Christmas has come and gone again, and this time it has left me with an electronic reading device. You might’ve heard of Amazon’s Kindle, a nifty gadget that allows you to wirelessly download and read books. Another way to think of it is “an iPod for books,” which is a pretty accurate description. It can hold over a thousand books, but also has some other nifty features.

First off, it’s sleek and light. I was surprised and impressed when I took it out of the box and plugged it in for its first charge. It sort of reminded me of a data padd from Star Trek. For one glorious moment I was Geordi La Forge, reading the specifications on a Klingon attack cruiser to Captain Picard. Only I wasn’t La Forge at all, I was still Doug, and I was reading the user’s guide. (Which you have access to on the Kindle itself, not surprisingly.) It just has that new tech look to it that gadgetphiles love.

Speaking of that first charge, it took about 2 hours and the battery has yet to dip below half power in two weeks! I keep my wireless connectivity turned off unless I’m shopping for a book or looking something up on the internet, though, so you might see a different measure if you keep the wireless on. And yes, you read that right, you have wireless 3G access to the internet anywhere you go for the best price of all – free!

Now, I must say, the internet access is somewhat limited. It’s the same type of browser you have on web-capable cell phones, so videos and flash animations aren’t going to display properly. But, if you’re driving through the middle of Kansas and you suddenly need to ask google about the ingredients to fruit salad you can do it right there on the interstate free of charge. Or you can check your mail, or your flight schedule, etc.

The display itself won’t sear your retinas like bright computer screens, either. It’s a totally different kind of display that uses electronic paper, which is easy to see, easy to read, and green.

You can shop for new books on amazon wherever and whenever you want, and if you buy one (usually about 10 bucks – but some are free) you can have it at your fingertips in as little as 60 seconds. Zoom zoom! At my house, which is so far in the country you have to pass more than one combine and my neighbor has a donkey, I was able to download a book in a little over a minute with only 2 bars of service.

It’s easy to use. My wife’s grandmother got one for Christmas also, and she is successfully navigating it on her own. Isn’t that the ultimate benchmark for usability? If Granny can do it, you can do it!

Too tired or lazy to actually read? Driving and don’t want to risk grave bodily injury to yourself or another? The Kindle will read to you (as long as the book supports it) for as long as you want it to.

Ever come across a word you’re not familiar with while reading and been too lazy to look it up? The Kindle has a built in dictionary, which you can use while reading by just navigating to the word that’s giving you trouble. Next time you’ll be ready for ‘antidisestablishmentarianism.’

In short, the Kindle is easy, inexpensive (in the long run), and fun. I love mine. In fact, I was reading two paper books when I got it and haven’t picked them up since. Like I said before, to be a good writer you have to be a good reader. Picking up a Kindle could certainly help.