A few weeks ago, we finally took the plunge and bought a Kindle. This was a big deal for us, given that we’ve both built careers around the printed word and have a lot of fondness for physical books (and newspapers). You can read more about Alec’s view on the Kindle on his blog.
The $79 price point was a huge factor in our getting over the e-reader hump. For me in particular, I was also getting tired of lugging around a ridiculously heavy work bag. My George Costanza-like wallet isn’t helping, that’s for sure. And I’m never without a book because I have a 45-minute commute each way and that is prime reading time. Right now I’m finishing the marvelous and reasonably sized UK edition of Disney War by James Stewart.
But there are lots of fat books out there I want to read too, like American Pharaoh by Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor. I found the hardcover version for $10 at Myopic Books in Wicker Park and started reading it at home in the evenings because it was way too heavy to bring on a commute. But then I stopped and never went back to it. I seem to be incapable of reading unless I’m on public transportation.
And there’s also the issue of new hardcover releases. I do buy these pretty often, but the Kindle versions are cheaper – and lighter! All these reasons were nudging me toward the digital age, so here I am:
Part of the fun of getting a Kindle was buying a cute case for it. There were some tempting options on Etsy, especially this Totoro one. But I wanted a case I could open like a book, and it couldn’t be too girly because Alec will be using the Kindle too. So I decided on a navy blue and red case from M-Edge and it’s working out nicely so far.
Tonight I downloaded two books: The Magician King by Lev Grossman (have you read the first book in the series, The Magicians? It is awesome. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s “Harry Potter for adults” because while I love Harry Potter too, The Magicians is much different in tone and flavor.)
Oh, and I also downloaded American Pharaoh. I feel better already!
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