The "Ugly" Side of the Kindle

In February my mom purchased me a Kindle for my birthday. Up until that point I was extremely torn on whether or not I could ever take the plunge myself of going from paper media to completely electronic. Her gift was much like winning the lottery since I could try out the Kindle with no real investment on my part. I’ve received plenty of b-day gifts in the past that I never used so I figured if I didn’t like it this would be no different.

I agonized for over two days trying to decide which book would be my first book for my new eReader. The book had to have meaning, it had to be memorable and I wanted it to be good. After two day I settled on Stephen King’s “Full Dark, No Stars” and it didn’t disappoint (read my review in a future post).

Last night I finished that first book for my Kindle. It was a good, yet odd experience. In the interest of ease of reading, I’ve split this into two separate posts. If you’re a Kindle lover, I’ll have my likes coming up within the week. For now, let’s start with my issues.

First, I missed the physical tactile sensation of an actual book. I missed the weight, the texture of paper in my hands and oddly enough I missed the smell. I found myself on more than one occasion trying to flip the case I had it in only to realize it had no actual pages to flip.

I often judge on when I should stop as determined how many pages are left in a chapter. I also make a big push at the end of a book depending on how much is left. Okay, only 50 pages… I’ll stay up and finish this. I don’t get that feeling to push while reading on the Kindle; it’s so easy for me to pick up, read a minute or two and put it down. I would never do that with an actual paperback. My husband and daughter both noted that it took me much longer to read on the Kindle then it seems to normally take and I think they may be right.

Second, I found the lack of (understandable) page numbers disconcerting. The percentage bar at the bottom just doesn’t cut it for me. Okay, I’m 65% of the way through but what does that equate to in actual page numbers?

Third, and this is a biggy; you can’t share or showcase your book. Since being a kid we always passed books back and forth between family members, our own version of a long term book club. At the end of the cycle, the book would go back to its original owner where they would proudly display it among all their other treasure trove of books. I absolutely proud of my book collection. I can't hand over something I just read to my daughter or a friend... because handing it over means handing over my almost 200 dollar Kindle and then I'm out of luck for reading until I get it back. Just not going to happen.

I love being surrounded by books. I love displaying them and much to my husband’s dismay they often end up overrunning certain areas of the living room and bedroom. I have always dreamt that when I finally purchased my own home I would make an amazing and spectacular library; a place with a large overstuffed leather chair that I could sink into, a fireplace and of course a small end table with a light for reading. This is a place I could get lost in whether reading or not and even now I still want to see this dream become reality. However, with the advent of eReaders and my ownership of one, I have to wonder about this future. We already see book stores closing and more and more are reporting that their stores have become browsing warehouses for eReaders.

I find myself purchasing books I already own but haven’t read yet or ordering both the Kindle and physical addition. I need to be able to have that for prosperity… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully go digital. Publishers take note! Start selling bundles; people would pay slightly more for a Kindle and physical copy.

A problem for me, not so much the publisher, is that I find myself spending money on books without really thinking of it. I don't get a physical copy so it somehow doesn't feel like I've spent money (my poor bank account would beg to differ).

Fourth, I find it strange that people can’t see what you’re reading and you can’t see what they are reading. This is absolutely a double edged sword. You can read what you want without embarrassment. However, it’s just disturbing from my side that I can’t see what you’re reading; you can start conversations, ask about book titles but most importantly you can learn something about a person by the books they read.

Finally, while it’s a small and manageable issue, I’ve never had to worry about “losing” all my books (ie. My kindle wipes) and I’ve never had to worry about running out of power while reading a paperback.

Like I said, don’t fret! Look this week for my “likes” about this eReader. As a sneak peek, I’ll let you in on this: I’ve already downloaded 25 books…so all is not lost on this book lover.