One of my favorite things to do is spend time in bookstores, especially small, cozy ones. Since my brother started working at Barnes and Noble though, going to any other bookstore is beyond deceitful.
I did stumble upon such a warm and adorable one in Palo Alto, CA that I couldn't resist going into -because it was so cold outside of course... Anyway, under most of the books were personal reviews on note cards; I don't remember blinking. I ended up leaving with nothing because according to the reviews I'd have to buy over 500 books to feel alive and gain more perspective. It doesn't help that I judge books by their cover and creativity is at it's maximum these days. Then again, the main reason I kept my wallet in my pocket was because I was on vacation and my luggage was already 10 kilos overweight.
After my brother got over my infidelity, he realized he had the perfect solution (from Barnes and Noble of course). He's a software engineer there, and introduced me to the new Nook, which he worked on. I have to say his team did a great job. It's simple, small, light and just like a cookie (I don't know...). It has great features I've always wanted while reading a book. For example, clicking a word and getting an immediate definition, or the ability to share quotes directly to facebook, or sharing your reading status (not sure who does that) or even recommending books to friends by email, facebook or twitter.
Despite how impressive the new Nook is, I'm not ready to become an exclusive e-reader, the thought of only Nooks, iPads and Kindles taking over does make me a bit sad. I'm too much of a romantic to give books up and I'm definitely owning a library with a ladder in my dream house. Owning a Nook could potentially destroy that dream.
Either way, if you're more loyal to electronics these days or if you're a romantic like me, I will say that for those times you want a library of books at the weight of around 7 oz, the new Nook is definitely the right cookie for you.
