So yes, it’s official. I’m a member of the 21st century. Less than a month after I read my first e-book (Emma Donoghue’s Room, on Min’s iPad), I am the proud owner of a Kindle. Since this was my tenth anniversary present, I’m assuming that Min hopes I’ll stare at the Kindle and ignore him for the next ten years. (Or maybe he didn’t thoroughly consider the ramifications of his gift.)

After a week or so of use, I’d say this machine is pretty darn impressive. For the first few minutes after taking it out of the box, I tried to peel the sticker text off the screen. Except, it wouldn’t peel. So, I flicked the power button, and it turned out… that’s what the screen looks like. It doesn’t look like a screen at all. AT ALL. It looks like print.

Kindle Pros, thus far:
It’s light.
It fits in my purse.
I can get a book at the drop of a hat, or at the mention of an author on CBC.
It has a (lame, but useful) browser, so I can download old books for free.
The battery lasts forever.

Kindle Cons, thus far:
It doesn’t have a backlit option, so I can’t read it in the dark when Min’s sleeping.
I can get a book at the drop of a hat, or the mention of an author on CBC, which may double my book expenditures.
It’s not compatible with the library’s e-books.
It creates all sorts of widows and orphans and text flub-ups which, as an ex-typesetter, I find highly noticeable.

Overall, though, it’s pretty darn cool. I’m hooked. Now, if only they could make the Kindle smell like a new book.