up my reading time for these books but for now it at least pays for my eBay shopping habit. It has opened up my range of titles that I’ll consider when choosing a book for myself but considering the level of writing that most of the books I’ve written about, that might not be such a good thing.

I’ve always been addicted to reading. My mother used to kick me out of the house to go play and I’d just bring my book out to the picnic table. I still feel naked without a book of some sort in my bag. I want that chance to escape into another world at any moment. Now we have so many choices of ways to read.

I read full books on the tiny screen of my iPhone before I got my Kindles and if necessary I still will read from my phone.

My first Kindle, the original Kindle, was not a favorite but I appreciated being able to carry multiple books around with me. It seemed kind of low tech and clunky and we never really bonded. It eventually died.

It was replaced with a Kindle Touch. That is more sleek and sexy and since I make a point of carrying the smallest bag possible, it fit my lifestyle. I currently have 140 books on it. I haven’t read them all but they are there in case I’m stranded at a bus stop or doctor’s appointment. I bought a rubbery cover for it so it isn’t so slippery. It makes the Kindle feel secure in my hands. Because of its size, it goes with me almost everywhere.

Then along came my Kindle Fire. It was kind of a gift. My husband bought it for himself and decided it didn’t really meet his needs. Plus I was always borrowing it to watch Amazon Prime movies.

I like the Fire for its apps and internet capability. I use it to view books I’m publishing on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) to make sure the formatting looks right on different devices. Also, it makes PDF documents easier to scroll though than trying to read them on a laptop. It makes reading magazines on a plane much easier. No more elbowing the passenger next to you while turning the page.

So now when I leave the house, I have to decide whether to take the Touch or the Fire. If I have room, I sometimes take both. If I’m just going to be reading and in the sun, I take the Touch. The glare on the Fire makes it difficult to use outside. The Fire has become my laptop replacement if I might need to look something up on the internet.  It’s certainly not a replacement for my MacBook but it’s a step up from my phone. I kinda feel if you are going to use an iPad you might as well use a laptop. Anyway, that’s another conversation.

I still love the feel of a good hardcover book. It’s now become a special treat. There’s nothing like a good novel taken from the library shelves and brought home to savor with a good cup of tea. The smell and weight of it is comforting. Textbooks and nonfiction sometimes work better for me in paper as well. Flipping to a certain page to get the information you need quickly is easier for me when I can actually see the pages.

So, there you have it. I love books in any shape and form.