My sweetie surprised me big time on Valentine’s Day: He gave me a KINDLE!
I’m really not sure what inspired him – we don’t usually do big expensive gifts for each other – especially not for Valentine’s Day. But wow.
I know there’s lots of controversy with Amazon right now and I absolutely agree with this hilarious video, starring Lemony Snicket, but I must admit I have definitely been intrigued with the idea of an electronic reader.
I like the idea of carrying more than one book without being loaded down – and it is scarily easy to buy more (I even bought one by accident – thank goodness it’s easy to undo). I wanted my first e-book to be one that was special to me that I didn’t have on hand already… however, I couldn’t find any of the ones I wanted. I finally gave up and ordered two new ones.
But, so far anyway, reading is definitely different. It feels like a different experience. Kind of like hearing a book on CD is a different experience. I can not imagine e-readers ever being the ONLY option. That could be the end of reading. Or at least the end of reading beyond your own narrow experience. I have bought and read countless books because they called to me as I meandered through a book store – you just can’t meander through an online store.
And I love stopping by my home bookshelves and looking over the spines – and being reminded for an instant of the magic inside.
I see this new gadget as a groovy tool – an addition to my reading experience, never a replacement for books.
Thanks, Sweetie!
Sarah Wones Tomp
WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK
