An essay from class...

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I'm currently taking a writing class. Recently, our assignment was to go through our junk drawer (or purse or whatever) and write an essay on something we find. Opening one of my junk drawers, I came across my first generation Nook and knew the story behind why that device was now in my junk drawer HAD to be my essay. I really liked the piece I wrote, so I wanted to share it with you all. Here it is. It's called Death of My Nook.

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When e-readers first came out, I was instantly intrigued by them. Being able to have all these books at my finger tips, but not actually having the physical book take up space in my house? Amazing! But, due to the high prices, I knew it would be a long time before I could even think about getting one.

A couple of years later, the prices on e-readers to dropped. With the cost being a little more attainable, my husband declared that I was going to get one. All I had to do was choose the lucky winner. After much research, in late June 2010, I brought home my new bundle of joy – Barnes and Noble’s Nook.

It was love at first reading. The convenience of having a Nook was wonderful. I didn’t have to worry if I finished reading the current book du jour and didn’t have another book lined up. I could just jump on my Nook and quickly find another book. Having this e-reader was glorious, plain and simple. When my husband and I went on vacation, I didn’t have to worry about how many books to pack. I would just load up my Nook with e-books and I was good to go – carrying 10 “books” that weighed a total of a handful of ounces.

For over a year, my world was filled with happiness as that little piece of technology gave me a new sense of freedom... until that one faithful morning, about a week before Thanksgiving 2011. My Nook was innocently sitting on my nigh stand, getting its battery recharged, minding its own business when one of my dogs (a 125 pound, 2 year old beast) removed the Nook from the plug, took it outside... and proceeded to destroy it.

Upon finding the destruction of my beloved Nook in the backyard, I fell to my knees and cried to the Heavens “Why??!!” Ok, so I wasn’t that dramatic, but I was pretty angry at my dog. But, believe it or not, my Nook is actually still usable, despite the punctures that now cover it. At the time of the violent act, I was actually reading a physical book (versus an e-book), so I put my now injured gadget onto a shelf in my bedroom (out of my dog’s reach, mind you) to wait until I was ready to read on it again.

That time still hasn’t come because on Thanksgiving night, I replaced my first Nook with a new second generation device. I had received an email from Barnes and Noble saying they were lowering the prices of the new version on Thanksgiving. Even though I now have a new “toy,” I was unable to just get rid of my old one. So, I put my first generation Nook into the junk drawer of my dresser, which is where it’s been since I brought home its replacement. Needless to say, my new magical reading machine will be kept away from my dog.