I use to judge books by their covers, but now I don't have to...

In grade school I was never much of a reader. To be completely honest, I failed one six weeks of Reading in 8th grade because I refused to get 21 AR (Accelerated Reader) points. I would have to read like 4-5 large books to get that many points and I had plenty of other things to do with my time. After all, I took part in every sport possible (including boys and cheerleading, gasp!) But, there was something about being made to read that I despised. Plus, I always said God gifted me with the ability to speak (too often, too much) and my mother would probably say, "I couldn't shut-up long enough to sit down and read a book."

High School came and went, I made good grades without ever reading too many books. Just the ones required for AP English (In Cold Blood, All the King's Men, Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.), but some of these I only skimmed for the required answers. And again I had little time to devote to reading while editing the school newspaper and yearbook, starring in the school plays, managing my role as class officer as well as student council and playing musical chairs for friends. It wasn't until uni that I really discovered the JOY that comes with reading. Bit of a late bloomer...I know. Yet still it was difficult to pick up and enjoy a leisurely read when I had a fatty pile of homework staring me in the face. Yet I managed to find some of my favorite reads during these years; What is the What, The Poisonwood Bible and Sense & Sensibility to name a few. But the truth is...I would only read new books. I didn't like books with ugly covers, hence why I would never check books out from a library. They almost always had to be new.

Then, I met my Kindle. I never thought I would be one to conform.. There's just something that happens when you crack open a new book and dive in, especially the smell. However, after having searched for a couple of books in Hong Kong and facing utter disappointment once again, I looked into purchasing a Kindle. After reviewing the pros and cons for a couple of weeks, the cheaper cost of ebooks and the 1 minute delivery had me sold.
It's great!! This past month alone I've read 4 books. The freebies are a definite seller, too. All those classics that I skimmed through in High School I can now read for free! They have Kindle apps as well, so I can read on my device, computer or even my phone if I wanted to go blind. I can even loan books to other Kindle users for up to two weeks. Overall I think it was a great choice. As light as it is I seriously can get lost in reading. Literally. I missed my stop on the train. Twice. I'm especially going to be thankful when I'm packing my bags for vacation and I don't have 10 extra lbs. of books, but instead I have 50 books on one device! The best thing about it all...I no longer have to worry about the covers.

Ellison has had trouble getting me to turn off the bedside lamp at night lately. I found this quote on the Kindle FB page and I think it sums things up quite nicely, "My husband said I loved my Kindle more than him, I said not more, different."