100 Word Challenge: Library

Since the invent of the e-reader – Nook, Kindle and their ilk – I’ve remained a staunch adherent to the sanctity of the printed book. The smell of the ink on paper leafs, the feel of buckram, the heft of the book in my hands – I loved… love… all of it.

That was until my personal library neared the 1,000 book mark, and of those, the vast majority are hardback. I’m running out of bookshelf space, and with the average new release book coming in at more than $25, I’m also running out of money.

I still couldn’t justify the cost of buying an e-reader.

Lamenting about my first-world book obsession compulsion problem, my Mister cavalierly mentioned I could read e-books on my Mac devices, and didn’t need a separate piece of electronic gadgetry.

Huh?

Why was I not made aware of this earlier?

I went to the Apple App store and downloaded iBooks, and just because I could, also the Kindle app.

Since then, I signed up for a couple of newsletters that offer deals on e-books and went on an e-book spending spree.

Full disclosure… I try to limit any purchases to less than $3 and have downloaded several free books.

I’m amassing a new library of virtual books all in a space the size of my smartphone, and it’s not bankrupting me.

This doesn’t mean I won’t ever buy another REAL book, but it does mean that as long as I have the digital space available, I can have as many more books as I want.

In less than two months, I’ve read five books… I hate to admit it, but that’s more than I read all last year.

Perhaps I should amend my Luddite ways, and learn to embrace new technology.

I couldn’t live a week without a private library – indeed, I’d part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I’d let go of the 1500 or so books I possess.” ~ H.P. Lovecraft

This week’s word is:

Library

What to do:

Using “library” for inspiration, write 100 Words – 100 exactly – no more, no less. You can either use the word – or any form of the word – as one of your 100, or it can be implied. Include a link in your post back here, and add your story to the Mister Linky list. If you don’t have a blog, you can leave your submission in the comment section, or as a Facebook status post. Remember to keep spreading the love with supportive comments for your fellow Wordsters.