Finally. I read my first full novel on my "new" Kindle.

Last Christmas, so approximately 11 months ago, Doug gave me a Kindle. I'd been muttering about them since before they were actually available for purchase. Typical Pam muttering: I don't think I like this; what about real paper and glue books? what will happen to them? how could you really enjoy reading a book on a tablet? gee, I'd love to try it out; no way would I pay over $100 for an electronic reader! sacrilegious. You know the kind of muttering I mean. Sort of talking to myself but Doug heard it all. So I was thrilled to get the Kindle. But so far all I've done is download tons of free books -- classics mostly -- and tons of free samples.

But a few days ago I finished my first novel. I choose something short, light, and simple. Agatha Christie's The Secret Adversary, set in London just after World War I. Here's what I think so far: it was weird to not have an actual book with a cover. I never realized how much I connect with the covers of books. I read it very, very quickly, for me. I'm generally a slow reader because I still can't break the habit of reading as a copy-editor. It's a huge problem for me. I read many sentences twice: once to check on the grammar, style, and spelling, and a second time for the meaning. But with the Kindle, I seemed to do this much less often. I loved clicking the little button (one on the right, one on the left) to "turn" the pages. And the bottom of the screen tells you what percentage of the book you've finished, as well as how much you've read in each sitting. All of that data seemed to move me along much faster than is typical.

So the next test is to read something weighty. I've got plenty to choose from: novels that I should have read by this time in my life but haven't. Madame Bovary, Moby Dick, War and Peace, Anna Karenina.

To be continued...