You see them everywhere. On the bus. The train. Even at the beach. And people really seem to enjoy them. But for some reason, whenever I see someone reading a book with a Kindle? It makes me kind of sad.

Listen, I’ve heard all of the arguments in favor of digital-reading (or whatever you call it). You can download books so fast! It’ll save you so much space! It’s eco!

I get it. And I still don’t want it.

There is a joy to reading that, for me, is directly tied to the feel of the book. The smell of the pages. And the ability to place a completed tome on a shelf where even a quick glance can bring back memories of the stories and characters within.

Now, I’m not some traditionalist who thinks all change is bad. In fact, I usually salivate like Pavlov’s pup when I see the words “New and Improved”.

But the thing is, for me, while the Kindle may have the ‘new’ part going for it, I’m just not buying into the ‘improved’ story. Maybe I would if it was laid out for me in a nice paperback?

- TJ Bennett