Apr 7, 2011

Fun Phone Reading: Reading Apps. for Your Android Phone

Hello darlings. I am completely obsessed with reading my e-books on my Android smart phone. I'm thought it might be interesting to give you guys my thoughts on the many book related applications I've downloaded. Note that I have an Android phone. Not all these apps. with be available to you if you have a different kind of phone. 

1. Kindle

My Favorite Features: One of my favorite and most used applications. I enjoy how the store is is organized. I love how easy it is to book mark locations on it. I like the dictionary.com/wikipedia feature as well.

My Qualms: Though I love this app. I wish I could change the color of the font in the night mode. White is so boring. 

2. Nook

My Favorite Features: I like that it has a Google search as well as the Wiki and dictionary options. I has several fonts to choose from. The thing I love most about it probably will sound silly. It's got an animated page turning feature. Meaning when you click to turn the page it actually looks like a book page turning. In just find that endearing for some reason.

Qualms: The graphics for download books annoy me for some reason. I can't explain why but they do. 

3. Google Books 

My Favorite Features: The graphics seem really defined. I just seems like book cover pictures look extra pretty. The line spacing is great.

Qualms: When I first downloaded the application it seemed like the books were really expensive. Which is why I rarely use it. I think they now have lowered prices though. It has no dictionary feature. I doesn't seem to have book marking either. From what I can tell you can't use it when you turn your phone on the landscape direction. I think this app. is fairly new so maybe they will fix these issues later on. Until then I don't hate it, but I don't love it.

4. Aldiko

My Favorite Features: It has tons of free books. The graphic for the library actually looks like book shelves. I has so many choices for the color of the font and background. It's easy to download my epub files. The dictionary feature is so awesome. A little bubble with definition pops up on top of the book page. No going to total different website and then having to go back to the book.

Qualms: It excepts PDF files, but doesn't have a reflow text feature. Thus, you would have to read the PDF with tiny bitty writing. Uhh...No! I've never actually bought a book on it because it has so many free ones. The books you can buy seem kind of pricey on this one though.

4. ezPDF Reader

My Favorite Features: This is great for the your books for review that are sent in PDF form. It's one of the few PDF readers I've found that has a bookmarking feature, or at least one I can figure out how to use. When I made that discovery I almost cried with joy. You can also highlight text with it. The reflow text feature doesn't separate the pages in weird little parts. The whole page remains intact no matter how large you make the print. Best PDF reader ever!

Qualms: If there are embellishments or graphics in the text they show up weird when made large. It's not a big deal though.

5. FBReader

My Favorite Features: You can import files from you SDcard easily. It excepts epub and a couple other file types I've never heard of. You can pick adjust your font and background color with with those little slider things. Okay what are those slide things called? I know they have a name. My brain has died.

Qualms: You have to go out of your way to select several options that work automatically on other readers. You actually have to go to the menu to read in landscape mode, where as other readers automatically rotate when you rotate the phone. You also have to go to menu if you want to go to a specific location. Annoying!

6. Adobe Reader

My Favorite Features: The text reflow is really all it's got going for it.

Qualms: Well it's not made for reading books so we can't blame it for not being perfect. I would only use this if I was desperate and couldn't find anything else. If you can use the ezPDF reader instead.

7. Audiobooks

My Favorite Features: This app. is hosted by the website LibriVox. A website that uses volunteers to record books that are in the public domain. Therefore, all the books supplied by this application are free. Obviously your pretty much limited to listening to classic literature, but that's not a bad thing in my book. 

Qualms: It's kind of hit or miss on whether you will end up with a person that can read well. Some of the volunteers aren't so wonderful, but what can you say it's free. Most of the time they readers are very good or at least okay. 

That's all folks. Hope you found this interesting. See you later. Keep it shiny!


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