Carolyn's parents got me an Amazon Kindle this Christmas. It was quite an unexpected surprise, and one that I have been tremendously pleased with. I never really thought I would own one, because lately I haven't been doing much reading to justify the cost of the device. However, this may change now...

The construction of the Kindle is quite nice. It's sturdy enough that I don't feel the need to buy a case. In fact, I might just put it in a bubble mailer and call it a day.

The e-Ink screen is the real stunner though. Reading on this thing is quite enjoyable as it's so easy on the eyes. In fact, at first glance, you might even forget that you're not reading paper! Depending on the book, the Kindle is actually smaller and lighter, which makes it much easier to hold if you like reading while reclined on the couch instead of sitting at a desk. Books are so easy to buy and organize on the device: this can be a dangerous thing until you realize that Amazon lets you download a preview of the beginning of every book from its online store. I believe this will cut down on impulse buys. Only the Lord knows how many books I've bought over the years only to have never read them at all!

Over the past year or so, I've been reading through John Owen's "Overcoming Sin and Temptation": a 500 page paperback that is both physically and figuratively weighty. I actually enjoyed reading on the Kindle so much that I bought the Kindle version of the book as well! Fortunately it was only $7.99 compared to $22 for the paperback.

Not all Kindle books cost money though. Many books have been made available through public domain and therefore are free. Reading through a dozen or so of these books will most definitely pay for the Kindle itself.

On a personal note, like I said I haven't done much reading in the past year or so. I've wanted to get back into reading books on a regular basis, but I've lacked the motivation to do so. It's so much easier to relax on the couch by playing "Angry Birds" on my iPhone for hours on end. But at the end of the day, it doesn't benefit me that I can get 3-stars on every level in the game. So maybe this little device here will be the motivation I need to get back into reading books that nourish and strengthen the soul.