Favorite Things: My Kindle

I'm a reader and have been for as long as I can remember. I used to be certain that I was strictly a 'book with paper pages' kind of a person and turned my nose up slightly at those who needed modern gadgets to read. I felt a little sorry for anyone who didn't understand and appreciate the essence of how the weight of a book feels in your hands and the simple act of turning the pages. I have only to walk into a book store or library and I am immediately a little bit in love with what I might find there. The musty, booky smell of my little hometown library is carefully filed away in my brain as one of my most pleasant memories. I never travel without a book and recall at least 5 that I carried with me in my back pack when I travelled Europe for a few months. I may or may not have gone on an overnight hike in the Tetons with a book stowed away just in case. Books are my getaway and when I have spare time, I will choose them over any other leisure activity. Reading is the one thing I can do where I don't feel like I have to be multitasking and it is one of the few things that completely occupies my brain and gives me a rest from constant thinking. These days, that is huge. I rarely re-watch movies but I have books that I read every year.

So, as a vehemently self professed bookworm, you can assume that I find books sacred. I had heard about the Kindle and J had even approached the idea as a gift once or twice over the years but I turned it down, certain that it would defile what I loved most about books. But, I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

wrong.

I received the Kindle as a gift for Christmas and figured out fairly immediately how awesome it was going to be. My sisters had all gotten one from Santa as well and we started an online book group. When one of us buys a book we are all able to download and share it. I can read reviews and browse genres that interest me. One of the down sides of being a voracious reader is the speed reading skills that sometimes come with it (no, really!) Whether or not I want to savor a book, I generally finish it pretty quickly which is both a blessing and a curse. I have a constant wish list of books from the last decade that I can finally afford through the Kindle version.

There is no electronic device that will ever replace the smell and feel of a real book, and my boxes and shelves of books aren't going anywhere. As I collect, I will still pick them up and they will still feel like old friends. However, I have found that I have to bow (and maybe apologize a little) to this modern electronic convenience that I was determined not to get to know.

Santa, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back :-)