The Enchanted World of Digital Books
But Can It Solve a Tsundoku Addiction?
My addiction to books is on full tilt. I’m literally in existential crisis mode 24/7 deciding what delicious book to read next.
Like most voracious readers, I hoard books like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter. Problem is, this habit cannot continue lest I’ll likely be nominated for the next episode of House Hoarders.
….Kidding of course.
In a January 21, feature article for “Great Books, Great Minds,” I described my ongoing affliction with a condition known as Tsundoku, a Japanese word that reflects one’s propensity to collect an endless supply of books, all with the unconsciously unrealistic intention of reading them all.
Tsundoku is derived from the words “tsunde” (meaning “to stack things”), “oku” (meaning “to leave for a while”), and “doku” (meaning “to read”). This practice of gathering books is a practice I’ve long justified
This practice of squirreling away books like nuts during the winter is a practice I’ve long justified as a healthy outlet. Having an unlimited selection of good reads to tap into is my happy place.
Attempting to bring some rationality to this habit and given space limitations at home, I have located a couple of low-cost digital options for justifying my addition. These have become my go-to portal for purchasing digital books. Honestly, it’s fueled my addiction so I thought I’d pass on the love.
Scribd
Replete with oceans of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts, and more, Scribd, which has 80 million users, has been coined"the Netflix for books.”
Founded in 2007 by Trip Adler, Jared Friedman, and Tikhon Bernstam, and headquartered in the Bay Area, Scribd’s massive digital collection is accessible via Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, as well as the Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, and personal computers.
Of the trio, Adler was the brainchild of Scribd. He was inspired to launch the digital site after discovering the lengthy process required to publish academic papers. His father, a physician at Stanford, was alerted that his medical research would take upwards of 18 months to publish.
So Adler set out to develop a user-friendly tool for publishing and disseminating online content. So he co-founded the company with Friedman and was invited to the inaugural class of the early-stage funding accelerator Y Combinator in the summer of 2006. It was here where Scribd received $120,000 in startup funding leading to their launch in a March 2007 San Francisco apartment.
Through my $9.99 flat monthly fee, I have access to unlimited ebooks each month, many from major publishers like HarperCollins, Perseus Book Group, Simon & Schuster, and Wiley.
For February, I downloaded a host of titles for Black History Month, from “Generations In Black and White,” to “The Hippest Trip In America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture and Style,” to “Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party.”
Scribd has even gotten into the movement to ensure access to banned books in the U.S. As noted in a company statement:
“There’s been an alarming uptick in books being banned in school and public libraries, with bans disproportionately impacting topics around diverse perspectives. Words matter; they inspire, empower, and influence. In an effort to allow access to all books, we have made Scribd’s library available for free for 30 days, with no credit card or commitment required. Our goal is to ensure everyone has the freedom to read literature, which includes books being banned.”
BookBub
If you are looking to purchase digital books without breaking the bank then BookBub is your digital book spot. It is a free service that helps connect you to books you resonate with through curated recommendations, unbeatable deals, and updates from some of your favorite authors.
Most of the bestsellers and hidden gems I’ve purchased are in the $0.99 to $4.99 range. In an act of cruelty for today’s bibliophile, the site algorithms will tantalize you with great book deals that are literally impossible to pass up.
The best part of all of this is that you get to choose the genres you want to be notified about — with categories ranging from business to cookbooks to romance novels. You can also randomly browse the broader repository as well.
It allows you to download and access your selections on your Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple book app, Google Books, and Kobo.
And a bonus if you are a book author — BookBub provides a powerful set of tools for you to connect with millions of readers to engage with fans and sell more books. Scores of authors rave about how BookBub has helped them boost their revenue, soar up to the top of a bestseller list, entice readers to engage with a series, build marketing buzz, and grow your following.