Me and my Kindle.

As my Partner in Crime knows, I love books; love, love, LOVE them. Some are like old friends - there when I need them most, the ones I turn to when I need a break or familiarity. There are the ones I pick up over the summer every year, to savour and enjoy in the sun as I watch my rapidly-growing daughter play in the park. Then there are the new books-sometimes new to me or recently new out. 

And then there are Kindle books. Until recently, I've treat such 'books' and Kindles with disdain, much like some music lovers turn their noses up at digital music formats or CDs. Lots of friends gave me plenty of reasons to get a Kindle, the biggest being I could save space. If you saw my small house and the amount of books and bookcases I have, you'd understand their argument. My frontroom is dominated by two large, over-filled bookcases; there is one at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top. There are piles of books beside my bed and until recently, there were piles in my bathroom. There's something about having my books out that I love. It's not a boastful 'look at what I read' statement; to me they are home. When I've moved (fortunately, that's not been for several years now) they've always been the first thing I've unpacked. They've made every house feel like a home. But they do present a problem. I am running out of space for more bookcases and I'm genuinely concerned that I'll have to move to accommodate them all. Moving to a bigger house seems like an extreme move simply to house more books. 

I didn't buy my Kindle. It was kindly given to me by a sister. It's only the cheapest model. I already had a few Kindle books on my Nexus; they were either free or cheap, but I hadn't read many as the Nexus isn't very outdoor friendly; the shiny screen isn't so great in the sun or under bright light. So I was quite pleased when I found the Kindle solved this problem. Also, I've noticed, Kindle books are cheaper than their paper counter parts, but not always cheaper if you're happy to buy second hand, which I am. Obviously, one could argue you get them straight away instead of waiting for them to arrive via snail mail, but is there anything more exciting and satisfying than getting a book through the post? Is there anything more enjoyable than spending an afternoon in a bookshop, especially a good second hand one? Of course the Kindle also solves the going-out-when-I've-nearly-finished-a-book problem, which is a particular issue if you plan to spend all day in the park or on the beach or are going on a long train journey (as I often do). I don't want to take two books with me and the Kindle means I can have another one lined up without the bulk. Not to mention the ease when packing for a holiday (I've been know to ditch clothes and toiletries in favour of extra books). Just don't drop the Kindle in the pool!

I'm part way through the third book I've read on the Kindle and I'm really enjoying it, but something's not quite right and I feel like I should be buying the 'real' version when I'm done. I don't know if this will change in time, but all the time the cost of Kindle books are higher than a second hand copy of a book, I'm not sure I'll always buy them. Besides, it's nice to see what your friends look like in the flesh.