Books, wherever I look

Only a true book lover could understand what I am talking about, but there is something special about books. I don’t mean the written word itself, a well-translated phrase, or even the magic of a library. I mean the actual book; holding it in my hands, the smell of cheap paper, turning the pages and even cutting the paper, and most of all I love the first time you tear the spine of a new paperback. Even the forbidden act of putting an earring on a book gives me pleasure.

I couldn’t imagine a life without books or a house without countless shelves to hold volumes that are currently not read or considered to be read (those are stacked on the floor next to my bed, on the bathroom shelf next to the bathtub , on my desk, or in my gym bag). A home without books is like a hotel suite or a hospital room; austere, sterile, colorless, anonymous.

I just can’t do it!

Recently, however, my Nanday parrot, Homie, has become a bit senile. The poor thing sits without kissing anyone, talks to herself and has started eating my pocket books. These are precious friends, that is, paperbacks, but so is she. Fortunately, Anne Rice, Stephen King, and Asimov were saved, but it’s probably only a matter of time before Homie finds them too.

I decided to see a sign in this massive destruction of my beloved worlds. Time to get off the paper! Even the thought chills my spine. Would reading a book on a computer or a reader be the same? What about the smell, the feel of the paper under my fingers, or, gasp, reading in the bathtub? Bath time could never be the same without a book to go with me.

Nerd. I can not do it. I know a lot of trees are being destroyed in the rainforest just so we can get the latest release from Dean Koontz, and I know we all need those trees to stay where they are so we can breathe, and I know countless plants and animals are getting extinguishing daily by what happens in the rainforests, not to mention the displacement of indigenous populations (very distant relatives of mine, in fact), but I just can’t not have a book; a real book, not a virtual one. I know Ray Bradbury would understand!

The alternative

I came up with an alternative plan, one that I hoped would appease all my opposing sides. I decided to buy all my books at the used bookstore instead of going paperless. I figured that since those trees were already cut down, it would be a shame if those books were thrown away. I convinced myself that I was doing something good by buying them. Reduce Reuse Recycle! So, I went to the used bookstore.

What a treat! I could buy a lot more books for my dollar buying them used and, as a bonus, many of the books contained little surprises; underlined sentences that meant something to someone, annotations in the margins that added something that was already there, or even a suggestion to research a specific topic. Joy! Unfortunately, those used books sometimes also contained torn pages, ruined and unreadable pages, or missing covers (which really wreaks havoc on Tina’s reading department). And Homie found used books as tasty as new.

Bite the bullet

After sweeping up the last pile of shredded paper, and after marveling at how accurate its seemingly quick shredding really was, I sat down and made a very difficult decision. Electronics seemed to be the wave of the future. It was better for all of us, it saved the trees, and even Homie couldn’t easily chew on an electronic device.

I started out with a free download of Amazon’s Kindle on my computer, but found it to be a pretty awkward way to read a good book. I got the same download for my laptop, and that was a little better. I found that I could still be engrossed in the story, and could even trick myself into pretending that clicking the mouse was the same as turning a page. The problem was, I couldn’t carry the laptop into the tub, nor could I curl up, change positions easily while reading, or just pull it out of my pocket and read when stuck in a long line somewhere.

However, as much as I hated to admit it, e-books had their advantages: I have to say that being able to adjust the font size is heaven, like buying large print books without the embarrassment of people thinking, “Oh look, It’s so old you even need the really big print books! “You can” dog ear “your book with ease using a Kindle program and never lose your place, and even have a bookshelf on your home page and browse by the covers of the books. The free program I have also has a built-in dictionary, so if I come across an unfamiliar word, all I have to do is highlight it and get the definition instantly. The only thing missing was the scent, that new pocket scent we’ve all learned to love.

The decision

However, I decided that I was going to have to upgrade to a Kindle or a tablet. Since I spend most of my life online, I thought that the tablet is much better for me, and check this out: you can buy a transparent waterproof case for both the tablet and the Kindle, and actually take them to the pool or bathtub. with you! Joy once more!

I wanted something more the size of a book. After much comparison and talking to nerds, I decided that my next electronic purchase would be an Acer Iconia tablet. It has the perfect screen size, front and rear cameras, and best of all, expandable memory and a USB port, which in my opinion makes it a much better buy than the Galaxy everyone is talking about. So when it’s time to file taxes, I plan to move on. I’ll probably stick with the books I still have, especially the hardcover ones, but I don’t think I’m going to buy any more paperbacks. Literally closing a chapter of my life. But I’m optimistic and will let everyone know how I’m doing.

The only thing missing is the smell of a new book. Wish it came in a bottle.