What’s a long term book fiend like me to do with this new wave of Nooks, Kindles, and e-readers?

I didn’t think I would ever give up my paper and ink books. I love the feel and the smell (just not the smell of library books) and the tactile sensations that go along with reading a book. Wilson, my kitty cat, loves books also. You can always tell which are the well loved books at our house. They are worn, dog-eared, and the pages are crinkled because Wilson likes to lick the pages.

Recently I did what I formerly thought was the unthinkable; I bought a Nookcolor. Several friends have been encouraging me. I had a reason to celebrate. While I was packing for a long weekend I had to put so many books in my computer bag just to finish up the stuff I was writing at the time that the bag was extremely heavy.

So, that weekend I went to the local Barnes and Noble and walked out with an e-reader. It didn’t take long at all for me to become attached to my Nook.

Some of the things I like about the Nook:

• It’s so light and easy to take with me in my purse or computer bag.

• I can read it at night with the lights out. It’s like the adult version of a book and flashlight under the covers after Mom said, “Light’s out.”

• I can carry many books in one convenient place.

• I can highlight, bookmark, and make notes on the books. It is then as easy as looking at a list to find the right item I wanted to remember.

• I have WiFi and so can browse the web or catch up on Facebook and Twitter.

• There is a Pandora app right on the Extras page so I can listen to music as I read.

• Barnes and Noble is adding an app store sometime in the near future and I will be able to pay Angry Birds on my Nook.

Yep, it’s a fact that I love my Nook. It will never truly replace books in my heart, but it sure is a nice little thing to have.