The Life of Bon: To nook or not to nook?

Friday, September 23, 2011

To nook or not to nook?


Yah, yah, yah, I'm always the last to jump on that stinking techonolgy bandwagon, but so what?  Sometimes I just like things the way they are.  Don't fix something that's not broke.  That's why when the nook and kindle first made their appearance and people were snatching 'em up like hotcakes, I just sat back and relaxed, paperback in hand. No. Thank. You.  An avid reader like myself had no interest in such a gadget.  I love books.  Why would I want my book to suddenly morph into a computer when
I love smelling books,
I love holding books,
I love taking bubble baths with books,
I love browsing through books,
I love writing all over my books,
I love skipping around in books,
I love folding the pages of my books to mark a page I like,
I love borrowing books,
I love falling asleep with books,
I love collecting books,
I love the way books look on a bookshelf,
I love having books in my home,
I love the covers of books?

That's what I've been telling myself for the last three years, anyway.  Lately, though, I am wondering if my decision to faithfully stand by my printed books always and forever is really the best decision.  It all started one day last spring when I came home from work to find a hyped up Hubs.  Today is the day!  I'm buying a nook, Bon!  And you can't stop me!  I've got the money in my bank account and I'm going to Barnes and Noble right now to buy one whether you like it or not!  You can come with me if you want, but that's what I'm doing!  (Hubs often makes decision like this- rashly and with a frenzy of excitement, and half scared that I will not allow him to do so).  So, we trekked on down to B&N and I casually sipped on my Italian cream soda and pretended not to care that Hubs was soon to be the proud owner of the book of all books.  I liked my tangible books and I did not want a nook.

And I didn't change my mind when I saw that Hubs could have any book in the world at his disposal within a few minutes.  And I didn't change my mind when I saw that Hubs could have the complete works of Shakespeare completely free whenever he wanted to tap into it.  And I didn't change my mind when I saw that Hubs had a back light on that dang nook and could read in the dark and didn't have to deal with any lamps or getting up to turn the light off.  And I didn't change my mind when Hubs asked me if I wanted a nook for my birthday and I said no, no, no, I like my books the way they are, thank you very much, and don't ask again!

And I didn't change my mind when we studied abroad and I stuffed my bag full of thick books and lugged the heavy thing all  over Europe while Hubs toted only a his precious little nook.  And I didn't change my mind when my best friend (heretofore known as CrazyA) let me borrow her nook and I realized I could read and surf the web on it.  And I didn't change my mind when I took CrazyA's nook to an oh-so-boring meeting and read oh-so-discreetly through the whole thing.

Okay... I might've changed my mind.  Just a little.

But then there was the time on a train where Hubs couldn't read a thing because his nook ran out of batteries and and so he stared listlessly into the aisle while I enjoyed my book.  So maybe I didn't change my mind. 

It's just that..... I don't know!   I'm stuck.  So so so so stuck.