Carrie Fisher Can Wait but I Need a Quick Fix Read

There was a rush on Carrie Fisher books at the Denver Public Library. I was something like number 67 on a list of 110 who had requested Postcards From the Edge and Wishful Drinking. It seems the unexpected death of the  actress and writer, spokesperson for people with addictions and mental health problems, and daughter of Debbie Reynolds, had stimulated many patrons to want to read her caustic, insightful humor.

I've gotten into the habit of reserving books online at the library. I choose a book and I go to the DPL web site to see if they have it. If they do, I click a button to put it on hold. If and/or when it's available, they send it over to my local branch and I go to pick it up. It's a great service.

Why don't I buy the book, you ask? Are you kidding? Why would I spend money on something I can read for free?

I may splurge on travel and eating out, but when it comes to reading material, I'm cheap. The only time I buy books is if I read them over and over again (like Dorothy Sayers's Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane mysteries) or if I like a library book so much that I want to give it to someone.

You can even borrow electronic books from the library. It's a lot easier to carry around 10 books in a back pack if they are digitally packed into a Kindle.

The point is, I like to read. When I don't focus my brain on the flickering images of that 46 inch screen in the living room, or a smaller screen on my lap or in my hand (or, I suppose, when I'm not reluctantly interacting with the real world), I stare at symbols on a page which mystically transform into complex ideas that transport my mind to other places and thoughts.

I never go anywhere without a book. It's impossible to predict when the car is going to break down or I'm going to have to take someone to the emergency room - either instance requiring me to sit for hours in an uncomfortable waiting area surrounded by other unfortunate people with a television in the corner blaring sports.

If I'm at lunch alone in a cafeteria or restaurant, I have to have a book. Other people just look at their smart phones while they eat. That would only keep me occupied for about a minute. I don't get that many emails.

The thought of a long flight, or even sitting at the airport gate waiting to board, is unbearable if I don't have reading material while I'm waiting.

It probably has something to do with ADHD. If I don't have something to focus on, my mind goes flying all over the place. I'm sure Carrie Fisher would understand.

Should I buy an e-reader?

When it comes to technology, I'm no slouch, but I'm also not the first on my block to try the newest electronic anything. I didn't get cable until about 20 years after everyone else and that was only basic. My phone is only of reasonable intelligence (it's not smart, in other words), and I don't have an iPad. I do have an iPod, but it's big and clunky compared to the kind they make now. I only just got digital TV and blue ray. I still don't know what blue ray is, but I have it.

One area where I'm decidedly low tech is the books I read: traditional paper bound volumes. I should get some tech credit for searching for and reserving books from the public library on line. But I still cart around one to three heavy tomes in my back pack on any given day.

I always have a book with me. I'm terrified of being someplace where I have to sit with nothing to read. What if I take someone to the dentist and have to wait? What if my car breaks down and I have to sit in a garage for hours? What if the electricity goes off and I can't watch TV or go on the net?

Naturally I've noticed the growing popularity of electronic reading. Kindle and Nook readers are everywhere and people swear by them. So I'm starting to consider getting one.

The advantages are obvious: carrying around multiple books without being weighed down, downloading books practically anywhere you can connect wirelessly, lower cost per book, and the availability of newspapers and other reading material.

Of course one must consider the downside: I would surely drop and break an ereader and the cost per book is still more than the library, which is free.

But the biggest argument against it for me is this: If you have a Kindle, you must buy all your books from Amazon and if you have a Nook, you have to buy all your books from Barnes and Noble. I'd rather buy books from a local independent bookseller such as The Tattered Cover (three metro Denver locations). I think you can buy from TC using a non-affiliated ereader, but see, it's starting to sound pretty complicated.

A lot of people say they'd rather feel the weight of the book in their hand and turn the paper pages. That's not me. I'd be fine not having to turn the page of a book only to discover a ketchup smear from a long forgotten fast food lunch.

Many people pride themselves on having book covered walls, in owning millions of books. I used to collect books, but found that they collect, in turn, dust.

I imagine I'll eventually make the leap to paperless reading. It just takes me longer than some. And once I figure out how to download material from the Tattered Cover, I'll be more than half way there.