The Kindle has landed

Thank you for all the enabling positive comments while I was umming and awing over whether to get a Kindle! I went ahead and got one and it arrived on Monday.

So far, so good.

Good Points:

1. Size and weight

I got it because I have arthritis in my thumbs and holding a heavy book makes them ache like billy-o. I also wanted to be able to carry a number of things on a long journey without making my bag too heavy (my filofax, weighing in at 650g is taking care of that job…). At 170g (currently without a cover but more on that in a moment…) it is certainly lighter than almost any paperback I have on my shelves and doesn’t make my thumbs ache. As it doesn’t have a cover yet, I haven’t carried it around in my bag but even with a cover I doubt it will be as heavy as some of the paperbacks I have.

2. Being able to change the text size, font and spacing

What I am really enjoying at the moment, is downloading lots of freebie non-fiction books and flicking through them. By being able to fiddle with the settings and change the text size, font style and line spacing, I’ve found a combination such that I can speed-read much more easily than I would be able to on paper.

3. Cheap Classics

As well as freebie (or very cheap) non-fiction things, I’m enjoying being able to get many of the classics I’ve wanted to read, free, or for very little. Before I bought the Kindle, when I was still justifying getting one (as I have shelves of unread books), I made a small promise to myself to read big books and cheap classics on my Kindle – big books because of the arthritis issue, and cheap classics to justify the outlay (since it would cost a lot of money to buy the classics in paperback, but a fraction of that to get them as e-books, hence saving me at least £89!). At the moment I am reading Little Dorrit, which, if I bought it as a paperback would have >850 pages, so it’s covering both of those! I’ve downloaded a number of classics to it already, all of which were free or less than £1. As long as I do actually read them, I will have ‘paid back’ some of the investment.

Bad Points:

1. It’s not a book

I do love a proper book and although I’m enjoying using my Kindle, I’m not enjoying it the way I would if I were reading a real book where I can leaf back through to remind myself about a character or plot development etc. I think that will take a bit of getting used to. Maybe my memory will need to sharpen up since I can’t rely on being able to easily flick through a book.

2. Cover angst

I’ve bought two covers so far and both have gone back. The first was supposed to be a leather one but when it arrived, it was patently not, nor was it even the same design! The return of that has been extremely straightforward though. Then I ordered a second one which arrived this morning and although it is lovely, the front cover has a big crease in the leather, like the cover has been folded. So that’s going back too, but I will ask for a straight replacement since this one is leather, and fabric lined, not lined with synthetic leather (the smell of which is horrible to me). It’s been hard enough to read and not have either the feel or smell of the paper to enjoy, never mind having the smell and feel of synthetic leather putting me off. Hopefully a replacement cover will arrive soon and I can take the Kindle out and about.

3. Fretting

I know – this sounds like a weird one. But, if I drop a paperback, or it slides off my bed onto the floor because I fell asleep reading it, well, it’s a paperback and easily replaced (and probably not greatly damaged anyway). But if I drop my Kindle… well it’s another £89 if I break it. I’m hoping that with a cover on it I’ll feel less stressed about it getting damaged, but already I’ve almost put my laptop down on it because I didn’t really see it!

4. Time

I am now somewhat addicted to scanning through all the free classics that I’ve not read (and sometimes not heard of) disappearing down the rabbit-hole of ‘other people who bought this…’ then reading reviews and delighting in clicking on ‘buy now’ (when buy is a misnomer as they are free) then watching them download on to my Kindle. I realise I am now doing with my Kindle what I have always done with paperbacks – purchase/obtain more than I will read in a year. Time to turn the Wi Fi on my Kindle off and start actually reading!

All in all

I’m glad I bought it!