I have succumbed to the kindle

Naomi

It was probably just a matter of time.  I held out for 7 years.

kindleA surprising benefit for me is that little “4 hrs 35 mins left in book” at the bottom of the screen.  That kept me from reading into the wee hours of the morning last night.  It is a stark reminder that if I kept reading, I wouldn’t be finishing the book until 2:30am, which does sound ridiculous.  Of course, I never set out to stay up that late… it just seems to happen.  🙂

I know I am not the first bibliophile to write about this, so I’ll keep it short and simple.  I still don’t know if I will ever stop reading actual bound and printed paper books.  I love so many things about the experience of reading them.  But this could be good as an additional way.  Mr. B pointed out that it’ll be great to reclaim the space in our suitcase previously occupied by loads of books and magazines.  We shall see…

Do you use an e-reader? Do you use the Kindle app or have a Kindle or Nook?

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30 responses

  1. Kelly Mckenzie

    I was gifted a Kindle by my daughter who received it as a Christmas present a few years back. She knew I’d get more potential use out of it. I find that I use it the most on trips. It is such a weight saver! However when I have nothing to read at home and I really feel the need to read I’ve been known to shop the bookstore and download a gem. Keeps me sane.

    Reply
  2. SKJAM!

    I have the Kindle app on my computer, but not yet a portable device to put the books on. I like physical books, not least because finding them in my mailbox really makes my day and keeps the post office going one more day.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Yes. I agree that getting books in the mail is one huge perk of life. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Harmony Harrison

    I’ve loved my Kindle since about 2010, but it sure doesn’t replace paper books. I’m a heavy-duty library user, and while I’ve checked out library books on Kindle before, it can be a bit of a bother to download and transfer the files correctly.

    When I walk into the library, though, and stare right at those shelves of new books just waiting to be read, something thrills inside me. It’s the colors, the designs — and the fact that I’m up and moving to browse, rather than just clicking buttons with my thumbs.

    I love being able to preview a book on any page, too, not just the first few pages.

    As long as libraries continue to catalog paper books, which will be for awhile yet, I hope, I’ll continue to read paper books and love them.

    As for the Kindle, sometimes I go through months of voracious Kindle reading, especially when I’m in the mood for self-published work that is only available for Kindle. And that is what the Kindle is great for (aside from easy packing): being able to read the works of others without it being filtered through the big publishers. Hallelujah for that.

    Another wonderful thing about the Kindle: the thickest book is still as light as my device, and for this my hands and arms may be grateful.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Me too for everything you’ve said here, Harmony. I am lugging library books back and forth every week, juggling their due dates and constantly reprioritizing them. I must say that I am enjoying the Kindle so far… I’m printing long emails to it that I don’t feel like sitting at my computer to read, or that reading on my tiny phone would be annoying.

      Reply
      1. Harmony Harrison

        I never would have thought about printing long emails to my Kindle, Naomi. How do you go about doing that?

        Reply
        1. Naomi

          Sometimes it works to forward to my e-mail address (you have to set up an @kindle account with in settings). I’ve also downloaded something free to my mac called “send to kindle” where I can drag and drop files to it, so I “print to pdf” and then drag that to the kindle. Theoretically I can print to it as well.

          Reply
          1. Harmony Harrison

            Thank you so much!

  4. Janet Kemper

    I love my real books. I like to hold them when I read, I like to feel the weight of the book change as I near the end of a book. I love the covers of a book. Then last year for my birthday, my husband bought me a kindle. I probably would not have bought one for myself. I love it. I still read my books, but the kindle is great for traveling. I find I also like to read non- fiction on my kindle, so if I don’t know a word, I hit it and get the definition immediately. I also like that I can read in the dark with my kindle. So, I still prefer books, but have come to love my kindle.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Janet, I completely feel the same way. I like knowing where I am in the book by physically holding it. I like turning pages, looking back, etc. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Linda Watson

    I love my Kindle. I agree with Mr B – it’s so easy to travel with. I have a lot of reference books on there, heavy tomes like The Odyssey and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Nice to know those are so handy. The other thing I like is I can adjust the print size. These older eyes really appreciate that. However, I still buy and enjoy “real” books, especially cookbooks and certain others that I know I’ll come back to and will mark up like crazy as I read them. What I really love, I guess, is the option of having both.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      That is true… I guess maybe non-fiction would be good to have there. I still like real books too. Both is good but I’m still figuring it out. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Suzanne

    I have Kindle on my iPad with many books on there. Much easier to take when on vacation but not as interesting I think. 🙂 I much prefer an actual book. I need to feel the paper, feel the flipping of each page and most importantly underline, add my notes and flip page corners. I also have Kindle on my laptop but rarely use it there.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Yep, I think we are much the same. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Susan

    Ohhhhhh Naomi, you are gonna luvvvvvv this! Instant gratification when you want a new book, no matter what time of the day or night. I don’t use it for cookbooks, art books or anything I’ll need to go back and reference but it’s fantastic for everything else. I actually don’t use my kindle anymore, I use the kindle app on my ipad and iphone instead. They’re always in sync with one another so I can switch between them if I’m out and about. I thought I would miss real books, especially novels, but now they’re beginning to feel awkward, especially where the pages bend towards the binding.

    But the best thing of all–no matter where I go, I’ve got my entire library on my phone or ipad. Oh, and my husband doesn’t have a clue how many books I’ve been buying 🙂

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Instant gratification! I hadn’t thought of that!

      Reply
  8. Vickie Martin Conison

    I have one of the original Kindles – considered an antique in the electronic world probably. It still serves it’s purpose. The thing I like about Kindle is the instant gratification – “Oh, that sounds good, I’ll download it to Kindle NOW!”. The downside – pretty much the same thing. Yes, the free books on Kindle are nice – but I found myself downloading books that weren’t that challenging and losing an entire weekend afternoon reading it. I recently have been purging, de-cluttering and minimalizing. I just took 5 boxes of hardbacks to the thrift shop – I just don’t need to keep these books around if they are just sitting on a shelf (will I ever read the 100 most influential people of the 20th century all the way through?) The books that remain are the books i haven’t read, and the books that I will reread. However, books that are readily available in the library are being donated. If I haven’t re-read them in a year – I will donate them. So – I’m on a moratorium of buying books, downloading books – I am reading what I have already downloaded and what I have stacked up to read and reread. So – I think having a Kindle has helped me declutter and get rid of alot of books that I doubt I would ever have opened again!

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      I’m amazed how many versions of the Kindle there have been. They used to be so big too! Good for you for donating books and getting some space in your house. 🙂

      Reply
  9. janet forrest

    I gave in about 2 years ago and now am a Kindle owner, for the same reasons you are. I was tired of lugging 10 big ol’ books with us on vacation. So, I keep my vacation reading on the kindle, and still buy an occasional “paper” book for at home, (plus of course, my myriad magazines!) I have NOT shifted to digital magazines, as yet. I tend to slobber on them, and I don’t think the Kindle would hold up well to that!

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      Oh I know! Especially those Stampington ones!

      Reply
  10. Patti

    I love my Kindle! Not so long ago I thought I would not like e-readers and would prefer to hold a book. I bought my first Kindle because the book I wanted was only available electronically and I got a good deal. Then I said I prefer the Kindle for novels but wanted a book I could hold & highlight for non-fiction. (You can highlight on a Kindle.) Now I love my Kindle for everything and am donating many of my hardcovers. Stacie says she likes to be able to adjust the print. I like that I can adjust the background it feels like there is less glare & easier on the eyes.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      OK good, I feel much better. 🙂 I can think of it as another way… a supplement. It is nice for the eyes.

      Reply
  11. stacie

    I have to admit I switched to the kindle too. The thing I really enjoy is the ability to make the print bigger…much easier on the eyes! Also having all those books in my hand 🙂 I know I can switch around easily to read different books, so the well is never dry!

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      So true. Having all the possibilities in one device is pretty cool.

      Reply
  12. Susanna Gross

    I don’t have a dedicated Kindle, but I do read quite often with the Kindle app on both my Nexus 7 and my cell phone. I like the Kindle app under Chrome on my laptop too, and I have a tendency to jump between them. I particularly enjoy the way it usually keeps track of my place when I switch platforms. Another thing I enjoy about the Kindle is that Amazon gives away certain books, like “1632” by Eric Flint. He was a prime mover behind the Baen Free Library, which is no doubt that’s why he’s still giving away some of his best work. I miss Baen, but I was able to convert most of my Baen books to epub format which works well with the Aldiki e-reader app. I can re-read some old favorite and escape from almost any uncomfortable place using one of those apps. With the Kindle app I also don’t need to select books for reading during a trip, I can buy new ones so long as I have an internet connection.

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      OK, Susanna, now I’ve subscribed to some daily emails that tell me about Kindle book freebies. Thanks!

      Reply
  13. Paula

    I have a kindle too. It’s great for traveling and free books or finding a new author a little less expensively. But I will never give up holding a book in my hand. I love seeing it on the bed stand, beckoning to me or on my bookshelf as a reminder what I learned when I read it. I’ve even ordered the hard copy after reading it on the Kindle because I wanted to see, touch and underline. My old version of Kindle is great but give me an hour to roam through a library or bookstore over ebooks any day!

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      I just did that… ordered a hard copy of a book I just finished. It’s one I want to use weekly as a self-improvement thing and I like the idea of having it physically in front of me to thumb through often. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Sarah

    You will probably never convert completely to the Kindle. I still enjoy both, and there is something about holding a real book. My husband got me a Kindle for Valentine’s a few years ago. I loved the size of it. Last year I got an iPad. I love using that with the Kindle App. I can prop that up on my stomach when I read so I don’t have to hold it, even better. I love having non-fiction books on the Kindle, I can high light things so easily and I tend to re-read those books, fiction I read once and I am done, so better to get those from the library. And yes the space saving when traveling is priceless!

    Reply
    1. Naomi

      OK, I don’t feel too guilty anymore!

      Reply

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