In which I confess
I now have a Kindle.
Several friends and relatives have had e-books for quite a while and have shown me theirs. They shared all the details about the usefulness of such things. While I was happy for them, I just didn't feel like I needed or even wanted one.
Then back in March while I was packing a bag of books to go to the beach (I packed 20 - just in case - and managed to read 6), Penny called and talked about her Kindle while she was packing for a camping trip. I said, "So what books are you taking to read?" and she replied, "Just my Kindle. I have lots of books on it." That stuck with me.
In May I met some knitters in Mississippi and they talked about their Kindles and Nooks and about all the free books available for them.
In June we went to Virginia Beach and while there Meg and I got to visit. Meg had her Kindle. And she shared more details.
When we got home, I learned that Tammy was reading Anna Karenina on her Kindle while knitting. Then Penny sent me a picture of her knitting while reading her Kindle.
I told Steve that I might want a Kindle for Christmas. Or for several special occasions rolled into one.
Three days ago Steve had to leave on a business trip. Minutes before he left he ordered a Kindle for me which arrived yesterday. Before it had arrived he told me it was on the way (he's so sweet!), and I promptly "bought" 154 free books so it arrived fully loaded yesterday.
When I told Jacy that I now have a Kindle her response was, "Oh. Now you've joined the Dark Side." But I protested that I haven't done any such thing! I still read and acquire paper and ink books. In fact, some of the books I got for my Kindle I have on my shelves, but they're fragile and I don't want them to fall apart - like the "Rollo" books by Jacob Abbott. Or the "Makers of History" series also by him. Or my copies of Montaigne's essays that belonged to my grandmother and have her annotations in them. Or they're thick and unwieldy, especially if I want to read while knitting - like Tolstoy's novels, or Plutarch's book of famous Romans and Greeks.
But I think I may have found something that will persuade Jacy that my Kindle isn't all bad. She loved the "Five Little Pepper" books when she was younger, and she and I found many of the sequels in old bookshops and antique stores and junk shops over the years. I told her yesterday that I'd gotten three we didn't have (free!) , so maybe... just maybe... she'll take a look.
Labels: books
posted by Laura at
8:40 AM
7 Comments:
No confession needed as this is totally appropriate for a voracious reader like you.
Enjoy to the max!
I have a love/hate relationship with my kindle. It'll never replace a good old fashioned book for me.
Oh, Laura! I love the feel of a book, the smell of the paper, the covers, being able to reread or search for something in a book. I just haven't been able to do it, yet, but I think I'm going to ask Darrel to order one for me for Christmas for the same reasons your friends gave. It will never replace a good old fashioned book for me, but it does have it's place.
Yay! I'd actually like to get one for my son (the one out of five who actually reads for fun). I think he would read even more and i would need to make even less space! :)
Laura with a Kindle... my jaw dropped! Methinks you'll enjoy it. "Make new friends, but keep the old..."
I have no idea how many books I have on my Kindle, but they're nearly all free, and they're nearly all books that are out of print or incredibly hard to find. I think Amazon has everything Chesterton ever wrote on Kindle for free. Last night I bought the complete works of Plato for 99 cents, most of which I already have at home, but they're just not very portable. ;-)
I could sign my name to this post. My friend in Franklin, TN just handed me his Kindle and said, "Carol, take it."
(He and his wife use the Kindle app on their iPad, so their Kindle sits unused.
I was reluctant. But, hey! I know an imperative when I hear one.
For me, the next level of Kindle angst (after you've crossed the barrier of actually getting one) is this: it is SO MUCH EASIER downloading a gross (as in 12 x12) of books than it is to read one all the way through.
I've found with various commodities, particularly books, that when you acquire a large amount at once some of the zing is lost. When I got a Henty book one or two at a time, I read them and looked forward to more. When I bought two large boxes at once, my interest in them diminished.
Does that make sense?
Hmmm. Much to think about. I'm glad we can think and discuss Kindle/reading issues for many more years!
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