Why I Enjoy My Kindle

So I’ve tried and tried to figure out how to talk about my Kindle in a healthy, frugal way. Not sure if I’ve nailed it, but here goes.

A couple of months ago I casually mentioned to my husband that I thought a Kindle might be nice to own. I wasn’t even sure how much I would like to read from one, but I had been watching my daughter using hers and thought there might be some benefits. A couple of weeks later as I was getting into our van there was a package on my seat. It turns out that my oh-so-sweet husband who loves to surprise me had bought me a Kindle! It is a new model called a Kindle Paperwhite. Wow! Let me just say I. love. my. Kindle! I cannot believe how much I use this little device. You see I have a confession – I am addicted to reading. I have been ever since I learned many years ago. Not only that I have to have muliple books on the go at once to match whatever mood I’m in at the moment. The beauty of the Kindle is that I can have these books all in one place, and even better Kindle remembers exactly where I stopped so I don’t have to try to remember various page numbers anymore.

I’ve been able to download most of my books for free thanks to this web site. I’ve downloaded quite a few children’s books which have already proved useful to keep a restless toddler happy or give a tween something to read on a long car ride when I wasn’t using my Kindle.

Another thing I love about my Kindle is that due to its light I can read in the dark. My husband like to go to sleep listening to the radio. I prefer to read myself to sleep, but haven’t been able to for a long time (read “since I married”). Now I can! Although I have to admit that I’ve only done this two or three times so far since the honest truth is is that most nights I fall into bed and fall asleep almost instantly. Eight children have a way of helping you go to bed tired.  But I can use it in the car at night.

I like being able to slip one small device into my diaper bag and know that I have a book for almost any mood that might strike me while I’m out if I find myself with a few minutes to read. A lot of my reading these days (read “since I’ve had children”) is done on the run. I rarely have time to sit for an hour and read like I did before I had children. In spite of that I read dozens of books a year by reading in five to ten minute segments here and there. Kindle has just made that easier.

I’ve also been able to exercise my sewing skills by making a cover for the Kindle. It works pretty well, but the wheels are already turning in my head for how I can make another one that would be better AND have a spot to keep the charging cord.

So thank you, Hugo, for making my life easier and more pleasant. And if any of you are thinking about getting a Kindle I would say go for it. I still enjoy reading “real” books, but I’m also using my Kindle every day. So I would say that Kindle has been a healthy choice because it saves my brain space for remembering other, more important things. It saves me time by always being readily available. It has saved me money – I’ve read lots of books for free. It has given me a fun thing to do with my toddler when he’s restless, and I have to keep him quiet.