I really never thought I’d be an e-reader person.
The first time I saw one, it was a friend showing off her clunky first-gen, Kindle. It was around the same time I’d gotten my first iPod mini, a beautiful metallic green one with a click wheel, so the idea that you could carry around tons of data on a small device was not new. “But,” I thought, “who would want to carry a bunch of books around on a device where you can’t even smell the pages?”
I suppose my iPod probably was the same sort of anathema to people who would rather listen to their extensive record or CD collections. But to me, it was just a convenient way to carry a lot of music all at once without hauling a bunch of gear. It didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the music because, to my ear, the music was still there even without the trappings.
Every once in a while, I’d get an ebook from the library app because that was the fastest way to get hold of something I wanted to read, but reading them on my tiny phone screen was so off-putting that I didn’t pursue finding more ebooks.
Years, and generations of Kindles, later, I have entered a new stage of my life. That’s the stage where I’d prefer to travel light, and to always have a book with me. I’ve recently found myself in a lot of waiting rooms, and it’s not usually convenient to bring a physical book. There’s no good way to fit a normal-sized book into my purse, and so it becomes one more thing to worry about accidentally leaving behind.
I thought of the Kindle as a potential solution a while ago, but I had a mental block that I didn’t want to give up ‘real’ books.
After Amy shared her enjoyment of her Kindle with me, and another friend mentioned that she reads quite a bit on hers, though not exclusively, I decided the time had come. The device is small and sleek, and I’m loving how easy it is to find a new book and download it instantly.
The convenience factor is huge! It fits in my purse, can hold a bunch of books at once, and I don’t have to haul a physical book everywhere I go. Just like my iPod of so many years ago, the Kindle is a convenient tool to enjoy one type of entertainment.
This does not mean I’ve given up on print books — far from it! I still have a stack on my bedside table, and there’s definitely something to be said for the visceral pleasure of turning the pages, or being able to stick your finger between two pages while you flip back to check a detail from earlier in the story.
But I am also no longer on the list of people who shun e-readers. As someone who reads 150+ books in a year, now that technology has sufficiently advanced to make my life easier it’s a hard road to continue to justify being unwilling to even try it.
You might even call me a convert.
How about you? Print books all the way? E-reader only? A combination of the two, like me? Let us know in the comments!