For the Love of Books

A few days ago, my Kindle arrived from Amazon.

I'd say I'm a pretty simple person, so this is a huge purchase for me. Still, I believe it was a good investment...for the following reasons:

1. We travel much. Books often take up space in my luggage.
2. We order books online anyway. Because English language books are harder to find in Korea, we buy books on Amazon and have them sent to my parents' house in Hawaii. We then have to bring them back to Korea after a visit to the States. The Kindle allows me to order books online and have them instantly.
3. We move often. Every time we relocate, I feel I need to sacrifice my collection in favor of other items to ship. Since I often highlight and make notes in books, it is harder to part with them--and there is also the monetary loss. I can't count how many copies of Jane Eyre and The Pursuit of God I've gone through...

On the other hand, there are elements I will miss about books:

1. Writing in the margins
2. Marking the actual text: circling words, underlining and connecting points, blocking off sections
3. Flipping pages to find a specific part
4. Watching my progression as I go from front to back cover

As an English major, reading is one of my passions. I feel that it expands my mind and challenges my everyday choices and character. Others may snicker at what value I place on books, especially fiction, but with the ability to read critically comes the appreciation of a lesson learned the easy way--through another's experience. This is something that is present in writing regardless of the medium.

I'm learning to use my Kindle, but I'm also mourning the loss of a library.