My Kindle Story

If you had noticed, I haven't included my reading goals or anything related to reading in my previous post. It was intentional because in 2017 the only book I managed to complete was “What to expect when you're expecting”. My pregnancy was a risk-free one. I never had restrictions and it was easy to satiate my cravings without even gaining a lot of weight. I was busy eating and since I had severe mood swings (not because of the food, okay), I did not read any book.

The only other book I started after delivery was “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand. I hardly found time to read it. I managed to squeeze in little time for this book because even a single page I read from the book made me feel it was worthy of my time. I am still reading it.

Finally, with my first love. Slowly getting back to reading. This is the book I had postponed for years. I feel I am now ready for it!! Bought this @ #InfyBangalore Looking back to that day now. #Thefountainhead #lovereading #booklover #finallymakingtime #aynrand #centennialedition

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Sep 2, 2017 at 10:14am PDT

With such a great reading record in the last two years, I wondered if there is going to be anything different this year. I managed to convince myself that I will continue reading posts from bloggers I regularly follow. It is a good idea, right? I must simplify with what I am able to do, no?

2017 December was a joyous month in a way. My husband's friend was coming back from the UK. They have this common tradition in their group. If there are good deals, they buy stuff for their friends. My husband already knew how much I debated about buying a Kindle. He was sure that I would debate for a few more months before buying it. So, he asked his friend to bring one for me. Okay, I was really bothered if I would enjoy reading from it. A very common doubt that arises in all book readers who think about buying it.

January arrived. My husband was more excited than me. I guess he finally realized he found a way to keep my mouth shut. 😛 I was eager, excited and also nervous. I was lucky to get inputs from friends who suggested I invest in a Kindle Paperwhite. Thanks to Soumya and Aparna who said “Go for it without thinking one more time. You will not regret.” I did just that.

One fine day, my husband came earlier than usual. He gave me the box and asked me to open it. He was excited to open the package just as I was. Only that, I did not feel like opening it. It was a compact package that I was happy just seeing it. I wasn't even planning on opening it then. I just looked at it in amazement. I wasn't expecting it to be like a typical notebook. Didn't I tell you, once I ordered, I didn't even look at its specifications to reconfirm myself. I held the lightweight package and looked at it front to back, back to front. He asked me to Please do the honors!

I tore the seal and opened the box. He was continuously sharing his commentary. I figured he is excited too though he is totally into bike books and automobiles and that has nothing to do with my reading. Finally, I unpacked it and saw this beauty. All my doubts vanished. He did the physical examination for me and worried it was lighter than my phone and I must order a cover immediately.

We browsed it together for sometime and shared all that we had in mind about it.

Q1: Can we read other language books in this?
A1: Oh yes! I am waiting to read Ponniyin Selvan.

Q2: Do you think it will not hurt your eyes during the night?
A2: I am hoping so. I will read tonight and let you know tomorrow.

A2 (continued): Did you even guess I read from it? It did not hurt my eyes and I am totally in love with this.

Q3: How many books can you download? Does it have internet connectivity?
A3: The capacity is 4 GB. Most big PDF's come in MB's only. So I guess around 50 to 100 would be good. Yes. We can download books from Amazon store through WiFi.

Q4: How about charging it?
A5: It is given it will stand for weeks with a half an hour reading time everyday with lighting at 10. Let us give it a try.

For the past one week, I have read around 4 books and the charge is just half way down. I am glad that I don't have to charge it everyday.

Q5: Do you borrow books or buy books from Amazon?
A5: According to the Kindle Unlimited, we can borrow 10 books per month. I am not sure if all books are available or is it applicable only on selected books. For the first month it is free and I am allowed to download only selected books. There are schemes and can select accordingly. We can even buy e-books and there are deals too.

Q6: It is black and white. What about Color photos? Can it be viewed in ours?
A6: Nope. Not in ours. I have seen it in a fellow blogger friend's (Shilpa‘s) Instagram photos. It is called Kindle Fire.

Q7: I really hope you have it for a long time!
A7: Haha! Trust me on this! I will treasure this! *hearts*

I did not write any Instagram posts or blog posts too for a whole week. I was completely engrossed in reading. It was like breathing fresh air again. Slowly, those tight muscles are relaxing itself. I have not completed any of my reading challenges until now. So, this year, I set my goal at 30 books. Most random reads for the love of reading and some good reads to make it all worth it. I am sure it will be a mixed bag of reading this year.

At times when I wake up early or sleep late, I spend my time on Kindle instead of my phone. It has been a week since I had a conversation with friends. I just responded to the texts I got. I am glad that my phone time has significantly reduced because of my new companion. I talk now instead of the lengthy text chats. I like it. To the point and easy.

As part of the process of simplify, I feel my days are spent better at reading. Surprisingly, I haven't worried much about missing updates from Instagram. I know I will visit and respond to my friends when I view it. The best part is my mouth is zipped and it has helped me reduce many unnecessary conversations. Thanks Kindle.