The Kindle Crusher

No, that headline is not the title from my soon-to-be-published novel, but it is what media types are suggesting Kobo might be. I have to admit that I was skeptical about Kobo, the new eReader from a company that evolved from Indigo and which has partnered with U.S. book-selling heavyweight Borders. As a life-long book-lover, I repeatedly told family and friends that I would never make the switch from book to byte. But after testing this device, I’m sold. It has good, clear print that you can customize by style and font type (serif or sans serif). It comes pre-loaded with 100 books, but can hold up to 1,000 titles, which can be purchased from Indigo or other retailers. At 221 grams, it’s super light ­— perfect for subway reading.  And a big plus for me – if I had one by my bedside, it could take the place of the tottering, dusty pile of books that I keep there. (It’s not a pile of books,” I tell my husband, “it’s a Tower of

Erudition!”) It’s also easy to use – a boon for Luddites like myself. Wouldn't it be great for cookbooks in the kitchen,too? My only gripe?  I wish Kobo had a dictionary function – what does propitious mean, anyway? All in all, I love this little baby and at $149, I find it very affordable. It would make a great Mother’s Day present (hint,hint). And yes, style hounds, the device is pretty, with an attractive and discrete logo on the front and a quilted back.