Friday, May 27, 2011

Book Whore Snob vs. The Kindle

Evil technology! My resistance
is weakening.
I want a Kindle.

No, I don't.

I'm a book person. Nothing can take the place of opening a new book for the first time, cracking the spine, the smell of a new book, the smell of an old forgotten book, turning the pages, etc. I'm a literary traditionalist and in this area will not give in to technology.

But, I do kinda sorta really want a Kindle.

Tonight was date night with the hubs. Don't get too excited. In my life date night means we drop off one or more kids at their assorted activities, then we go somewhere for a quick dinner where we share an appetizer, spend our last remaining minutes browsing a book store, and then go pick up assorted kids and come home.

Glamorous, huh?

OK, back to the Kindle story.

So we are walking through the bookstore and I decide nothing can replace a book store full of possibilities. It's been a semi-secret long desire of mine to someday see my name on a book jacket. A book jacket, not an e-book. How would I have a book signing for an e-book? Confession - I've actually spent time thinking about this.

My arms are soon overflowing with books I've picked up. Then I start thinking about packing so many books to take with me on our vacation next week. It would be so much easier to just pack the Kindle with pre-loaded books.

And, hey, it's more environmentally friendly to read e-books. I'd be saving trees. That's it, I've decided to put the books down and come home and order my Kindle!

But I just can't make myself push that "order now" button. Yes the extra shipping I'd have to pay to get it here before we leave for vacation is part of it. But, it's just not a book.  That's it, I've decided I'm a book person and will not buy a Kindle.

To take my mind off this nonsense I log on to read my nightly blogs. And what do you know? My South American friend Rachel wrote a post today about how she's in love with her Kindle!

Thanks a lot Rachel's Rantings of Rio! Now I'm back to wanting a Kindle!

This whole thing is making me slightly schizophrenic.

I like being a book whore snob who can turn pages and highlight favorite passages. But I'm tempted by the instant gratification of wi-fi downloads.

What to do? What to do?

All this fretting over how to read books is leaving me very little time for the reading of books. And forget about the actual writing of a new book. Until someone tells me I can have a book signing even for an e-book I'm keeping the literary genius in my head to myself.

That's the story I'm going with anyway.

6 comments:

  1. I also used to think that I wanted a Kindle!! But then I remembered how much I love actual books... love turning the pages, being able to mark them if I need to, and even being able to look at them on the shelf (weird, I know!). I need something in my life that isn't electronic, so it's books! But, I never even thought of the book signing part.... good point there!

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  2. I can actually appreciate both. I got a Nook last year for my birthday because I was enticed by the one that my friend had. She pointed out that there are all these classics you can download for free so I promptly loaded up a ton of Jane Austen and prepared to start reading all the books I cliff noted in high school. I read 1 book. Then since we both have Nooks we can share books nook to nook so I had her elend me a few and read those. But I've also read a number of paper backs during this year too that I've borrowed from friends and family. Right now, Chris and I are actually reading the same book. I borrowed it from a friend and enjoyed it so much I thought Chris would like to read it together and we could discuss so we bought the ebook and he's been using the nook. I'll tell you, it is nice to travel with. And it's nice for reading with a toddler who thinks books marks should be removed from the pages they're pressed between. So my opinion is you can have your cake and eat it too. You just may not get your moneys worth out of the ereader as quick. And if the choice is borrow the book from a friend or buy it for my ereader, I always borrow before I buy. I'm cheap.

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  3. That is one dilema! :-) some books are meant for turning pages, real pages, but I find the electronic format great for carrying around with me 10 or 20 books in one easy not heavy object... especially some yoga texts... (not the ones with photographs)...

    The I-pad is much nicer than the kindle though... sorry to add to the thinking process, but I would spend a few more dollars and get the real thing... you can have kindle in it and it is just so much nicer to read on, and besides you can have lots of other things in it!!! :-)

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  4. I am firmly a book girl...at one time I my have 3, 4, 5 books out in front of me at a time when I'm working on something. Sometimes piled up, sometimes lined up in a row so I can read them simultaneously.

    I get the appeal of the e-readers but as techy as I like to think I am ~ I want my paper books. I like to share them with friends and going to the library makes me feel smart. 90% of my books I buy are used and I encourage people buying books for me to buy them used.

    Books many, e-reader 0
    xoxoxo

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  5. Ah i have had the same thought time and time again - the kindle would be so much EASIER but it kills me a bit inside to think that maybe someday books wont even exist anymore. I love having a stack by my bed, being able to flip pages, fall asleep with it open on my belly... *Sigh*

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  6. NOTHING is as good as a real book. I had a kindle and gave it away! I love being able to turn a corner, go back, highlight, open a book.. Kindle is not the same.. The only good thing of a kindle is like you said 10 books, only weight as much as the kindle! I dont care.. I will take a real book anytime!

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