The question

My cousin is not really my cousin - she's my husband's. In order to simplify things around his extended family, I am more than happy to take a shortcut, especially when I love someone - I feel I should go straight to the point.

It also happens that she' a lively person who radiates positive vibes and wears a smile that is simply contagious - not to mention her famous laughter. "Famous" as in extended family celebrity, across borders. It also happens (bis) that we share a common interest for books. Around an impromptu dinner cooked by hubby, we inevitably broached the book topic, between the organic chicken filled with mushrooms main course and the honeyed dessert of seasonal fruit (pears and figs).

This is how I found out that she is a Kindle addict. Now, I did receive one of the first Kindle ever as a present years ago, but have never really come to terms with it. I love paper books, their texture, their smell and even their reassuring presence on my nightstand or on our shelves. I have a passion for books, you could say. So the idea of having all this in digital format means shattering part of what makes my universe, an intimate one at that - my secret garden (literary reference intended).

This being said, I did listen to my cousin: like me, she spends hours commuting and enjoys a good read; the device is much lighter than most of its paper counterparts and the new one is small and quite discreet, not to mention that when she went on holiday this summer she had 8 books saved in there! (Yes, she read them all.) Being Irish, she enjoys buying books written in English and they are far less expensive in Kindle format. To me this also means another way of not stepping into a bookstore, sadly... But to be fully honest, I barely have time to do so anyway - and probably that's where the real problem lies, in our efficient days, packed with things that lead you away from what you actually love doing...

I have to say that her last two points still hit a spot with me. They are practical advantages that can make a difference in certain situations (and I remember now this guy who told me with a big smile: "I have 300 books in my device, it is just great". Now, who would need 300 books at a given moment during the day? A scholar maybe... Do they still exist? This is exactly the kind of statement that has me run the other way.) Carrying 1Q84 (all three volumes) in my bag on my way to work was not exactly a pleasant experience, practically speaking.

Back to our dinner. I did tell my cousin that thanks to her I would give my dusty Kindle a try. I find this ironic given that the latest model has just been released! So, there you go, I am reading the abandoned Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential all over again, on the Kindle. I am not sure I will be brave - or fool - enough to take out the device in a crowded subway where mobile phones and bags are stolen every single day right in front of you, but at least it is out of the drawer and back on the agenda. I have to start somewhere.

Funny how a dinner conversation can make you take a new turn, or at least try to.

Credit: TheDaydreamerDiary