The best advice I got about writing books is to never stop reading. I love to read (as most of you do who frequent blogs). The public library is an excellent place to fill your mind with everything that even remotely interests you. I am a sucker for the love story (not the shirtless man gazing longingly at the damsel in distress whose heaving bosom is barely contained in her bodice) but the first love thrill of discovering that person who completely understands you. I also appreciate books that challenge you, surprise you or push you past the status-quo that you have previously known.
When I received a Kindle Fire as a gift I quickly finished the paperback I was reading and started downloading books onto my new gadget. I discovered that as I would show it to people the first reaction was usually "oh I could never read on that thing, I need to feel the pages and hold the book) After a few comments like that I felt like I needed to defend my poor Kindle "oh its great, it is back-lit so I can read at night without a light, I can download anything without having to brave the crowds at popular book stores and there are hundreds of books for free) Then I began to analyze the "we don't like electronic gadgets, we only like REAL books" group. Were they really so opposed to the format? Were they jealous that they didn't have one? Was there something about books that really did make the reading experience better?
For me the book reading experience is completely about getting swept into a new world and engaging with characters who can take you to places you have never been. Books are about possibility, wandering down a path could lead anywhere. The conduit for getting into that world is trivial so the next time I am approached by the Kindle haters, I will nod politely and thank them for their insight. Knowing that for that person, books are about the feel of paper in your hand rather than the journey.
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