I love my Nook!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Phillipians 4:8 (NIV)

I mentioned in a post the other day that I have a Barnes & Noble Nook and I am totally in love with it.  I wasn't too hot on the idea when Jay first talked about it the year before last, but when this past Christmas rolled around, I was all about it.  In fact, this is how the procurement of the Nook went down.  I told Jay that, yes, I would really like a Nook for Christmas.  And the truth is that I really, really wanted one.  As is the case with my beloved BFF, he doesn't always get around to stuff.  So being super selfish about this present, I decided to go ahead and order myself one just to be sure I got it.  (Boy, does that sound terrible or what?!)

So I mention to Jay that I went ahead and ordered the Nook so he wouldn't have to worry about it and I could tell right away that I should not have.  Apparently Jay was on it and had already ordered me one (the nice one) and I had ruined his big surprise, typical.  I had ordered the cheaper version, that's how we roll...One of us looks at price, the other does not :)  So if I couldn't stop the order, I would be getting two Nooks!!  Fortunately, I was able to cancel the order before shipment was made and got a refund.  Yeah-rah! 

So a-n-y-w-a-y, I think I have probably read over 40 books since Christmas, which may or may not seem like a lot to you.  On our vacation, I read one book every day.  Literally, a book a day.  My family just loves it too.  I tell them that I don't complain about them swimming and playing in the ocean, so don't complain about me sitting on the beach reading.  It's wonderful.  I can take it everywhere I go.  I have a charger for my car in case the battery runs down.  It will fit in my purse so it's not big and bulky.  Since I was directed to http://www.inspiredreads.com/, I have loads and loads of free Christian fiction downloaded and ready to read at the tap of my finger. 

I have to admit that from day one I have been spending way more money on books than I used to...especially considering I never ever bought books, I just went to the Library.  And I love real books and the Library still, the problem is I have trouble with time requirements...as in, I cannot for the life of me get something returned on time...and actually read it.  Seems like I would get a book I really wanted to read and then would forget to take it places or was afraid to take it because I might lose it and it would be time to return it and I hadn't even finished it.  I grew up with my mother being a Librarian, and I worked in our local Library several years.  I really do enjoy time in a peaceful quiet Library, but the Nook has allowed me to read when I had basically given it up but for vacations.

I now prefer to read in the evenings instead of watching television, which is a wonderful idea, isn't it?  If I am having trouble sleeping, I can turn on my Nook and read right there in bed...instead of having to turn on a light or go out to the living room.  I have the Nook Color which has a lot of extra features that aren't necessary, but I must say I don't mind them at all.  I have a few games downloaded on it, I can get internet access in Wi-Fi areas, I can even store pictures and music, although I have never learned how.  Barnes & Noble offer "LendMe" books which are books that you can share with someone else who has a Nook as long as you know their Nook signon name.  They have 14 days to read it and then it is "returned" back to you.

There is a free Nook app that I have on my computer in my office, on both Jay and Mad's iPod's and my mini laptop.  Everywhere we go, we have the option to read.  Jay and Madolyn can pick their own books, but use my account.  It's a much smaller screen to read from, but they have both been able to read books on their iPods.  Yes, Jay has even read a few books (on horses of course)!  So even if you don't own a Nook, you could download the app and use it.  All you need to do, I think, is set up a Barnes & Noble account so that you could purchase the books.  There are other brands of ereaders that I can't tell you a whole lot about, but I know people that have the Kindle and one friend has another brand and they seem to enjoy their readers.  I think they all work about the same.

So I was reading all kinds of really good stuff...I love fiction.  I guess I don't get enough of courtroom drama (although what I read about and what really happens aren't the same here, on the local level at least) and murder mystery.  That is definitely my favorite type of fiction.  Crime, Murder, Mystery, Gangs, etc.  Oh yeah, keep it coming...except that I kept seeing the above-mentioned bible verse over and over and over everywhere I turned.  I finally realized that maybe that verse was something I was supposed to apply.  I was filling my head with a lot of junk.  I'm supposed to fill it with things that are lovely and pure, etc.  About that time is when my coworker friend told me about http://www.inspiredreads.com/ and I have been downloading Christian fiction ever since. 

I still prefer murder or mysteries, and it may surprise you, but there's Christian fiction out there in these subject matters, and they're not too bad actually.  They are uplifting and easy to read.  Sometimes they are downright hilarious, sometimes they are very serious, but they are good, clean books.   Most of them have scripture references throughout the story and several have a very good message or point at the end.  (And I must admit sometimes they're pretty cheesy too.) 

I am not about to tell you that I will never read a non-Christian book again because I know that is just not practical and I would be fooling myself, but as long as inspiredreads can keep rolling freebies or cheap books to my inbox, I'll keep trying to fill myself with the good stuff and not so much junk.  In case you didn't notice, I love my Nook - Thanks to my BFF Jay!!