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"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe" ~ Neil Gaiman (A Game of You)

4.13.2011

Kris Kindle

It was December 1989, our first Christmas as a married couple. I woke up Christmas morning to find a big box wrapped for me. Just one. Inside were about fifteen music CDs lovingly picked out by my husband. An avid audiophile, he was so excited, sure he had found the perfect gift.

Well. I come from a family of eight children, and each year, my mother gave each child ten gifts for Christmas. We were poor (although I didn't know it then), so the gifts were never expensive – she'd wrap a box of crayons for one gift, and a coloring book for another. But it was so exciting to go downstairs and see the piles of gifts overflowing from the tree. It was our one day of luxury, and to me it meant love.

I didn't show my disappointment, although we did discuss it later. He learned to wrap my gifts individually. I learned that if there was something I really wanted for Christmas, I should probably tell him. Many times I'll even buy it myself. (Look, honey, here's the camera you bought me. It's perfect! Thanks. Mwah!)

So, this Christmas, I received … a Kindle! (It's perfect, honey, thanks! Mwah!)

It has been a fantastic gift. I love that I can read tons of classics for free. (Hello, complete works of Jane Austen and Shakespeare.) I can buy newly released books for less than the hard back price. And there is a plethora of literature out there for – get this – only 99 cents!





And that's where I'm having the most fun. I've been able to discover so many new authors this way. Cathryn Grant, Tanya Parker Mills, Daron Fraley. Amanda Hocking, Eric Krause, K.M. Weiland, Richard Mabry, and Jennifer Donnelly. I can't wait to go mining to see who else I can discover. It's like Christmas never ends.

What about you? Are you an e-reader convert? Have you joined the e-book revolution?

11 comments:

Donna K. Weaver said...

Great story, Shelli.

My poor hubby has a pretty bad record for gift giving to me--like the year he gave me legos for Christmas. See, he likes legos. Or the year I got Alabama's Greatest Hits 3-CD set. See, he likes Alabama. I yelled at him that year and gave him the CDs back, and the kids have teased him about it for years. It's just the way his mind works. If he likes it, I will. Um ... But he's learning. The last couple of years have been great. We've been married 27 years. =D

I have a Nook and love it, but I will confess that recently I downloaded the first book in a series and paid $6.99 for it. They wanted $11.99 for the second book. I checked on amazon and could get it for $10.00. By ordering two others books by that author I'd have gotten anyway, I got free shipping and saved money. They have to watch out for that. Besides, I lend my books out a lot. I can't always lend my ebooks.

Shelli said...

Donna, it must be a man thing, because that's exactly how my husband's mind works, too. Mine is learning too. And we've been married 22 years. :)

Mercy said...

I dont think I have to say it, but I will.I love my kindle!! I just got a hot pink leather case (with a reading light that is powered by the kindle) and a pink gingham check skin for it, its so beautiful. Heheee.
I used to think my ipod was the love of my life, and while I do love it to death, my kindle is my soul mate.

K.C. Woolf said...

I love my Kindle. It carry it with me wherever I go. It's helped me discover a lot of new authors so far.

I still buy paper copies of the books I know I'll want to read again or lend to friends, but the bigger part of my reading happens on the Kindle.

Renee said...

I have not joined the e-world but have thought about it a lot.....love love love to read and it would save money...

Laura Pauling said...

As you know - yes I have! I got my Kindle right before Christmas! Love it so far. :)

Shelli said...

Mercy -- I wish I had gone with pink! I thought I would like orange, but I don't. Mine has a light, too, which I love!

KC -- I'd love to know which authors you've discovered. We could compare notes. :)

Renee -- I think you'd like it, especially with all the free classics.

Laura -- I agree with you on some of the negatives, though. Paper or plastic -- we can have both!

ali cross said...

Awesome! So cool to post the links to the books you like :)

I don't have a Kindle, but I do have a Kindle app on my iPhone! Love being able to have access to books at the drop of a hat.

jkraus8464 said...

I got a kindle as a gift last Christmas from a family I tutor for. I love it I brought the cover, now it feels like a book and the light so I can read in bed and I love it. Unfortunately I have been so busy blogging I have not opened it in a month. WIll get back to it.

Angela said...

I'm too chicken to join the ereader trend. Afraid I'll never stop reading if I do.

Shelli said...

Ali, thanks, I hope you check them out!

Jeanne -- I read my book in bed every night before falling asleep. I have the case with the reading light, too, so I don't have to get out of bed to turn the light off!

Angela -- Ah, there are worse fates! :)