To Nook or not to Nook?

That is the question.

I am dealing with Christmas git lists this morning, because I adore lining up the shopping trip, getting the gifts, wrapping them all pretty, putting them under the tree, and especially watching my family open them. There’s an old cliché that says, “The joy is in the giving.” It’s not cliché to me.

Of course, getting the git lists from my family also entails the giving of my git list to them — especially to the Thriller. Are you reading me today, Lambikins? I ask because reading is on the menu this morning. E-reading, that is.

Do I want a Nook? You know…I think I do.

Now, ye purists, hold thy steeds. Before you stop reading to click on “Add Your Comment,” let me say that I adore books. Books on the shelf, I mean — the ones made of paper and cardboard and cloth. I have a huge collection of them, many of which I’ll keep forever to pass on to my grandchildren. However, there are times when I’m in a place (riding in the car, in a hotel, in a restaurant while traveling, waiting after school for evening rehearsals to start, etc.) when I think it would be nice to have a selection of stuff to read, without having to have schlepped it all into a bag before leaving. Or maybe I’m in a place where I don’t want to drag a book bag around.

I think it just might be the best of both worlds, this Nook.

Now, I can hear my dad (and some of my friends, probably) saying, “We never had Nooks. We carried our books around and actually opened them and turned the pages and felt the paper.” I know, I know. And sometimes it’s fun to be a bit of a purist. I’m a pedantic schoolmarm on Church Latin and English vowel production (in rehearsals), spelling, some areas of grammar/usage, and certain store brands. Gotta have the real thing in its most pristine form. But books on an e-reader? I think it’s a great idea as an auxiliary tool. Bring it on.

I will always buy books for myself and for others. But having a little white frame containing over a million titles for books, mags and newspapers that I can carry around in my purse with me? That also sounds like fun.

There. I think I pretty much talked myself into it, ja?

:-)

What do you think of the Nook? I’d probably go for it over Amazon’s Kindle reader because of the Wi-Fi and the capability of sharing books with friends.

OK. Time to get started — Mavis’s birthday feast is today and the food isn’t going to cook its own self. If only they had an e-cooker. Shazam!

FO

PS – I positively, absolutely cannot come up with 400 more words for the thesis. I give up. I’m turning it in on Tuesday as-is.

15 thoughts on “To Nook or not to Nook?

  1. Suzanne

    I think it’s a wonderful choice!! I would like to have one of these, too. The idea of having several reading choices in one little machine is very nice indeed.

    I could probably research this myself but it’s more fun to ask you–with a Nook can you increase font-size? My reading has decreased dramatically over the years because I can’t find a decent pair of reading glasses and reading is more of a chore as I try to focus in on the pages. If I had books on a Nook I might be able to have it in a larger font.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      Yes, it certainly does have a font-size changer! I hear you about the decreased reading capacity…I wear contact lenses and I *still* have to use readers because I need bifocals. UGH. Got some new contacts that have the bf built in, but the jury’s still out on them, in spite of my really liking them at first.

      I agree about the convenience of the Nook. I like it, and the size is perfect for most purses. I say H should buy you one for Sinterklaas!

      Reply
  2. Kristen

    I’m not really a fan of e-reading myself and I doubt I’ll be getting a nook or kindle any time soon, but as long as you stay away from books on tape, that’s fine with me. The whole concept of someone claiming they “read a book” by having someone else read it to them bothers me to no end.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      I know you’re not a fan of it — and I promise not to get any books on tape, but I know people who drive a lot for a living who really like them. Not for me, though. I want to read stories in my own voice at my own pace. Don’t need reader’s theater!

      Reply
  3. Krissy

    I would love to have a Nook! I love reading and anything that makes it more convenient for me to do so is on my shopping list.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      That’s kind of why I’d like one too, Kristina. If I really like a book, I’ll buy a hardcopy, but for my light reading, I think the Nook is a keeper.

      Reply
  4. Stein

    I wouldn’t like the Nook. Reading electronically bothers my eyes quite a bit. Given, I have no clue how reading the Nook would affect me, I am going to assume it is much the same as reading off of a computer screen. I much prefer reading paper without the wavering light or subtle changes in hue. I like the concept, but they need to have something that produces the actual paper for me to get into that idea.

    Reply
    1. Rat Fink Post author

      Hmmmmm. I did not know this one existed! Its screen is bigger (Nook is only 3.5″) and kind of looks like an iPod. Has adjustable font sizes, and can download more formats.

      Have you looked at cross-platform purchasing? Like, can you get books from B & N and Amazon as well as Google? Not that it would matter much, and I’m not even sure where Nook stands on that. This Sony thing is worth a looksee though! The price is certainly right.

      I checked the reviews on the Sony, and it looks like a big complaint is that it’s hard to read in the dark (something I would want to do). What bothered me most were the complaints about slow page turns and sticky operation. Does it have free WiFi?

      I’ll have to check it out more myself. Thanks for the heads-up! I didn’t know about the Sony.

      Reply

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