The Kindle and paper books

Last November I bought the latest generation of the Kindle  After hemming and hawing about it for over a year I took the plunge. I fell in love with it. Don’t get me wrong, the Kindle has it’s faults, but it was a great addition to my book collection. That’s right, addition, not substitution for, not replacement of. Nothing can replace my paper books.

Part of my love for my Kindle developed because I can now carry an entire library in my purse. 

The above pictured paper books weigh about 15 pounds, and obviously can’t fit in my bag. The Kindle can, and holds a lot more than just those four books. It’s virtual ink technology makes it easy to read off the screen, and it’s ability to connect to the Internet for free makes me happy. I mean, sometimes you’ve just got to go to Wikipedia and search for the entry on shellfish.

However, I’ve not stopped buying paper books. Far from it. The day my Kindle arrived I excitedly turned it on, went to Amazon, and tried to have it’s inaugural download be To Kill a Mockingbird nothing came up. Then I tried to have it’s first download be One Hundred Years of Solitude nope, nadda, not there. With in ten minutes I realized that this device was going to have to supplement my book collection. I couldn't get two of my "stranded on a island" books. 


Another reason it won’t replace my paper books is because of smell. That’s right, smell. Don’t believe me? Fine. Pick up the nearest book. Open it. Stick your nose in it’s binding. Inhale. That’s the smell of my childhood.  I doubt Amazon is going to be able to duplicate that.