30 days of paper

Having now owned a nook for a few years, I can say that it has completely changed how I read and buy books. And, though I never hated or raged at the paper experience, it has made a mark on my reading enjoyment as well. Mostly in the anonymity factor. Sure, it's nice customizing font size and style, or not needing a bookmark. But the main attraction for me has been the simple fact that someone can sit a few feet away from me and have no idea what the hell I am reading. It wouldn't matter if I was reading a sci-fi book, or a bio of a long dead President, or whatever female-centric book Joe is making me read. I get awkward reading around strangers. And it's not like if somebody does ask, I won't tell them what I'm reading on my nook, even if inside I am stewing at being interrupted. Which is another advantage to the e-books, in that people are much more willing to ask you questions if they already can see the cover. So I have celebrated the fact that I can take my nook anywhere; work, doctor's office, library; with a much lower chance of being forced to interact with people. You're making that face. Don't make that face. Stay with me. Because now I read books electronically as much as I can. And buy books electronically as much as I can. If you look to the right, I am currently at 36 books for this year, 30 of which have been devoured off my nook. (Not all of those were purchased, as I have signed up for the Library's e-book service) That's an 83% mark for ebooks, which is a step up from previous years percentages. 2013- 72% 2012- 67% 2011- 55% And of the 6 paper books I did read this year, 2 were physically handed to me by other people, and one is not available in ebook form. So, yeah, I've moved away from paper. Not intentionally, at least not in any way where I pounded a desk and yelled "NO MORE PAPER! I'M A NOOK MAN NOW!" This bothers me, but not for any lamentation of what I've lost. What bothers me is my bookcase. I love looking at the bookcase, seeing some of the different books I've enjoyed over the years. (There's my Dark Tower books! Oh, look, my collection of Vonnegut!) Except….except the top couple of shelves, which are books that I acquired, or were given to me, but I have not read yet. It's about 45 books deep, and hasn't really grown in the last couple of years, and it mocks me. Relentlessly. And so I decided, in total Dave* fashion, to make a grand gesture. For the next month, I'm going completely old school. As of Nov 1(actually a couple days earlier), I will not read a pixelated page on my nook. I will try to make a dent in my pile of "real" books. I will read the Ben Franklin book that I bought on Joe's recommendation and never opened! I will try to continue on the civil war trilogy that I shamelessly abandoned last year! I will finally read Wicked….wait, how the fuck did that get in there?………we'll see about Wicked! And, on Dec 1, I will pick back up from where I've left off on the nook books, shed some tears, and remember what a terrible month that was. Until then, if you see me reading the second Twilight book in public, for the love of god, don't say anything. *=completely random and ultimately meaningless