Join the Club

**Warning!  Gift Spoiler Alert!  Do not read if you cannot keep a secret or are a child of mine! ***

I have finally given in to the idea of owning an eReader.  My reservations are: 1.)The idea of reading a book without actually holding one and turning pages just does not seem right to me.  2.)I like having having the pile of books by my bed 3.) and I love browsing through book stores and libraries: I am a sucker for the attractive cover and intriguing title.  Also, I am leery of another computerized thing in my life which is supposed to save me time or make my life easier, but in fact leaves me with less time (either by distraction or problem-solving) or feeling like there is one more thing I need to find time to figure out/maintain/keep up with.   However, I cannot imaging having to either do without fresh reading material of my choosing for five months (how would I fall asleep at night?) or lugging/shipping enough books for me and my two daughter-bookworms across the Atlantic.

This is the perfect time of year to shop around for electronic gadgets!  Prices are as low as they are going to be for a while and the latest and greatest are on display.  My two criteria are that they be reasonably priced and compatible with our library system.  Yes, I am cheap!  But, I don't want a cheap gadget because I know the way it goes with so many of these new techy-gizmos and I want to have the service and customer support to keep me from pulling my hair out - I do that enough with my laptop!

I checked checked online for good reviews and was able to put my hands on displays for Sony, Kindle (Amazon), Nook(B&N), and Kobo(Borders).  I decided to go for the Kobo for each of the girls for its low price (especially on Black Friday - online) and its simplicity.  I have put the Nook on my wish list, which costs only slightly more and comes with a few more features that I don't feel the girls need to distract them.  Both brands are compatible with the public library and accept formats other than that of the book seller (as does Amazon).

I do need to look into some issues of international copyright laws, which the sales woman at B&N pointed out might prevent me from downloading directly over the internet from Germany.  I may to have to have someone in the US "purchase" the books to my account or email before I can download.  However, I intend to load up my eReaders with plenty of material before we leave.

Oh! Another feature that I like!  The majority of my reading currently comes from the library.  I rarely purchase books unless they are reference or something that I LOVE and know I will read again.  This is especially true with the girls, who plow through books like potato chips straight from the bag.  Since, as I mentioned before, I love to browse the library (and we have a GREAT library), I often come home with more books than I can actually read.  They sit in a hopeful pile next to the bed until I can no longer renew them and have to sadly take them back.  With eReaders, I can download free samples of books that sound interesting, and have them sitting on my virtual nightstand until I finally manage to get to them!  No returns and I don't have to fear over-looking a good read!