Are you like me, you panic if you don’t have a book with you on a flight? I don’t remember the last time, if ever, I boarded a plane without reading material. Lots of it. Usually I would carry on at least the book I’m currently reading, or the books I’m currently reading if I am into more than one at once and neither of them conquered my full attention, and at least one option (but often more than one) for use in case of finishing the current reads or simply getting uninterested in them. Because many books start up great and grow obvious, pedestrian, bad.

When I got myself an e-book reader I thought I would get rid of carrying three, four books for a single one or two-hour flight, not to mention the small library I would have on me for a transatlantic trip. Hundreds of books in a single device, how nice and convenient. Not to mention those previews. Downloading book previous became another dangerous addition, but I’ll get back to that another day.

The e-book reader didn’t save me from carrying paperbacks or hardcovers even for the shortest of flights. Sometimes because the book I so specifically need to read is not available in electronic format. But not only for that reason.

The problem is there are take offs and landings and Brazilian airlines still demand passengers to turn off everything on landings and take offs, even e-ink devices with wifi off. One landing, one take off. Maybe more, if it’s not a direct flight. At least fifteen minutes each one of them. At least half an hour of no reading time in one single trip if I have to rely on ebooks only. Not an option.

I’m waiting to board a plane from Curitiba to Rio now. I feel safe, I am calm, I am comfortable with myself because I have them with me: My Kobo reader (currently “open” on David Cronenberg’s Consumed) and my paperback edition of J. G. Ballard’s Millenium People.

Nice to meet you guys, my name is David, I am a book addict.