But anyway. My Kindle! I like it a lot. It travels well (obviously its biggest plus point) I can read it in a dark room without disturbing anyone else in the room (not really an issue now I have my own room, but never mind) and, maybe best of all, I can have a book delivered to it in about 3 seconds flat. This doesn't mean that I'm always in desperate need of a book that I must read straight away, of course, but it was really nice on the 10th September to wake up and be able to start reading Fangirl straight away, you know? (Yes, I memorised the date Fangirl came out. Didn't we all?)
So it's all good and hunkydory and so far I've only broken one Kindle and had to send it back to Amazon (This actually happened. It didn't survive the move, I'm afraid). Have I ever broken a book and had to send it back? No. But, some pages have fallen out of books and so on, so I think we can call that one evens.
I think the main problem I have with my Kindle is one that I'm particularly susceptible to, and not at all the fault of an electronic device. The thing with it is, I have quite a few books on there (I'm completely assuming everyone goes download crazy when they get one) but I never remember what they are, and I'm not sure I want to read them. So, at any given time, I'll probably have my Kindle AND a book with me, and I'm almost always going to pick up the book. It's not a planned thing, it just happens and I know I'm probably going to end up with a hunchback because of it, but I just... I still really like paper books.
This isn't even a book snob thing so much as a thing where I have SO many physical books to read that it almost makes me feel guilty to read anything on my Kindle. I still do, of course, but still, guilty. Having said that, when I was moving this year and had to get rid of some books or risk serious injury (or, ok, maybe a bit of a bad back) my Kindle was awesome in that there were a few books that I owned, hadn't read, wanted to read, but didn't care so much about having physical copies of, and those I downloaded (mostly for free) onto my Kindle. I still haven't read those, of course, but hey, I'm not the one on trial here!
So. Overall conclusions, I do not have. But I would say that I'd rather have my Kindle than not-have it, and when I am into a book, it doesn't matter if it's on paper, an ebook, or written on stone tablets, because all the important stuff is happening in my head anyway. THAT is where the real magic happens (and not a shred of modesty. None of that in my head).
If that has just convinced you you want a Kindle for Christmas but it's too late, then I'm really sorry. But, hey, how about if I let you help me name mine instead? I always forget that I want to give my Kindle a name until I see someone else calling theirs by name (looking at Charlotte and her Colin, here) but I really do, and I lack creativity in this area. HELP ME IN THE COMMENTS.
And, just before I let you go for your Christmas holiday, please accept these links with my deepest love and good Christmas wishes (all of them are excellent):
- Here are 29 books to get you through your quarter life crisis. I'm not saying I'm having one of these, but I'm also not saying I'm not having one of these, so. Either way, it seems like a pretty solid book list!
- Also on Buzzfeed, here are the 34 most important things Alexander Skarsgard has done this year. You probably don't know that he walked to the South Pole for charity, but he did because he's awesome and also he did a lot of other things. Worth it for the pictures, tbh.
- And, finally, if you only read one thing from this whole post, let it be this review of Love Actually by Lindy West. Best best best best best best best thing ever. (Sample quotes: 'everyone in this movie is a fucking creep.' 'Colin Firth falls in "love" with Aurelia at first sight, establishing Love Actually's central moral lesson: the less a woman talks, the more loveable she is.' 'LOVE ACTUALLY SEES NO PROBLEM WITH TREATING ITS FEMALE CHARACTERS LIKE GIANT BIPEDAL VAGINAS IN SWEATER VESTS.' I mean, best, right?)
And now I'll really leave you alone. Have a very merry Christmas, everyone!
1) I hated my Kindle. But you know that. I sold it for £50 which means I lost about £150 of prime book-buying money and DAMMIT THAT STILL MAKES ME ANGRY. I couldn't remember what was on it, I couldn't remember what I read when I DID read what was on it, and I hated the way it did that "ONE PAGE BLINKS OFF, ONE PAGE BLINKS ON" thing when you turned the page. Also trying to organise my books on there. And everything else about it. *huffs a bit then goes off to roll around in stacks of paperbacks like a maniac*
ReplyDelete2) Only Ryan Gosling could get away with that nightcap and still look THAT SEXY.
3) I think you should go with the Charlotte-Colin thing and go for Laurie. Or is that a bit too much like Laura? I was going along the lines of Laurie from Little Women, OBVIOUSLY. :)
4) I'm definitely having a quarter-life crisis, so I'll check out the book list!
5) I really wish I hadn't read that article about Love Actually because I LIKE BEING A ROMANTIC SAP AND NOT THINKING ABOUT ALL THE FEMINIST IMPLICATIONS SOMETIMES. Though it was worth it just to chuckle over the word "cock-blocktopus", to be honest. I might have to rewatch the movie this week just to LOL over that again. :)
Merry Christmas my little McMuffin, like I'm not going to Tweet-spam you with that at least ten times between now and 25th. Oh, and don't forget to tell me what you name your ereader! :D
1) Wait, you don't like Kindles? Oh, I thought that was all you read from! *teasing face*
Delete2) Ohhh, Gosling. That was from a drunk Night Before Christmas or something... It was good!
3) Oooooh, Laurie is a good name.... Hmmmm....
4) Don't even talk to me about quarter life crises, dude. I literally have no idea what I'm doing. At all.
5) BUT LOVE ACTUALLY IS SO TERRIBLE! Like, I thought that before I read the article so you know, obviously I was going to LOVE IT, but nooooooooo. It's really bad.
Merry Christmas to you tooooo. Even if I'm still not feeling merry, really. Hmph.
This isn't even a book snob thing so much as a thing where I have SO many physical books to read that it almost makes me feel guilty to read anything on my Kindle. <-- THIS! Definitely. I got my Kindle last Christmas after several years of severe e-reader cynicism, and I like it way more than I could have hoped. I like the instantaneous book having (my bank account maybe not so much even though I only buy the cheap ones). I like the way I can switch over to reading the same book on my phone Kindle app if I happen to be having long travel days and don't feel like carrying an extra thing in my bag. I like that chunksters are back on the menu because I don't have to carry a thousand page tome around in my bag for as long as it takes to read them.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, the guilt over neglecting all the books that are steadily pressing my house into the ground is a problem. And the organization and the not knowing what the hell books I have and don't have. I'm trying to add them all to my LibraryThing library in an effort to keep track, but it's kind of a project. And, also, I read differently on my Kindle - faster I think, which is a good thing for some books and not such a good thing for other books.
So, I agree with the I'd rather have my Kindle than not have it assessment, but paper books, I think, will always have my heart. :)
Definitely paper books still have my heart. I feel like I haven't properly tested my kindle yet because I haven't been on holiday with it (one of its major advantages, obvs!) but I proper love that it's light but I kind of tend to read books on it that I'm maybe not-that-into just because they're *there*. But then if I'm reading a book I really like on it, I might not read it when I get home because I'm just like 'oh, I can read it when I'm out and about tomorrow' and this is so disjointed and stupid and bad!
DeleteBut still. I like it a lot :)
Hi - First time caller here! I think you should call your Kindle Bronte - seems appropriate to me (as an alternative you could call it Stephen after you know who). Just a thought anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhy thank, you 'Dearest Daddy'. I do like both of these ideas, tbh, but I need to think on it some more!
DeleteEven though I am totally cataloging the phrase "cock-blocktopus" in my head for future use, fuck that whole article on Love Actually. Ugh. And I just got stuck in a half-hour vortex of Buzzfeed because of that first link, it's addicting.
ReplyDeleteLaura! I'm not really feeling Christmas this week either. It's a thing, apparently. I'm looking forward to it just being over. But ummmm, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
I ENDED UP SPENDING AN HOUR ON BUZZFEED TOO. You're not the only one. Also if I could work out a way of working 'cock-blocktopus' into a blog post sometime in the next few weeks, that is totally happening. Merry... couple of days not at work in which food will be consumed? Yes, that. :)
DeleteSarah, what?! I think you mean fuck Love Actually! Fucking Love Actually... *grumbles* I do always get stuck in a Buzzfeed vortex though, that shit is very very addictive.
DeleteI feel like I might be too old for Christmas. But maybe that's just a thing I'm feeling this year. Everyone's like 'aw, you'll love it when it gets here' but I'm just like MEH. But I am still looking forward to the time off work, definitely.
I adore my kindle for the very fact that it allows me to buy ALL THE BOOKS without facing the disapproval of my family. They have no idea I'm buying books when I'm sat right next to them (I feel an evil laugh would be suitable here but actually, I'm not being evil towards anyone but myself by spending all my money on books I may never get around to reading). I love my kindle but I have not and will not stop reading and loving paperback or hardbacks. But, as you say, all the jazzy stuff happens in your head so who cares what you read it on. Matilda read the phone book and look how cool she is and non judgey.
ReplyDeleteThat review of Love Actually is actually pure genius.
I don't really have to worry about the family disapproval thing anymore, but I just loooove that I can be thinking about a book and then have it in my arms (ok, like, hand?) mere seconds later! That's probably not a good thing to have, if we're honest, but that's the way the world is these days.
DeleteI love it so much. SO SO MUCH.
I still don't have an e-reader, though I'm getting a smartphone soon, so I'll probably try downloading a book or two on that for when I'm standing in line at the supermarket and stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think you should name your kindle after Alexander Skarsgard. :D
I second this
DeleteOooooh. Ooooh. Now you're talking. But is he very bookish? Maybe I should call it Eric...
DeleteI feel the same way as you when it comes to my Kindle. I heart it and I've actually been reading a lot more on it since Thanksgiving first because of travel, later because of laziness. I sometimes feel guilty reading books on there instead of the books that are sitting around the house except I don't usually have THAT many actual books sitting around, so it's OK. I love that it's easy to carry a billion books with me at any given point and if I finish a book on my Kindle I can go back and reread something that's on there (Moranthology, hello there).
ReplyDeleteI love that Love Actually review. I've read it 3 times so far and each time I'm like MOAR YES. Ugh I want to like the movie but it's just so creepy. Especially the Andrew Lincoln/Kiera Knightly storyline because WTF that's not romantic that's creepy and stalkery.
I feel like you're a fairly healthy person when it comes to books, as in you buy them as you read them. DON'T EVER STOP DOING THAT, ALLEY. I do love the carrying books that you love around with you though- I have a paperback of Attachments, but it was 99p on the Kindle one day and OF COURSE I bought that, because Attachments!
DeleteYou do not want to love Love Actually, Alley. Just, no. And YES! That is absolutely the storyline that bothers me the most ever. Ever ever. I just... NO!
I do want to love Love Actually. I just want it to be a different movie first.
DeleteI think that storyline is the worst one cos you pretty much can't defend it. Even the others, which are still hugely problematic, you can be like "Oh Firth and lady-that-doesn't-speak-English don't need to speak because their love transcends language" or some BS. But that Lincoln/Knightly storyline you can just go "umm, yes, well I'm sure she called the cops after he showed up at the door with those weird signs" because really, so creepy.
I LOVE my kindle but I like you I feel too guilty to read anything off it, as I have so many unread real books already waiting for me. I try to keep telling myself that there's no such thing as having too many books.
ReplyDeleteHaha, well there is always that logic. I don't necessarily think there's such a thing as too many books, but I think there is a saturation point, after which I start going '... How the fuck am I going to read all these books?' I'm kind of there already, too. :s
DeleteThe (almost) entire purpose of my Kindle is really to carry the digital ARC's I'll get as part of my job as a teen librarian. Other than that, I'm paper crazy. A paper nut. BRING ON ALL THE PAPER. Because, well, that's what I have about 1,000 times more of in my house, and I too get the reader-guilts that come with owning so many 'real' books while also having so many digital copies.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I suggest the following names for your lovely, tolerated digital reader:
Benedict. Ronald. McGinty. Travers. Bates.
Any and all character names originating in the fandoms of Dr. Who, Sherlock, or Jane Austen.
Steven.
Boo, Kindle! But I still love you and hope we can be friends. We can still be friends, right?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I kinda love Love Actually. I mean, I also have big problems with it. What is it with Colin Firth and the Portuguese woman? That's totally creepy. But the Alan RIckman/Emma Thompson storyline breaks my heart AND I love the little boy and the Liam Neeson storyline. And when Hugh Grant dances? And you KNOW there was more than one lobster present at the nativity.
Never mind me. I'm trying to cram an entire month's worth of blog reading into my evening tonight. I've got a LOT of cathing up to do. But I hope you had a lovely Christmas and please say we can still be internet besties.