In praise of Kindles (other e-readers are available!)

I LOVE books. That's no secret and I am a bit of a technophobe, so I always said that I would never own a Kindle and that I didn't "agree" with them. I am a purist who loves holding a book, smelling a book, turning the pages and really engaging with the physical book. Libraries and bookshops are two of my favourite places to spend time, and I love to browse the bookshelves of my friends. For obvious reasons, if everyone owned and used e-readers then bookshops and libraries would become very different places and the pleasure of perusing acquaintances' bookshelves to discover if you have a connection through your literary tastes would be lost.

However, 2.5 years ago I moved to Africa. Where there are no libraries and precious few bookshops (we have to drive for 3 hours to reach anything like a proper bookshop). I knew that if I was going to keep up my reading habit I would have to buy a Kindle. So I moved over to the dark side and now I can honestly say that I love it and couldn't be without it. Mine is a bog-standard bottom of the range Kindle, with wi-fi access and buttons to turn the pages (newer models have touch screens to turn the pages, but I like the buttons as it makes reading with one hand much easier - the buttons are on both sides of the Kindle, so you can hold it in either hand.)

So, what's so great about it? Well, it is light and portable and easy to operate with one hand which is a real bonus as a breastfeeding mother.

It fits in the smallest of handbags (I never leave the house without a book, so this is a massive advantage!) and of course since it holds multiple books (108 on mine at the last count) you never have to face the "I have nearly finished my book, but can't fit two in my handbag" problem.
Similarly, they are great for holidays. Instead of lugging a suitcase full of books on holiday, or worse still restricting the number of books you take with you, just pack your kindle which is smaller and lighter than just one book!

You can also change the font size which is very useful when putting small children to bed in dark bedrooms if you have to stay with them until they are fully asleep.

Plus, there are some very stylish accessories available. I really like my new cover....
                                             
                                                  

Are there any disadvantages then? There are three main ones for me: you can't read in the bath (or on a lilo in the swimming pool!) and my children can't see what I am reading. As a parent, I really believe that the way to encourage a love of reading in your children is to model it for them, and with my kindle my children cannot see what I am reading or how quickly I am getting through books, so some of that modelling is lost. Of course the cost is also a disadvantage - you have the initial outlay for the device itself and then you have to continually buy books (no lending between friends or second hand options!), which can get pretty expensive.

But these are minor disadvantages and I really would not be without it now. It was definitely the single most useful purchase I made whilst preparing for my move to Africa. So the long and the short of it is, if you are waivering because you really love books, but you travel a lot or lack space for books then don't be put off. Try it and I think you'll be converted - you can still read real books when opportunity allows!