As I stated before, I am a bibliophile. I love books, holding them, reading them. The way the text looks on the pages, the feel of old paper in antique books, the first crack of the binding, the way they look lining shelves in libraries, stores, or my home. What's not to love about them?
For several of my formative years, my parents ran a children's bookstore. Whenever someone would ask me if I enjoyed reading, my father would joke that they had to open the bookstore, it was the only way they could afford to keep up with my reading habits. The best days in school were when the Scholastic book fair was set up in the lobby or when the books I ordered from their colorful, thin little catalogs arrived. I loved walking into the classroom after they were delivered and finding a small pile of books waiting for me on my desk. The rest of the day was a losing battle of paying attention to the teacher or flipping through the pages of my new books.
And even though I have an undying love of books, I took the plunge over a year ago when I got my Amazon Kindle for Christmas '08. Seriously, how did I ever live without it?
I know, I know, I've heard all the whiny, pretentious people try and mock my Kindle and my love of it.
"How can you can you say you love books and read on one of those?"
"I would never read on one of those things, I'd miss a book too much."
Yeah, a couple years ago, I was one of those people. I could never imagine giving up books. And I haven't. I still read books and when it comes to my favorite authors, like the clever, talented Jasper Fforde, I will always buy his books, and they have to be hardcover first editions.
But I am completely hooked on my Kindle now. It's truly amazing. It's smaller than any hardcover or trade paperback book you pick up, and yet it holds hundreds of books. There is just something about carrying an entire library in my bag that I love. And as soon as I finish one book, I can have the next one delivered to my Kindle in less than a minute.
I even made a special bag just for carrying my Kindle. It's based on a pattern I bought and tweaked a little. There is a pocket in the lining for the charger so I always know where it is and the strap is long enough to carry over my shoulder or across my chest.
"But it's not like holding a book."
No, it's not. I splurged a little on my Kindle cover, I had just gotten my tax refund and I bought a cover from Oberon Designs. They make e-reader covers, journals, and purses out of tooled leather. I purchased a beautiful black leather cover embossed with Celtic knots on the front and back. It opens like a book, and it not only protects my Kindle, but it gives it a little more heft, which I like. It feels like I'm holding a good sized book with a worn binding that allows me to fold the cover back.
"Between the covers."
But let's be honest, even more important than holding a book in your hand is what is between the covers of that book.
The first book I purchased on my Kindle was the incredible "Water For Elephants" by Sara Gruen. A friend had recommended it so I thought I'd give it a try. I was blown away by what I read. The story was so engrossing, the characters so real, I could not put it down. I carried it with me and read every time there was a few minutes break at work or if I had to wait in line somewhere. And, believe it or not, I forgot I wasn't holding a book in my hands.
When a story is that good and emotionally intense, when the characters come to life and pull you in so you feel their pain, their anger, their happiness, does the medium in which you are reading it really matter?
No, I can honestly say it doesn't.
As much as I love the feel of a book in my hands, the smell of a library, the feeling of a bookstore...reading on a Kindle does not take away from my joy of reading. It's just a new and different way to enjoy a story. Does this mean the end of books? I don't think so. There was a time when it was thought television spelled the end of radio. That hasn't quite happened yet.
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