Apparently I was a good girl this year because Santa brought me a very nice present – a Kindle Fire! The hot new e-reader from Amazon is the latest in readers that also double as tablets. While it can easily be compared to the iPad, I prefer this little gadget because of its size and shape. It’s more fun reading young adult novels on the Fire than the iPad and I think most avid readers would agree with me on that one. While you can probably do a lot more on your iPad than your Kindle, let me just say that as a book community manager, the Kindle Fire is absolutely 100% the best device for me.
Why is this the best device for a book blog or community manager? Beyond the whole e-reading aspect, here are the apps that make this my recommended device:
HootSuite app – I often find myself creating Twitter and Facebook content when I’m in the middle of reading a book. Now with the Kindle Fire, I can schedule updates via HootSuite as I’m reading books and check up teen readers’ feeds to confirm what I know.
IndieBound Reader – My New Year’s resolution is to support small businesses as much as possible, which is hard to do when you buy all your e-books from an online site like Amazon. But never fear, the IndieBound Reader app – courtesy of Android- is here!
With this app, you can download e-books from Google Books from participating independent bookstores. While they may not have as many deals as Amazon or as wide a selection, you’re still supporting locally owned bookstores and giving back to the community.
Downloading this app and other Android apps is easy. Just follow these instructions to unlock your Kindle Fire. To get the IndieBound Reader app, open up “Silk” on your Fire and go to this page, click download, and finish the installation instructions from the link above and you’re done!
GetGlue and GoodReads – Use GetGlue to check into the books you’re reading, and GoodReads to keep track of your progress. I use both for different reasons, but if there’s one thing I know, readers LOVE displaying their reading progress. Both these apps are good for keeping up with friends and community members on their reading status while slyly showing off your own.
Tumblr – More and more book blogs and publishers are extending their reach via Tumblr. From what I’ve seen, most book-minded people use it for graphics or reviews and less as actual blogs, but that doesn’t make it any less fun or entertaining.
Box.net – We here at Affinitive just recently moved our files over to Box.net and I was thrilled to learn that there’s a Box app for the Kindle. Now I have no excuse to get my work done. Use it to upload and store your files, images, and whatever else you need. I like using it to store photos or documents that I later upload to my Tumblr.
StumbleUpon – I love discovering new book blogs or communities and sometimes the best way to do that is to just surf the web. There’s no better tool for mindless web surfing than Stumble Upon. Using the keyword settings, now I can aimlessly explore and browse books, blogs and publishers’ websites inbetween reading sessions.
That’s it for me, but I’d love to hear what apps you’re downloading to your Fires. Share in the comments!