Oyster: Will it Be the New "Netflix For Books"?

By SheSpeaksTeam Sep 17, 2013

If you tend to have your head in a book rather than being glued to a TV screen, there is a new service you will probably be very interested to hear about. As Netflix has changed the way many people view TV, a newly launched company called Oyster is hoping to change the way we read books.

Forbes dubbed Oyster the new “Netflix for books.” For a fee of $9.95 per month, Oyster users can choose as much digital media as they can handle from their extensive library of over 100,000 titles. The iPhone app is available now and an iPad version is expected to roll out soon.

Though many libraries are now offering digital libraries, Oyster boasts a much larger collection than anything in existence today. They are currently working with lots of publishers from HarperCollins to the popular self-publishing Smashwords. Oyster users can search for their books by title, genre and will be given suggestions based on past selections. You can keep your account private, and also have the option to share your new favorite books with friends and see what they’re reading too.

What do you think of the new digital book service Oyster?

Does this sound like something you would be interested in trying?

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Comments

by elisi989 | OVID, MI

Sep 26, 2013

My husband in an avid reader...hard to keep him supplied with books sometimes. This sounds like it would be perfect for him. It would be far cheaper than what he pays for books now at a used book store even with having to buy a device to use the service on. Looking forward to when they make it usable on a kindle, I think that would be the way to go.

by basilandcatnip | GARLAND, TX

Sep 20, 2013

I'd try it. I've always wanted an e-book device. Held off due to the confusion of what would work on what device and which companies books would work on which device.

by Tomalynne | Forest City, NC

Sep 17, 2013

I love this business model in theory and may give it a try some time. That said, I fear that I would end up paying the monthly fee and not use the service enough to justify the expense. I do like to read, but we two young children at home I don't get nearly enough time or mental bandwidth for much reading these days. If they offered a magazine stand as well as books that might tip the scale for me. Still, this is a very interesting idea and I will look into it.

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