To have or not to have, that is the question?

Once, back in 1993I  I swore I would never ever own a mobile phone.  That said here I am today with a mobile phone half the size and ten times the power (if not more) of the old brick of a phone I first bought from what is modern dayO2.  Likewise, for the past several years since Sony came up with an electronic book, the Librie, I have stated categorically that I would never ever read book other than one made of paper.  Being a xenophobe, I had even narrowed this down to excluding all American authored or translated books, yes I was becoming a book curmudgeon as well!
The along came the Sony Reader and then the first Kindle from Amazon, surely these technological freaks of nature would never catch on I shouted in the street only to garner a lot of odd looks from the passing "normal people".  But catch on the E Books did, in abundance,  from almost everyone who makes computers or distributes books and yet I was still resisting owning one.  Then something happened, one of those eureka moments, an epiphany.  I was contemplating the buying several books  but had no more shelf space.  Mrs H was reading less of my choices and not as fast as I was.  Then came that moment of enlightenment.  "Oh look dear, a new Kindle here" she murmured while reading the Sunday paper, "Tcssch" I snorted. But she persisted,  "Don't you think it would be a good idea to have one so that you can download books to read while I catch up and wouldn't you like one for your birthday? ..... A relay clicked over in my brain and a large light bulb lit up above my head.  "Hmmm, well may be,  perhaps it would be an idea, after all it is Wifi enabled and e-books are cheaper".  I pondered for about a minute until I heard the words, "you could have it for your birthday now".... DING!  "Oh that's an idea"  and so set off to John Lewis's to buy one.   Well, now it's here nesteling in its leather Kindle case in all its sleek Amazon Kindle Touch 3G WiFi grey glory and already emblazoned with the words "Richard's Kindle" as I switch it on. I stroke it lovingly  each time to read my latest Nordic crime story, I am currently in Iceland, and I love it!  Now who was it ever said the paperback would never be replaced in my household?

However, there is one downside, the "Text to Speech" feature is marred by the rather robotic and American voice (remember I am a xenophobe) when they could have had Stephen Fry, Martin Jarvis or David Tennant.  Ah well,  there may be a make over and I suppose I wouldn't mind hearing Kevin Spacey doing the next Kindle text to speech....

So back to my Ebook on my E-Reader and the millions of books for me to download - the paperback and hardbacks will stay though and I will still buy one or two but I am hooked in this little device and it's only 2 weeks old.