09.02.2012

Last Seen.... Learning to Love my Kindle —

It’s taken a while for me to get close to my Kindle. Nine months in fact. (Hopeless I know.) But now we’re good friends. Many people I meet are still shocked I have crossed to the dark side of e-books. So I thought I’d share my reasons why.

What I love

• It’s size, shape and weight. The fact that you can lie down and read and turn the pages with a click of a button.

• It’s great for travelling. You have a whole library in your handbag without adding any kilos to your luggage. And, it fits in all my handbags.

• I’m a serial reader. On a kindle I can be reading three or four books simultaneously depending on my mood.

• The downloads are instant. I don’t have to a) wait three weeks if I order online b) stop what I am doing to go and find the book I want.

• The books are cheaper: most are less than $5. Many of the classics are free.

• Having a kindle means I’m not a luddite, but a writer and reader who’s embraced the brave new world of e-publishing.

• I can highlight notes as I read rather than have all my books covered with mini-post-its.

• The fact the kindle isn’t backlit is an advantage: you don’t feel like you are reading from the screen which is kinder on the eyes.

What I don’t like

• Now, call me old fashioned, but the kindle doesn’t feel like a proper book. So while I use it for work-related books, where I tend to skim, if I want to savour a decent travel memoir then I need the real thing. (Funnily enough, someone told me recently that she’s the opposite. Now she skims paper backs but for a proper read, uses her kindle.)

• I daren’t use my kindle in the bath and that’s where I read all my favourite books.

• Lots of books I want aren’t available. But Last Seen in Lhasa is coming soon. I’ll keep you posted.

• I know many independent bookstores are closing down because of more people like me a) buying from Amazon b) no longer buying books.

And, now that I’ve got an i-Pad (more on that when I’ve mastered some decent writing apps) the kindle is already looking rather quaint and old-fashioned…

So, do you kindle?

For those in Sydney, my next weekend travel memoir workshop is now 25/26 February at the Sydney Writers Centre.

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