Thank you Kindle, for being built by a bored teenager in an impoverished part of the world (most likely) and breaking down in a way that my WCE * husband could not fix...even with his high-powered safety googles and very tiny screwdrivers. Apparently, I just need to call Amazon and they will send out a replacement but the universe is talking to me, through imperfect products, and I'm listening:
Universe: What were you reading on Kindle that you miss?
Me: Not much, I downloaded the entire Game of Thrones series which included murder, incest, rape, and naked princesses.
Universe: What have you picked up at the library since your Kindle went offline?
Me: Biographies of Margaret Sanger and Kurt Vonnegut, a book on Buddhism, and some Irish short stories.
Universe: Hmmmmm
Me: What are you saying, Universe, that the Kindle's choices are mainstream and that I have to pick up an actual book and see if it calls to me?
Universe: No, I'm wondering how the the last book in the series turns out.
Regardless of the smart ass universe, I'm not sure I liked what I was reading on the Kindle. The choices overwhelmed me and for whatever reason, I picked down, not up. I was talking to my buddy about reading and why we do it and we came to the conclusion that we all read for different reasons. She beautifully stated that she reads to be moved. I think I read to know more about what we all share. The best writers transcend their culture and place and speak a universal truth. The best example of that for me this year was The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Stop reading this silly blog and order it on your Kindle, right now:)
May the new year be filled with transcendental books, and of course, the next one in the Game of Thrones.
*World Class Engineer
I must admit that for me it's all about the actual book. Although I've downloaded books on my ipad, I haven't read one. I did read one on my phone but only because someone left waiting in a coffee shop for an hour and I had forgotten my book. I see nothing wrong with reading all types of things: literature, biographies, texts, and even dirt as long as you enjoy it. I read through a whole lot of dirt in order to find the works really worth my time, like Hedgehog. Hope you get your new Kindle soon.
ReplyDeleteI have read twice as many books this year because of the Kindle app on my phone. I am a night waker - always have been, but my late 40's have me doing it all the more. Nothing is more soothing than reading in bed a while until I fall back asleep, but whenever I would turn on the bedside reading lamp my husband wake up and huff and puff as if I had suddenly put on a Sex Pistols cd. Enter my tiny, backlit phone screen - no reading light required, tucks neatly under my pillow when I (finally) get drowsy again. I recommend getting the "samples" of books - usually just enough to know whether or not it will be a worthwhile read - before you purchase the whole thing on Kindle.
ReplyDeleteGood suggestion:) I hadn't thought of just buying samples
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