The Kindle app, which lets me enjoyably read on my phone

This #thankyouthursday, I am grateful for the Kindle app, which lets me enjoyably read on my phone.

I was going to write about how grateful I am for books, because I am definitely grateful for books, which is what I was reflecting on last night as I wrapped up my usual routine of putting the baby to bed and then staying near him and reading.

I started thinking about all the books I’ve read this year, and how much I appreciate having a reliable respite at the end of the day. I thought about sharing a list of my favorites—and maybe I’ll still do that, we’ll see.

(Although probably I won’t, because I am no good at picking favorites and would thus just include the entire list of everything I read this year, which would take a long time, and I am the parent of a toddler on winter break with no child care, so…yeah. Probably I won’t.)

Anyway, as grateful as I am for books, I realized that what I am REALLY grateful for is the Kindle app, because it lets me enjoyably read books on my phone.

“Enjoyably” is the key word here, because there are a number of ways to read books on your phone, and the Kindle app is the only solution that feels good to my eyes and reading sensibilities.

Once upon a time, I worked in publishing for many years, and I witnessed firsthand the introduction and evolution of ebooks—and I was a firm “no thank you.” Paper books were my world, and I had no interest in digital formats.

But somewhere along the way I changed my mind, and I ended up becoming the marketing director of a digital publishing startup, and on my first day of work, they gave me a Kindle.

I loved using my Kindle for years, all the way up until I gave birth and discovered during nursing sessions that I could not comfortably hold an e-reader in one hand.

Enter: the Kindle app.

Thanks to the Kindle app, every one of the many books I read comes through in a visually pleasing, easy-to-navigate format on my phone. Plus I can highlight parts and make notes when I want to, and search for words and phrases if I want to revisit a chapter or scene.

I can even send Word docs and PDFs to my Kindle address and read those like “real books,” which is part of what inspired me to publish 49 Days to Real Love.

Because…what is a “real book?”

Something real that you can read.

That’s what I’ve created, and what I’m so pleased to offer the world in just a few more days(!). And for now, the best way to read it will be with the Kindle app.

Love > fear,
Christina