I got spoiled this Christmas. In a serious way. My parents, Michael, and Michael’s awesome dad all conspired to help me combine my two favorite things: words, and traveling without too much stuff. On Christmas night, as we Skyped with my family back in Connecticut, I unwrapped…a Kindle! I had been begging for a Kindle like a little kid begging for Tickle Me Elmo (or whatever it is this year), and it actually worked! My poor MB has had to listen to me lust after a Kindle for months, all while he had onefrom my parents secretly tucked away somewhere in our tiny apartment.

When I powered it up, it was already loaded with an awesome selection of books, hand-picked by my own personal writer-in-residence: Breakfast of Champions (Vonnegut), The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz), and Last Night in Twisted River (John Irving’s latest). As if this wasn’t treat enough, his dad gave me a gift certificate to Amazon so I could load up on whatever I wanted. I’ve already used it to treat myself to The China Study, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and The Handmaid’s Tale, among others.

I am loving my Kindle. Here’s why:

• Tons of books (especially classics in the public domain) are available for free. I just stocked up on Dostoyevsky, Jane Austen, and Dickens, and it didn’t cost me a cent.
• The dictionary function! Pre-Kindle, I was a hypocrite, insisting my students look up every word they had any question about, but too lazy to check on anything I was “pretty sure” I knew the meaning of myself. Now, just move the cursor, and up the definition pops! Yes, I am  so excited about this feature, it gets multiple exclamation points.
• I’m a travel nut, which should be readily apparent by now. I usually pack 3-4 books when we go somewhere, which really weighs a girl down. Now, I can just slip my one itty bitty Kindle into my bag and head off.
• On a related note, I tend to read anywhere from two to seven books at a time–history, health, classics, brain candy, etc. Now, when I’m heading out or settling in for a read, I don’t have to try to remember where I left my last tome, I can just turn on my Kindle. I don’t have to to worry that the book I really feel like reading is somewhere else.
• Though I’ve been working on developing patience, there’s something extra-indulgent and satisfying about instant gratification when it comes to buying books. Living in non-English speaking country, it’s expensive, slow, and/or frustrating whenever I want to buy a new book. Not anymore! Now I can just download to my computer and transfer to my Kindle. Two minutes, tops.
• At first I was worried that I wouldn’t like the note-taking and highlighting features. I mark up books like it’s my job (because, well, it sort of is), and didn’t know if I could let go of reading with a pen in my hand. Even though it’s a little slower to highlight or take notes on my Kindle, I haven’t found it to be cumbersome in any way. If anything, it’s made me a little more discerning about what I underline.
• One surprising feature is that it makes reading so much more comfortable. When I read in bed, I can just rest it against my knees, or get into one comfy position on my side, rather than shifting around depending on if I’m reading the left or right page.

I still haven’t used it all that much given the loads of work consuming my time right now, but I have to say, this has been a truly awesome gift, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who conspired to get it into my hot little hands.

Now I have two questions for you guys:

1. What are your “must read” suggestions for 2010?
2. What should I name my new device? I tend to name my electronics after great thinkers/creators from history (for example, my iPod is Petit Matisse) if that inspires anyone.

Lastly, thanks, Eve, for asking me to write this post! As a fellow traveler/expat/avid reader, I think you would love one. Let me know what you decide.