Tag Archives: Fancy That!

Bookish Talk

Fancy That! I’m a Traitor! (didn’t mean to be)

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Okay, so you know how I got a Kindle for Mother’s Day? I didn’t say too much about it because I was speechless and not able to fully express its awesomeness. I did all my research and when The Hub asked me which e-reader I preferred, I went back and forth between the Kindle and the Nook.

BUT, when Kindle announced file organization and Facebook and Twitter integration with its 2.5 upgrade (which still hasn’t downloaded by the way), I decided to go with the Kindle. Plus, to be honest with you, I just liked the clean lines of the Kindle over the Nook. It fits better in my hand, and just seems to fit me better.

What I didn’t consider was this…

…that I would be betraying my beloved Barnes and Noble.  Yep, I am a traitor.

Now, I get that most of these devices are proprietary in nature and I knew that choosing the Kindle over the Nook would mean doing business with Amazon, but what I didn’t consider was the “pretty” factor. In between my long hours at work (definitely not during work, ahem) I like to browse B&N’s website. Their e-book site is so much easier to navigate and much prettier than Amazon’s e-book site (my opinion).

Now don’t get me wrong, my purchases are done wirelessly. I don’t purchase online and then sync up later, although I know that you can do that. BUT, I didn’t realize how much I would miss browsing B&N’s site. Also, when visiting a B&N store, I feel like a bit of a loser. Everyone is walking around with their Nooks looking cool and I am Nook-less. This is an entirely strange feeling for me because I LOVE my Kindle. Even with all this loser angst I am experiencing, I still wouldn’t trade my Kindle for a Nook.

So what am I saying? I am sorry Barnes and Noble. I didn’t buy your Nook, but I LOVE your website and still shop in your brick and mortar store. I can hope that Amazon does something with their site to pretty it up a bit. Visually, it’s BLAH. Do you hear me Amazon? Do something with the Kindle Books section, please!

Amazon

Amazon Kindle Book Section

Versus…

B&N

B&N Ebook Section

So if you are in the market for an e-reader, consider your shopping habits too. Where do you purchase your regular books from? Are you loyal to a particular store? Browse each site’s e-book section and see which one you like best. For now, I am happy to browse one site and buy from the other, but it’s still a bit weird for me.

Bookish Talk

Fancy That! I Married a Non-Reader

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I don’t know how it happened, but I married a non-reader. This was years ago but at the time, it didn’t occur to me that he was a non-reader. I sometimes wonder how it could have slipped by me because reading has been a part of my life since I was a small child. How in the world could I have married a man who HATES to read? I know that hate is a strong word, but that is the word he uses to describe the act.

For years, I’ve pushed books his way. He loves history and documentaries that have anything to do with sunken ships and the ocean in general. With this in mind, I’ve put books into his hands that might fit the bill, but as soon as he sees a book his eyes glaze over. Don’t get me wrong, he tries, but once he sets the book down, it stays down. I’ve pretty much given up.

I suppose it’s good that one of us is a non-reader, in that, when I get into a reading jag (and that is what I call it), someone has to feed the kids, get them dressed, etc. So perhaps there is balance there, yet it’s just not readily visible. It does peeve me sometimes when he gives me “the eye” over reading “too much.” To him, it’s too much. To me, it’s never enough.

I suspect this is one of the main reasons I started this blog. When you read a particularly good book, you want to talk about it, share it with the world, etc. Here, I know that I am in the company of others like me. No one gives me the eye for gushing about a book. No one questions the time I spend reading. You all get me, and I in turn, get you.

It’s a beautiful thing.

I do wish sometimes I could find that one book to turn him around but I’ve accepted that it’s just not his thing. Apparently, it’s not my son’s thing either ( I haven’t given up on him though), but my daughter makes up for it. Thank goodness she is a reader or I’d be completely out-numbered.

Do you live in a household like this?