Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Traitor

I gave in. Our library system announced that they were finally compatible with the Kindle and I placed an order immediately.

sunday afternoon
{quiet afternoon}

It makes my heart ache a little, because I am deeply attached to my bookshelves. I'm a compulsive re-reader, so my books may look abused but they're really just very well loved.

But I have to admit that having multiple book options (without the load of multiple books) is working out pretty well for my daily bus commute and for traveling. And the holder I got has a built in reading light that automatically shuts off if I don't turn a page for a while - a pretty big bonus for D, because I'm immune to light and always just fall asleep and leave it on, forcing him to get up and turn it off hours later.

After lots of back and forth debating, I finally decided to get the cheapest version that comes with advertising screensavers - it's a pretty measly discount, but I can't ever get over my impulse to get the best deal possible. You don't see any ads while you're reading, just when the Kindle is off (this was NOT clear to me when I was purchasing - I would think if something were off, you would just have a blank screen). If I didn't have a cover, this would drive me batty, but since I never see the screen unless I'm reading, I'm fine with it. EDIT - Sorry! I was wrong about this - if you hold the power slide over for at least 5 seconds, the Kindle will actually turn off and you won't see the screensaver. If you just let the Kindle fall asleep on its own, then you will see the screensaver. It won't turn off by itself.

Currently, I'm only using it for library books (and for a nice back up supply of my favorite classics that are available for free). Anything that I love enough to buy would be purchased in print, because it doesn't seem real to me unless I can actually hold it. Clearly, I'm conflicted. But mostly, I love it.

30 comments:

  1. I think using it as a library is a fabulous idea. I've long debated buying one for myself--my ultimatum was that if I went back to school full time, I would get one. I've decided full time school is off the table at the moment...but I still want a kindle :P

    It might also solve the slight problem I have of peeking ahead a few pages to see if what I think is going to happen will happen. I never read the last page first, though. That's just poor form.

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  2. My mama has one, and she swears by it, but having read a book on there myself a few times, I find it just doesn't do the story justice and I don't feel as though I'm reading.

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  3. Congrats on making the switch! I am still feeling super gun-shy about it, but I know if I just bite the bullet and do it, I'll 95% love it.


    www.joannaboanna.com

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  4. I'm so happy to read your opinion on these - I'm a huge book nerd and have been terrified to make the switch - I'd miss the weight of a book in my hands and the smell of library pages, but I'm slowly hearing more and more people who are giving in and loving it.

    I normally think about buying one of these when I'm lugging a 400+ pager around with me on the bus.

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  5. Awhile back I got an iPad (a work related thing) and wanted to use it for an e-reader, but honestly, I don't really use it. Something about books make me happy and I don't get that same feeling of contentment with a tablet. It's handy for travel reading for sure, but that's about all I use it for. It's kind of a weird thing to me though, because what I really love are the stories and writing, so I can't really sort out why paper makes such a big difference. Very odd.

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  6. @ nikki - It definitely isn't the same as a real book, but I have so many books in my life that I'm happy to have another option. But I'll still have time with my real books, especially because I'm pretty sure you can't take the Kindle in the bathtub!

    @ stephanie - I haven't used the iPad, so I don't about this for sure, but I've read that it's less ideal for book reading (but great for magazines). The Kindle feels fairly similar to a novel, in terms of size and how the print looks on the page. It isn't paper, but I honestly thought I would have a harder time with it (I love paper and I'm very attached to my habit of dogearing pages) but I love reading on it. I read REALLY quickly, which makes it more appealing to me, I think.

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  7. I LOVE your floating book shelf, I'm googling them immediately x

    http://covetandcollect.blogspot.com

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  8. you do sound conflicted! joe was too when he first got his kindle. on our first date, i glanced back at the cab in his truck, and there were about 50 books seat-belted into the seats. i thought he was a loon! turns out, he LOVES books, just didn't want to be killed by them in an accident. but anyway, he loves his kindle, and i love borrowing it. too bad he broke it (again) and is waiting for his new one.

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  9. I'm conflicted, too. I would constantly bemoan the end of books - the heft of them, the memory of where approximately on a real page a favorite passage lies, the way they look on a bookshelf (beautiful and cozy!). I would tease my husband for not having a soul because he became such a staunch advocate of the kindle. "What will our children be reading?" I would say, and he would reply without batting an eyelash that it would be electronic books. I mean, really!!

    Then his work gave him an iPad, meaning that he handed down the Kindle to me. I reluctantly tried it out. And... for what it is, it is AMAZING. What it is not is a replacement for actual books! I'm so curious to see where all this is going to go.

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  10. I went back and forth on getting a Kindle for ages (because of the library issue) and finally was given one for my birthday. As a book reviewer, it's come in handy because a lot of advanced copies only come digital now, and as a traveler I've loved it, but as a read-for-pleasure I'm still into holding books in my hand. It's possible to love both.

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  11. It's so funny because I'm the one whose been wanting a kindle or iPad and my hubs was all 100% just books... guess who got a kindle? My hub! lol he couldn't resist.


    -Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  12. I'm like you - an avid re-reader and dogear-er of pages, and I'm rather torn over the idea of owning a Kindle. I'm glad to know that, even though you have one, you're still conflicted because that's probably how I'd feel.

    The library option does make it more tempting, especially for books I might want to read but don't know if I want to own; and then there's the whole travel aspect. I used to line my suitcase with books and hope there was enough room for clothes without going over the weight limit. In a moment of weakness, I almost bought one before I went to Brasil in July, but I decided to hold off for a while (and take only a few books). Plus, my husband kept giving me a hard time about it. If I ever get one, I know I'll never live it down.

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  13. I am so happy to read this here. I have been on the fence but slowly am making my way over to the Kindle side. I'm with you, it would/could never replace my love of a real book, but could come in handy for commutes and those times when the 400 page hard cover is so tempting but not so subway friendly.

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  14. whoa whoa whoa! the LOS ANGELES PUBLIC LIBRARY system got on the kindle. I am thoroughly amazed!

    I guess I could go look it up on their site, but do the books to you get from them "expire"??

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  15. @ Natalie - YES! Not everything is available for Kindle on LAPL, but there's a decent selection and it's growing. The books "expire" just like normal library books do. So you get the standard 3 week borrowing time and then have to "return" them by going on Amazon and clicking "return". And there's a waiting list just like with the real books at the library, if someone else is reading something you'd like to read. You can check out up to 10 books at once.

    The LAPL site lets you put books on a wishlist, which is awesome because you're basically just marking them for later. I went through the selection and made a huge wishlist for myself, so when I'm looking for something to read I just scroll through and see what's currently available and check it out. Makes it super quick.

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  16. I'm on the fence on this too, but think I'm leaning towards getting one.

    It's just so nice to have EVERYTHING right there! Might have to go look at them this weekend... = )

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  17. i didn't know you could get library books on a kindle! that's great!
    if i could get reference books, craft books, design books, school books - things i always seem to have to have the library find for me from far away - i might consider a kindleish thing.... but i don't think i could ever stand to read a novel on one...

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  18. That's weird, I have a kindle with "special offers" aka ads and I'm able to turn it off... You just have to hold the power button for 6+ seconds. Seems like forever but if you keep holding it, it turns off.

    The ads are there on the screensaver, which is what you get when you just click the button quickly.

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  19. Rachel,
    I've recently succumbed to the beauty of the e-reader as well. While I adore my books (some, like Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, are spotted with stains from tea and lunches from when I was little), the convenience of the e-reader can't be beat. I work in publishing, too, so I've got to stay on top of things I guess? The changes in the industry are fascinating. Love your blog, by the way, thanks for the wonderful posts :)
    -Charlotte

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  20. @ anonymous - Whoops! I'm an idiot - it never would have occurred to me to hold the power slide for that long to turn it off. I just tried it and it works. I'll fix that in the post - thanks for letting me know! I guess this is an indication that I should be reading the manual?

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  21. Thats a pretty great idea!

    http://cestlavieophelia.blogspot.com/

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  22. I feel very similar to you about thie Kindle. I love it for commuting and trips where toting many books can be difficult but the tangible quality of a book, and the ability to thumb pages you like is sadly missing.

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  23. As a public librarian, I loved this post.

    It's funny, I have patrons that will come in and talk about how in a couple years, there will be no books and everything will be electronic...I disagree, though, because I believe people like us will still want the real deal. There is something unbeatable about holding a book. The whole feeling associated with it just can't be replicated.

    I think for convenience, eReaders are awesome and I am so glad public libraries (mine included) were able to pry Amazon's white-knuckled, clutching hands off their device long enough to let us collaborate. It just makes me feel better about the whole transition. I firmly believe that libraries need to work WITH technology if we want to maintain relevance in the world, but it is nice to see that technology is willing to work with us in return this time!

    I haven't made the switch yet, but when I'm lugging 5+ thick books around every day, I do admit having one centralized source sounds nice. Now that the devices are more open (and cheaper!), I think they are much more appealing. Let us know what you think as you continue to use the Kindle! ♥

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  24. love jane's insightful comment, above. still haven't purchased one, but p. is very, very much in love with his kindle, and he's still a hardcore book-lover. it just makes a lot of sense for certain types of reading situations, as we've all commented.

    also, the painting. you TOTALLY made my day. hearts, you guys. huge, just-married, happy hearts.

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  25. @ jane - yes, i agree. there will always be real books! part of the reason i picked my apartment was because it was walking distance to my library, and i'm a devoted fan. but more options for reading make me happy, especially because with library hours getting cut it's harder and harder for me to get there around my work schedule. : (

    and i really should have made it more clear in my post that it was a matter of the kindle/amazon being compatible with the library system rather than the other way around! it's clear in my head but not the way i wrote it out. part of the reason i was conflicted about the kindle was just this issue - i'm not very comfortable with how amazon was keeping everything proprietary, so i told myself i wouldn't buy one until they loosened it up a bit. i'm still not totally comfortable with it, but i rationalize it by telling myself that i'm not really adding much to their profits if i mostly use it to check out library books. and the integration with the library system is so amazing! simple, simple, simple.

    i will definitely update.

    @ lily - we love them. so, so much. "mine" is on my side of the bed and d's is on his, naturally.

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  26. I have the same debate with myself. My husband is telling me to buy it all the time but I still love to hold the book in my hands, stare at its cover and flip its pages... But I think that maybe it is possible to get the best of these two worlds ;)

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  27. I got a kindle back in February, and carry it around with me everywhere. I've found that I carry it in my backpack or purse to read when I'm stuck somewhere for a while (dentist, waiting for someone, etc). It's really good for traveling too, especially since you can put PDFs on it so I can get by without carrying stacks of papers around for school. Sherlock Holmes and other classics have been great, and I have bought a couple of books that I decided I really didn't need a physical copy of, but wanted to read and have to read again later.

    When I'm at home, I still have a stack of books on my bedside table, from the library and from our own (overflowing) shelves. I don't think anything will replace books, I still dream of having stacks of bookshelves in my own little library someday.

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  28. So, um, I just got a Kindle in the mail. Apparently it was the Christmas gift from my work this year. The San Antonio Public Library has ebooks set up, so I'm sure you can guess what I'll be doing this week. :)

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