Mary Ann Hayes

Yes, I broke down and joined the millions of Americans flashing their e-readers like a new Mercedes-Benz. I’m cool now. I can and surely will load two thousand books onto my paper thin devise, all for $0.99 apiece, and all best sellers. I will spend the rest of my life with my nose in a whole new kind of book.

Actually, I must admit, I like it. You can take it anywhere and it weighs nothing. There is no problem seeing it in the sunshine if you happen to be so lucky as to be anywhere near sunshine. I’m going to take it on a test drive in Hawaii in a few weeks. That should be fun.

I never thought I’d be the kind of person who would like reading great novels from an electronic device. The smell and feel and cover of a book is so important to me, as though the character is somewhat defined by it. Yet the convenience of traveling without the weight and bulk of an actual book is liberating. I have ten novels in my purse taking up no space at all!

It’s much easier to use and understand than an i pad or a droid. I got a new phone, the Droid X2, and I’m still, two months later, trying to figure it out. Just about the time I get comfortable, another app shows up and throws me completely off balance. Oh well, that’s not saying much. At my age I’m off balance in every aspect of my life: my checkbook, my equilibrium, my weight distribution – pretty much everything.

But the Kindle is friendly and suits me. I went to a class at our local library directed to persons new to the world of e-readers. The purpose was to introduce us to our devices in a non-threatening environment. There we were, about thirty five of us and not a single person was under fifty years old. Good for us! I though. We will embrace technology if it kills us!

So, I’m learning to play with my phone and my Kindle. If you act like they are nothing more than a toy, it’s much easier to spend time inside their heads – so to speak- and familiarize oneself. If you’ve been considering the whole e-reader thing, I’d say go ahead and dive right in. You will have a great sense of accomplishment, as if you’ve taken a major step up in the world and you’re not planning on looking back.

I suggest starting with two wonderful books for your first downloads:  “Adeline” and “A Friend Like Frank”  written by Mary Ann Hayes. Order them from Amazon right away. You won’t be disappointed!

Later,

Mary Ann