Life Changer

I'm not really a gadget girl. I text a lot so my cell phone is the LG Rumor - I only use it to text. I'm always shocked when it rings. The fancy IPhone is unnecessary to me. I have a laptop - but I really only use it for Internet stuff. I used to play The Sims on it, but I lost interest in that. I have a MP3 player- but it's not an Ipod, instead I have a 30 gig something that works. I've never had to have the latest or greatest thing.

Until I read about the Kindle. I adore reading. It is my hobby. I always have to have a book with me - just in case. I used to carry a paperback to bars with me in case I got bored. So when I saw the Kindle last year I thought "I need that". I compared it to the Sony E Reader and the Kindle was superior. The price was way too high, I thought. I tried to convince myself I didn't need it. That I would be wasting my money. That would be money I could spend on books! So I did what I always do, and wrote a pros and cons list - then I waited until May and finally relented and bought myself one. And holy shit! I fell in love.

Since I got my kindle I've read:

1. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
2. Moonlight
3. Stolen Innocence
4. Black Olives
5. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
6. Madness
7. Once Upon a Day
8. Spirit House
9. Darkly Dreaming Dexter
10. Breaking Dawn
11. Dearly Devoted Dexter
12. The Song Reader
13. American Wife: a Novel
14. Girls in Trouble
15. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
16. The Myth of You & Me
17. The Surgeon
18. Towelhead
19. Pieces of my Sister's life
20. Story of a Girl
21. How Not to Be Popular
22. Little Stalker
23. Songs for the Missing
24. The Talisman
25. Truth & Consequences
26. Dark Resurrection
27. Escape
28. The Book Of Skulls
29. The Bush Tragedy
30. Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married
31. Assassination Vacation
32. Firefly Cloak: A Novel
33. Mermaids in the Basement

Listing them all out like that makes me seem crazy. I read a lot of YA and Chick Lit. Probably too much. I read a ton of light fluff.

I haven't given up on regular books though. I've read about 10 actual paper / hard backs since I got the Kindle. You'll read a lot of criticism of the Kindle if you look around the web. The buttons are difficult to not accidentally hit. The back button is a pain in the ass because I always hit it accidentally and it totally looses my place. However, I enjoy reading on the Kindle more than a regular book. I really thought I would always see the buttons, but I don't. I've also finally gotten comfortable holding it and not accidentally hitting the next and previous buttons. The screen is amazing. It reads like a book - it looks like a printed book. I rarely have an issue with the room being too dark for me to read the kindle.

The portability of it makes it the best thing ever in my mind! When I used to go on vacation I would have to pack 6 to 8 books. I read a lot of new releases, so that meant schlepping along at least one heavy book. If I was flying I would have to take at least two books in my carry on just in case. Chances were better than not that I would run out of books while I was away, and would have to find a book store and buy more. The kindle stopped that. I can simply download a book where ever I am. I LOVE THAT. LOVE IT.

While we were down the shore, American Wife came out. I love Cutis Sittenfeld and am fascinated with Laura Bush - so I was really looking forward to that one. Normally I would drive to the book store on that Tuesday and buy it in hardback. Then I'd feel guilty I was spending $25 on a book. This time I was able to download it the day it was released while I sat on the beach! And it was only $9.99. That to me was worth the price of The Kindle.

I love you Kindle. You've changed my life.