The Dangers of Kindle-Reading

So, I hesitate to broadcast this story because it makes me look ridiculous but alas, isn't that sort of the point of having a blog?


Yesterday I discovered the dangers of reading on a Kindle (vs. real books) when I turned on my Fire to continue reading Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I have been working my way through this massive book for the past couple of months and enjoying it’s Game of Thrones-style take on the building of a fictional 12th century English cathedral. It’s one of those books where each part is told from a different person’s perspective and when I left off a couple of weeks ago it was at the beginning of a new part. I thought it was an appropriate place to pause my reading and pick it back up with the introduction of a brand new character at a later time. That later time turned out to be yesterday morning when I wanted to curl up with some leisurely Sunday reading and dive back into Pillars. As I started reading the new character I was introduced to was none other than Catherine Moreland, who seemed to be an average girl accompanying her wealthy neighbors on a trip to the English city of Bath. Some of you more astute readers may be catching on at this point…I did not.

I continued to leisurely read for an HOUR getting into the new story with a few lazy questions popping around in my head such as – when is everything going to go awry for our “heroine” (as is the trend in Pillars)? is time-travel a part of this book because this can’t possibly be the same period the rest of the book takes place in?  how is this story of a debutante innocent young woman going to fit back in with the priests and carpenters who are rebuilding a country cathedral??? And then, after 60 minutes (I kid you not)….I realize I have been reading Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin.

You have been warned! Make sure you are reading the correct book on your Kindle – especially if the majority of your reading consists of classic English novels and British historical fiction. ;)

PS. please see below images from the respective miniseries that illustrate my ridiculousness.

(images via & via)




7 comments

  1. I would do this. For sure.
    Also, I've yet to make it through Northanger Abbey. I've read the first few chapters a few times, and can't seem to get into it. It's currently on my summer reading list though but that doesn't' mean much, it was on my summer reading list last summer too...

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  2. Haha, love this! Totally sounds like something I would do ;)

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  3. Can someone invent a book cover to pop up at the beginning of each Kindle reading session so you know you are reading the right book? You can tell I've never even held a Kindle. Is my suggestion even possible?
    I've done the same thing when reading to my students and the bookmark falls out of the book so that I re-read what I've already read. And did they notice?

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    1. I would have noticed! But I don't know if I would have said anything. Half of the books teachers read in class, I'd already read on my own and I probably would have just thought I was remembering it from then.

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  4. This is such a funny story... I would for sure do that too. Sorry to say, it gets worse, and you can't even blame the Kindle. I read 3/4ths of a book I had already read (and not that long ago) before I realized why the story was so "familiar." It was a true story about the history of Bellingham which you would think I would remember... needless to say... I am very up to date on the history of Northwest Washington State.

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    1. Haha! I told Teresa that she wouldn't be alone in this!

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