I’ve had my Kindle 2 for about a week now. The pre-order was a Valentine’s present from Bob, and I wasn’t any too happy about it actually. All I really wanted was a bunch of tulips and a card.
Why didn’t I want a Kindle? It seemed VERY extravagant to start with. About $400 all in which to me is a LOT of money. I’ve never been what you would call an early adapter I guess. It was technology I didn’t think I needed or wanted as I’ve been happily reading regular books for 40 years now. There was some bitching along the lines of “you bought this for me because you wanted it for yourself,” what we like to call Pulling a William, in honor of my father who once bought my mom a set of binoculars that had a built-in compass in them. Besides, I thought to myself, I buy my books used at Powells or Goodwill. Except quite often I don’t. I pick up the latest literary paperback fiction at Target at least a couple times a month… impulse book shopping that I don’t admit to.
At first I explored the free books websites, wirelessly downloading classics I missed in high school and college like Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Okay, that was a start. Halfway through Catch 22 I get a little bored and start thinking about other books. I download samples. I start reading a sample. There I am, Saturday morning with my coffee and my Kindle, four and a half chapters into The Reader by Bernard Schlink and I’m gripped. I want the rest of the book. Power the wireless on, hit “download” and Boom in what seems like just a few seconds there it is. For about $8 I’ve got the book. I read and finished the book within a day. All from the comfort of my favorite reading spot at home.
I get it now.
Thank you Bob. You were right. I do love it.
You say obsession, like that's a bad thing. 
I never thought I would want one. I still love the feel of a book in my hands. I got a paperback copy of Bel Canto yesterday and there was a sensual pleasure to holding the book in my hands and even the look of the paper gave me a little thrill. BUT I love the Kindle because I can carry around a practically unlimited amount of reading. I can check Wikipedia from anywhere. It has a built-in dictionary. And I can load reading for my grad program on their instead of printing it off and using a ream of paper every week.
I’m a convert I guess.
You are very welcome Honey, I am glad you like it. I love you!!