Kicking and Screaming into the World of eBooks

I love books. I love paper. I wasn’t so sure I loved eBooks, but now I’m a total convert.

The story: I was very fortunate to be given a Kindle for my birthday in June – and I wasn’t really sure I was ready for it. After all, I’m a writer and I love to read. I love the smell of books. I love to feel the paper in my hand and the idea of honoring an author by holding something someone spent a great deal of time writing.

Aren’t eBooks the same thing? Yes, you have the book in your hands, but it’s not made of paper. So what makes an eBook so special?

• I suppose it’s the portability and convenience. Of course, you can take a book anywhere you go, but hardbacks are heavy to handle and trade paperbacks are oversized, so the “size” issue of the eBook becomes a total deal maker. The Kindle only weighs a few pounds.
• Price-wise, the cost of a current bestseller is lower than the cost of an on-sale book, even at member sites where you get an extra 10%.
• I now find myself taking the Kindle everywhere I go – and I especially like it while working out on a treadmill or elliptical at the gym. Total convenience!

So far, I’ve downloaded and read Chelsea Handler’s new book, a mystery by Mary Higgins Clark and what I’m currently reading, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

Will I totally ditch reading a real book? No, I’m sure I won’t, but I really love my Kindle. For anyone who is on the fence, I say try it. You’ll be sucked in right away.