The day of opening presents has past and I got some pretty cool stuff. My husband spoiled me with mosquito netting for a family in Africa, I love the symbolic presents giving someone who really needs something a gift that could make a real difference in their life, he also bought me a peace pendant made by hand in Cambodia out of bomb shell casings by a collective of artists being paid a fair wage for their work and an Amazon Kindle. I support shopping locally but do appreciate the ease of shopping globally especially while living in a small town with a friendly post office staff and courier driver.
The Kindle falls into the technological gift category, over the years I’ve received a keyboard-the musical kind, a bread machine, a microwave, flashes and lens for my cameras, a remote started for my car and various other gadgets. I haven’t always been a gadget girl, in high school I called the computer a passing phase and didn’t really want to learn anything about the bulky, slow machines, I avoided the newly installed ATMs in favour of the face-to-face wicket and rarely even talked on the phone preferring the coffee shop as a place to meet up with friends and chat. I’ve come a long way and although sometimes I wish life were simpler I use technology constantly. I’d heard about Kindles in the past but they weren’t available in Canada so I waited and then I wanted. My newest toy is an electronic reader. It has what is called electronic paper and ink that displays electronically and was designed so it is easy to read even in sunlight.
One of its biggest drawbacks is that it doesn’t have a lot of choices by Canadian authors and although there are a few Canadian newspaper subscriptions available if you live outside of the U.S. you don’t get the images and photos. Ordering books, magazines and newspapers means delivery in mere seconds with a wireless signal automatically charged to a credit card. I registered my Kindle on-line and within seconds my name was at the top of the page.
I like the fact I can read sample chapters before buying a book and although the books aren’t cheap you can get the Complete Works of William Shakespeare-197 Plays, Poems and Sonnets, The Essential G.K. Chesterton (400+ works), The Complete Mark Twain Collection of 300 works and other classics for about $3.00 each set. There aren’t many magazines available yet and it seems someone must be making money like crazy because the prices are higher than newsstand copies for those with no printing or postage costs.
The Kindle even has a dictionary that lets you highlight a word on the page and the definition appears at the bottom.
It is small light and easy to hold and I can’t wait to pack it into my overnight bag instead of 3 or 4 books. 
I can even change the size of type to a comfortable level based on whether or not I am wearing glasses or if my eyes are tired.
I’m not going to give up paper books, there is nothing like walking into a library or bookstore and being tempted by the glossy covers and picking up several books on a whim. I’m also going to continue collecting books signed and unsigned by Saskatchewan authors I can pass on to friends and family members when I’m finished sharing the little-known literary gems being created right here in Saskatchewan.
But, it is boxing day and I feel like doing a little shopping, only I’m going to curl up with my new slippers on my comfy couch and order a book or 2 and they should be here in just a few seconds.
Written by Danica Lorer
Comments Off