This momentous change is coming about as I pack for a nearly two week vacation. After counting out shirts and underwear, and making room for the laptop and all my prescriptions, there is no room for books in my one checked bag and backpack carry on. The iPad, however, takes up very little space. So instead of cramming in two or three paper volumes, I'm downloading enough reading to keep me occupied for several months.
I can't travel without something to read. If I don't have enough to read, I get very anxious. I have to keep my mind occupied. God forbid I should be alone with my thoughts. You never know when you'll be stuck in some airport terminal for hours or waiting for your companion to be seen in the emergency room. Reading a big fat novel can make that time more bearable.
Why did I wait so long to take advantage of electronic literature?
I'm not a Luddite. I enjoy technology. I depend on a computer and a smart phone, and I love my DVR.
Some people claim to prefer the smell of paper and the feel of a turning page, the holding of a solid book in their hand. I'm not one of those.
Don't get me wrong. I love books. I read them all the time. But most of the time, I borrow them from the public library.
I'm a big fan of the public library. If you want something that they don't have, they will borrow it from another library. And the library is free to everyone.
Free.
Even though they are less expensive than hardcover, electronic books still cost money, generally speaking.
And I am cheap. I am so cheap that I have read mostly only library books for years. I've read mysteries, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and best sellers without spending a dime.
I understand the library even has a way for ,me to borrow electronic books. I don't know how that works, but it's worth looking into.
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