REVOLUTIONARY NEW...oh wait...what?

[boyerbt]

So I see a new sponsored tweet on Twitter yesterday for the company www.Oysterbooks.com [Mod Edit: Link Fixed.] which is being hailed as the Netflix for books. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't this already exist, and for free I might add, by the LIBRARY? I understand that not every library offers e-book downloads and they may not have every book available when you want it but come one!!! Are people seriously this lazy and willing to throw away $10 a month?

I assume most people who fall for this will also run into the same issue as a lot of people do with the DVD service of Netflix where people will have the same book for 2-3 months and then pay more for the service than if they had just gone and purchased the book.

Call me crazy but I don't know how this business will stay afloat...oh yeah, people are nuts.

[MrCash]

Lol, yep.  https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090226170437AAajg6n

[rocksinmyhead]

haha, I saw an ad on facebook and thought the same thing.

[Spork]

It's not that far off from our local library.  Ours is $1/book or $90/year for people that live outside the city limits (which is me).   If it sends it straight to my house (and I don't have to drive to town to get it/drop it off) ... it could work out cheaper for me.

edit:  original URL is incorrect (that's a travel web site).  It appears to be: https://www.oysterbooks.com/

[galliver]

What if someone travels a lot? Or maybe lives in an area where their library isn't good, at least for their reading interests (i.e. maybe it has a good children's section and romance novels, but doesn't keep up with nonfiction?) Or like Spork, has to pay a fee to another city's library? Or strongly prefers e-books (because they're lighter, adjustable font, etc) and the library has a pitiful stock of those? What if they travel a lot or have a weird schedule so they're never sure if/when they can get to the library?

It's great that this is a completely useless service to you and you can do all your reading for free. But maybe if you thought about what others could use, you'd be founding a company like this one instead of criticizing their idea for how to give more people access to education and entertainment. (Possibly for a cheaper price, too, if you compare to buying >1book/month).

[boyerbt]

@gaillver

I understand and agree that there are several different instances in which this can be considered a good idea and that people will find value in the product/service but I do not think that coincides with the majority of the people on this site. The point I was trying to make with my original post is that the media is claiming that this website and company is revolutionary and will change reading for everyone.

I am sorry that I have an opinion and that it is that I disagree with them. Best of luck to them and I am sure that the company will make a good bit of money, just not from me. What is that phrase again...There is a sucker born every second...

[rocksinmyhead]

It's not that far off from our local library.  Ours is $1/book or $90/year for people that live outside the city limits (which is me).

whoa, really!?!?!? all three places I've lived had a COUNTY (not city) library and I guess I naively believed that was true everywhere! a library you have to pay to borrow from... shucks! learned something new today :)

[galliver]

The idea isn't for me either, but I still think it is a clever one. It's revolutionary in that it's filling a niche market for borrowing e-books. Even if some/many libraries have that service the selection is typically very limited. I am not surprised that people who like reading on their e-books would be willing to pay a small fee for  improved app/experience quality and selection.

It's not wrong to have an opinion. It's wrong to call everyone who disagrees with your opinion crazy, stupid, nutty, etc. especially when you consider that there might be circumstances different from yours that would make the alternative choice valid.

Also opinions on this site regarding paying for time/convenience are pretty split as well (see the housecleaning services discussion). Wouldn't be surprised if there were some people who were interested based on their circumstances.

[Briansmama]

I have to admit that I considered this service! We homeschool and use a literature-based approach so we read a ton of historical fiction and biographies. While we love and utilize our local library system, holds for certain books can take weeks/months. I really wanted to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with my oldest this year for fourth grade and he had already read through nearly all of the books on his list for 4th. After waiting over a month for the ebook to become available through our library system, I ended up biting the bullet and paying $5 for the kindle book so we could just get started.

Subscribing to this service costs significantly less than buying a curriculum package for language/history/science, though you are right that it's not free like the library. I still haven't signed up but if we do I'll consider it an educational expense (that we budgeted for).

[galliver]

I have to admit that I considered this service! We homeschool and use a literature-based approach so we read a ton of historical fiction and biographies. While we love and utilize our local library system, holds for certain books can take weeks/months. I really wanted to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with my oldest this year for fourth grade and he had already read through nearly all of the books on his list for 4th. After waiting over a month for the ebook to become available through our library system, I ended up biting the bullet and paying $5 for the kindle book so we could just get started.

Subscribing to this service costs significantly less than buying a curriculum package for language/history/science, though you are right that it's not free like the library. I still haven't signed up but if we do I'll consider it an educational expense (that we budgeted for).

Sounds like a well-considered decision to me! :)

[SAHD]

dont think for a minute that libraries are FREE.  I pay $266 a  year for our library system through my property tax and I rarely use it.  It is 18 miles from my house. 

[MrCash]

dont think for a minute that libraries are FREE.  I pay $266 a  year for our library system through my property tax and I rarely use it.  It is 18 miles from my house.

Well, it's for the library and several other things.

[boyerbt]

I have to admit that I considered this service! We homeschool and use a literature-based approach so we read a ton of historical fiction and biographies. While we love and utilize our local library system, holds for certain books can take weeks/months. I really wanted to read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with my oldest this year for fourth grade and he had already read through nearly all of the books on his list for 4th. After waiting over a month for the ebook to become available through our library system, I ended up biting the bullet and paying $5 for the kindle book so we could just get started.

Subscribing to this service costs significantly less than buying a curriculum package for language/history/science, though you are right that it's not free like the library. I still haven't signed up but if we do I'll consider it an educational expense (that we budgeted for).

Well said, I hadn't thought of people using this service in this way.

dont think for a minute that libraries are FREE.  I pay $266 a  year for our library system through my property tax and I rarely use it.  It is 18 miles from my house.

That is one way to look at it...I pay around $65 annually to the library but it is a sunk cost whether you use it or not.  I consider all of the items that I check out (currently about 8 books, 2 audio book mp3s, and 3 movies) as free.

[Thegoblinchief]

If I had the funds to buy e-books whenever I wanted, I'd gladly do it to support the authors. I do most of my reading as physical books through the library, but e-books are WAY more convenient when you have kids. I wish e-book borrowing was more convenient.

My current read (the excellent Words of Radiance) is a massive 1100 page book. No way in hell I'm reading that with a kid on my lap. Heck, I'd break my foot if I dropped it on accident :P

[Mama Mia]

I'm a regular library goer.  I often take advantage of the inter-library loan, when my library does not have a title that I want to read.

[Spork]

dont think for a minute that libraries are FREE.  I pay $266 a  year for our library system through my property tax and I rarely use it.  It is 18 miles from my house.

Well, it's for the library and several other things.

I sort of like my out-of-the-city arrangement: where I pay for it if/when I use it.

FWIW: some libraries actually are free.  In the olden days when I was a wee lad, the local library was run 100% out of a trust set up by Carnegie.  He set them up all over the country.  At some point the city took it over and it became tax supported.

[wing117]

I may actually recommend this site to my mother, to be honest. She is currently purchasing over $300/mo in books at amazon/bn to read on her on her iPad (her primary computer at this time). She actually only purchases one or two books at a time, reads them, and buys more - needless to say she goes through a tremendous amount of books.

Although the library argument could be made, this is a much easier step for her to follow and still saves her $290+/mo if she uses this service exclusively.

[boyerbt]

I may actually recommend this site to my mother, to be honest. She is currently purchasing over $300/mo in books at amazon/bn to read on her on her iPad (her primary computer at this time). She actually only purchases one or two books at a time, reads them, and buys more - needless to say she goes through a tremendous amount of books.

Although the library argument could be made, this is a much easier step for her to follow and still saves her $290+/mo if she uses this service exclusively.

$300 per month!?! Wow, that is a lot of reading.

[wing117]

Yes, yes it is. She went from being busy constantly during her working career (30 years with the same company) to sitting and reading her books almost every waking hour. She'll take a break and play some solitaire if she gets bored.

Luckily she is working 15-20/hr/wk, checks in on her elderly parents once a day and walks on her treadmill for 30min a day so there are some breaks in between the sitting.

[AlanStache]

So, about a book a day, or three hours of reading.

...

wow. 

...

Not sure I have ever done a proper book in three hours.  Hell, I have graphic novels that have kept me occupied for 2+ hours.

[Albert]

In my opinion this is a great service, could be very mustachian under some circumstances. Particularly if it has no geographic boundaries and you could use it to get books in a language other than the one used in the local area.

[boyerbt]

So, about a book a day, or three hours of reading.

...

wow. 

...

Not sure I have ever done a proper book in three hours.  Hell, I have graphic novels that have kept me occupied for 2+ hours.

I 2nd that...I know that I am not a speed reader by any means but I am no slouch either. I've been able to read about 12 books this year and I haven't been able to complete any book in one day/one reading.

[Prairie Stash]

My library has e-books. When I travel I can still sign them out (just need wifi). My local city (pop 250k) is part of a network, the whole province shares. Some local libraries are in towns of 10k, they can get all the same books as me.

How many other libraries offer the same service? Please check your local before replying.

[meadow lark]

I can read many non-fiction books in 3 hours.  I know because when my home life was less pleasant I used to go to Barnes and Nobles and sit in a chair and read a book as a way to escape the house.  (Don't feel too sorry for them, they got plenty of money from me in the past). Even counting the $4 piece of chocolate cake I got it was a pretty reasonable way to get away for a few hours.  Unfortunately libraries around here don't stay open until 10pm.  Miss my Borders.
  I can see how this would be a good service.  If I want to read a popular new book from my library like the Hunger Games or 50 Shades of Gray (when they were new) I would be on a waiting list for 6 months.  I wouldn't pay for it now, but when I go traveling, Hell yeah.

[Ambergris]

dont think for a minute that libraries are FREE.  I pay $266 a  year for our library system through my property tax and I rarely use it.  It is 18 miles from my house.

A lot of US libraries now have a downloadable service for ebooks/audiobooks.  You should take a look and see if your library offers this.  They also usually have an online "holds" system that allows you to go only once the books you want are on hand and limit the no. of trips you have to make.

[Rural]

My library has e-books. When I travel I can still sign them out (just need wifi). My local city (pop 250k) is part of a network, the whole province shares. Some local libraries are in towns of 10k, they can get all the same books as me.

How many other libraries offer the same service? Please check your local before replying.

Don't have to check, since I use it all the time. Mine does. The network (statewide)doesn't allow for the loan of ebooks between libraries like it does hard copy books, but I can switch my "home" library to any library in the state if I run out of option at my (actual) home library and start reading all their ebooks.

I can also check out audiobooks as MP3 and a couple of other digital formats and download those. Useful for my commute.

[seanc0x0]

My wife has a voracious appetite for books.  We budget for it, but it's about $150/mo.  I can't complain too much though, she's otherwise fairly Mustachian and we can afford it.  She used to use the library, but she reads faster than out local library buys books and is also allergic to cigarette smoke. Probably 80% of the books from the library have enough residual smoke attached to them it gives her a headache. If you have to smoke, don't do it while reading library books!

[shusherstache]

My wife has a voracious appetite for books.  We budget for it, but it's about $150/mo.  I can't complain too much though, she's otherwise fairly Mustachian and we can afford it.  She used to use the library, but she reads faster than out local library buys books and is also allergic to cigarette smoke. Probably 80% of the books from the library have enough residual smoke attached to them it gives her a headache. If you have to smoke, don't do it while reading library books!

Any chance she would like the e-reader selection from her local library?  I understand those are smoke-free.

[seanc0x0]

My wife has a voracious appetite for books.  We budget for it, but it's about $150/mo.  I can't complain too much though, she's otherwise fairly Mustachian and we can afford it.  She used to use the library, but she reads faster than out local library buys books and is also allergic to cigarette smoke. Probably 80% of the books from the library have enough residual smoke attached to them it gives her a headache. If you have to smoke, don't do it while reading library books!

Any chance she would like the e-reader selection from her local library?  I understand those are smoke-free.

Last time we looked they didn't offer that, but looks like they do now. I'll have to suggest it. :)

[Ashyukun]

I could see my Mom using this... she travels a lot and thus buys a lot of books to read on the plane and is always buying new ones wherever she is (and thus doesn't have access to her library at home). Especially if they relax the takeoff/landing rules on electronic devices it would save her a good bit over a month since it costs less than most of the individual books she buys...

[galliver]

I could see my Mom using this... she travels a lot and thus buys a lot of books to read on the plane and is always buying new ones wherever she is (and thus doesn't have access to her library at home). Especially if they relax the takeoff/landing rules on electronic devices it would save her a good bit over a month since it costs less than most of the individual books she buys...

In the US, they already have (relaxed takeoff/landing rules). In Europe, I believe they already were more relaxed.

[Noodle]

Not all libraries carry e-books (although that number is growing steadily smaller) and those that do often have limitations. I have access to two different systems. One has a lot of selection, but you are going to be waiting many months for anything on the best seller list (the same is true for actual physical books in their system). The other has much less selection, limits the number of books you can take out, and has very short check-out times--but because it's not as popular, you can get what they do have much faster. Handily, for me the two systems balance each other out. But if I could only access one of the two, I might consider this service. You could argue that for people to whom reading is an important leisure-time pursuit, $10/month is a very reasonable amount to spend especially if it reduces an expensive book-buying habit.