To E-Read, or Not to E-Read

So, for Christmas last year, my boyfriend's parents bought me a Kindle.  I couldn't be more excited, and I stood by the door waiting on the day that it was to be delivered.  So I spent the entire day checking UPS to see how much longer I would have to wait.  I was also stressing out because I hadn't finished the book I was reading yet, and I wanted to use the Kindle as soon as I got it.  Anyway, although UPS's website said my Kindle was at the Atlanta delivery center, and was "in-transit" at 10:00 AM, I found out that they don't end up getting to our apartment complex until 7 PM at night.  Looking back, it was a blessing in disguise because I was able to finish the book I was reading by the time I got the package.



So, I got the package, tore it opened and started it up.  By the end of the night I had downloaded 10 or more of the free books, and was well on my way to being an e-reader.  There are so many great things about the Kindle.  I love that at any moment I have a library full of books in my purse.  It definitely saves me from having to lug around an extra book in case I finish reading one of them.  I don't like to be left empty handed, because I never know when I will be sitting around waiting on something.  


I had some reservations at first when I got the Kindle.  I am so used to the feeling of holding a book, and this was totally different.  Obviously it is much lighter than a book, and it is a lot easier to hold and manage.  The buttons are all placed perfectly, and I love the screen.  I enjoy reading everywhere, so as I'm sure you've seen on the commercials, I can read on the Kindle in the sun.  Majority of the time I hate reading books in the sun because it makes the pages so bright that I have to wear sunglasses just to read!  I'm also a sucker for the "book smell".  I guess if you aren't an avid reader, you won't know what I am talking about, but books have a distinct smell.  I love the smell of older library books; the smell of comfort!  Obviously the Kindle doesn't smell....so I was a little sad because it just didn't feel the same.  


I have an entire bookshelf full of books that I've bought along the way.  I'm pretty cheap, so I usually purchase my books at the Goodwill around the corner from my house.  Hardback books are $2 while paperback books are $1, you can't really beat that.  So at first I was trying to go back and forth.  I would read a book on the Kindle, and then read one off the shelf.  I'm still trying to get through the books on the shelf, but of course, I can't go into the Goodwill without buying a book, or five. 


One of the major things that has turned me off of the Kindle is the prices.  Like I said, I can go to the Goodwill and grab a stack of books for $10, but most books on the Kindle are $9.99 and up.  I'm not opposed to spending $9.99 on a book, however at the speed that I read (about 1.6 books per week) it isn't really economical.  So once I noticed the "free book" section on Amazon.com I decided I would just start doing that -- because what's better than spending $1 - $2 per book?  Spending nothing!  The only issue with this, is that a lot of the books that are in this "free section" are Christian Fiction books.  Even though I'm not religious at all, I thought that maybe I would give these books a try.  I didn't expect that they would be beating me over the head with the Bible or Jesus, but alas, they do.  


I've heard that there are a lot of websites that you can download free books from onto all types of e-readers, but I haven't found a site that I like, or that I am comfortable using.  It also seems that on these websites majority of the books are "classic"...which I'm not a huge fan of.  I've also found that as a member of GoodReads, there are often posts by authors telling you when/where to download a copy of their new books.  GoodReads is amazing (I will have to post a whole entry just devoted to it...that's how awesome it is.)  If you are an avid reader, and you don't use GoodReads---you should start!


So, I think that the Kindle (and probably any e-reader, although I'm not sure) has a lot of redeeming qualities.  I love the ease of use, having multiple books at a time, and the additional functions that the Kindle has (web surfing, a dictionary, the ability to make notes, "bookmark function").  However, I might just be purist, but nothing is better than cuddling up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, my sweet little pup and a good book. 






What do you think?  Do you own an e-reader?  Do you have a good website that you like to download free books from?


Happy Reading!