However, I finished my first ever Kindle electronic book (via the app) the other day and, I must say, at first, I didn't really know how to feel about it. The days following my completion of the e-book, every time I looked at the physical books that I brought here with me to Jamaica, I felt like a traitor. To be fair, I read Animal Farm by George Orwell, a book I've wanted to read for a very long time, so I felt good about finally reading it. I found the book to be extremely reminiscent of the current social and political climate in the U.S (you know, with Trump and all) so it was a very relevant read.
I downloaded the Kindle app because I have Amazon Prime and with Amazon Prime, not only do you get 2 day shipping (free of charge), but you get a host of movies and shows (via Amazon Video) and a host of books (via Kindle). At first, I simply took advantage of the 2 day shipping and Amazon Video, but out of curiosity, I decided to downloaded the Kindle app. As I began browsing through all of the available books that I could potentially read for free, I couldn't resist. I decided that I would give it a try and if I didn't like it, I would delete the app and that would be that.
Now, there are quite a few things that I actually really dig about the Kindle app. For example, once you download the book or books that you want to read, you don't need internet in order to access them. Even better, the app has features that give you the option to highlight and insert little notes. Not to mention, if you press down and hold your finger on a word, you are able to get the words definition and similarly, if you hold and press down on the name of a character or person mentioned, something will pop up that reminds you of the role the person or character plays within the book. I love these features because I don't always feel like googling a word I don't recognize when reading a book and sometimes (say if I'm on the train and I don't have service) it just isn't possible. Also, often times when I'm reading a book where there are lots of characters or characters within the story who happen to have similar names, I will mix them up or completely forget who is who.
Since finishing Animal Farm, I've started reading another e-book and I've decided that I shouldn't feel weird about it. Although I love physical books, it is the act of reading that I love the most. It would be foolish of me to allow my love for one to get in the way of my love for the other. Though the contents or words within a book can be freeing, it is the act of reading that sets it in motions. Just because I read and own e-books, doesn't mean I have to trash or get rid of all of my physical books. No matter how many e-books I download and have on my phone, I will always be that person with a book in their bag. Both e-books and physical books have their limitations, but my love for reading and words has no bounds and so I officially refuse to choose between the two.
Books I'm currently reading:
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| Hard Copy |
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| E-Book |
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