Does Android make a "better" Kindle?

I almost got an eBook reader (either Kindle or Nook) because piles of books have taken over my bedroom.

Surprisingly, I've discovered my Android phone beats out Kindle and Nook, at least for me. I'll explain why in a minute.

It all started when my Twitter account, @BryanJacobson6, picked up a new follower @CristynWest, who is tweeting about her new (and first) book, Plain Jane, available in eBook form from Smashwords for $2.99. Cristyn will DM you a discount code that gets the price down to $1.50! (Probably a limited time offer.)

Once I got the eBook, I needed a way to read it. This took a bit of hunting.

There was no Kindle for Android. Apparently it's coming this summer (which does me no good now).

Searching for "eBook" in the Android Market gave me hundreds of eBooks - but not a reader.

So I googled for "best Android ebook reader" and found Kobo and Aldiko. Kobo was only rated 2 1/2 stars with reviewers complaining you don't automatically return to the last page you were viewing.

But Aldiko was exactly what I needed. Aldiko has a huge catalog of free eBooks, and their website also explains: How can I import my personal eBooks into Aldiko? It's simple and just takes a couple of minutes. Books need to be in the ePub format, which is one of the most popular.

Reading an eBook with Aldiko was easy on my eyes, with crystal clear black letters on a white background. You flick or tap your finger to turn pages forward or back.

I'm five chapters into "Plain Jane: Brunettes Beware". It's a cop & serial killer book, a genre I read sometimes. I'm starting to care about the characters, and the story is building some tension with the "murderer on the loose" theme. It is doing a great job mixing action, dialogue and gradual revelations about the characters. It does feel like a first book. Good luck to Cristyn West, I hope she gets a lot of readers, and even makes some money.

There are two big reasons why Android + Aldiko makes a better Kindle (for me):

1. It's free! (Since I already have the Android phone, and the Aldiko reader is free). It galls me to spend $259 for a Kindle or Nook, devices intended to make me spend more money on eBooks from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

2. The Android phone is with me wherever I go. A Kindle would be one more thing to lug around. Also, I do a lot of reading waiting in line or during other bits of spare time. My Android phone is there with me, the Kindle wouldn't be.

Science Fiction and Fantasy are my first love and Aldiko has a surprisingly large catalog of free titles. The Baen Free Library also has over a hundred free SciFi eBooks, many of them recent best sellers. Baen also sells their current titles as low cost eBooks, and the Free Library is simply great free advertising.