eReaders: Fact or Non-Fiction?

I am going to give in and join the world of eReaders.

Yes, after a year of debate, I think I have settled on the NookColor. Being a Barnes & Noble fan anyway, it makes sense to get the eReader that will also get me perks in their shop. Particularly since it is now an event to go there as my local store shut down and never re-opened. :-(

I am a purist at heart. There is nothing like the feel of a real book in your hands. The smell of fresh ink as you flip through the chapters for the first time, or the crisp, clean words jumping off the page, bringing the story to life at precisely the speed the reader chooses to proceed.  

Reading a book in print is a very personal experience for me. The author and I are on journey together, from the Introduction where they invite me along for the ride, through the chapters where they reveal the path one step at a time, bringing us to the end where we seal our connection and part ways until next time.

Along the way, I make notes in the margins, or stop to contemplate what I've taken away from the experience of gleaning this new knowledge. Most of my library is non-fiction with valuable notes scribbled in the margins, or highlighted points to remind me what I found significant on the last read. At times, it may inspire my own writing or works of art.

This is precisely why I resisted the initial Kindle frenzy. Images of Farenheit 451 and bonfires of burning books made me shudder. Thoughts of Winston changing History and sending it up the tube where it would become fact within minutes, for lack of printed proof of the past, made me horrified at this attempt at "progress". 

Alas, I can no more stop this speeding train toward paper oblivion than I could resist the switch from vinyl to compact disc to mp3. Yes, the more I resisted eReaders, the more I recalled "the internet is here to stay" from the debates between designers and shop-owners on my business forums. How can I push acceptance of today's technology to business associates in my industry, while fighting it in my personal life? I can't. I am not a hypocrite.

And though it may hurt my heart that my grandchildren will never know the joy of discovering a hidden treasure on the bottom shelf at the back of the local library, I will enjoy the bigger screen and vivid colors provided by this latest gadget. I have been reading on the iPhone through Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and a few other apps to get a feel for this new idea and I must admit I appreciate the convenience. 

I think my Audible account has helped sway me, as well. Although, I may be closing it soon.

I started an account there when Peter was interested in reading Angels & Demons and The DaVinci Code for homeschool. I "read" both of those audibly in the car on my drive to and from work a few years ago and I was truly glad I made that choice. The books were very good, but I would have lost patience if I read them in print. They were heavy with description and background that I simply don't have the patience for in fiction. Listening to them, though, made these very same qualities enhance the experience. And, since my little genius will do anything to avoid reading and writing, I thought audible books would be perfect.

Lo and behold, I did forget one key piece of that pie: Thirteen-year-olds lose patience with every big idea. LOL Naturally he got about an hour and a half into Angels & Demons before he promptly forgot all about the book taking up valuable space on his iPhone (and my hard drive). Now, I have an Audible account that could be money saved toward my Nook Color. 

So, now that I have finally decided which eReader to by, there's only one more question to answer...

What style of turquoise cover shall I get to go with it?? :-P  

Being me~