Hardbound Vs. Digital

So my commutes to work have become a commonplace in my life now. The wake up and rush to get to the station before the stripe bars cut me off from parking are now an everyday drill. But along with this and my trusty iPod i've written several times about how i've been also reading a lot lately.

So my library has slowly been growing and the stack of books i have to get through has also been growing. The funny thing is though that when you're commuting to work with a laptop, a purse with your belongings, an ipod, a water bottle, sunglasses..etc.. it all gets well.. rather heavy. I'm not saying i'm a wimp. But ever since college (and maybe even into high school) I was always trying to figure out ways to make things lighter. That would entail carrying 1/2 inch binders, 50 page notebooks, leaving books at home and so on. That habit hasn't left me. I dread carrying lunch to work because of the extra weight the Tupperware adds.

Ok, but back to where i was getting at. The new Kindle for Blackberry was released and I decided to download it. If you've heard me rant about how i feel about Kindles and e-Readers, then you know that i'm not a big fan only because i'm yes, i admit, of a materialistic generation. Save the trees yada yada yada I LOVE BOOKS. Whether they are old or new (preferably new with no creases on the spine) I cherish the books i purchase and build my personal library with. But herein lays my dilemma... I've discovered the love of the Kindle for Blackberry.

These past few weeks i read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson off my Blackberry for Kindle and thoroughly enjoyed it! Pressing the space button and seeing the percentage of completion increase and having the book on me at ALL times was incredibly satisfying. I couldn't believe how quickly i got through the book no only because it's a great read (yes, i do recommend the book like every other Salander Saga fan) but because of how easily accessible the book had become to me.

But... of course, when i had completed the book i lacked a sense of fulfillment because i didn't have the book in my library to show for it and more importantly, lend the book to others.

So where do i go from here? Do i continue to buy books, wait for them to arrive, kill a few trees, carry the load and forever have it in my physical library? Or do i deal with the small screen of my BB, have a book online forever, and never share?

O woe. the conundrums of a 21st century girl.