With a Tap of the Page

I will admit that I was against e-book readers. Nothing to me could replace the experience of reading a paperback that I could take anywhere.

Well, that was last month...

Last November I read an review for a series by Meg Cabot called The Mediator. Think of it like a teenage version of the Ghost Whisper with a little Buffy thrown in. I immediate put the first book on a suspended hold to come in when I was done with my final papers and exams. Well, when the book finally came in, I wasn't too excited to read it anymore. I let it sit on my pile of books waiting to be read. The day before a trip to my mother-in-laws for the Christmas, I read the book since I had nothing else to do that day. I was immediately hooked and super excited to read the rest of the series. I went to work the next day with the intention of grabbing the other books in the series. Yes, you see the problem coming, don't you?

My library only had the last two books in the series. It was Sunday. We were leaving for Jersey as soon as I was done with work.

Thankfully, my mother-in-law let me borrow her Kindle and purchase the next book from her Amazon account. I discovered that I am an even faster reader on an electronic device. My husband asked if I would like one for Christmas. My answer was no since being tech savvy (and cheap!), I already investigated to discover that not all of the e-books will be available in all formats from lending programs like Overdrive. I would hate to have a kindle or nook and the book I want to download not be available for that device.

Well, my husband is a tricky sort. All week he kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want a Kindle, cause it just seemed like something I would really enjoy. Christmas day, he handed me a box with the unsure comment "I really hope you like it and use it." I thought he had gone ahead and bought the Kindle anyway. Nope, it wasn't a Kindle and it wasn't a Nook.

As a Christmas/Graduation/10th Wedding Anniversary present I had just received an iPad (Let's just say I am owing for all the upcoming gift-giving holidays). Immediately, I downloaded the Kindle, Nook, and iBooks apps. I have not tested out the Kindle app, but I have downloaded free apps for the Nook and iBooks. (*note* Nook requires a credit card be on file even for the free downloads, iBooks doesn't.) I downloaded Last of the Mohicans to both. Nook had a copy from google e-books. The formatting was awful and I could barely make my way through even the first few pages. iBooks was much, much better. It even had the original illustrations that were part of our Picturing America Grant. I am not sure where they found their copy, but I was really happy with that one.

Okay, so I like instant gratification. But I still can't justify to my cheap self buying the book when I can get it for free from the library. Oh, well, at least it still fits in my purse. Now if only I could get it to connect to the free wi-fi...

;)