Giving Up and Learning to Love the Kindle

I was immediately suspicious of the Kindle. Anytime someone told me how much they loved how slim it was, how they could have so many books in one tiny little package, how it has “special ink technology,” I would squint my eyes and internally curse the day some Amazon execs dreamed up their precious e-reader.

I love books. I love going to the bookstore and perusing the new release shelves they put right in the front of the store, then scouring through the fiction racks looking for some hidden gem of a novel I’d missed before. I love the texture of the paper when I turn a page, the somewhat dusty smell of ink, and the weight of a book in my hands. I love lining all my favorite books up on a shelf, turning them this way and that, moving them around, and configuring them in the most aesthetically pleasing way I possibly can.

The Kindle threatened all of that.

And yet everyone seemed to have one! My ninety-year-old grandfather even has one. And I couldn’t help but think, what’s all the hubbub about? Where’s the appeal? I began researching the Kindle on the internet. I became a YouTube extraordinaire, a blogger aficionado, an online shopping sleuth. I knew all the ins and outs of Amazon’s reader. And I have to admit…I kind of wanted one.

I travel a lot, so the idea of packing one little device in my carry-on bag or backpack seemed a lot more appealing than trying to stuff in twelve pounds of individual books. A lot of the books I have to read for classes are available on the Kindle for cheaper than a hard copy (or even for free!). I also live about an hour away from my boyfriend, so when I go visit for a night, it’s annoying to lug a bunch of schoolwork with me. Plus, my aesthetic side loves some of the adorable Kindle cases out there.

The most appealing aspect, though (besides the reduced cost of books), was the ability to decide I wanted a book, download it, and start reading it about 30 seconds later. I go to school in the middle of nowhere (almost), so getting to a large bookstore that carries all of the new releases immediately is inconvenient, and I hate paying shipping and waiting several days for a book to arrive. Just think, the exact minute that a book becomes available, I can start reading it!

Sold.

It was a little pricey, but totally worth it. I’ve joined the ranks of Kindle lovers everywhere (and I mean everywhere; it’s like a horde). I happily packed my Kindle in my carry-on bag on my flight to France, all of the books I needed for homework and pleasure downloaded beforehand. My travel buddy, meanwhile, lugged around about 15 pounds of books…not fun for her.

Will I stop buying actual books to put on my shelf? Probably not, but for the meantime, I can see myself becoming very attached to this little piece of machinery.

Upcoming reads

Periodically, I compile a list of upcoming books I really want to remember to read when they are released, either because they're sequels, I like the authors, or they just look cool. Here is my current list, as it stands. I'm also currently working my way through Lisa See's Shanghai Girls. I've read a couple of other Lisa See books, and I love her writing. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to read for fun while I'm finishing up the semester, so I've been working on it for a while. Oh, well...for now I'll just have to daydream about laying in the grass in the summertime and lazing the day away on a good read. Sigh.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Okay, so this one is technically already released. It was released recently, though, and I’m excited to read it (whenever I find the time between the 50 million things I have to do at the end of my junior year of college). This is the sequel to In the Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is a young adult, post-apocalyptic, Zombie novel. Not usually my style. However, this one puts a really different spin on the whole already-done zombie thing.

The first book centers around Mary, a teenage girl living in a village completely surrounded by forest, and the forest is filled with the “unconsecrated” (zombies). Mary wonders if there’s any such thing as a world beyond the unconsecrated, and she feels constrained not only by their constant, prevailing presence, but by the strict codes of behavior of the village.

I’m admittedly a little unsure of this second book because it picks up with a new protagonist, Gabry. I don’t want to give too much away, in case anyone hasn’t read the first book, but I’m sure the book will deal with similar themes of identity, secrets, freedom, and obligation. In general, I really hate it when authors switch up the protagonist in a series because I really get to know the main character and want to stick with her/him (Scott Westerfeld is notorious for this, and it always bugs me when he does it). We’ll see, though; maybe The Dead-Tossed Waves will surprise me.

The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst (releases June 15)

I’m not entirely sure I would pick this book up if I didn’t know who Carolyn Parkhurst was. She’s one of my favorite authors. On the surface, her plots seem pretty simple, not entirely fantastic at all. But she writes in a way that really leaves her character naked—not literally, of course. She takes ordinary people and puts them in situations that exposes their innermost quirks, desires, and fears. If you haven’t read Dogs of Babel yet, go pick it up. Seriously. It’s heartbreaking, it’s sweet, it’s tender, it’s quirky, it’s surprising…but I digress.

So, I’m scooping up this book when it comes out, expecting that the lackluster-sounding plot will surprise me. Octavia, a novelist (doppelganger?) with a mysterious past, discovers that her son has been arrested for murder. The book seems like it will take place during the time of her son’s arrest, but it will likely feature a lot of forays into the past as Octavia confronts it. The whole mother-son thing seems pretty characteristic of Parkhurst, who is all about examining relationships. I also find the title pretty intriguing; its meaning is an enigma in itself.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (releases August 24)

This book (another young adult novel) is the third and final installment in the Hunger Games series. I got completely sucked into the first two. This is another post-apocalyptic sort of book, but this one is war instead of zombies. After the war wipes out most of the United States, society reforms with a central capital, surrounded by 12 districts. ‘The Capitol’ keeps the districts in line by starving them and holding an annual lottery for participation in the Hunger Games. Essentially, the “winners” fight to the death reality-TV style for the capital’s entertainment, and whoever’s left alive at the end wins food for their district.

The main character, Katniss, steps in when her twelve-year-old sister’s name is drawn in the lottery, taking her place in the Games. That’s the first book. I won’t tell you what’s in the second or third book, to avoid giving anything away, but I promise it’s good. There’s also a love triangle tucked in there. If there’s any book I’m most excited about for this year, this is it.