The world is a-buzz about the Amazon Kindle. But I’m not biting. It’s not because I’m a techonophobe. No, I’ll never get a Kindle because I love real books too much. I love the crack of a hardback when I open it for the first time. I love the scratch of my pen against the inside cover as I write my name. I love the smell of fresh paper and ink. I even love the paper stock of the pages – a heavy, grainy texture that’s soft to the touch.

A Kindle also would rob me of one of my favorite pastimes—a trip to the bookstore. In my opinion, there is no bad bookstore. Though I’m partial to the musty, dusty atmosphere of an old used bookstore, I also welcome the incense and patchouli-scented environs of the maverick independent shop. I don’t even mind the slick sensory overload of the megastores.

For the most part, technology is my friend. I’m more likely to download a song than buy a CD. I’m more likely to get my news from an online feed than a newspaper. And Facebook chat works just as well—if not better—than an actual phone call. If there’s something new in music, fashion, or social networking, bring it. Just don’t be messin’ with my books, bitches.