E-Reading: First Impressions

~ beetleypete

As I promised, I started to read the previously stored e-books on my Amazon Fire Tablet this morning. I began with the very impressive ‘Yeshiva Girl’, by American blogger, Rachel Mankowitz. Here’s a link.

The Book is Ready


I got into this very good book quickly, helped by the fact that I was reading it tucked up in bed, after waking up far too early today. I was soon 45% into the book, (yes I know, impressive) when the ‘issues’ began. I must have touched something without knowing, as the book morphed into a tiny square in the centre of the Fire Tablet’s screen. After numerous attempts to ‘spread’ the text with my fingers, I finally got back to full size, and continued to read.

But as I flicked the screen to the next page, I was confused. This didn’t seem to follow on from the page I had just read. Sure enough, I soon discovered that the Tablet had moved me on three pages, instead of one. I flicked back three pages until it made sense again, and continued for a minute or two. Then I sneezed, which the Tablet apparently does not compute. After using a tissue, I returned to my reading, to discover that the book was now back to the cover page! I had to scroll though the entire 46% of the beginning of the book, to get back to where I had started.

Happy to be back on the right page, I read it, thinking that I might finish the book completely, at that rate. That made me very happy.

But then the auto-alignment feature decided that I wanted the screen to be in landscape format, instead of portrait. Twiddling it around eventually solved the problem, but then it started to fast forward three pages instead of one again. Every time. I had two options. Fling the annoying device out through the closed window, (it was cold this morning) or put it down for a while, until I calmed down. I made the sensible choice, and plugged it in on charge next to the bed, (the battery warning had also come on) before getting up and forgetting the rest of the book for today.

I will be going back to Rachel’s book, (if it lets me) as it is most enjoyable. But in the meantime, if any of you very experienced e-readers have any tips about using the things, please let me know in the comments. (With screenshots, if possible. 🙂 )

57 thoughts on “E-Reading: First Impressions”

  1. I think there’s a certain aesthetic about physical books, which is why I prefer holding it in my hand. But when it comes to practicality and travel, e-books are a better option some of the time…although I do have to say that I don’t like it quite as much. Thanks for such an interesting topic!

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    1. Thanks for your own thoughts, Maham. I have the big Kindle Fire, with a 10-inch screen. It is very easy to read books on that, although I just wish it wasn’t so sensitive to my touch. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Of course, it can be super annoying to have such a sensitive screen. Has it gotten any better? I myself have been thinking whether to invest in a Kindle Fire reader just so there aren’t the distractions that a phone with wifi has!

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        1. I have the Kindle Fire HD, which is wi-fi only, and has Internet search access, as well as numerous Apps. (If you want them) I can even do my blog on it, though I don’t like the keyboard. The sensitivity is frustrating at times, skipping book pages, etc. But if I ‘concentrate’, it is not too bad at all. 🙂 And it is good value, much more reasonably priced that many other 10-inch tablets. (I paid £109 for it)

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  3. I read books on a Fire tablet Pete – sometimes if you get a bit of dirt on the screen it thinks you’re telling it to do something and goes a bit crazy but I mostly find it quite easy. If you have any questions I might be able to help.

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    1. Thanks, Lucy. If anything crops up, I will send you an email. I appreciate the offer of help.
      I managed to get it working ‘normally’, and actually read a book! I reviewed that book yesterday. Books on my blog are a new feature, with more to come in time. 🙂
      Happy new year to you and your family.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  5. Hi Pete. I have a Fire tablet – but I don’t read on it. I only read e-books now thanks to my vision problems – but I read on a Kindle. Never have had a bit of trouble with it.

    Besties from Florida.

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    1. Thanks, Frank. The Fire comes with the Kindle app installed, and all my books transferred onto it immediately I switched it on. I just need to learn how to operate the settings. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  7. I have been using the same old Kindle for 9 ears now. It’s one of the old school ones with actual push buttons and it still works. I don’t read that much these days anymore though. It is quite hard to find the time and concentration span these days and I will admit that I spend most of my commutes watching Netflix on my phone!

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    1. I can understand that, Abbi. But I can’t watch or read anything on my phone now, as I find the screen irritatingly small. I vowed to start reading again in 2019, (not a resolution of course, I never make those) so at least I have made a start. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  8. hahaha, I’m hysterical here, Pete, mainly because I can so relate to your experience. I had one added problem, the audio came on and started reading the book to me, if I touched any button, it got really annoyed. Being computer illiterate, I wasn’t quite sure what to do in the Settings, because the help info didn’t work. I am too embarrassed to tell you how long it took for me to shut the thing up!!

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    1. I did eventually find a way to ‘escape’, GP. Some ‘buttons’ appeared on the screen. I pressed a circular one in the middle, and it took me back to the Home Screen. From there, I went back into the Kindle library, chose the book, and it appeared on the last page I had read. Strange how such ‘small victories’ make me feel good! 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. I bought a Kindle when they first came out….quickly found that I prefer holding an actual book…..now I use Kindle when I am away from home for the various reasons…..I wish I could help but I am old and prefer the feel, smell and the holding of an actual book….chuq

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    1. I prefer real books too, chuq, and kept on buying them during last year. But space is at a premium now, and I have nowhere left to store anything. The future will have to be electronic for me. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  13. I followed the link to Rachel’s book first and it looks like a novel I would love to read, so I was disappointed for you when the tech problems started. I have Kindle Paperwhite which was a joint family birthday present I’ve had nearly six years. I read it in bed, no problems except occasionally accidentally nudging a page backwards or forwards. Novels with index linked chapter headings help if you remember which chapter you were on.

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    1. Thanks, TS. I did sort it eventually, by managing to exit the book, and then go back in to the last page I had read.
      As for Rachel’s book, it is very good. A very different culture, in modern-day America. I bought it for 99 p, so very happy with that
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. Thanks, Mary. I managed to find a screen’ button’, eventually. That allowed me to exit the book, and save where I had been up to. Not intuitive at all though, and no instruction book of course.:)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I started off looking at a paperwhite, but it was over 30% more expensive, with no Internet access. Looks like I might have suffered, in the pursuit of economy! 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  21. I don’t think that the Amazon Fire is really designed for reading books, to be honest.

    I find an old fashioned Kindle to be ideal. There’s no touchscreen, it’s not backlit, the screen isn’t shiny, the battery lasts for days, it’s light and it has loads of memory.

    The Amazon Fire, is cheap, though.

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    1. I bought it because it was 30% cheaper than a similar Kindle. It claimed to be ‘perfect’ for reading Kindle books. Not sure if I am just doing something wrong, Ian.
      It is me, after all! 🙂
      Cheers, Pete.

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