Go, go, gadget Kimbooktu
My favorite thing about writing for this blog is talking to cool people and finding cool stuff, and calling it research.
Kim Heijdenrijk is one of those cool people, and her blog, Kimbooktu, provided me with hours of fun, er, research. The site bills itself as a place for book gadgets, but you can find your new favorite book shelf, book-based art, books with a political spin and a Web site for your reading pleasure, that makes it look to the rest of the world (read: boss) that you're working hard for the money.
Not that I approve of such things, boss o' mine.
"The blog is a labor of love, even though some people think money has more value." Heijdenrijk says of her site. Instead of littering it with advertisements, she has included one Amazon banner, and when visitors buy something via Kimbooktu, she receives a small percentage. "The little money I make per year allows me to buy a couple of books that I cannot buy here in The Netherlands. This is more than enough for me."
And the inspiration for Kimbooktu? It was a love of what Heijdenrijk calls "book porn."
"I found it strange that there was no Web site containing book porn, as one of my readers described it. Bookish things to drool over, ‘gadgets for book lovers’ to lust for. In short: a candy store for book lovers," she says. "I decided to bring all of these products together on Kimbooktu. I never knew there were so many people like me."
Looking to the future, Heikdenrijk says she believes books will always have their place in the world.
"Reading is not only about the words you read. Reading is an experience. The opening of a book, is the opening of a new world," she explains. "You bring it with you. To the bedroom, the subway, a restaurant. It becomes your friend. When you turn the last page, you say goodbye and place it amongst your other books. To keep them company. One day you will pick it up again. The smell reminds you of days past. You look up that favorite quote. Find that special bookmark. How can any digital reading device beat that?"
Of course, Claude has spoken for some in defense of his Kindle -- and he's probably on the mark, since they consistently sell out on Amazon. But maybe there's room to co-exist.
And for that happy medium, stop by later in the day for Heijdenrijk's top five reading gadgets in this week's Check It Out.
While she always preferred The Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, 
