Kindle Offspring

For Christmas 2007, my husband Tod surprised me with a Kindle purchase order. I had told him I was curious about it so he ordered one for me. Kindle was so new to the ebook scene and the demand was so great, mine didn’t arrive until late January. I wrote about my love for it in Kindle Spirits.

A couple months ago my daughter Ema ordered the new Kindle Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology. She brought it over right away. We oohed about the slim new look, and ahhed at the faster speed. We swooned over the improvements in e-ink technology. The screen is way easier on the eyes than my First Gen.

But – if I upgraded to a new Kindle what would I do with my First Gen? I couldn’t just sell it to some stranger on eBay. My First Gen means something to me. We had shared our love of ebooks for over three years.

Then on my birthday this month, Tod and Ema interrupted me in my office while I was reading. I set aside my Kindle and opened the presents they handed me. The first one was a new Kindle and the second was a new cover. There they were – my two Kindles side-by-side on my desk. It was a poignant moment.

While Ema reminded me about all the great features on the new Kindle and showed off the nifty little sliding book light on the new cover, I felt mixed emotions. I had to admit the leaner, faster, and easier to read new Kindle was enticing. It has all the improvements I longed for. I caressed it in my hands.

But I felt so guilty about my First Gen. Finally I held it up and asked, “But what do I do with this?”

“Give it to Hailey,” Ema said.

Hailey is my 9-year old granddaughter. She loves to read. She also just “graduated” from elementary school.

“What a great idea!” I said. “A perfect elementary school graduation gift.”

So I wiped and de-registered my First Gen and wrapped it up. Hailey’s face lit up when she opened it. “I can’t believe it. My very own Kindle!”

My first Kindle is now Hailey’s first Kindle. She’s thrilled. I’m happy. I can’t think of a better solution all the way around. Together Hailey and the First Gen will share their joy and love of books.

Ah, spring and the shiny new Kindle. I’m in love all over again. Now please excuse me while I go read an ebook …


Peggy Tibbetts

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Do you give books as gifts?

I was going over my Amazon Wish List (yeah, I have a Christmas list, but it's easier than remembering what I want when my relatives ask), and realizing I have probably a dozen books on it. I never used to ask for books, because I would just go and get what I wanted when I wanted it.

But books are a GREAT gift. They're usually inexpensive, so you can give more than one. They don't expire, and don't need to be fitted. You can read them over and over and share them with others. There's usually no messy return issues, unless you get duplicates. There is the issue of them cluttering up the house, but I think that's a wonderful problem to have. Unless, like me, you have a Kindle on your list (I have the PC software too), or own an ebook reader, then you can give even MORE books as gifts, because usually ebooks are cheaper, AND there's spacial issue. I have a few books I really want in hardcover, because they're continuations of series I adore, but I am happy to receive ebooks as gifts.

I don't know when I decided that books would make good gifts. It just never occurred to me before. But I got a pile last year, and LOVE it. If my son read faster, he'd get more books as gifts - at this point I think I'm going to be drowning in LEGOs come December 26. I'm hoping that as he gets older he'll want more books, because I'd love to have my sun room back, to take down the toy shelves and fill it with bookshelves and a comfy reading chair...someday. And then I'll miss the toys, because I'll miss him being little and playing with toys. You can't win, I know that.

But anyway... we here at YAAYNHO have all written books. AND those book would make GREAT gifts! (sorry for the shameless plug, but it's that season.) And if you don't generally give books, WHY NOT??? If you email me, I have some copies of all my books here at the house. IF you drop me an email, I can sell you a copy and ship it to you. It will even be autographed!  Or you can buy one somewhere else, and drop me an email, and I will mail you an autographed bookplate to put inside. I'm not sure, but there's a chance some of the other YAAYNHO may have a similar setup. Wouldn't that be a nice gift - a box of autographed books?

In other news, somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the end of semester, holiday madness, and getting a new job (yay me!), my next book has gotten ready for release. It's not out QUITE yet, mostly because of some issues at the Library of Congress having to do with their software upgrade that took twice as long as it should have and shouldn't have affected my book because the publisher applied for the data weeks before they had their computer issues, but hopefully by the end of the week it will be available for purchase. I got the final cover art yesterday:

Isn't it pretty? My website has been updated with the new blurb and all, but the links aren't live. As soon as the book is ready, I'll hook it all up. It's a wildly exciting story, full of adventure and intrigue and big giant serpents. Which all a story needs, isn't it?

Perfect for someone's holiday list :)