Don’t Judge Me By My Book’s Cover

Our burn-the-midnight-oil, nose-to-the grindstone, Contributing Editor, Tom Kermgard, reads books like Joey Chestnut eats hotdogs. In volumes. But like others, he's always wrestled, at least since 2007, with the allure of holding a physical book and the magic of holding a Kindle. He has an answer for us. Read on my friends, read on!

Kindle

The first Kindle came out in 2007. Just in time for Christmas. And it was a hot commodity. In fact, initial demand was so high they sold out in one day. And why not? For $400 you could carry around an entire library of books in your back pocket. As an avid reader this sounded incredibly appealing. But I resisted the urge to get one. And with the first Kindles selling out immediately, it gave me time to hit pause and consider whether I wanted one or not. 

What I determined then was I liked physical books. I relished going to the bookstore. The co-mingling smell of book paper and coffee was intoxicating. Going up and down the aisles, searching for a new favorite author, touching the books, reading the jacket. This made for a well spent afternoon. Why would I want or need a Kindle? Was the possibility of having immediate access to the world’s largest library at my fingertips worth turning my back on my love of the physical hunt for the next great read at my local bookstore? 

For several years, it wasn’t worth it. I dug my heels in and turned my back on the e-reader craze. Sorry Kindle. Sorry Nook.Give me a hard copy any day. 

And then the unthinkable happened. My local bookstore shut its doors. This fine establishment of sense and civility became a nondescript Credit Union branch overnight. The memory of it still haunts me. 

However, this made me reconsider my stance on e-readers. If my cherished book haven could unceremoniously close, maybe I should reconsider getting on the Kindle bandwagon. 

So, I finally jumped in with both feet. A bit later than most, but once in, I was all in. I was downloading books left and right. I found myself reading more than ever. The Kindle was so convenient. Perfect for reading on an airplane, easy to take on vacation.I could read in bed without a light on – my wife loved that. Soon I was doing nearly all of my reading on the Kindle. My floor to ceiling built-in-bookshelves were starting to collect dust. And I was OK with it. Because I was still enjoying reading so, so much. I found myself rarely without my Kindle. And I felt almost sorry for people that were burdened with holding a cumbersome hard copy. How prehistoric. 

But all things are cyclical. And while this 12-year love affair with e-readers still simmers, my heart has opened back up to physical books. Why you ask? It’s simple. A spectacular used bookstore opened a mile up the road from my house. A place called The Book Deal. If you find yourself in Madison, Wisconsin, be sure to check it out.You won’t be disappointed. I stopped in there one Saturday morning and spent hours going up and down every well-stocked aisle, remembering how much I used to enjoy the hunt. I walked out of there with a stack of ten books and a realization that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I can have the best of both worlds, as long as I’m reading. A pastime that has brought me so much enjoyment my whole life. I don’t think Richard Russo, William Kent Krueger, CJ Box, or Stephen King honestly care too much if I’m reading from a printed page or a digital screen. As long as I’m reading and exploring the wonderful worlds they’ve created. 

Read on my friends. Read on.

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