For fans of hardcopy: Where do you get books on the road?

[Naio]

Gone are the days when every town had a store that sold used books! And new ones are too expensive to read once and toss.

I've tried thrift shops like Goodwill, but not found many with a large selection. Thiftbooks.com is pretty good, though, and I have sometimes had them send books ahead to an RV park I know I will be at in a couple of weeks. Same with used books on Amazon. When I'm in one place for a while, I get a library card.

Yesterday went to a local library 'book sale' and picked up a bunch of good stuff for cheap.

When I'm done with a book, I leave it at an RV park laundromat, with a little note saying, 'free', for the next reader.

Where do you get books to read when you are on the road?

[Jim_Shoe]

Another source is college bookstores. You probably won't want a calculus textbook, but many of the required reading books in English classes are pretty cheap. And often never opened. 🙂

[atreis]

dcmac214 wrote:

atreis wrote:
...would just stop at the local library wherever we were going. You just have to remember to stop before leaving and drop the books back off again (or mail them back, which we also ended up doing a couple times).

?!?
How do you get a library to loan books if you're not a "card-carrying member"?

Join on the spot. We never encountered one that didn't allow us to join even though we were not locals (or even residents of the same state), and they all allowed checkouts immediately.

[Opie431]

Goodwill, Library, garage sales. They go in the campground bathrooms with a note on the they need a new home when I am done.
I have a bookcase that rides on one of the bunks when we travel so I usually do not need to buy books during the time we are on the road but I do anyway.
The books travel in two Rubbermaid containers that when empty sit under the folding table that sits next to the trailer. Table has a ground length fitted table cloth on. It took about ten minutes to make.

[Sourdough_Biscu]

Probably nothing much new to add, but since I too love hard copies, here are my suggestions:

Libraries
Salvation Army and other thrift stores
RV Parks
Senior Centers
Laundry mats
Other RVers
community centers
Even some "country stores" have swaps

We leave home with a dozen books and usually end up bringing back several dozen. 🙂

My wife likes the E Reader. Kindle Paper White. VERY EASY to read in daylight.

Have fun!!

[dcmac214]

atreis wrote:
...would just stop at the local library wherever we were going. You just have to remember to stop before leaving and drop the books back off again (or mail them back, which we also ended up doing a couple times).

?!?
How do you get a library to loan books if you're not a "card-carrying member"?

[peajay]

An earlier post mentioned little free library. There is also www.bookcrossing.com you just have to see if anyone has released a book near where you are.

[Clay_L]

There is a beta browser on my PaperWhite e-reader but it is pretty primitive and not something I would want to surf the web with. Mine is a couple of of years old and maybe the newer ones have a more advanced browser.
The Kindle Fire tablets have an adequate browser - name is Silk - and my wife uses hers to surf and visit forums, Facebook, and so forth. It also doubles as an e-reader. I haven't used mine outside so don't know how well it works in sunlight.

[Naio]

Question about the e-readers: Can you surf the net with the 3G ones?

I am in need of something to replace my matte screen laptop, something I can read outside in the bright sun (anti-glare stick-on screen covers are not good enough). Y'all may have just converted me.

[Naio]

Thank you, everyone!

[bee_46]

For hard copy books I have used campground libraries and swap a book I finished for a different one, but since the e-readers have been available I use a Kindle paperwhite which I find easy to read in any light - bright sunlight to darkness. I borrow ebooks from my library and return finished books when I have an internet connection and borrow new ones. If I an traveling where I might not have dependable internet, I will buy several $.99 ebooks off of Amazon. They are mine to keep. You can also download a Kindle reader onto your computer or Ipad and read the books there.

[kgragert]

From Amazon web site.
Kindle Paperwhite on sale $99.00
http://goo.gl/4Ro7l0

"Unlike tablets, Kindle Paperwhite is designed to deliver a superior reading experience
No screen glare in bright sunlight
Read with one hand—over 30% lighter than iPad mini
Battery lasts weeks, not hours
Built-in light—read without eyestrain"

[atreis]

We use Kindle PaperWhites now, but before we would just stop at the local library wherever we were going. You just have to remember to stop before leaving and drop the books back off again (or mail them back, which we also ended up doing a couple times).

E-Readers that are easy to read in the sun: Any with an e-ink screen. Kindle PaperWhite, and similar...

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Plain old kindle, not kindle Fire, is just like reading book from glare perspective. I like ipad or Kindle Fire to read in bed because it's backlit but wish I had a regular kindle for outside. Plus is that is also one of the cheaper readers.

[Dog_Folks]

Naio wrote:
Well, I did hope to limit this discussion to hardcopy, and folks have had some excellent ideas, but now I just have to ask:

Are there any e-readers that are easy to read outdoors, with the sun shining directly on the screen? That's when/where I do my reading.

The Nook Glow. It is designed to do nothing, but be a superior reader. No surfing the net, etc.

Just a great reader and I have had others.