I got a Nook for my birthday!
I was so excited. I’ve been listening to all of my books on audio for years, mostly through the National Library Service for the Blind, because I can’t see well enough to read even large print books. I didn’t think eReaders would work for me, either, but I recently borrowed a kindle and a nook, set the text as large as possible, and thought…I think I can.
The real test, of course, is sitting down and reading an actual book without the owner of the device looking over your shoulder, asking pointed questions.
The thing that has me really excited about this is that as much as I love the NLS for the blind, their selection of paranormal books is pretty slim (hence the reason I have reviewed so few of them, despite the fact that I write them). The day I got the Nook, I found a free ghost story and am halfway through. Today I downloaded 1 dozen (yes, 12) free paranormal books from B&N…I’m in books!
I have the Nook Simple Touch. The largest font size isn’t nearly as large as what I use on my computer screen, which had me nervous, but the eReader isn’t a computer screen. It uses e-ink, which means doesn’t hurt my eyes to read, and I don’t have to use such large font to compensate. Now, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if the screen were a tiny bit bigger so that I could either fit more words on the screen or else nudge the font a bit higher, but this thing is so lightweight that I’m sure no one else would agree with me. It’s easier than reading a paperback, and much, much easier than reading a hardback. (It has been a while for me, but I had good vision until I was 16, and devoured books by the truckload. I remember how it was to constantly shift positions to stay comfortable while holding open a paperback book for hours on end. And oh, the hand cramps! Not so with Nook.)
As a visually impaired (legally blind) woman, I do wish I could read the menus. I can call up the menu and then, having memorized it, press the correct area of the screen to get to my library. At that point, the books are listed in tiny text that swims in front of my eyes — I only had a few books in there and this one was at the top, so I found it easily. I’m worried about how I will find books without my husband helping me all the time once I get a larger collection.
But once the book comes up…breezy! It’s weird to go back to reading text after all these years. I’ve done some crits for fellow writers on word processors, but that is pretty different. For one thing, if you’re critiquing, you have to read every word. Audio books don’t lend themselves to skimming. (Which isn’t to say I haven’t tried with the fast forward button when they get particularly dull!) A printed book is a different reading experience, and one I find I am thoroughly enjoying, even after all these years.
My vision is 20/400 in both eyes, with best correction — so if you’re visually impaired and reading this, you can probably use the Nook as long as your vision is better than that. You’ll just need someone to help you with setup and explain what the menu options are. I’m working on the library issue — seems you should be able to make the titles bigger, too, doesn’t it? If nothing else, I think I might be able to hook it up to my desktop and rearrange the library to put the book I want to read on top.
All in all, liking the Nook, even blind!