As an author, I hesitate to tell anyone that I own a Kindle, the electronic device from amazon.com. Blogging about it, especially on a site where authors, booksellers and readers abound, makes me more than a bit nervous. I hate to open up a Pandora’s box of controversy here, but then again, isn’t making the reader feel something – even it it’s rage – the mark of a good blog post? So, deep breath, here goes…

First, let me explain: I got my Kindle as a gift from my husband and three sons. In a way, that was good, because although I’d secretly coveted the Kindle, I never would have bought one on my own. I’d heard more than one bookseller voice their passionate disdain for the Kindle. Authors need booksellers. They especially need booksellers that like them. What would they think if they learned that I was a closet Kindler?

I want to feel good about having a device that lets me download books, magazines, newspapers, and yes, even blogs, in less than a minute’s time, anywhere I can get a wireless connection. It’s a word junkie’s dream, to get a reading fix at any time of the day or night.

But instead, I feel guilty. I wondered if other authors who own Kindles have similar struggles. I did an Internet search, and came across some well-known authors who had nothing but good things to say about their Kindles. I decided that if the likes of Toni Morrison, Neil Gaiman, and David Sedaris, have publicly declared their love for Kindle, a less-than-famous author like myself should feel no shame.

In my Internet surf, I did come across a list of “10 Things to Hate About the Kindle.” The writer of this post came up with nine reasons of his own, leaving the tenth for the reader to add his or her personal rant.

Some of the items on this list do have some validity, such as the fact that the Kindle has a battery that has to be charged. Books have no batteries and thus will never leave you hanging when the juice runs out.

Also, if you have a bookcase to fill, you’ll have a hard time doing so if you buy a Kindle, since the device holds about 1,500 full-length books within its little electronic book “cover.”
The writer of the “10 Things to Hate” bemoans the fact that the Kindle makes his eclectic collection of bookmarks obsolete. It’s true; traditional bookmarks can’t be used with a Kindle. But the Kindle has a built-in bookmark. In fact, you can even “turn down” the corner of a page, just like in a real book, and you can turn the pages – both forward and backward, with the push of a button. And if you come across a word you’re not familiar with, you just highlight it to get the definition.

No, you won’t, as the Kindle “hater” wrote, attract the attention of a good-looking stranger who has spotted the cover of the book you’re reading. However, you’re just as likely to catch the eye of a good-looking stranger who is curious about your Kindle. People who carry novels around aren’t a novelty. People with Kindles, for now, anyway, are novel. Think of reading a Kindle in public as the equivalent of walking a cute puppy.

Okay, so I’m getting more comfortable with ”coming out” about my relationship with a Kindle. It’s not the same as holding a regular book in my hands, riffling through the pages and inhaling that intoxicating new-book smell. It never will be the same. I’m okay with that. Having a Kindle means I actually sit down and read one book at a time, versus cherry-picking through the pile of books gathering dust next to my bed. And when I travel, instead of loading down my backpack with more books than the average reader could read in a month, let alone a weekend, I can pack all I need to read in 13 ounces of electronic reading device.

I’ve found that when I invest my hard-earned money downloading a book for my Kindle, I’m much more selective. Which means I’m much more likely to finish that book before buying another.

I’ll never give up going to bookstores or buying books and magazines that aren’t available on the Kindle versions. But I see no reason why traditional books and techno books can’t sit side-by-side on my nightstand. The way I look at it, I’ll still have plenty of room for my coffee cup and reading glasses.