To Kindle or Not to Kindle

For those of you who wonder about them, have not heard of them, or would like to hear more about them from someone who has one (and still loves her regular books very much), this post’s for you! I remember hearing about this contraption called the Kindle for the first time last Fall at my book club. I was astonished. A machine that people read books off of? Preposterous. Who would want that? What about the feeling of the book in your hands; feeling the side of the book in your right hand getting smaller and smaller as you get closer to the end? What about the smell of the book, and the satisfaction of turning the page? What about the worn look a book gets after you’ve read it (and especially after you’ve read it more than once), or taken it in the bath with you and had the steam curl the pages making the book look completely loved? What about having the stories you adore filling your shelves, as declarations of who you are and what you’ve read? Well, I still feel all of the above, but I’ve recognized how extraordinarily convenient the Kindle really is for someone who reads a lot (or travels a lot... or both). How does the Kindle pretty much sell itself? The fact that you can carry so many books with you in this light weight device (what I've heard is the lightest of all the e-readers) is incredible. The fact that you can download a book in 60 seconds be it while on the runway, in the airport, in a hotel, or in your own home is beyond convenient. And The fact that books cost less without the paper means you aren’t spending as much after the initial investment of buying the device. You can also get newspapers, magazines, and blogs whether by subscription or by individual issue. While I still prefer books (and sometimes after reading a book on my Kindle that is so great it needs to be part of my library I will also buy the physical copy of the book) I still find the Kindle very valuable. Especially if I'm not near a bookstore, or if I think there's a book that I won’t necessarily need to have in my collection, I use my Kindle and am thankful that I have it. You must know that I am someone who cannot travel without at least two books, and if the trip will be of any substantial length (with long plane or train rides to boot), maybe even more than two. The Kindle is incredibly useful in that capacity, and as I'm getting ready to take a couple of trips in the next few weeks, I will be adding some of the books from my wishlist to my device and will be thankful that my bags are that much lighter.

xo,
The Coconut Librarian

P.S. I have the first generation Kindle, which I think you can still get used or on e-bay. Otherwise there is the new Kindle, which is very similar and probably even nicer.

Comments

[LemonLinda]

I also have the Kindle 1 - given to me for Christmas in 2008 by my husband. I was totally surprised - my Christmas fairy putting the idea in his head was my daughter because she and I had had a discussion about them and I said I would like one - but had not even thought about getting one.

I love it. I have read so many books on it. I love being able to change the font - great for us older readers. I live in a small town with no book store so I love being able to instantly download via Whispernet. I love popping it in my purse and taking along a good library if I am traveling. I still read books. Generally I look at hardbacks, paperbacks and KIndle books and get whichever version is the best price. But I have read some books on Kindle that I loved so much that I had to get them in hardback to keep.

[Coconut Library]

No bookstore in town? No way! Kindle is indeed needed in that case! Do you feel like you read an equal amount of books on paper vs Kindle (or one more than the other)?