After several years of holding out, I finally asked Santa Momma for an e-reader for Christmas. I’m a (former) purist when it comes to books. I own so many books that the paperbacks are double-parked on my shelves, plus I get an incredible amount of milage out of my public library card. At a dollar a month, the public library is my cheapest source of literature, and I have at least half a dozen borrowed books in the dollhouse at any given time. Getting an e-reader is something I never thought I’d do, but here I am, ringing in the new year with flashy new geekery despite my meager technology skills. There are two major reasons behind this change of heart.
As you may have figured out, I refer to my home as the dollhouse because it’s teeny, not because I’m such a doll. I need a way to feed my literature cravings without books crowding any further into my modest living space. The e-reader is so bitty that it fits in my small purse. Check it out:
The other reason I wanted to (partially) switch to electronic copies of books is a fabulous vacation I have booked for spring break. I’ll tell you all about it sometime, but all you need to know right now is the flight time there and back is so crazy I could never haul enough actual books to get me through. Not even my burly electrician could wrangle that stack. With my e-reader, I can carry a few month’s worth of books in my carry on. It’s a beautiful thing.
I miss “real” books sometimes. I just spent over an hour fighting to load the Alice Munro e-book I have on loan from my public library. I could get it onto my laptop, but there was some sort of technological roadblock preventing me from actually loading the thing onto the little plastic brick that holds much of my reading these days. In that span, I could have driven to my nearest library branch to pick up a book three times over, and still stopped to pick up a bubble tea on the way back at least once. Heck, I probably could have read a hundred or so pages in an old school book in that hour, but there I was, hoping for an Adobe miracle and searching for help on the mighty internet.
If I’m caught up in figurative wave of exciting new technology, I think this is what it feels like to have virtual water up my nose.
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Blue Speckled Pup 
I understand the sadness in switching from “real” books to the Ereader. There is something satisfying and comforting about holding a book in your hands, smelling the paper, and turning the pages. However, I also switched to an Nook a couple of years ago for the same reason, ease of carrying it.
Side note: can’t wait to hear about your vacation. We are headed to Orlando for our Spring Break in April. Is The Electrician going with you?
Yes, The Electrician and I are going to visit his folks overseas. I’m very excited. It’s been an interesting transition to the “fake” book, but I figure any tool that helps spread literature is something I need to get behind.
A year ago, I was doubtful if I’d ever want an e-reader. Then I went on vacation for a week and ended up schlepping 8 books home in my suitcase because that’s how many I bought and read while I was away. I just bought a Kindle. 🙂
I’m like that on vacation too, and with all the weight limits on luggage, I needed a smart fix for the issue. How are you finding the Kindle? I like my Kobo because it gets along so well with the free e-books from my public library.