Library Read-a-Thon Goals

The objective for day 1 of the read-a-thon is to post your goals for the week. Rachel is the organizer of the event and she's posted a photo of the books she has checked out of the library. I can't do that since right now, all the books which I have checked out are eBooks.

So, what are my goals for this week? I'm on a business trip, therefore I didn't bring any bound library books with me. I've been unfortunate enough to lose a library book on a trip and had to pay to replace it, so I just won't take the risk any more. But, I do have a couple of eBooks checked out and some bound books on reserve to be picked up on Friday morning. Until I get home, I'm going to focus on these eBooks:

• Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
• The Grand Tour, or the Purloined Coronation Regalia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
• The Mislaid Magician, or Ten Years After by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
• Sub-Human by David Simpson

About the Libraries

I have a card at two different libraries. My primary library is only 2.5 miles from my house. I live in a very small, rural community, and this library did not have the funding to be able to offer eBook lending through Overdrive, so they signed up with Freading. Freading doesn't have agreements with the big-name publishers, so I don't find best-sellers there. But, they've got quite a few books and authors that I enjoy reading, so I haven't had any trouble finding something good to read. In fact, this year I've read through all of the Phryne Fisher mysteries by checking them out from Freading.

In addition to the lack of best-sellers, the other downside of Freading is that they don't support the Kindle reader. The eBooks that they deliver are in ePub format and encrypted via Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). I could convert from ePub to Mobipocket format for the Kindle if they didn't have the DRM encryption applied. Instead, I have to read these books on another book reader. I'm fortunate to have a BeBook Mini, so that allows me to enjoy the books that Freading does offer.

My “secondary” library belongs to a consortium that offers eBooks and audio books via Overdrive. It was this service that caused me to go and get a card at this library. It's located in a nearby town, about 20 miles or so from my house, so I never go to visit. But, the ability to check out eBooks and download them directly to my Kindle is just wonderful.

Lastly, I borrow one book a month from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library. This month, the book I borrowed is an omnibus of the first four books in David Simpson's Post-Human series, so I have plenty to read this week.