Booking Through Thursday #1

Booking Through Thursday

E-readers like the Kindle and iPad are sweeping the nation … do you have one? Do you like it? Do you find it changes your reading/buying habits? If you don’t have one, do you plan to?

I was given a Kindle for my 20th birthday at the beginning of this year, and I am absolutely and completely in love with it. It wasn't always like this for me though!
I remember when the eReaders were just beginning to grow in popularity - I was so against them, I didn't think I'd ever give in to their charms. I couldn't originally see the lure of reading something from a screen. I can't usually spend too much time reading from a computer screen without my eyes starting to hurt, and nowadays I even have to wear my glasses to use the computer, so I thought that reading an entire book from a screen would be really hard work.
Eventually though, I started to think about the eReaders again, and thinking about the pros and cons of them. I did actually do a fair amount of research into the different models available as well, and eventually I decided that the pros outweighed the cons and I decided to get one. I am so glad that I did!
Don't get me wrong, this hasn't altered my reading habits too much - I still buy paperbacks - in fact, I probably buy even more books now I have my Kindle because not only do I buy eBooks, but I still buy pretty much the same amount of paperbacks as I did before!
I also find that when I'm reading on my Kindle, I don't tend to pay attention to how much of the book I have left to read. When you're reading a paperback, it's easy to look at the rest of the book and think you still have ages to go until you're even half way though (especially with the chunkier books), but with the Kindle, obviously you can't see how much you have left - the only indicator is the small unobtrusive progress bar at the bottom of the screen.
I also find that sometimes it can be a lot easier to read from the Kindle. Although it's a screen, it's not a screen like in a computer or laptop, and it actually looks like paper, which was really bizarre the first time I used it and the 'paper' started moving - it was like something from Harry Potter for a moment!

What I also like about the Kindle is the opportunity it gives me to read more indie authors, something I've really enjoyed since I got it! There is a fantastic website called Smashwords.com, and for those of you with eReaders that haven't been on it, I suggest you head over there as soon as you've finished reading this! I actually did a feature on Smashwords when I first set my blog up. If you'd like to read it, click here. Basically, you can download any of the eBooks on there in any format you need to suit all/most eReaders, so anyone can read it - including Kindle owners. You can read more about Smashwords on my post about it, or alternatively go straight to the website here.

My Kindle hasn't and will not in any way replace the paperback - I still own hundreds of physical books as well as many, many, MANY eBooks (I lost count a long time ago), and I still can't replace the feel of flicking the pages of my paperback etc, but the Kindle definitely has a place in my heart!