My New Toy

Last night I finally got myself to the eye doctor after way overusing my last pair of contacts. Unfortunately it took 2 hours (!!!!) which is by far the longest I've ever spent at an eye doctor. It wasn't a fun way to end a Monday. You know what is, though? Coming home to this dinner waiting for me:

 

Shaun made a vegetable pasta sauce over whole wheat orrechiette with some shaved parmesean. Um, yes please!

The sauce was super thick and akin to a bolognese sauce, just without the meat. In the mix were onions, crushed tomatoes, bell peppers and chopped spinach. Bellissimo.

So I need to tell you about a little surprise that I got on Friday evening. We decided to order in and spend the night hanging on the couch since a certain someone is still in recovery. Shaun also surprised me with an early Valentine's Day gift...

A shiny, brand new Kindle! My jaw dropped in surprise. I actually do already have a Kindle but it is a first generation and not nearly as small or snazzy as the newer versions. In fact, as I squealed with surprise and excitement, Shaun explained that it was time I stopped carrying around that 'stone tablet' and get with the times. While I had no problems with the old version, this new one is about a third of the size! I am a huge reader, so for me, the Kindle is just about the best thing ever. It's so easy to tote around (and will be even easier now!), the screen is perfect for my eyes (no harsh lighted screen like the computer I stare at all day), and I can refuel with a new book on a moment's notice. It's really reading perfection.

Since I was in the final chapters of The Hunger Games (anyone reading?), I was easily able to transfer it right over to the new Kindle and carry on my way. I plowed through the end on Saturday and immediately downloaded Catching Fire, which is what I'm plowing through right now. I am loving this series! So what I want to know is, what are you reading right now? I am on the hunt for recommendations. Here's the list of books that I've recently gone through:

The Help

The Millenium Series (Girl with Dragon Tattoo)

Naked Heat

The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the World's Fair

World Without End (the sequel to Pillars of the Earth, one of my favorite books EVER)

Never Let Me Go

The Hunger Games

There are many more, but this is the list of what I've gone through over the last couple of months. Any suggestions?

And bonus question: Are you on the e-reading train?

Kindling

Say goodbye to hard copies of books and make way for the electronic reader in the form of the Kindle, a synergetic reader that seems like such an obvious idea, it makes me mad that I didn't think of it first.

How it Works:
-Set up your Amazon.com account with credit card info and automatically link to Kindle
-With a few clicks and scrolls, you have thousands of books, newspapers, and blogs at your immediate disposal (Not only do you buy the reader from Amazon - but then all of your books are purchased via Amazon.com).
-Books/newspapers/magazines/etc can be archived and basically kept forever
Why it Rocks:
-Keeping you sane on any claustrophobic PATH or Subway ride
-Ease of transport - no more being weighed down by Breaking Dawn, hard cover edition!
-Can access the Internet (via super cool Amazon Whispernet) for free!
-Not only can you download books, but daily New York Times, Journal, Post editions delivered before you're even awake each morning
-Automatically bookmarks your pages so no more tattered pages or slips of paper holding your place
-You just look cool having one
Gripes:
-Having to pay for each book, albeit at a discounted price.
-No more passing around books with friends, so before you recommend something, be sure to alert your fellow reader that one does not share via Kindle.
-The free leather case leaves much to be desired from a functionality standpoint (remember balancing coffee, Kindle, handbags...)
-Getting the first edition for Christmas, only for Amazon to follow it up with Kindle 2 one month later.
Bottom Line:
Fab for commuting and general travel, but beware that your monthly book expenses could go through the roof.

Anyone else out there using this nifty device?