Get a $15 credit for joining Oyster Books (“the netflix of books”)

I joined the Oyster and Scribd subscription ebook services to save some money since as a voracious reader, I’ve been spending a lot on Kindle books. I’ve found that I like Scribd but absolutely love Oyster:

• I continuously find interesting books on Oyster
• The Oyster apps for iOS and Android work well
• Oyster’s Android app works great on the Onyx Boox T68 e-ink reader (far less page turn artifacting than other ereader apps like Scribd or Kindle)
• The Oyster subscription cost of $9.95/month is very low considering you can read as much as you want. (Note: The Scribd subscription is low, too, at $8.99/month)

You can try Oyster and get a $15 account credit by joining via this link. If you decide you don’t like Oyster, you can cancel your subscription any time you like… but if you read a lot, I’m betting you won’t.

Why I <3 the nook color…

A few years back, I bought a Kindle 2. I liked it but found the e-ink page turn effect distracting. I also missed having a color display rather than black & white.

In late 2010, the nook color was released. It sounded like an interesting device but seemed impractical for me since I’ve purchased so many Kindle ebooks over the years. Then, an Android developer found a way to root the nook color.

That was what I’d been waiting for… I went ahead and bought a nook color. And recently, I rooted it.

Why do I love the nook color? Let me count the ways:

• Bright, vibrant color screen and several formatting options available (font sizing, etc.) within the nook reader.
• Using the library web site along with Overdrive Media Console and Adobe Digital Editions software,  I can borrow ebooks from my local library.
• Using the same method as borrowing from my local library, I can also borrow ebooks from other libraries that offer lending to out of area residents (e.g., Philadelphia Free Library, Fairfax County Library, National Library Board of Singapore). (Note that Fairfax County Library and Philadelphia Free Library charge an annual fee to out of area residents, but it’s a great option if your local library has a limited ebook collection)
• Since I’ve rooted my nook color, I was able to install Kindle for Android. I have access to my full Kindle library, as well as any new Kindle books I decide to buy.
• I can easily find (legally) free ebooks for download from Barnes & Noble and Amazon by referencing Inkmesh web site.
• I can also download Barnes & Nobles’ Free Friday ebook offering.
• I can read an ebook free (for an hour) daily in-store at my local Barnes & Noble store. I can also surf the web on my nook color browser using free access to Barnes & Noble’s wifi network.
• I can lend selected ebooks to friends. (I haven’t tried this yet, will blog an update once I do.)

I’m enjoying the nook color and learning something new every day. Yesterday, I realized I can do an early return on ebooks from my library by connecting my nook color to my laptop, selecting the book within the Adobe Digital Editions software, and then selecting “Return book”.

I highly recommend the nook color. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let me know in comments.