Technology and Reading

I recently purchased a paper-white kindle from amazon. I like the non glare screen, and being able to read in the dark because the page is lit. That's something I always wanted to do as a child. The kindle fits well in the molded case--of course, purple was my choice of color. It is a bit heavier than I thought, but I'm used to holding bead work in my hand.  I also like that it remembers and turns on to the page I was last reading. It really downloads fast and books are easily purchased using wifi connection. It even asks if the new book was purchased by mistake! It is a touch screen, and I'm still learning to tap the right spots. It's registered to me, so I just get an email with my purchase data, the same as for MP3 purchases, except downloading music to my phone or computer from the Cloud takes a while longer.

Another thing I really like about the kindle is my books will be stored on the device. My house is full of books, some I'm not sure why I purchased them or if  I will ever read them. So I see this as an opportunity to donate books and clean up the clutter. It will also make moving easier when that occurs.

You can preview a generous sample of the books, too. It allows the reader to determine if the writer's style and topics are suitable. So far I have purchased two books on art business. They cost about $10. One is about selling paintings in galleries. It was written about in The Craft Report magazine two months in a row so I really wanted to read it. The best quotes were in the magazine.....  The latest one is about setting goals, organizing, promoting, etc. written about experience gained in running a non profit gallery and moving to earning a living from her studio art only while raising a family. The author mentions having a variety of income streams which is something I need to explore. Also has a few pages about dealing with rejection which was very helpful and timely as I am receiving the results from applications for 2013 Art Fairs.

My local library has Nooks loaded with books for patrons to check out without a fee, so if your financial plan doesn't include a reader, call your local library. You just look at the list of books the Nook is preloaded with to determine which one you want to check out.