Monday, January 03, 2011

A Library At My Fingertips!


I have to admit:  I was a foot-dragger.  One of those dinosaurs who said I'd NEVER get an ebook reader.  I love how books feel and smell and are so portable.  I scoffed at people who raved about Kindles and their kin.  I pointed out how costly it was to drop an ereader in water, spill a drink on it, or leave it behind somewhere.

Then two things happened:  Books got skimpy on gutters, making it necessary to almost break the spine of a paperback to read everything, and I abhor books with broken spines, and second, I buy a LOT of books, which means it's hard to find one when I start looking.  Lately I've even had to start boxing them up, which I also despise.  I just don't have the room for them.  My love for and interest in the written word has just flat overwhelmed me.

So I hedged my bets and asked my wife to get me a Kindle for Christmas.  I'm hard to buy for and she hates it.  If I want something, I go get it.  If I don't get it, I don't want it.  I wasn't sure about the Kindle, but I thought I'd like it for Christmas.

That was in October.  Then, after I'd decided I wanted it, waiting till Christmas got hard.  Man, I was so happy when I unwrapped it Christmas morning!

I love reading on the Kindle.  I flip through pages faster than ever, and I'm a quick reader.  I've read six books on it so far and have totally enjoyed the experience.  I bought a cover for it, so I'm not so worried about it now, and Kindle versions of paperbacks are generally a dollar cheaper than the print versions.  Now I never have to worry about the spines breaking, struggling with the reading experience, page wear, or finding the books.

I don't know why I didn't get one of these long ago.  Dedicated readers gain a lot in the way of organization and readability.  After putting in a long day at the computer, I find that the reading experience on the Kindle is still different enough to make me feel like I'm away from work.  I'm having a blast!

6 comments:

Joe G Kushner said...

Glad to hear its working out for you. I still haven't made the plunge yet. I keep waiting for a color kindle.

Mel Odom said...

Yep, it's great. Don't know if I'd want a color Kindle. Too small for graphic novels, and that's all I'd be interested in it for. iPad is still too expensive for that.

Meg said...

I feel the same way, Mel - my boyfriend got me a Kindle for Christmas, and I'm in love with it in spite of my prior misgivings.

Heather E. said...

I totally agree. I remember writing a blog post about how I would never get an e-reader and I loved books too much.

Then my mom got me a Kindle for Christmas.I read three books the first three days. I swear I somehow zoom through them much faster than with a paperback copy. I love my Kindle now.

Mel Odom said...

Meg and Heather: Glad to see I'm not the only one that got the ebook bug!

Betty S said...

I was hesitant, too. My husband, who was concerned that the books were overtaking the house, bought it for my birthday. I LOVE it. My only problem so far is that it is waaaay too easy to just click and buy a book on impulse. (I won't confess how many I added in just a matter of weeks.) There are also a lot of free kindle books out there, but you need to be a little more discriminating with those.