K is for Kindle

For Mother's Day this year I got a Kindle from my (amazingly awesome) sister-in-law and I have been reading like crazy ever since. For the past few months my reading has gone downhill. Between the austerity measures that I have inflicted on my household and the lack of space since our new arrival, purchasing a book would mean guilt. I don't handle guilt well. It would also mean that I'd have to think about getting rid of books I already have to make room for more. Since I have hoarder blood, that doesn't set well with me either. I know what you're going to say, but I am also terrible at returning Library books. So, for the past few months I've been re-reading what I already have and borrowing the books the teenager borrows from other teenagers (mostly zombies and Hunger Games).

So you can see why a Kindle is like a miracle to me.  All the books I could possibly read in one slim little volume and all on discount. Some of them are free! The best ones are free! I just spent the weekend dismantling the leaning tower of bookshelf (which was a baby proofing nightmare anyway) and boxing up books to sell at the neighborhood yard sale in two weeks. Yay!

As a Neo-Hellenic Polytheist, I am obsessed with ancient Greek literature and those giant tomes took up much space on my leaning tower of bookshelf. Not anymore!
Check it out.

Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica  FREE! Yes, I will have my Kindle with me when next I chant the hymns in their honor!

Those interested in the history of Witchcraft and Witch persecutions in Europe might be interested in A Treatise of Witchcraft by Alexander Robert. Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft by Sir Walter Scott, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 and they're charging a dollar for The Malleus Maleficarum (Illustrated). (Be aware, none of these are friendly books.)

Granted all of these free books are public domain, and that's why they're free. You can go to a half dozen different websites and read them. But reading from a computer screen is not the same as curling up in bed with your Kindle. I can even breastfeed while reading it and the little click as I turn the page doesn't disturb the baby like the sound of a paper page turning and he doesn't yell at the Kindle demanding that it show him something interesting like he does the computer screen.

In addition to the public domain books, a bunch of folks have made their Books of Shadows available in the Kindle Store (I am thinking this might be something I'd like to do.) and some aspiring fiction authors have put some books up for free too. Though there tends to be some editing issues, some of them are pretty good. Some more established authors have free Kindle "teasers" out there too, like  T.L. Schaefer's
The Summerland (fiction) and Bob Makransky's Magical Sampler (nonfiction).

I've only had my Kindle for a few weeks, so I'm not prepared to give a lot of recommendations, but I will be doing reviews in the future.