Grading Time: My Kindle

This past weekend my hubby and and I went to visit our oldest son at college. (Such fun to see him in his new space and realize that he really is growing up and dealing with life – but is still very much our beloved boy… I’m pretty sure he doesn’t read this, so hopefully I am not embarrassing him.)

But I digress – the point of this is that I brought along my Kindle.

Here is a progress report for my Kindle. I have had it for 7 months.

Acquiring Books: A

I love how easy it is to buy a book – and so fast! Perfect for procrastinators. Dangerous too – I could spend way too much money way too fast, but the getting is easy. There have been a few older titles written for children that are not available, but I think every new one I’ve looked for has been there.

Tote-ability A+

So light! So compact! Slip it into my purse – and away I go! Tuck it under something else and no one would even know I am secretly reading. Joy!

Place Saver A+

It is very convenient that it remembers where I am in the story – especially for those times I fall asleep mid-page.

Reading Experience C

This grade fluctuates. Although I am not as hyper-aware of reading on an e-reader as I was at first, it’s still a very different experience from reading a “real” book. The font always looks the same. For example, I really need to see what I missed by reading Carol Lynch Williams’s GLIMPSE on the Kindle. I suspect a hard copy would have been even more powerful. The visual appearance and design as well as the heft and weight of a book makes a difference in my reading attitude. Also, I  like knowing how far I am from the end – the percentage counter on the Kindle helps, but I’m not totally acclimated to that yet.

I suppose it’s a good thing, but I don’t read the endings until I get there – which changes the experience, no matter your opinion on that sort of reckless behavior. But I also don’t flip back and forth for better understanding so I probably miss some finer details on the Kindle.

Notes and such: B

It is easy to highlight passages and to take notes on the Kindle. However, I have yet to go back and actually read or look over any of them so I am giving the Kindle the benefit of the doubt on this one. I don’t often take actual notes on hard issues of books but I do fold corners and make place markers as I go along and want to remember where something is… I am a very visual person so with the paper books I know where to look for something – I remember placement on the page and spaces around it, etc. Obviously that doesn’t help on a Kindle since every page looks the same, but I can type in a phrase or word to find it.

Reliability: D

Kindle was doing just fine on all the homework and minor quizzes, but for the mid-term, he totally checked out. Major fail.

Here’s the real issue. My Kindle won’t turn on!!!! As an obedient passenger on our trip this past weekend, I turned off my Kindle when the pilot told me to – but it never came back on. Ack! Emergency! Emergency! SOS! Dude, I have book club  and I have waited to the last minute per procrastinator style!

I had to race out last night to borrow a friend’s copy of our book club book – the old fashioned paper real kind of book – to finish before our meeting tonight.

And I was not as far along as the percentage had me hoping…

I think my Kindle must be covered under warranty still, so there’s a chance he can still bring his grade up. But until then, you are grounded, buster.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

Read Full Post »

Kindle with a Kiss

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

Read Full Post »