Reading in the 21st Century

I just got a Kindle Paperwhite as a late Christmas gift from Eric and his Mom. Now, I know all you naysayers and purists may say that I'm putting my local bookstore out of business, but really, are there local bookstores anymore? I honestly miss going to bookstores, smelling the books, wandering in between the shelves and finding a new author or a a favorite classic that I can spend a few hours with. But I have to admit that the first 20 minutes I've spent with the Kindle have been quite nice. The screen actually feels like pages of a book, less smooth than the iPad I was using to read, and definitely less bulky. The pages look like pages from a book, and yes, although I am not going to physically turn the pages, or smell the fresh ink, I think I'm going to have a good time with this. What's nice about the Kindle, and I know others have said this, is that I can stick in in my backpack, or in my purse, and then pull it out on the train, or during my lunch at work, and it's not taking up any more space on my shelves. The last book I read was the Steve Jobs book and I got the physical book. It was big, and bulky and believe me, there were times it was awkward to place on my lap when sharing a seat on a crowded train. Also, as I mentioned yesterday, the past 3 or 4 times I have moved I have paid to have 3,000 POUNDS of books moved. Now, each one is a memory, a look into my past, or a new beginning or outlook, but if I can buy new books from my couch and have it in a second, I am all for that.

I was an English major in college and was always writing in the margins and highlighting my favorite passages or quotes. Now, I can do that electronically and then share them with others almost instantly, and have them arranged in a somewhat orderly fashion. I can also look at what others wrote. Back in college, I could only get other's comments by buying a used book and sometimes, although the notes were funny, they were not relevant.

I do truly believe that this will also help me keep my resolution of reading more. I've already downloaded samples of 5 books and a book by one of my favorite author's who's hardcover book that came out in October of last year, I couldn't afford. I like that it's right here and I can start reading it tonight. Also, I like the "sample" idea. That way I can get a feel for the book. Believe me if I had owned a Kindle when I bought "A Million Little Pieces"by James Frey, I would have know how awful the book was before I dished out the money for it. It's a book that's so bad I can't even GIVE it away.

I will still buy physical books, I can't help it. I will still search for local bookstores and go to my local library. But for right now, I'm going to try them the eBook way.

So don't hate me for turning to the 21st Century and embracing it.