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!

Image
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.

Similar Posts

Lord of the Rings

Our Contributing Editor, Bob Weirauch, doesn't wear a lot of jewelry. Never did, never will (sort of). But he has worn some wedding rings, and then he loses them, and miraculously (and we do mean miraculously) he finds them. But he doesn't always find them, sometimes they find him. Actually, in his retirement, he's learning a valuable lesson: Perhaps it's best if he retires them, too. It's time to read a short story from Bob.

My Semi-Retirement Life

Our Contributing Editor, Jim Carlson, has been planning his retirement since he was 37 (maybe even before that age). He has it figured-out, which allows him to travel the globe, work wherever he finds himself, and still play and record the music he cares about as a professional singer-songwriter. From our standpoint, he's fine-tuned everything about semi-retirement including the tunes he writes. 

Latest Posts by Tom Kermgard

Yes, You Can Go Back!

Tom Kermgard takes us back. Way back. And yes, we can go home again, particularly to big hair (when we had it), rock star apparel (when we could fit in it), and to the songs that bring back the memories that we'll never forget (assuming we're still not forgetting anything).

Latest Posts in Slow Down

Letters

Our Contributing Editor, Paul Rudersdorf, who we affectionately refer to as "Peaceful Paul", has written a letter to all of us about the importance of writing letters. Reader Beware: This article is a tearjerker, but a necessary read for all of us as we begin to live our final act. 

Does The Great American Songbook Include Retirement Reinvention?

Our intrepid Contributing Editor, Dave Slavin, is wondering if reinvention in retirement is applicable to all of us just as the famed musician, and former Beach Boy, Brian Wilson, reinvented himself after the age of 55. Dave went through the reinvention process and highly recommends it. He also highly recommends the music of Brian Wilson!

Redefining Retirement: More Than Just an End

Our resident Management Consultant and Contributing Editor, Phyllis Johnson Smith, has been reflecting lately. And when Phyllis reflects you can bet we're in for a few lessons learned, and a heap of knowledge we can carry with us for our lifetime. Her transition into retirement, not that it's actually happened yet, has had some twists and turns, but it's a path worth reading about.