Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Things I Love : Kindle 2

I love books. Reading them, buying them, shelving them, the way they transport me to another world, the weight the have in my hands, sharing them with others... So it would seem like an electronic book reader would go against my grain. But, I am also a gadget freak. I have a phone that looks like it belongs to an exec at a big, busy company with lots of responsibility and underlings. (Wait, The Dembowski Howski is big and busy and I do have a business partner and 3 kidlings...) I have a laptop that does it all. I have a sewing machine that practically sews by iteself, a cricut, an ipod, a digital camera and digital video camera, a fancy coffee pot, a car with all the extras. You get my point.

But books - those are different. They are meant to have pages to turn. If they are library books they should have some wear and tear, an occasional drip stain from the previous reader's coffee mug. If they are used or swapped, maybe the cover is loose, there is a smell to the pages. A new book - ahhh pristine spine, first to be cracked by me. A dust cover to immediately trash. The anticipation of being the first to see and touch each page.

Then why do I own and love a Kindle2? Well, economics and convenience won out. Let me explain. It may seem implausible that an item costing over $300 dollars is an economical option for a SAHM Army wife in these trying financial times. But you don't know how many books I buy! The number of free downloads I have made already far surpasses the cost of the machine, and with books available for $9.99 or less - much savings are to be had if you have a book buying habit like I do. I never say NO to buying a book, it seems, if I am even slightly interested. But with the Kindle, I can read a chapter first, then decide. If it isn't Kindle-worthy then I either forget it or library it if available. Or try Frugalreader.com. So I end up with fewer non-read, but paid for books on my shelf.

Obviously the K2 is convenient. Slide it in a bag and go. But I had no idea how much reading I would get done with such an easy book to lug around. Usually I have a hardcover or trade paperback sized book to stuff in my bag, and often because I want to travel light, I forgo the book altogether. But the K2 is easy, and goes everywhere with me. One click and I am right on the page where I left off.

I know that e-readers are not for everyone. And I still trade books and use the library. But the days of buying mediocre books for full price are over. And I am never without a book, now. I have read more of the Old Testament of the Bible in the weeks I have had the Kindle than I was getting through in the months before when I began the endeavor.   If you are on the fence, try out someone's Kindle and see it for yourself (Thanks, Melissa!).  I was unsure about the screen and if it would be hard to read on - I can't stand reading books on my PC.  It's nothing like that, rest assured.  Think of the Kindle as an addition to, not a replacement for, all traditional books.  Any Kindle questions - ask away!

1 comment:

Sarah said...

You could be their new spokeswoman!