Friday, January 07, 2011

Nook

I am a huge fan of books.

I think I may have mentioned that once or twice.

Anyway, as a fan of books I didn't pay too much attention to the ereaders whose popularity seems to be growing. I wasn't interested because I like to hold and feel and yes, even the smell of books so why would I need one of those fancy ereaders?

Then my husband who is a total techno-geek started putting these crazy ideas in my head.

Telling me if I got one of those newfangled colorNooks I could surf the interweb and have access to thousands of books.

Instantly.

No waiting for the UPS man or driving 40 minutes(yes 40 minutes!) to the nearest Barnes and Noble or Walden books at the mall.

That got my attention.

And not just books he told me, but newspapers and magazines, too!

Cool.

Wicked Cool.

Then he told me HE wanted one for Christmas. Dude doesn't even read!

Okay he reads, but mostly magazines.

So I suggested I get him one for Christmas but we can share it.

"No Way!" he tells me. "I know how much you like to read and I'll never get to use it. Plus I want to hack it and do cool stuff with it."

Maybe... but I still really like real books.

But he got me thinking.

There is no rule that says once you have a Nook (or any ereader) that you can't ever buy or read a real book. Then I really started to think about the amount of actual books I have that are taking up space, lots and lots of space. Not just on bookshelves but in the closet and under the bed, creating clutter which I am constantly struggling with.

The same with magazines -more space and clutter and trees being cut down.

So I got him one for Christmas and by the time Christmas rolled around I decided I really wanted one too. I Even told my mother-in-law on Christmas day thats what I wanted for my birthday.

What I didn't know at that time was that my husband had already gotten me one for Christmas, only he waited until everyone had already left before he gave it to me.

For the extra drama.

And guess what?

I love it!

I wasn't sure I would, but I do.

Just the idea of carrying a bunch of books around with me is really cool.

I can surf the web.

I can still trade books with my mom because she got one too.

I can read books for free at a Barnes and Noble, not that I needed an excuse to hang out at Barnes and Noble...

I don't need a light to read by.

I can read any book I want instantly.

I find it comfortable to hold and I don't have to worry about holding a book open so it makes it easier to hold and sip my coffee when I curl up to read.

No more stacks of books and magazines to trip over and collect dust. Okay I am still working on this one. It will take some time to get rid of my books and there are some that I will always keep but the intent of less clutter is there.

I 'm saving trees.

So if you are really into books but think you won't like one, I would reconsider.

2 comments:

ColoradoChris said...

Oh dear. You sound EXACTLY like me right now. I had decided awhile back that I didn't want to give up paper, so I ixnayed the idea of getting a kindle or nook. But the clutter... Oh, the clutter. That's been bugging me for a long time, and recently I've been thinking about selling off a bunch of stuff or donating it just to get it all out of my house, and the idea of having an iPod for books is gaining appeal again. Being able to read without a light on and without the noise of turning pages would be a big advantage too, since most of my reading is done in bed nowadays. And being able to read anything, anywhere, and only have to bring one piece is a big deal too.
I worry about my local bookstore, though. I feel like I'd be betraying them... Still. What a dilemma!

Cyndi said...

Chris you don't have to give up buying actually books for good and you would still be buying books for the kids,or gifts for other people, right? So no guilt. You definitely need a colorNook!!