I am a lover of books. I love the look, the feel, the weight of them. I love words on a page. I have been a voracious reader since I was a little girl. The thought of not having something to read makes me panic. I have also said many times that nothing will ever replace a book for me or reading an actual newspaper.
That being said, a recent conversation between my husband and me found us discussing eBooks and readers like Kindle or the Nook. We came to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with the use of a reader for commuting or travel as long as we still read and bought actual books. Not half an hour later, my sister called me and told me she just bought a Nook from Barnes and Noble. (Meredith also loves books and reading.) My nephew and his wife had just been visiting them in Florida and they showed their Kindle to Mer. She became intrigued. Since she has some travel planned in the near future, she decided to buy a Nook. She extolled its virtues and I found myself thinking that it would be a great asset for someone like me who travels fairly frequently.
Yesterday, I went to check my mail at the theater and there was a box waiting for me. From Barnes and Noble. I hadn’t ordered anything from them. Hmmm. After the walk back to the apartment, I opened the box. Meredith had sent me my own Nook!
I was dumbfounded. It takes some getting used to but for me, on the road away from home, it is the perfect thing. You can download current hardcover books, magazines and newspapers but there are many, many free eBooks to download. Free. As I have mentioned before, we are counting every penny at the moment. Times are tough. So I downloaded Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables – for free. I started Anne last night. What fun!
You can also play sudoku or chess. I’m crossing my fingers that someday soon they will have a crossword puzzle available.
Don’t worry. I still have my books with me. And boxes and boxes of them back home – just waiting for the bookcase I hope to build this year. Nothing will replace them.
But this sure is neat. Thank you, wonderful sister.
