Da Blooze!

Look at THIS. I want to go. The Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival is always near my birthday, so I think of it as a celebration for me, too. B. B. King, Taj Mahal, Dr. John, Marcia Ball, and Paul Thorn will all be performing! Finding accommodations is turning out to be a challenge. We'll probably have to stay at Tunica where all those casinos are. Before, I stayed in Clarksdale, MS, which is about the same distance from Helena, AR, but Tunica is north and closer to Memphis and on our way home. Might just work. The rooms are cheaper, too, because of the gambling which I won't do because we know how that works out for me.

My Kindle

Kindle DX (image from Amazon.com)

If you've visited here for any length of time, you'll know of my love and passion for books.  I love to read and I love to study.  I love the feel of holding a book and turning pages.  I love the way books look on my shelves.  

I don't think I'll ever stop purchasing actual books and adding them to the bookcases in my library.  I can't imagine not having the Harry Potter books on my shelves.  Or the works of Jim Butcher.  Or a copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.  Or a full set of Shakespeare.  Or other volumes that have a special meaning to me, collected over the years.  A library should have books, yes?

My purpose in purchasing a Kindle was, in part, to begin an endeavor I've been promising myself for some time.  I had a poor introduction to classic literature that has fostered a life long aversion to them.  Now with my Kindle, I expect to dip my toe back into the intellectual waters and see if I can enjoy some of the classic works that were previously ruined for me.

Another reason I bought a Kindle has to do with expense.  I bought the DX version, so you'd think frugality wasn't a prime motivator here.  But I've purchased 3 books during my first week of ownership at a total cost less than the price of a single hard cover.  That means I can read a lot more for my money. 

Believe the ads...Kindle is easy to use and easy to read.  I find I read faster and with quicker comprehension on my Kindle.  I don't get eye strain.  In the week I've had it, I haven't yet needed to recharge it and I've been reading with it daily.  It's comfortable.  No matter where I've used it, I've been able to relax with it.  I don't think I realized how much my desire to read was often impacted by discomfort.

I say again that my Kindle is unlikely to completely replace books.  I have no intention of duplicating anything I already have in my library, just for the easy read it would be on my Kindle.  I think of my Kindle as a companion piece.  It provides an avenue to a book that I want to read, but wouldn't necessarily invest $25 to keep in my stacks.

If you have been considering the purchase of a Kindle, then you have my endorsement.