Interest Kindled

I have been a voracious reader since I was old enough to hold a book in my hand.  My guess is that many of you are, too, so you will relate to what I am about to tell you.

One of my friends has been singing the praises of her Kindle--you know, the little "electronic reader" introduced last year by Amazon. When she raved about it last fall, I informed her haughtily that I couldn't imagine myself--a true book lover--considering some bland-looking, skinny little computerized gizmo a replacement for real books.  (I'm sorry to confess that I have a mysterious and visceral resentment of anything skinny.)

"But what satisfaction do you get from a computer?" I asked.  I was sincerely mystified. For me and most book lovers, reading is as much about the book itself as the story inside.  The cover art, designed especially to whet your appetite for the feast to come.  The pages, smooth or textured, fine-trimmed or deckle-edged, stark white or rich-creamy.  The typeface, serif or sans, crisply modern or subtly evocative of another era.  And the heft.  Who among us doesn't love the wonderful heft of a brand new 500-pager?

These questions were pin-balling around in my head as my friend showed me her Kindle2, the newest version of the device.   I was surprised and intrigued.

First, it was contained in a dignified-looking leather "book cover," so that it looked and felt surprisingly substantial, much more like a real book than I had imagined from the on-line photos.  The whole package is about the size of a paperback, but much thinner--maybe half or three-quarters of an inch thick.

I was impressed by the Kindle's capabilities.  It operates wirelessly, so you can buy and download new books virtually anywhere.  Hundreds of thousands of titles are available.  It is pre-programmed to  link automatically to your Amazon.com account, so there's no hassle with entering purchasing information.

In addition to dozens of books, Kindle can also bring you newspapers, magazines, blogs and other materials.  You can download, read and then delete them, ensuring that you always have plenty of capacity for new additions to your library.

The Kindle screen is surprisingly similar to a book page in appearance. The screen is specially tinted to make it easy on the eyes, and the format of the page looks exactly as it would in the printed book.  One great feature for those of us over 50: you can adjust typesize to make it easier on the eyes.

After looking at my friend's Kindle, and then reviewing more information online, I decided to make the leap.  It was not a cheap leap, I must say--I was a tad stunned by the $359 price.  But the cost is offset by the fact that you can download virtually any book for under $10, so if you're a frequent book buyer, as I am, the Kindle will pay for itself in reduced spending on hardcover books, and you'll get more bang for your book-buying buck.  (Try saying that three times fast.)

What really tickled my fridleys, though, was the idea that I could stick this thing in my purse and never be without reading material again. Come on, you know that feeling--that awful, sinking feeling you get when you realize that you are stuck somewhere with time to kill and NOTHING TO READ.  

The Kindle is a traveler's dream--I will be able to carry 2-3 (or 20) books with me at all times without adding more than a few ounces to the weight of my purse or briefcase.  With the little attachable light that I bought to go with it, I'll even be able to read comfortably in dimly lit restaurants (dining alone with a good book while traveling is one of my very favorite things).

A side benefit of the Kindle, but one worth noting:  it will reduce my need for book storage space.  I hope to downsize this year, and my library will be in for some serious culling.  It's nice to know that I'll be able to continue to indulge my reading addiction without having to pack and move a million books when I sell.

My Kindle should arrive today, and I can hardly wait to get it in my hot little hands and start downloading.  There's a new Diane Mott Davidson out, as well as a new Anne Perry (William Monk) mystery. Hurry up, UPS guy!