Kindle-ing

To Kindle, or not to Kindle. Quite the question. I will admit that I was very hesitant about this whole E-Reader thing. I have always loved reading, and there is something about reading books in electronic form that just feels... well, wrong. Wouldn't I miss turning pages?

Also, there is something so sad and anonymous about E-Readers. If you're reading in a coffee shop or an airport, no one knows what you're reading. No one can start conversation about it. But that can be good, too... Maybe someone will assume I'm reading Proust or Faulkner instead of the Shopaholic series.

All in all, however, I have been completely converted to E-reading. Santa brought my Kindle to me, and I have LOVED it ever since. It is so convenient! I love having hundreds of books with me at all times in a small device.

But is the Kindle the best E-Reader? If I could go back and change it, I would probably buy the Nook from Barnes and Noble. While I love Amazon's device, there are two huge strikes against the Kindle: (1) The Kindle is not compatible with E-books checked out from my public library, while the Nook is. (2) The Kindle is not compatible with Google's ebookstore, which is what indie bookstores like Square Books use. The Nook is. If your library does not have an e-book checkout program, then the difference really wouldn't matter. The Nook is also in color, though the Kindle's black and white format has never bothered me.

I also love that publishers often give away books for a short period of time, especially if the book is the first in a series. That has allowed me to read many books that I otherwise would never have read, and they were free.

Amazon does now allow e-book sharing. So if I purchase a Kindle book, I can share it with a friend or family member for a short period of time. Also, e-books are much more environmentally friendly.

If you're a big reader and have not purchased an e-reading device, I would highly recommend checking out Nooks and Kindles!