Kindle Review

Those who know me know I am an Apple girl - macbook, iphone, ipad. I admit I like my gadgets.

But even I have my limits. Well, I thought I had my limits. Apparently I don't. I am now the slightly embarrassed-to-admit-it owner of a Kindle.

Unlike most Kindle owners, I am not in love with my new toy. I just can't let myself go there. I have to stay true to my literary purity roots. I know I've said this before, but it's true so I'm going to say it again: It's just not a book.

It is, however, pretty damn cool.

The Kindle totally fulfills my need for instant gratification. I used to get anxious when my books-to-read stack on my nightstand got low. Now I can hear of a book, type it in, and have it in a matter of seconds. A never ending supply of books to read without having to get to the bookstore or wait on an Amazon delivery!

Of course I love how easy it fits into my purse so I now always have something to read no matter where I am. And it really was great taking just the Kindle on vacation but knowing it was loaded with quite a few books for me to enjoy.

The Kindle version of books is usually cheaper than the paperback version. So I'm reading a lot more current fiction (sometimes also referred to as literary crap) than I ever had before. I'm not paying $15 just because a title is the new "in" book or must have summer read. But hey, for just a few bucks sure I'll read it.

The downside is the Kindle is kind of like literary crack. The books are cheap, not always the best quality and easy to get. And I'm totally headed to a dangerous addiction.

I sheepishly admit, I'm not downloading Pulitzer Prize winning novels or yoga philosophy texts. No, this former communications/literature major is reading "summer reading" selections. That's code for no brain cells will be challenged in the reading of this pretty predictable story.

In fact, I will now publicly apologize to my dear friend Thais who blogs at Living in the (k)Now and is on Twitter @letitgo8. We are supposed to be working together on an Elephant Journal post of a yoga text that she swears will transform my life like it has hers.

I'm sorry Thais, personal transformation has fallen aside while I read this cheesy story of love and betrayal set in a Los Angeles yoga studio. The studio owner is just about to find out her musician husband is cheating on her with the nanny and... oh gawd, it's true. I've fallen down a deep rabbit hole.

But I did find some good non-yoga books down the hole. Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue was interesting. One Day by David Nicholls was an ok story and apparently about to be a movie. Sing You Home was typical Jodi Picoult but a good, easy read. And I was able to download Fairy Tales for Every Child Should Know by Hamilton Wright for free!

I still plan on buying real books, especially the transform your life type books. I don't like the highlight feature on the Kindle - I need the tactile sensation of taking the orange highlighter across the page - and I am a big into highlighting and note writing on the pages.

And, yes I'm saying it again, nothing is as good as a real book in your hand. In fact, it's time to pick up Thais book again and start reading. Well, once I see what happens with the yogi, musician and the nannny!