Why I bought a Kindle

I am probably the among the lowest-tech people you know. I have no numbers programmed in my cell phone, I've never bought or sold anything on eBay, and I only just found out that "Twitter" was something other than a bird call.

But I am now the proud (and very happy) owner of a Kindle. (I would have had one even sooner if Amazon had been able to keep them in stock.) You wonder why? Wouldn't an old-fashioned girl like me prefer to hold a real book in her hands?

Sure – but not while in transit. I take Amtrak between Boston and New York about twice every month. I often commute to work by subway. And once in a while I even fly somewhere. Nothing is more tiresome than trying to jam 3 or 4 paperback books into a shoulder bag.

So no more. Although I must admit that I'm still finding the Kindle's little wheels a bit difficult to manage I'm sure I'll get used to them. In the meantime, I've bought my first book in electronic form: the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."

I can't wait to get on the train.