I have no interest in reading books on anything but paper. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not anti-Nook or Kindle. I don’t bemoan the proliferation of electronic devices. I see their many uses: great for long trips or to keep students from carrying back-breaking stacks of books. It’s just that I’ve never really been interested in having one. I love to cart around my precious book of the moment, hold it close while I walk, keep my finger on my page when I’m interrupted. I love the experience of reading but, more than that, I love the feel of a paper book. It’s a lifelong romance.
But the other day Amazon sent me an offer I couldn’t refuse… a Kindle for $119. That’s around what I spend on lunch and commuting about every ten days (don’t judge me. I work in New York City). So I bit.
The good news is that I still have no interest in reading on the thing. The even better news: Netflix! And Amazon Prime! I got hooked on a show everyone’s been telling me I should check out: Scandal, starring Kerry Washington as a DC “fixer” who is having a torrid affair with the (married, but oh-so-lonely and unhappy) president of the United States. Holy hell! Sexy as heck, and basically a bodice-ripper with a little bit of nonsensical intrigue thrown in. Who rigged the election? What’s with the super-secret CIA assassination squad? And will the (extremely hot) president throw it all away for love? (The answer so far: yes, but I’m only on Season 2 of 3 and I suspect it’s not going to be that simple).
The Kindle works on WiFi so it was good to go all over the house. So I watched Scandal while cleaning up the kitchen, Scandal while organizing a closet, Scandal while going to sleep. Tony Goldwyn, who plays the president, and whom I loved even as the bad guy in Ghost (I like bad guys), is officially my new crush. Leader of the free world AND amazing shoulder muscles even in his fifties? He’s got my vote.
Am I a little ashamed that I’m crunching up this candy-coated, romantic nonsense? Maybe a bit. But at least I still read books on paper. 😉