During my visit to Columbus, the Hawkins surprised me with a Nook! I am so so excited - I had been wanting something like a Nook for awhile so I could read books abroad more easily.
What is a Nook? A Nook is an electronic reader similar to the Amazon Kindle. It allows you to download books wherever you have a wireless connection and it only takes a few seconds! Also, ebooks are quite a bit cheaper than hardcovers or paperbacks and a Nook can hold over 150,000 books. Nooks are easy on the eyes because the screen is not backlit and the battery life is pretty incredible.
Kristin also got a Nook so we can "lend" ebooks to each other for free! We spent some time during my visit playing around with our new toys, buying some pretty covers and taking them into Barnes and Noble for free gifts and coupons. The other cool thing about a Nook is that all of the classics that are past copyright are free so I have been spending quite a bit of time downloading some of the oldies that I have wanted to read but never got around to. I actually just went to my local library today and found out that they started providing audio and ebooks online for free if you are a card holder. I'm still working out the kinks as the lending system is a little hairy and hard to figure out online but I think the consequences of reading free ebooks will be totally worth it!
I am excited to travel with my new Nook because it takes up less space and weighs less than books. Also, books in English are tricky to get in China and can be a little pricey. I was saving up for a Kindle but was really bummed when they sold out so I was planning on going back for a year in China with a pile of paperbacks. Tons of thanks to Kristin, Brian and Xander for the best gift ever!
I like my Kindle so much that if it broke I'd probably go out and buy another one on the spot. Have fun.