However, when I opened the cover of my Kindle – I received a terrible surprise. My screen was cracked, and the words of the last page read mingled with the face of Mark Twain in a strange impressionist e-painting of sorts.
My eyes felt wide as I stared at the horror. As if by magic, little droplets of water began bouncing off the screen, making the image even more surreal. Eventually, I realized these beads were my tears. Sobbing, I realized just how important the Kindle was to me, my trip, and my happiness.
Within one week, I’d replaced it and devoured 1Q84. Since then, my Kindle (that I’ve named Kindy) and I have been inseparable.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a paperback book as much as the next nerdy girl. There’s no arguing the romance of flipping the pages of a well loved book, feeling the texture brush past your fingers while inhaling the (hopefully pleasant) scent of owners past.
Cigarette smoke, coffee stains and old ink mingle to create an obscure picture of where the tale has traveled. What is as wonderfully mysterious as imagining the possibilities of the people who read and loved the words before you?
Not breaking your back – that’s what!
Save Your Spine
If you’re a voracious reader on a long journey, you will no doubt be flying through several thousand pages. It’s simply impractical to carry enough material to satiate your literary hunger. Sure, you can rely on hostel book swaps – but often times the dime store romance novels are all that’s left on the shelf.
It’s your vacation – do you want to spend it reading mediocre literature or making your way through your book list?
No Bringers Remorse
Just in case you have no time for reading, you wont regret / loathe your decision to bring an assortment of options. How many times have you drug along a lovely book, only to be weighed down by it for the entire trip and wind up giving it away or leaving it on a dusty hostel bookshelf? Exactly.
Bite The Bullet
It took me quite some time to be convinced that I 1) should spend $100 on a book 2) would enjoy reading on a digital screen, and if you’re facing these same obstacles before buying a Kindle – I have to tell you, you won’t regret it!
Long-haul transportation is a breeze with a veritable library at your fingertips, and these bad boys can last up to a month without needing a charge. That means you’re able to read what you want, when you want. Is there anything better than that?
Yes, there is- reading yours truly on Kindle! Last week, Passports and Panties – my first ebook on solo female travel – became available for purchase on Amazon. When I downloaded my copy, and saw my own name on a for-real book cover, I was once again bathing Kindy in girl tears.
Thank you all – so much – for the continued support, readership, friendship, and for making this possible. I’m honored, humbled, and going to stop there before we get to a third crying over Kindle.
'How My Kindle Made Me Cry… Twice' have 5 comments
May 14, 2013 @ 1:35 pm Heather
I expected this to be a sad post, but it turned out to be a happy one! I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Kindle, and for traveling I totally agree about the ‘bringers remorse’. I am frequently guilty of this, but I’m trying to improve (ie replace with ‘didn’t-bring-it-but-oh-well-I’ll-survive remorse’). Congratulations on publishing your book!
May 15, 2013 @ 6:20 am brandy bell
thank you, Heather! “Surviver’s Remorse” sounds like a much better plan — plus, necessity is the mother of invention, so you’re usually able to work something out.
Ps, just love slam poetry – awesome post!
May 15, 2013 @ 9:25 pm Heather
HWe’ll rename ‘survivors remorese’ to ‘survivors ingenuity’. 🙂 And hey, thanks for checking out the slam poetry!
May 15, 2013 @ 7:41 am Talon
I adore my Kindle. One of the absolute best purchases I’ve ever made. And I love that I can access my books on multiple devices.
May 15, 2013 @ 8:42 am Cat of Sunshine and Siestas
I said the same, that I’d never get a kindle because I loved books too much to stare at a screen anymore than I have to. Then I found that English books are hard to find in Seville at a decent price, and the selection even at the Corte Ingles are slim. Plus, it’s much easier to read a Kindle at the gym than a paperback!