May Reading List: Kindle Books

 It seems like everyone who likes to read has an opinion on whether "real" books or e-books are better.  Purists swear by physical books - they like the comforting weight in their hands, the smell of the pages, and the smoothness of the paper.  A walk through a bookstore is magic to a reader.  Just browsing the aisles and touching different books is a satisfying experience, even if you don't buy them.  These elements combine to make a reading experience that a tablet just can't replicate.  It's not quite as easy to curl up with a cup of tea and an electronic screen. 

Those who prefer e-readers like the immediacy - you can buy a book online and read it instantly, including difficult to find titles. They also like the space-saving functionality of reading electronically.  You can contain a bookstore's worth of books behind a slim, small rectangle of plastic.  The ability to electronically highlight passages and take notes are also a plus for e-readers, not the mention the nifty little percentage in the corner that shows you how much of the book you've read so far.

I fall somewhere in the middle of these two camps. I love the feel of a physical book, but I appreciate the space-saving nature of my Kindle.  Simply put, I have too many books.  I have books spilling over my bookcases, stacked in piles on the floor and taking up shelf space in my closet.  I have books in plastic bins, books all over my classroom and books that other people have loaned me.  I simply don't have the space to contain all of the books I own.  The Kindle helps alleviate this issue, but my first instinct is still to go to the bookstore and buy a physical book before downloading one.

This doesn't mean that I don't buy Kindle books.  I do all the time, and then I almost immediately forget I have them and read out of the stacks on my bookcase.  The fact the the books on my Kindle aren't visually present means that they aren't on my mind.  When picking what I want to read, my eyes wander to my shelves, not to the e-reader plugged in under my nightstand.

This month, I aim to change up my habits a little.  During May, I'm going to read entirely from my Kindle. This way, I can finally get to all those books I've forgotten that I own and get in the habit of reading electronically.

I have way too many unread books on my Kindle to read them all in one month, but here are some that I would like to get to:

The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure by James Dashner - I read The Maze Runner in January as part of my science fiction month.  While this wasn't my favorite read, I would still like to finish the series and see how everything turns out.

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson - This was another novel I didn't get to during my month of science fiction.  This story of how humans must race to resettle on another planet after a catastrophic event on earth was a Goodreads Choice award nominee last year.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - This novel about a childless couple who build a young girl out of snow was a Pulitzer Award nominee in 2013.  It's been languishing, unread, on my Kindle since 2012.

The Vanishers by Heidi Julavits - This novel is about a young psychic who is recruited to track down a controversial artist.  The description sounds like fluff, but it's the winner of a few literary awards.  I bought this one at the same time as The Snow Child.  It's time to get it read!

The Girl Giant by Kristen Den Hartog - This one is about a girl born a giant, with some interesting emotional abilities.  Several Goodread reviews claim that this book defies categorization and explanation.  I'm excited to see what they're on about.

A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving: This is a classic book about a young boy who accidentally kills his friend's mother during a Little League baseball game and the events that follow that fateful event.  I want to be able to discuss this one with one of friends, who loves it deeply.

Bonus Round Books:
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Finding Jake by Bryan Reardon
Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Will I survive without reading a physical book for a whole month?  Let's find out!