Loaning books on e-readers, namely Kindle

Post by **Sam** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:39 pm

Just got a book on my Kindle and someone told me you can loan someone a book by using their Kindle email account. Something like you have 14 days to read it, and then that person can only lend you just one book every 30 days.

1) Can you store it, say I am reading one, and it may take me a week to finish. Can I line it up to read in say 2 weeks and once I download it to the Kindle or open it, the 14 days run? Or does the 14 days run once they send it to me?

2) Can the recipient, ME, receive more than one book every 30 days, say one book from 5 people? Or am I limited to the one book?

3) Say I want to post that I will lend out my book, can I send it out an unlimited number of times to whomever here wants it?

Anyone got a book they want to lend out? I will lend out mine but I will take about another 10 days to finish it. I have so much to read at work that it takes me a whole week to finish Sports Illustrated and now I picked up Time because it was like $15 for a year, and I may read a book every month.

GA Russell · Post by **GA Russell** » Mon Jun 25, 2012 1:02 pm

Sam, each company is different. I don't have a Kindle, so I won't guess what the answer is for Amazon.

If you do not get a satisfactory answer here, my friends at mobileread.com will answer all of your questions with authority within minutes.

giammi · Post by **giammi** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 11:56 am

Sam,

apparently not all books are lendable.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/ ... =200549320

One problem might also be DRM (Digital Restriction Management) of the books - http://www.defectivebydesign.org/amazon-kindle-swindle

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:49 pm

Our local library system have been loaning out ebooks for some time now. I have never borrowed one though.

Post by **Sam** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 12:51 pm

Wendell, is that the recent books included, or just some of the classics that copyright protection expired on? It seems that Amazon has a bunch of classics (think Charles Dickens) that you can get for free, but nothing of recent vintage.

GA Russell · Post by **GA Russell** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 1:24 pm

Sam, many public libraries offer books for lending for both kindle and ePub readers through an outfit called Overdrive. These are usually best sellers.

If you have Amazon Prime, you can also "borrow" with no return date many books, but these aren't best sellers, though they are copyrighted.

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 3:37 pm

Sam wrote:Wendell, is that the recent books included, or just some of the classics that copyright protection expired on? It seems that Amazon has a bunch of classics (think Charles Dickens) that you can get for free, but nothing of recent vintage.

These are more recent releases -- certainly not as robust as the catalogue of hard-copy books, but fairly impressive all the same.

I get my free stuff through Gutenberg.ca - as well as some other ebook sites online.

rustyblade · Post by **rustyblade** » Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:41 pm

They make the Overdrive lending system so uncomfortable and cumbersome to use (good luck getting a best seller, and you better read it in under 2 weeks, if you can find the title you want), it goes against everything the e-reader was designed for (quickness, convenience of reading anytime/anywhere). It's almost as if the publisher want you to buy the books instead... but in reality it is just driving people to pirate ebooks.

Post by **Sam** » Wed Jun 27, 2012 1:59 pm

rustyblade wrote:They make the Overdrive lending system so uncomfortable and cumbersome to use (good luck getting a best seller, and you better read it in under 2 weeks, if you can find the title you want), it goes against everything the e-reader was designed for (quickness, convenience of reading anytime/anywhere). It's almost as if the publisher want you to buy the books instead... but in reality it is just driving people to pirate ebooks.

Im still learning. Bought one recent new publication by Frank Deford, then got a couple free Kindle books, one the autobiography of Ben Franklin. I love bios and history and the new one by David McCullough has mixed reviews. It used to be I would walk around Barnes and Nobles bargain bin and anything under $8 or so that I liked I got. Would read about Steve Jobs and then others on the NY Times nonfiction best sellers but all seem to be about $10. If I find one I have to have, $10 is a great price. But sometimes, you can go on Amazon and get a like-new used book for $5 shipped and all.

I just sent KAV a couple of Grisham books I read, so he will get a surprise. SSHHH< dpn't tell him, lol

Post by **Sam** » Tue Jul 10, 2012 12:36 pm

Cant really find anything out there on guttenberg or even other sites. I will go to the library one day this week, maybe Saturday if they are open, check into seeing how their lending library works. I have been thinking of the recent David McCullough book about Americans in the 20's going over to France. Usually, I would browse Barnes and Nobles bargain tables and find a book to read that was $8 or less, and one time nailed Reagan's Diaries for that, but no such luck for bargain bin on Kindle, though there is plenty of fiction.

Anyone with history or biographies that have lendable Kindle, let me know. Otherwise, Ill have someone give me an Amazon gift card so that I will go get me some books