I’m back from my trip to Vegas, and now that I’ve slept a bit and figured out which time zone I’m in, it’s book talk time.  I had this return post pre-planned and then a conversation with a co-worker caused that one to get put back in the thought pile.  Let me explain.

My company has a conference and trade show in Las Vegas each year and the exhibitors offer give aways and prizes to entice attendees to visit their booths.  This year, three exhibitors were giving away Kindles.  My co-worker said she didn’t get it.  I asked what she meant and she said people forgot what books are supposed to be.  Which is an intriguing thought but that’s not where I’m going with this.  What she was getting at was the feel of a book, the smell, the weight of holding a book in your hands.  Knowing that at any moment you could open to a page and read.  You don’t have to wait for it to warm up and find your page.  You can flip back and forth, scan ahead, read the ending; whatever you want because the pages are all right there for you.  She looked at me and said, “You know what I mean.  You always have a book.”  I agreed but then told her that I also own a Nook.  She looked surprised and asked why I had one.  My response: “It’s easy to travel with and my husband likes the fact that no matter how many books I buy or download, the books don’t take up any space.”  I had several books at my finger tips this week and I didn’t have any worries about my bag being overweight.  If I wasn’t satisfied with what I was reading, I knew I could easily find another book without having to leave my room.  But even I have to admit that it wasn’t like having a real book with me.

So, what’s a real book then?  I get the physical experience of reading a book.  There is something very satisfying about turning the page, the feel of the paper, the smell, and the weight.  I like being able to flip to the ending and read the last few paragraphs and pages at my will.  It’s possible to do all these things on a reader but it takes a tad more effort and you have to wait.  I admit to being impatient and waiting for my Nook to load the ending annoys me so I don’t read ahead.  I guess you can say one disadvantage for me is that I don’t read ahead, which is part of my regular reading habit, simply because I don’t like all the flipping and waiting.  I should explain at this time that it doesn’t actually take long for the flipping to happen, I just don’t like waiting the three seconds for it to happen.  And, yes, I’m one of those people that stand in front of the microwave waiting for it to hurry up and finish cooking my food.

I love my little Nook but it hasn’t change the way I read drastically.  I still buy books, I still go to the library, and I still re-read books that are on my shelf.  I’ve just added ebooks to the mix.  I believe that if you’re a reader, you’re a reader.  That won’t change; it just changes the medium in which words are read.

So, what did I read on my Nook while stuck on planes and listening to conference attendees complain about coffee?  I finished The Hard Way by Lee Child, Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews, and started The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett.

The Hard Way is a loaner from a co-worker.  I’ve read several Lee Child books now and each time I finish I’m happy to say that I’ve been entertained and slightly annoyed because the main character in these books, Jack Reacher, manages to get involved in situations that, well, just don’t happen.  Once I let go of reality, I usually enjoy the books and this one was much the same.

Magic Bleeds in the fourth book in the Kate Daniels series and can I tell you how much I love these books!  It’s urban fantasy, gritty, the world is phenomenal, and each time I finish one I always want more.  And I’m happy to see that a fifth book is in the works — Magic Slays. These books are like the best brain candy I ever had.

The House on Durrow Street is a little slow for me at the moment.  As the first book, The Magicians & Mrs. Quent, this one is broken up into three books and the first part, while setting the stage for future events, is also slightly boring.  I hope it picks up soon.  I liked the last book but didn’t love it although I did like world and that’s the reason I decided to read this one.

I’m off to take a nap which is my normal routine the weekend after this work conference.  If I manage to keep my eyes open for any length of time, I might also do some reading.  Happy Sunday.