I just realized that I was so excited about the room a month project that I completely forgot to talk about a few holiday gifts that are currently enriching my life. My dear sweet husband and my little girl got me this:
I've been wanting a Kindle since Amazon first brought them out on the market, but John wanted me to wait until the second generation came out -- just to be sure. Julie got one and had nothing but great things to say about it. My mother has one that she won't be parted from. And I worked with my sister-in-law to get my brother one for Christmas (and, yes, he loves his, too). It's really hard to be involved in the procurement of a tech toy that I lust after for someone else, and watch a bunch of other ones be enjoyed by people I know without having one of my own in my hot little hands.
Needless to say, I was more than a little psyched when John handed me a nice little box and I found myself in possession of my very own Kindle.
Since Christmas, I've downloaded two books (I will somewhat embarrassedly mention that they are Dragon Age related books...high literature maven I am not) and can say I lurve lurve lurve this device. The text size can be adjusted, images in books can be zoomed and rotated, and the interface is mostly intuitive. Reading a book electronically with the Kindle takes away none of the pleasure of reading a book, and it's great to be able to take electronic notes and use the dictionary as I read along. But what I like best is the knowledge that not only is it a fun toy, it's also helping me reduce clutter. I love books, but not every book needs to become a permanent part of my household (and I am dismal when it comes to getting them to used bookstores when I am done with them) -- so many I enjoy but know I will never read again. The Kindle makes that a problem of the past.
The Kindle even has some nice features for knitters -- you can download PDFs onto the device. Think about the potential for taking multiple patterns with you on vacation without having to carry around a bunch of paper that can get lost. Good deal, is what I think.
Reading books on the Kindle also has another good side effect, at least for me. When I read books, I'm a flipper and a spoiler. I wish I wasn't, but there it is. I can't resist flipping ahead a bit to see where the story is going (especially if I'm getting invested in a character and need to know they're going to be okay -- or not -- in the next pages). I'm not sure why I do this... perhaps it is just that I don't like uncertainty. The Kindle makes that much harder for me -- and I think I'm enjoying the books I've read so far just a little bit more because I can't cheat and flip about as I read.
All in all, this is a wonderful and useful toy on a number of levels. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone who likes to read, especially if they spend a lot of time mobile and need to lighten their load up a little bit.
Needless to say, I was more than a little psyched when John handed me a nice little box and I found myself in possession of my very own Kindle.
Since Christmas, I've downloaded two books (I will somewhat embarrassedly mention that they are Dragon Age related books...high literature maven I am not) and can say I lurve lurve lurve this device. The text size can be adjusted, images in books can be zoomed and rotated, and the interface is mostly intuitive. Reading a book electronically with the Kindle takes away none of the pleasure of reading a book, and it's great to be able to take electronic notes and use the dictionary as I read along. But what I like best is the knowledge that not only is it a fun toy, it's also helping me reduce clutter. I love books, but not every book needs to become a permanent part of my household (and I am dismal when it comes to getting them to used bookstores when I am done with them) -- so many I enjoy but know I will never read again. The Kindle makes that a problem of the past.
The Kindle even has some nice features for knitters -- you can download PDFs onto the device. Think about the potential for taking multiple patterns with you on vacation without having to carry around a bunch of paper that can get lost. Good deal, is what I think.
Reading books on the Kindle also has another good side effect, at least for me. When I read books, I'm a flipper and a spoiler. I wish I wasn't, but there it is. I can't resist flipping ahead a bit to see where the story is going (especially if I'm getting invested in a character and need to know they're going to be okay -- or not -- in the next pages). I'm not sure why I do this... perhaps it is just that I don't like uncertainty. The Kindle makes that much harder for me -- and I think I'm enjoying the books I've read so far just a little bit more because I can't cheat and flip about as I read.
All in all, this is a wonderful and useful toy on a number of levels. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone who likes to read, especially if they spend a lot of time mobile and need to lighten their load up a little bit.
Welcome to the club. I love mine. In fact thta is the only reason I haven't followed up on your Taltos reccomendation, they don't come on in Kindle format. There are alot of things you can do when it comes to keeping your kindle files. Ask me off line vie email if you want more info.
I don't want a kindle, but I really want to add ereader software to my Treo. I keep forgetting to do that when I'm home.
I'm not a flipper, but I often flip back in a book because my brain senses something isn't right and wants me to make sure that the detail was originally mentioned and hasn't been altered. Yeah, I would make a great fact/consistency checker for novels. It bothers me too much when stories aren't internally consistent.
I got a Kindle for Christmas, too! I'm enjoying playing with it too. I just realized that the new Jasper Fforde is out & downloaded that yesterday. I'll have to make some time to start in on it.
Just wanted to tell you that I've been lurking for a while and enjoying all your wonderful handknits and the photos of the family enjoying them :) Thank you for brightening my days with your posts.
I received a Kindle for Christmas as well, a completely unexpected surprise. I never dreamed I'd own one so never researched them or planned how it would fit into my life.
Right now I'm worried about taking it anywhere because the only protection it has is the box it came in. I don't mind using it at home where it can be safely replaced from couch/bed to the box, but I'd love to find a cover that would make me feel safe taking it places.
Does anyone out there have any suggestions for covers that would be safe for a large purse or a laptop bag (which perpetually holds a laptop)?
I have had a Kindle for over a year and LOVE IT!!!! A cover came with my Kindle, but you can order one Jessica. The plain black cover works very well and it has an elastic band that keeps it safe in purse or laptop bag.
Love this site, love all your comments and your baby is almost as adorable as my grandchildren :)
Oh God...I'm waiting for the UPS man to bring mine right now...it's 4:41 Central Time and I'm about to go out of my MIND!!! I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!! Must be patient, must be patient...
Your Kindle made me de-lurk! I've had one for a couple of months now, and I love it. You really can get "lost" in the book. I find myself reaching up to the corner to "turn the page" as I'm reading. My favorite feature is the dictionary. Also, you really should read the Stephen King e-book written for (and only available on) the Kindle.
Since I'm de-lurking, let me say the I love your knits. The yellow jumper you made for your daughter is lovely, and inspired me to try some Dale of Norway child knitting myself.
I've had my Kindle for a year and a half - (1st gen) - and I'm still on my first battery! Do check out Books on the Knob: http://booksontheknob.blogspot.com/
They always have listings of cheap/free ebooks and books on the Kindle.
I'm q flipper, too and often read the last pages first to make sure my favorite characters are still alive. I mostly listen to books in mp3 format so I can't easily flip anymore either!
I've never read so much as I have this past year on my K2. Love it!
Theresa, I got my Kindle as soon as the 2nd generation came out last February. You'll find that those two books will quickly multiply themselves into many, many more. You don't want to know how many I've downloaded but I will tell you that I've read more than 2 dozen books on it already, and that's not counting the "paper" books that I've read in between! Another great thing to watch for is the free books you can download - they change all the time and I check the list weekly. I take mine EVERYWHERE and love it for all the reasons you stated above, and then some! Enjoy!
Maria in NY
I got one for my birthday a few months ago, and I love it. My husband calls himself a "Kindle widower."
I am right on the edge of Kindledom, and your post might just push me over the edge. I have a long boring vacation coming up and a Kindle would make it lots better. This annual event pushed me into getting a laptop to take along a couple of years ago, and I have never regretted that. Not for a single instant! My luggage would weigh a lot less without my ton of reading materials.