Would a Kindle work in the bathroom?

I know very little about how Kindles or any e-book readers work. But I do tend to think that even if I got one, I wouldn't want it in the bathroom with me. For one thing, it seems like the sort of thing I would drop in the toilet, although I have never, ever done that with a book (or even dropped one while reading in the tub). But I'm pretty sure if something electronic and expensive was involved, I'd find a way to drop it in whatever water was nearby.

I also don't know if you have to fire them up when you're using them, or if they go right to your saved page. This is one of my favorite features of a print book: whenever I go to the bathroom, I can almost always get a few pages read of whatever book I've got going in there. Take this morning. I'm re-reading Hollis Gillespie's memoir Bleachy Haired Honky Bitch, which made me laugh the first time, and which I'm enjoying again (particularly as I believe Gillespie is one of our country's most talented and most underrated essayists). Here's the paragraph I got to read this morning:

"Like he should worry. Lary is almost immune to police. I couldn't even get the police to handcuff him when he was shooting at people running through the parking lot that abuts his backyard. Granted, they were burglars Lary had caught in the act of robbing his house, but I don't see how the police could have known that at first. I figured I'd at least get to see a SWAT showdown before matters got sorted. But no, Lary says they told him not to miss next time, and to just drag the bodies from the parking lot onto his property, thereby reinforcing a self-defense scenario." (p. 58.)

I try not to be a violent person, but that's kind of funny. I do love cops. But back to the point: I was able to get a laugh in about 30 seconds with my good-old hardcover book. Would it be that easy with an e-book reader?

Comments

[Melanie]

Yep - fire the reader up and there is your page. If you have several books going it will keep you place in all of them.

[Citizen Reader]

Melanie,
How long does it take it to fire up?

[Melanie]

I have a Nook and an ipad. I don't turn them off, but let them slumber. They come to life right away. I just tested the Nook, and even from off it comes right on and opens to the last page I was on.

[Citizen Reader]

Well, that's good to know, but I still can't picture risking a Nook or iPad around open water of any kind, much less the toilet variety. :)

[Pheadosia]

That makes me laugh! I don't know how an e-reader would fare in our bathrooms either. I've got I Thought My Father Was God going in the front bathroom and Me Talk Pretty One Day in the back. Surprisingly, my husband and my kids haven't soaked them yet--I'm sure it will end up being me.

[Unruly Reader]

e-reader + bathroom = certain disaster

Even if you took the e-reader plunge, I think you'd still need a designated bathroom book (as in, actual *book*) for the speed and efficiency required for bathroom operation (plus then you'd avoid the dreaded gizmo-in-the-toilet scenario).

[Citizen Reader]

Pheadosia,
A woman after my own heart--a book in every bathroom! (LOVED I Thought My Father was God, by the way.)

Unruly,
I agree. Low-tech in the bathroom forever!

[Melanie]

Realization: You have to carry your e-reader into the bathroom with you. It's not really financially practical to keep and e-reader in the bathroom.

[Pam]

The nook goes right to the last page you were on, or they have a bookmark feature where you can mark it. Mine boots up almost instantaneously. I just recently bought mine, after having been anti-ereader for so long, and am sheepishly discovering that I like it. A lot. But still have plenty of old-fashioned books to read too, so I get the best of both worlds.

[bybee]

Damn it, I had a chance to buy this book for 1 dollar back in 2007 and I totally passed it up. Don't even want to say what I bought instead but it also has bitch in the title. And skinny. Must go smite forehead.

[Citizen Reader]

Pam,
I am glad you like your nook; I would hate for someone to spend the money and then not like it. And although B & N is not a small company, I'm glad for anyone who gives Amazon some competition.

Bybee,
Don't feel too bad. I love Hollis but she's not for everyone and may not have been for you--Mr. CR's been reading in it and is emphatically not a fan. Hold off on the smiting.