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To Kindle or Nook? That Was The Question.

Benjamin Franklin.
Image via Wikipedia

So you remember how I blogged about how I couldn’t decide which e-device to go with.

Well, I decided.

I went against the trend.

Nearly everyone said to go with the Kindle, except for the few diehards who said to stay with books.

(These were the same people who, when polled, said they preferred using an abacus to a calculator.)

But I went out on my own and conducted my own research and came to the conclusion that this was the right decision for me:

I decided to go with the Nook.

And I tried it. I really did.

But after a week, I returned it.

(*insert gasps*)

I know, you are all horrified.

The reality is I’m a Book Girl.

Although it is possible to make notes on the device, I found it incredibly arduous. Plus, there was no way to make smiley faces or stars! 😉 I didn’t like that I couldn’t refer to the back of the book. (You know, to remind me what the hell I was heading with my reading because, frankly, I need to be reminded). I didn’t like not being able to physically see how far along I was in my reading. I missed using a real bookmark – especially when the “save your page” feature didn’t really seem to work reliably. Despite all the reports from friends telling me that they are reading “so much more” with e-Readers, I found I was falling asleep almost immediately after starting to read! I guess I need to take notes when I read, or it’s lights out. Who knew? Even after just one week, I missed the idea of not going to the library. Benjamin Franklin was so friggin’ brilliant when he came up with that invention. When I finished my first book and I wasn’t dying to download another, I suddenly realized I do not want (or need) to own every book I read.

So I’m back on library books because I truly believe borrowing books is the most earth-friendly decision a person can make. And if I love the book enough after reading it, then I’ll buy it.

As for my decades of accumulated book clutter (as seen on the floor in the photo above), those are going to the library for the annual book sale. (I just haven’t said goodbye to them properly yet.)

And when I drop them off, I’m going to pick up a bunch of other books to borrow.

For free.

And then I’ll going home to listen to my transistor radio… and play with my abacus.

So… um… what have you been reading that you have loved?

24 thoughts on “To Kindle or Nook? That Was The Question.

  1. This is EXACTLY why I have stuck with having the variety of reading software on my phone. Reading material is handy, and I don’t feel like I have to use an appliance instead of my library.

    I do miss the OCPL’s e-library though.

      1. Yes but you have to have a valid library card. I imagine I “could” use my OCPL card and still access books from the Onondaga County Library. It is the same system I think. ANYWAY, they have current books that I might want to read, but not own. So borrowing e-books is great too I’ve discovered several authors I’d not normally have read through this service.

        I could use the one for the Leominster Library? But its not “really” valid because I don’t live there any more. I haven’t gone to the Fitchburg Library yet. It’s downtown (as down as “town” gets) in Fitchburg. Parking has been horrible with the surprising lack of places to put and knowledge of dealing with large quantities of snow that has fallen and stuck here.

        Hmmm I wonder if the library is open today. Nope, sigh.

        I have my personal E-Library that yes I can absolutely access it from anywhere as long as I get a signal and have access to the internet.

  2. The book (not an e-version … love the feel of a ‘real’ book) that I read recently that I absolutely loved, “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. It’s only the second time I can remember falling in love with a book in the first few pages! That other title? “What They Wanted” by Canadian author Donna Morrissey. Heather from Book Addiction (http://heatherlo.wordpress.com) recommended another book by Stein, “Raven Stole the Moon”, and I can’t wait to read it. I leave Thursday on another road trip south, so this book is loaded up on my Kindle with a few others in the reading pile.

    1. Ooooh! Cheryl, I have never even heard of those titles! I will check them out. I just finished The Irresistible Henry House, and it was that same kind of thing; I could not put it down! And, if I traveled more, perhaps I could see myself trying a Kindle…but I’m pretty much here at home. Even over the February Break. (Glurg!) Thanks for the recommendations and the link to Heather’s blog! 😉

  3. From the heart of Nawlins she came, a sojourner transplanted to the megalopolis fringe of Manhattan, kicking and screaming her way into the 21st century…

    Wait, I better stop there because I’m not sure how I’ll feel about those readers when my time comes. And that time is in approximately a couple months.

    Will you try the Kindle though? Perhaps the Nook wasn’t the best choice Miss “I have to go against the popular voice because I am so stubborn!” I need these insights before I make my pick.

    1. I have a Kindle and love it. It doesn’t replace books, or library borrowing; it’s a different device. I preview a lot of first chapters on it (then borrow some from the library); read my friends’ manuscripts on it; use it when I travel; read things published only in e-book format on it. Right now I’m reading a “real” book: The Best Laid Plans, by Terry Ellis. It just won the Canada Reads contest. It’s hilarious. A satire on Canadian politics. I am laughing out loud.

    2. I know. I do have that anti-authoritarian thing goin’ on. Maybe I should have gone with the polls. The next time we have a trip planned, I’ll get a Kindle and take it for a spin. And by “get,” I mean “borrow.” We’ll see how that works.

    1. So I will continue have a million sticky notes on my library books, but if I LOVE them, and it pains me to return them to the library, I suck it up and go and buy myself a copy.

      And if someone loves me, they know to buy me a gift card to B&N.

      (And, seriously, wasn’t I always your girl?) 😉

    1. I just put sticky notes in library books and – if I really love a book – I buy it. The biggest issue was supposedly that I read so much that I “should” have an e-Reader. I don’t need to buy all my books.

      The only thing this has reinforced for me is that I am not willing to buy a book unless it speaks to my heart. I also learned I am willing to wait for the latest releases because there are so many other good books to be discovered. I am also willing to pay fifty cents and wait to get a book from another library. Somehow that almost feels like getting an old fashioned, hand-written love letter. (Remember when you had to wait for the mail? And then it came and you saw that handwriting and you almost died? Getting a book I’ve been waiting for is like that for me. Crazy, eh?) 😉

  4. I’m glad you’re sticking with actual books. I like the bookshelf! 🙂

    I still like buying books. I feel too much pressure having to return a library book. I usually either give away or donate the ones I don’t want to keep.

    I just Googled The Art of Racing with Rain. I want it! I’ve been reading Sister Carrie (Theodore Dreiser) forever. My dad gave it to me 3 years ago, and I finally started it. It’s not bad, but it just doesn’t keep me running back. Have you read it?

  5. Hey Renee…

    I, too, am a Book Girl, however, Bed, Bath and Beyond..Sharper Image Ereader with Kobo…$39.99..use a coupon…paid $36,00…it was $149.99 it’s a color version..no glare…and u can’t go wrong at that price…use it for a few books and it pays for itself quickly..books were as cheap as purchasing at Costco…great for travel at that price…u should reconsider with this option…i downloaded Girl With The Dragon Tattoo..for $4.99 and it was $12.00 on Borders e reader…Although I do carry it around a lot..and read a little..lol…it’s an accessory…has a black cover..goes with every outfit…lol

  6. Oh, and it has a cute bookmark that slides down to save my spot an folds over the book cover on the virtual bookshelf. It’s soooo cute. Love it. Makes up for no smileys… 🙂 And makes a great gift for the kids at that price!!!

  7. By necessity, I must go both ways. Specifically, for business, I find myself reading lots of electronic media. Although I don’t have a fancy-shmancy “e-book reader”, I am able to make do quite nicely with my phone and laptop. For business — in particular technical documentation — I prefer electronic media. The search feature alone makes it worthwhile since, for the most part, I am constantly using my business reading materials as references (you know, the way we all used to use the dictionary and encyclopedias). WAY BETTER AND FASTER than flipping through pages relying on my own bumbling fat-fingers and slow indexing capabilities.

    However, when it comes to reading for pleasure (something I admittedly do too little of), I prefer the physical pages of the trees I used to love to formally hug.

    However, for those of you who have already bitten the bullet, here is some interesting (electronic) reading for you. The first Bestselling e-Books list! http://www.publishingtrends.com/2011/02/bestselling-e-books-2-1-2011/ and an interesting article by the same publisher discussing the notion of the e-Book best seller lists and the current state of the e-Book popularity tracking challenges: http://www.publishingtrends.com/2011/02/taking-on-e-book-bestsellers/

  8. I didn’t weigh in on your “which reader” post because I am a complete devotee of the library. Mostly because I’m cheap. Over the last year I’ve read two complete series of adventure/historical fiction novels by Dorothy Dunnett: the Lymond Chronicles and The House of Niccolo. Absorbing, grand in scale, and I always feel like the author is just a bit smarter than me, so I have to work to keep up.

  9. The Vendetta Defense by Linda Stottoline (yes I do read a book now and then that a woman has attempted to write but this gal is top dollar). It’s soooo serious and at the same time sooo comical and Italian. Have you ever read one that you were glad to finish and at the same time were not glad because the characters were no longer part of your day since you finished the book? For me this is one of those books. Glad to see you have recovered and welcome you back to sensible 19th Century living. Now it is spring time soon and you must plant your self a vegetable garden and learn to “put up” in mason jars to be reprogrammed for sensible living 19th Century style. Do not plant tomatoes because they attract bugs that will destroy the rest of your plants. Great smile as usual. Still thinking about that convention… PS I really like the picture you are holding of Sarah Palin.

  10. Everyone makes wonderful arguments for Kindles – still. not. doing. it.

    I thought I was the only one who doesn’t see a need for and/or refuses to buy an electronic reading device.

    I haven’t even tried one. So maybe I don’t know what I’m missing…

    But I’m happy to be old school. About this one thing.

    About everything else? I’m completely state of the art. Completely.

  11. Hey There, “The Art of Racing in The Rain” AWEsome story (listened on CD while commuting).

    What about a not-Nook or not-Kindle…what about an iPad or some other tablet like device…there are many other options out there. I was limited to Kindle as it was a gift…

    Peace

  12. THANK YOU. I’ve been against these e-Readers. They take the magic out of reading. The old book smell is gone, and it’s just a piece of plastic with e-ink. Not my thing at all, and I’ve been hounded by my friends for resisting the technological change. It’s good to see I’ve got an ally 😛

    *Plus, these things are apparently running small book shops out of business.

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