Swedish ebooks / Svenska eböcker

The big question when purchasing a cheap e-reader is: Can I buy e-books from anywhere and read them on my e-reader? And if you're Swedish and interested in Swedish e-books (Svenska e-böcker), the question is: Can I read Swedish e-books on my e-reader?


With most e-readers, yes, you can buy Swedish e-books from pretty much anywhere except from amazon.com and they will work on your e-book reader. Not that Amazon carries Swedish books; they don't. Most ereaders read books from the online Swedish bookshop, BOKUS.se.


With KINDLE, the answer is: Yes, you can buy your books anywhere if you use Calibre to convert non-Amazon-purchased books. Amazon has its own funky format, but with Calibre's help, it's a non-issue. Calibre is the geeks' choice of conversion software, but it's so easy, your granny could use it. The Calibre man even has a video on the site showing you how easy it is to use.


If you read primarily Swedish e-books, the KINDLE requires an extra step. You'll have to convert all of your books by using Calibre. If you have your heart set on a KINDLE (and it's truly a wonder!), and you don't mind running your books through Calibre first, you'll still be reading your books in minutes.


On the other hand, Sony PRS line, the Barnes & Noble NOOK, and the iRiver STORY line will read pretty much anything you throw at them. If they can't read it, run it through Calibre.


Swedish library books / Svenska biblioteksböcker
Reading library books—svenska böcker från biblioteket—on even the cheapest ereaders works well—with the exception of on KINDLE. If you plan to read a lot of library books, you've got options:

1. use mobi2kindle, a free download that will allow you to convert library e-books to the format that KINDLE reads 
2. trot on over to the brick-and-mortar library and borrow paper-and-ink books
3. buy a cheap ereader that reads library books—pretty much any of them apart from KINDLE (hint: see our reviews and decide on Sony PRS vs Bookeen CYBOOK)