I’ve changed my mind a hundred times on which e-reader to buy, that is once I decided I did want an e-reader. I love books, the feel and smell of them. I even like the feel of the weight in my hands, but not on my shoulders.
I just finished Conversations with Myself, a collection of papers, interviews, and letters from Nelson Mandela’s archive. At 480 pages, it is a hefty item to tote around on the crowded NYC subway to and from work. I looked around the car and saw everyone on their devices that slide easily in and our of their bags, no sign of trouble when flipping the page or holding it close to them as they navigated the too-small space between them and their closest neighbors.
I, on the other handle, was fumbling to such a degree that I just packed the book away in my overstuffed bag, where it barely fit. On my subway car, I was the only person with a paper book, a book I borrowed from he library! Despite that I make my living working in mobile technology, I was a relic of a time gone by. Books made out of paper? They call those antiques!
And now it was time to take a serious look at my decision tree. I have been comparing models of e-readers since the first Kindle was a whisper in the market. I took my friend, Susan‘s, advice from job searching and applied it to my e-reader decision. I stopped comparing models and considered my perfect e-reader, available options aside.
Here’s what I need, in order of importance:
1.) A comfortable reading experience – I spend so much of my day looking at shiny screens and I’m already worried about my eyes. I need a near-paper reading experience.
2.) Borrow library books – I love the New York Public Library and I’d like to be able to download e-books from the library to my e-reader.
3.) An electronic notepad – I do my best writing while I’m traveling and carrying my laptop with me is getting to be a burden. I don’t need anything too fancy – just a way to easily jot down my thoughts and upload them to my laptop when I get home.
Now that I knew what kind of e-reader I really wanted, it was easier to evaluate options. By getting clear on my needs, the clear answer rose to the top: meet my new e-reader, the new Kindle Touch, featuring e-ink, library book borrowing, and personal annotation capabilities (Kindle does one better on this last point by sinking all my documents across all of my devices.)
And this is just the beginning of what it offers. It will be ready to ship around November 21st and I can’t wait to get started on it. My shoulders are going to be so happy with this decision. Already I can hear them sighing, “It’s about time!” Indeed, it is.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I’ve changed my mind a hundred times on which e-reader to buy, that is once I decided I did want an e-reader. I love books, the feel and smell of them. I even like the feel of the weight in my hands, but not on my shoulders.
Good information; my big issue is the “no glare” feature – that I believe both Nook and Kindle have addressed. The second is compatibility – but don’t think that will be resolved between the two anytime soon. I am thinking Kindle for the carry around, and I already have Nook on my computer for home reading. Did you get a b/w or color version?
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Kindle definitely has the best reading experience because there is no backlight. Amazon did a lot of research into e-ink to create the very best reading experience possible, and the closest to reading on paper so that eye fatigue would be kept at bay. I can’t imagine the two devices ever being compatible. They’re huge rivals in every way. Kindle does have an app for your home computer and phone, as does Nook, though the big thing for me is that e-ink. It totally won me over. I got a a b/w version. The color version (Kindle Fire) doesn’t have e-ink and it has a backlight – too much eye strain for me!
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I’m thinking about Kindle also even though I’m a big paper person, in part because of the same type of commuting logistics w/ books and the small screen on the itouch. I love my ipad but it’s heavy, I’m leery of taking it on a commute, and I actually like the Kindle app a little better for reading. Not sure I’d go w/ the Fire tho – have to investigate the screen and how I react – more like ipad or kindle? One advantage of Kindle is that (from what I’ve read) people seem to react to its light in a less disruptive manner than w/ an ipad/laptop – I’m finding if I’m not off my laptop even w/ a dim screen around 8, I have trouble falling asleep on time as the light disrupts my circadian. TV or reading a book isn’t a problem so I think the regular Kindle might be better for me. So thrilled that more libraries are making ebooks available. And I love how the Kindle app syncs purchases across devices (not samples tho) so I can read on my itouch at work and my ipad at home seamlessly. Glad they’ve reduced weight so much, my brother-in-law has a 1stgen and I was surprised at the weight (pre ipad!) and annoyed at the page refresh. OTOH, the one thing that they’ve improved but not eliminated is the e-ink page turn/refresh that I think I might find annoying b/c i’m a fairly fast reader. The Kindle app and the Ibook are better for that. I might have to buy one and try it, returning if it doesn’t work for me. Then there’s ad/no-ad and wifi only or 3G.
Guess it’s just a matter of figuring out my decision tree. 🙂 Hope you enjoy yours, you can try it out over Thanksgiving and post your thoughts!
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Hi MJ – the Kindle Fire really is more like the iPad. No e-ink and it has a backlight which causes eye fatigue like a computer. A computer will absolutely mess with your sleep. A backlit screen actually keeps your brain stimulated and doesn’t allow it to relax into sleep mode. It takes a bit of time to come down after you shut the screen down. I think the page turn has been improved greatly from the original model and it is super light! I went for just wi-fi as I found out that the 3G doesn’t let you fully surf the web, but just download books everywhere. For me, I can just download the books at home or in a wi-fi area 🙂
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I wasn’t aware that Kindle had added epub compatibility for Google Books and library book borrowing. I don’t think the early models had that. Good to know.
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Hi Peter – IThe Kindles now support: Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced(AA,AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion. I believe you can convert epub to MOBI. I’ve noticed in the NYPL catalogs, there is an option to get a Kindle ebook or an epub format so my guess is that it doesn’t yet support epub.
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Ah, ok. I just started using my Sony eReader with the Brooklyn Public Library, which uses epub. I’m not sure if they’ve started supporting Kindle yet, but I wouldn’t have been looking for it anyway, so it’s just as likely that I have missed it.
The Sony (a model from a few years back) has the e-ink functionality and does the job, despite not being as tricked out as the Kindles and Nooks. It was a godsend on my latest trip. I won’t use it to 100% replace physical books, but it’s nice to have, especially for library usage. For some reason, I don’t feel as comfortable having a book I love exclusively in a digital format.
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