Books in the post

2129 words.

A little bird tells me I might be getting a Kindle for Christmas, which is great (I'm one of those gadget boys, I'm afraid...). I'll use it quite a lot. Especially while on holiday. Books take up too much packing space, which is at a premium when you consider we've got three rapidly-growing boys to contend with. But I won't allow my head to be turned by technology too much. I love books. I love to have them on my shelves, in my study. I love to browse when I've got an idle moment. I like to pick one out and flick through it to a favoured passage, or chance upon a random insert (a photograph, a train ticket, a note from a friend). I love the covers and the smell. I also love to receive books through the post. Just today, my contributor's copies of The End of the Line arrived. I always get a little spike of excitement opening a parcel like that. Waiting for a download doesn't have anything like the same impact. As long as digital doesn't replace paper and ink, I'll be happy to juggle all media.