124/265: In love with a Kindle

I am beyond excited. My new Amazon Kindle DX has arrived, hopefully giving me freedom from taking at least 10 books (thick ones too) on holiday.

I didn't open it immediately but eyed the parcel from Amazon US with some suspicion. As we girls know, opening a new gadget is often fraught with problems. However, the Kindle is simplicity itself. Honestly.

I started charging it and as if by magic, instructions appeared on the screen. I was already registered with my usual Amazon account, and the wireless (I think it's 3G actually) was, well, just there. It didn't need configuring. I was able to order my first ebook right away. It was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. J has just read this but his copy has been read by several people and it was a little too battered for me. It cost just over five dollars which compares very favourably to what it would cost in the UK.

According to Which, the Kindle and the Sony eReader are level pegging. I chose the Kindle because I wanted a larger size (the DX is 9 inches and very thin, similar to holding a light hard back book.) And also because it's so easy to buy with Amazon One Click. Too easy in fact because when I placed my order, I was horrified to discover I had ordered two Kindles, having put one in my shopping basket a while ago. I couldn't change or cancel the order either, but fortunately Amazon's Kindle support team were very helpful and amended the order.

I am very pleased with my purchase. How handsome it looks in its classy leather wallet!

And think of all the extra clothes I can now take to Rhodes, without lugging all those books around.

I don't think an eReader will ever take away the joy of opening a pristine new book but for a voracious reader like me it makes sense. I accumulate  too many books, even though I give lots away. I used to use Read It Swap It a lot but the problem is that you give away a book and get sent another in return. Charity shops often won't take books and the nearest Oxfam book shop to me is in Marylebone, which, if I was taking a large number of books, which mean a car trip to central London (ugh!) with parking costs and the congestion charge. There's a big opportunity up for grabs for charity shops, as I read that second-hand book sales are on the increase. Why not create drop-off points or organise pick-ups?