Tolkien on the Kindle

[Laurelin the Younger]

As I mentioned upthread, it is strange to miss the heft of a physical book in your hand. Also, I have a habit that I guess I've never really noticed -- when I start to get tired while reading, I have a tendency to flip ahead to look for a good stopping place, like the next section break or the end of the chapter. It's much less natural to do that on the Kindle. Also, I like the smell of books. Particularly brand new ones and nice old musty ones. Ray Bradbury has a line in Something Wicked This Way Comes about the ancient mummy spice smell of libraries or something to that effect.

I'll always prefer a physical book over an electronic one, but I do love the Kindle as a supplement to my normal reading habits.

I think this is what makes me hesitant to get a Kindle. I really love my books, and I do hate how heavy they are when I travel. They are the most bulky and heavy thing I have to deal with when I move. But I can't get over how much I love them. I guess though, a Kindle would be great for a plane trip, etc. I never thought about it as a supplement rather than a replacement. Now I'm reconsidering it...