Favorite Things

When Oprah announced that the Amazon Kindle was her new favorite thing and offered a $50 discount, I was tempted to get one. After all, my Indian name is Nose in a Book. I read an average of ten books a month and keep a book diary. I’m also internet savvy and long ago ran out of room to store books in my house. In short, I’m exactly the sort of person Kindle was designed for.

And yet, I resisted.

A few months earlier, my friend Kathy showed me the Kindle she had gotten for her birthday. Just a few weeks after that, Chris, my best friend from high school, was in town and whipped her new Kindle out of her bag. They both loved their new toys. Some of their favorite features were the built-in dictionary that allows you to look up any unfamiliar words immediately, the adjustable text size, and the ability to download new books, magazines and newsletters through the Kindle’s wireless connection. Amazon automatically backs up each book online in case you need to download it again. No more lost books.

All these features appealed to me, too, but still, I haven’t bought one.

My problem is that I’m hooked on the library. Years ago, when I ran out of bookshelf space to house my lifelong addiction to books, I discovered that I could get just about any book I wanted from the library. I look it up and order it online and, a few days later, pick it up at my local branch library. Now, I can even download ebooks and audio ebooks directly to my computer without making a trip to the library. I love the internet.

Also, at $9.95 or less, Kindle books cost much less than traditional books, but that is still quite a bit more than free. So, here’s the deal: when the library starts offering books in Kindle format, I’ll buy one. Until then, I’ll probably keep resisting.

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