Monday's Montage: Kindle

I've been slow to change my reading habits over the years. I love holding a book in my hands. Feeling the texture of the paper. Smelling the slight inky odor. Hearing the rustle of the pages as I turn them. Seeing the page numbers, the different fonts, the pictures. Feeling the front of the book get thicker as I get closer to the end. Picturing where the words were on the page the first time I read them. Flipping through and reading certain passages over and over again.

I have been so reluctant to have any of that change, but, with my bookshelves overflowing and my constant need for more reading materials, I thought I'd try an e-reader. I researched them out and in the end decided on the Kindle and asked my sweet, generous, accommodating hubby for one for Christmas.

I miss the things that I always loved about reading with a book in my hand, but there are upsides with the Kindle that are making it a great way to read.

1. I never seem to lose my place. I don't have to hunt down book marks (that I'm always losing) or worry about dropping the book and losing my spot. (worrying about dropping the Kindle is a whole nother kettle of fish.)

2. I can order the classic books for free. Those are some of the ones I love best.

3. Whenever I finish a book, I always have another (or 10) waiting in the wings.

4. I can download just about anything in about 30 seconds. (It may be longer, but it seems really fast.)

5. When the Kindle goes into sleep mode, there are nice pictures of authors, etc. that come onto the screen.

6. It's ink on a light gray background, so it's easy on the eyes.

7. No matter how heavy the tome is that I'm reading, the Kindle never gets any heavier.

I'm still learning to work it--like skipping to certain passages, but for just reading books it's pretty nice. It won't completely replace actual books, but I'm really enjoying it.