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So many books to read, and so little time. Well…that is what I used to say anyway. But these last few months with COVID-19 and all the time we’ve spent at home due to the stay at home orders and all the quarantine rules, there has been a lot more time for reading. That’s a good thing.

We’ve got 3 school of thought when it comes to reading in this house. Here they are…

The Kindle Lover

I must admit, I love nothing more than buying a new book from the bookstore. One of my favorite things to do is to visit the bookstore with my niece (or my kids if they’ll go), and browse all the aisles just looking at books. And I do mean ALL the aisles. But with so many stores closing down and having rules for 50% capacity, getting to the bookstore is not as easy as it used to be.

And in addition, I live in Allen, a city that does not even have a bookstore. Yep…you read that right. Allen does NOT have a bookstore. Isn’t that terrible?

So because of the reasons mentioned above, and partly because I’m a total tech junkie, I am the proud owner of a Kindle Oasis. And I LOVE it! It’s perfect. I can easily buy books on Amazon and send them straight to my Kindle. Turn my Kindle on, and there they are – a nice, alphabetized list of all the books I’ve purchased and still haven’t read.

The Kindle Oasis is backlit, so in the middle of the night, when I’m awake and reading, I don’t have to turn on my reading lamp. My Kindle works night and day, so instead of waking my husband up with a bright lamp, he snores peacefully beside me while I try to focus on my book…

The Kindle is also very small, so it fits easily into my purse, and I can have it with me always. The battery on these things lasts for such a long time. I only charge it every few weeks. It’s amazing. It’s so great, that my kids also have their own Kindles too. And they are perfect for travel. Especially if you get trapped at an airport because your flight is delayed. My Kindle was loaded up with books – enough to last me for a week.

Oh…and if you’re a pool lounger like me, you’ll be excited to know that the Kindle Oasis is waterproof. I love reading on my Kindle in my floating pool chair. With my crazy kids always seeing how big a splash they can make, it’s nice that they can’t ruin my Kindle.

Most libraries these days have some sort of program that allows you to “borrow” books on your e-reader. You should definitely check with your local library if you prefer your Kindle. It just might save you some money.

There’s only one problem with my Kindle…it’s NOT a book. And like I said before…I do LOVE a new book. A hardback or paperback, it doesn’t matter, just a new book. In my hand, with dog-eared pages, and crumbs and smudges on the some of the pages. There’s just nothing like it.

Books…I Mean Real Books

Books! What is there to say about books? One of the happiest days was when I realized that both of my kids LOVE books! Fiction books, informational books, comic books, hardback books, paperback books, biographies, science fictions books…basically any book they could get their hands on, they would read.

They have both sort of narrowed down their favorite genres, but still willing to give any book I offer them a try. I have a hard time saying no to a new book, even if (like me) they have a stack of brand new, unread books on their nightstands!

Pretty quickly, I realized that both of my kids read much faster than I do, and buying them a new book every time they finish one and need another, was going to cost me. So we learned to love our library. It has definitely saved my pocketbook. We still like to visit local bookstores and buy books, but the library is usually our first stop when looking for a book.

The great thing about books is that you never have to charge them, because their battery never dies! The bad thing about books is, well…is there a bad thing about books? If so, I haven’t discovered it yet. They are quite heavy though, so when I travel, I definitely prefer my Kindle. That way, I can have several books with me all on one small device.

I am currently reading the book called Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson. And I must admit, I picked this book up because of the title. How many of you played “Never Have I Ever” in college? Remember that drinking game? Well…the title brought back some fun memories of my college days, so I picked it up. Sounded so good, that I bought it. I was right…perfect poolside/beach reading for the summer, but kinda creepy.

I think most of us can agree that nothing beats real, hold in your hand books. Not a Kindle, not a Nook, not a tablet. So just because you buy a Kindle, or other type of e-reader, that doesn’t mean you have to give up books. Just ask me… I LOVE my Kindle, but I also have a bookshelf full of read and unread books, and I always will!

Audible…Grab Your AirPods for This…

As a person who has trouble focusing when information is delivered through an auditory method, I never even considered Audible. I couldn’t imagine driving in my car, passing stores, weaving through traffic, looking for street names, all while listening to a book through my car’s stereo system (or on headphones).

I also couldn’t imagine being out on a jog listening to a book! I need music to pump me up when I’m out exercising. I was sure that a book would just put me to sleep! Boy was I wrong. My husband encouraged my to log into his account and just try to listen to a book while cleaning the kitchen or doing laundry. Or maybe even sitting out by the pool relaxing.

I finally cratered and gave it a shot. I admit, it took me a while to figure out what I needed to do to focus on the story, but once I did, I was hooked. I do have to “rewind” books quite often after I’ve drifted off into la-la land for a few seconds, or started thinking about my grocery list or something.

And when I’m wearing my AirPods (with noise cancelling), I am transported from the walls of my house closing in on me to another place. It’s great! At least until my kids sneak up on me and bring me back to reality!

But for the most part, I do a pretty good job paying attention. And I love it. One of the best gifts is an Audible gift card, because that allows me to pick out my own books for Audible! If you’re job requires you to drive, or if you go on lots of road trips, then Audible is for you. It makes the time in the car fly right by…

So there you have it. And as you can probably guess from this post, I always have 3 books going at one time. I have a book on my nightstand, a book on my Kindle, and a book on Audible that I listen to in the car. Do I ever get my books confused, you ask? Of course I do! But flipping back a few pages for a refresher, or “rewinding” back a few seconds always clears it right up.

What is your preferred way to enjoy a book? Kindle? A real book? Or Audible? Or are you one who only listens to Podcasts now? I’m not on the Podcast bandwagon just yet, but I can see that Podcasts could make a fun, future blog post topic!

If you’re not sure about a Kindle (or e-reader), you can read my old post titled Kindle v. Book – Which Team Do You Play For? written several years ago when I owned a Kindle Paperwhite. Yep…my Kindle Oasis is not my first Kindle. In fact, I think I’ve had about 4 of them…

Read on, friends, and send me any book titles you think I might enjoy. Until next time!