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.

Books Make a Good Day!

This morning was catch-up at my desk, and this afternoon was shop for June celebrations – birthdays, anniversaries, Father's Day – a long time at the card shop, then shop-hopping round town, stopping at the Children's Discovery Museum (they have an awesome gift shop, filled with cool toys) then treating myself to a quick stop at Babbitt's Books, my favorite used-book store.
Rachelle Gardner blogged about bookstores recently on her blog at http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/. Babbitt's doesn't serve coffee, just piles and piles of books. Recently they moved to a beautiful new store, high ceilings, tall bookcases, and for a brief time all the books were on the shelves. When I went in today it looked as if the shelves had exploded; books were everywhere! It's my favorite way to see Babbitt's!
I only had a few minutes, so I went straight to the children's book section. They had A Child's Garden of Verses, illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa which I picked up, and a book outside on the half-price rack that was published by Abingdon, for kids – stories, activities, and recipes – that I also grabbed. I can't wait to look it over; it's an older book. Some might call it dated; I call it a look at the past.
A day with books is a good day!