Kindling a Love for Reading

I'd been thinking about getting an e-reader.
I went back and forth pn the “can I adjust to a 'book' that isn't made of paper and ink?” question. Was the tactile experience part of the pleasure of reading? And if so, how much?
Would I miss thumbing through actual pages? Flipping through a book, back and forth, comparing passages? Or would an e-reader simplify my reading experience?
Most importantly, could I still read the end of the book first?
Those questions weren't the only issues I struggled with: I felt a little bewildered by all the e-reading options. Should I just download a reader on my laptop? I'd checked out the Nook -- every time I walked into Barnes and Noble, someone offered to show me everything I needed to know about it. And I'd always been satisfied with everything Sony; maybe their e-reader was the way to go.
Or I could just succumb to the temptation of the Apple and get an Ipad -- as if money were no object.
Speaking of money, would I spend even more money on books if they were only a click away in the Kindle store? Could I exercise discretion and judgment when book-shelf space wasn't a consideration?
My family saved me the trouble of making a decision. For my birthday this year, they all went together and gave me a Kindle.
Initially, the learning curve isn't too steep, although I know there are features on my Kindle I haven't figured out yet.
And I'm liking it. I'm liking it a lot.
With its pebbled leather cover (complete with its own light!), reading is still somewhat tactile, although there are no pages to turn. Late at night, though, when I'm tired, I still forget to hit the page-turning button, and reach up to turn a (non-existent) page.
The Kindle fits into a purse in a way most hard-back books won't. And it keeps track of where I am in a book. It offers variety, convenience, and fun in a very small, very portable package.
There might be a few drawbacks -- it seems as if it will be harder to share a book with someone. I still haven't figured out how to navigate quickly from one part of a book to another. Illustrations and photographs aren't quite as crisp as in a print book. Some books don't seem to be available through Kindle, although perhaps I just haven't found them yet.
And perhaps worst of all, there aren't too many children's books available in Kindle editions.
But overall, I like this new reading experience. I don't think e-readers will replace paper-and-ink books. I think they will just give us more options. And who could argue with that?
So now I'm curious . . . have you tried a Kindle, or another e-reader? What do you think? Are you using it a lot, and enjoying it, or is it sitting quietly by your bedside? And what are you reading?
I'd love to know.

Book Bonus

One of the nicest things friends do is to fill our lives with smiles. Friends hang in. Even if they can't get there or be there in the moment, they come when they can.
So it is for my friend Peg. She's a busy executive with multiple responsibilities, and she's written about what she's reading this summer. Peg says, “We read Sea Glass . . . I enjoyed the novel and reading about that time in history. I've been on the road quite a bit and heave been listening to a book that I have realized is based on a true story. The Innocent Man by John Grisham -- to tell you the truth I could not finish the book, it was very disconcerting. I have listened to my first book by David Rosenfelt and love his style of writing. Open and Shut was the book and I plan on reading/listening to more.”
Peg also read Three Cups of Tea:One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations, by David Mortenson. It was, she reports, “very interesting.” Peg also commented that she has “not read Pillars of the Earth yet, but this has peaked my interest.”
It's interesting how many “readers” are actually “listeners” who take in a book however they can. Technology gives us so many new options!
I must admit I'm tempted by the Kindle -- the price is still too much for me to indulge in one but it's tempting to be able to carry so many books in such a small package.
No matter what the options are, the important thing is the story, the information. No matter how it's delivered, a book is a good thing.