By BEB Bookette Carmen Shirkey
It’s my first post as a Bookette! I feel like I should do high leg kicks or something!
As the Travel Bookette, I’ll be writing about travel, books, books about travel, traveling with books – well, you get the idea.
For my first post, I thought I’d tell you about my most recent travel hallelujah moment.
I spend a lot of time on airplanes. Mostly, I hate flying, but the best part about being trapped on a plane is the uninterrupted book reading time. However, with luggage fees putting a premium on carry-on space, it’s hard to decide between a 600-page mystery and a cute pair of shoes. Which do I take?!
After being the only holdout among the Mac enthusiasts to get an iPhone, I recently decided to suck it up about the data fees and get one. 
Soon after, a download of the Kindle app followed. I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Could I really read a book on a screen this size?
The answer, I’m happy to report, is yes. On a recent trip to Las Vegas (a favorite city, and possibly my travel Mecca, which I’m sure you’ll tire of hearing about) I downloaded a Lilian Jackson Braun “The Cat Who” mystery. (It was “The Cat Who Played Post Office.”)
The book itself was mildly entertaining, but the format in which I was reading it was fascinating! I didn’t have to make room for a book! It was hand-held, it was small-screen and my thumb did a lot of page turning, but it was a really nice alternative to holding a book – at least on an airplane.
The Mac geek in me would now like to upgrade my e-reader to an iPad, but no matter your platform, I’m looking to create an army of e-reader travelers to go roam around the world!
(Though, I will admit for home reading, I still appreciate the tactile experience of the feel and smell of a book.)
Do you use an e-reader? What’s your e-reader of choice? What’s on your e-reader reading list?
Great post!
I’m a reluctant e-reader convert myself. I’m a PC girl but I recently picked up the 32gb iPod touch and have found that it’s great for internet on the fly and for reading books! I first read “the Help” via the Kindle app and have downloaded a few other titles.
The only complaint I have on it is the battery life; so it would seem that there may be a Kindle (or dare I say iPad?) in my future after all!
Mari, if you buy an iPad, I may have to buy one in solidarity.
I do not use a e-reader. Yes, I am too reluctant, but I am also a starving artist. Your article made it sound fascinating though. Therefore, if I were to get one, it would be the Kindle. I would put some David Baldacci, John Grisham, and some of my friend’s books on it.
Rekaya, I went into the e-reader kicking and screaming, but was impressed. You may just have to succumb to the pressure.
Great stuff. Kindle app on my iPod Touch and Blackberry sync up nicely. Really helps to always have the book I’m reading.
Thanks Steve! I haven’t sync’ed with my iTouch yet, I’ll have to try that.
Carmen,
I was skeptical about e-readers, too – the devices, not the people – but I first tried reading a book on the iPhone last year and I liked that you could size the text, but did tire of having to change the pages so often that way.
Now I have an iPad and have already read four books on it in just a couple of weeks so it’s definitely DANGEROUS for my budget but great for the book industry. (I read that 5 million books have been downloaded from the iBookstore so far.)
On my iPad I use both the iBook store as well as the kindle store. I love being able to bookmark and highlight text and soon I’m sure I’ll be taking notes in the books, too.
Too cool, really.
I’m going on a train soon so I’m hoping to read LIFE AFTER YES, a June Top Pick, and finish SLIM TO NONE, both on my iPad.
Thanks for being a Bookette!
I get headaches when I stare at my iPhone for too long, so I’m not sure I’m ready to try the Kindle app, but I’m very intrigued by the iPad’s e-reader capabilities. Thanks for posting about this — you really got me thinking.
I received a pink Sony ereader for Mother’s Day and I love it.
Ooh, Heather, a pink reader?! I might have to convert to Sony!
I love both Kindle as well as iBooks (can’t wait to have it on the new iPhone as well) but I also am a big fan of reading blogs using Google Reader. The app I use on my iPhone & iPad is NewsRack (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/newsrack/id288815275?mt=8) which makes keeping up with the multitude of blogs that I follow a breeze. It supports folders so I can organize the blogs by topic as well. Love the post…look forward to hearing more of your travel suggestions. I’m a huge Bill Bryson fan.
Malena, I have iPad envy now.
Sonia – just say no to headaches.
But an e-reader, maybe!
Heather – ooh a *pink* e-reader. Cool.
Elizabeth – thanks for the app suggestion. I’m on it! And I can assure you, there’s a Bill Bryson post in this brain somewhere.
Maybe I can live up to the bar he’s set? We’ll see!
Carmen,
Can’t wait to read more of your destination posts. I’m going to sit here in my weenie dog PJs and live vicariously through you till my children are older and I can travel more.
Though I’d love to have an e-reader for the convenience, for me, nothing will ever compare to holding a book and turning pages. I think there’s room in my life for both though.
Heather – PINK? OMG! Want!
I love Vegas! We go at least once a year. Should I admit that here? And I no longer take 5 or 6 books with me (I never know what I’ll be in the mood to read). I take my kindle and 1 paperback for when they tell us to power down our electronics. What on earth do the people who don’t read do?
Dani, e-reader for me only when traveling. I like the *smell* of books, you know?
Jamie, fellow Vegas-lover, I’m usually there once a year too, at least. This year, maybe twice?