Can Leslie Give Up Books? We Take the Kobo 7 Day Challenge

I am a voracious reader. At least that’s what my mom always said. Summers would be filled with lazy days reading book after book, sometimes running out of ideas for what to read next. That’s when my mom would take me to the library and introduce me to ‘classics’ that she read when she was younger: Cheaper By the Dozen, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Secret Garden. These books, that I would never have picked up without her encouragement would expand my imagination, my vocabulary and my love of reading.
But what I love to read are books. Real, live books with a cover and pages that I can flip through. Books that have some weight to them and that I can carry under my arm.

So when Kobo approached SavvyMom to do their 7 Day Challenge, I was happy to step up to the plate. I never really considered buying an e-reader for a few reasons:

• I am a library pro. I learned the ins and outs of my local library as a very young child and can proudly say that I usually have the latest bestseller in my hands before anyone else has even cracked the spine (ohh cracking the spine, another thing I love about books).
• I don’t like to buy books. Since I am such a pro at the library system (I don’t mean to brag, but see point one above), I don’t ever buy books for myself. I read them too quickly and then what? They end up stacked around my house and I don’t like the clutter. The only exception is buying books for my kids because I know they will read them over, and over, and over.
• I tried reading a book off my iPad once and really didn’t like it. I kept on reading the same sentence over and over and I got a bit of a headache from reading off the screen.

Enter the new Kobo Glo HD. It’s lighter than a hardcover book, has an incredible battery life (you can go up to two months without needing a charge) and can easily fit into my bag. However, the thing that really struck me is how easy it is to read. The Glo features a clear, 6” HD Carta E Ink touchscreen that is anti-glare and has a built-in adjustable ComfortLight.

I wasn’t the only one impressed with the Kobo Glo. My twin daughters (who are voracious readers in-training), loved that we could download new books from the Kobo Store and that they could start reading right away. No waiting for the library to have a book in stock, or visiting the book store to pick something out.

We also learned that we can access our local library and ‘borrow’ e-books that can be loaded onto the Kobo. Now I have to figure out how to be an e-book pro too. Check out your library to see what their process is for borrowing e-books.

Our family put the Kobo Glo to the test on a recent camping trip. Our car was packed to the ceiling and we had very little room for anything extra. Our girls were allowed to bring two books each…and the Kobo Glo. We loaded it up with some new chapter books (they are both loving the Heidi Heckelbeck series) and away we went. Five hours later we arrived at our campsite after a really pleasant (and quiet) ride. Maddie and Riley took turns reading ‘real’ books and reading the Kobo Glo. We didn’t once hear an argument over who would get to read one of the real books they brought, but there was some discussion to make sure it was fair and that they were each getting equal time with the Kobo.

After my 7 Day Challenge I am not going to completely abandon reading ‘real’ books in favour of the Kobo Glo, but I am excited that I have a new way to experience a book. I love the idea that I could bring multiple books with me on a vacation without having to go over on my carry-on weight limit. I know my kids are excited that they have an entire bookstore at their fingertips. And anything that gets them excited about reading more is good with me.

The Kobo Glo HD retails for $129.99. For more information, please visit ca.kobobooks.com

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