Hey Folks,
Yesterday, my wife (Jess) surprised me with a new Kindle and an Amazon gift card so I could purchase a few books. Since they hit the market, I've held conflicted feelings about e-readers and e-books. Like many of you, I enjoy the smell of books, new and old. I like the sound a new hardcover's spine makes when I crack it open for the first time. I love looking at the volumes on my shelf--it's like looking at geological epochs of my development as a reader and a writer. I can tell you about the long hours in study hall made more bearable by discovering The Great Gatsby for the first time or the day when I was about 10 when I bought my first hardcover: a first-edition IT from the garage sale down the block. I spent the rest of the summer exploring The Barrens in my parents' basement, loving the sheer physical weight of it all, and running upstairs toward the summer sun when I got too scared.
Yesterday, my wife (Jess) surprised me with a new Kindle and an Amazon gift card so I could purchase a few books. Since they hit the market, I've held conflicted feelings about e-readers and e-books. Like many of you, I enjoy the smell of books, new and old. I like the sound a new hardcover's spine makes when I crack it open for the first time. I love looking at the volumes on my shelf--it's like looking at geological epochs of my development as a reader and a writer. I can tell you about the long hours in study hall made more bearable by discovering The Great Gatsby for the first time or the day when I was about 10 when I bought my first hardcover: a first-edition IT from the garage sale down the block. I spent the rest of the summer exploring The Barrens in my parents' basement, loving the sheer physical weight of it all, and running upstairs toward the summer sun when I got too scared.
That said, I love getting new gadgets and Jess seems to really enjoy her Nook. Now that I had an e-reader of my own, I figured it was worth a try.
I love it. Here's why:
1) Selection: no longer am I at the mercy of what my local Barnes & Noble wants to shove at me. Lately, heading to brick-and-mortar stores has become an exercise in futility. I can never find what I'm after. The last time I was in one, they hadn't even set aside space for Joe Hill, Peter Straub, Edward Lee or Richard Laymon. I don't have that problem with my Kindle. I can have almost any book I want, and I can have it in under a minute. Groovy.
2) Price: None of the e-books I purchased last night was more than $8. You could argue that, as an electronic file, they should cost even less, but no matter what form it's in, I'm willing to pony up the same amount of money for a quality work of fiction that I'd spend at Subway for lunch. Which brings me to...
3) Convenience: I can tote thousands of books around in a device that's thinner than my smartphone. And with free 3G access, I can download more virtually whenever I want. Plus, like I mentioned previously, I don't have to drive all the way to the bookstore only to throw up my hands in disgust.
4) I'll Probably Read More Independent Work: If the price is right (under $10 is a sweet spot for me), I think I'll be more likely to give unknowns a try. I don't have to waste cash on postage or wait for the books to show up in the mail. Books can now be an impulse buy.
I've had it for less than a day, but I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
I was hesitant to get on the boat. But the darn things are really cool. Once you let go of your preconceived notions of how things should be, there’s not a solid argument against them.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. Just out of curiosity--which e-reader did you go with?
ReplyDeleteI love the small size/weight of the Kindle, but also admire the touch-screen interface the Nook features (original, not Nook Color).
Kindle
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