My Beef with Kindle

I'm not one to usually shy away from technology; I'd choose my iPhone over food, I have a playlist for each type of workout, time permitting I'd teach every lesson through PowerPoint, and my preferred mode of communication is generally through texting or email. Yet one techie gadget I refuse to even consider purchasing is an e-reader. First of all, there's the practical issues. I never have to charge my book, alleviating the annoying task of remembering to plug in before a day at the pool. I don't have to worry about breaking a book or having someone steal it (hell, if someone really wants my copy of The Confederacy of Dunces they can have it, as long as they promise to read it). There's no glare concerns with an actual book, and I'll never have to troubleshoot how to recover a lost file. Oh, and no matter how "safe" the downloading and storing process is for ereaders, I know for sure that my actual books will never randomly disappear. Books are simple- pick up, open, read.

It's difficult to adequately articulate the more abstract, sentimental reasons why Kindle, the Kobo, and the Nook can kiss my ass. A true book lover appreciates the form of a book, the way it feels in their hands, the process of seeing the progress made while reading from beginning to end. Once in awhile a quote may need be be underlined or an inscription written when giving it as a gift. While I may have issues with lending my books out, how do you let someone borrow your Empire Falls ebook? And for our more experimental writers, how do you get the true feel of the page layout when it matters on a little screen? There's something nostalgic and traditional about the act of reading a book made of paper, and I refuse to let technology take that away from me.

But wait, isn't she one of those liberal, "global warming is real" kind of girls? What about the environment? Hey, I recycle and we have a Brita Pitcher. I drive a fuel efficient car and I take fairly short showers. Plus, have we thought about the plastic and batteries that comprise an ereader? That's what I thought.

Have I mentioned there's just something about how an actual book feels?