Kelli Stich Mills travels an hour each way to work each day. Prior to getting an Amazon Kindle for her birthday, she would be lugging around books on her commute each day.

Now, she is one of millions who are hooked on an electronic device to read their books. And while the exact number of people who have purchased a Kindle or a Sony Reader has not been publicized, thanks to Oprah Winfrey, the Kindle is currently on backorder and will not be available even for Christmas.

"I love my Kindle," said Stich Mills, who works in publicity for a New York firm. "I realized instantly it would be so much more convenient."

When I got my Sony Reader last Christmas (I bought it as a gift for myself), I was skeptical. As an author and now a publisher, I couldn't imagine a world without the touch and feel of real paper and the comfort of turning the pages.

But...after downloading my first book, which was free ('Up From Slavery' by Booker T. Washington), I couldn't believe how completely sold on the whole idea I had become. The technology is called liquid paper and it does read just like a book.

And to be able to have 160 books at my disposal (I'm only up to 30, but I plan on downloading 50 next year) in a device that is as thin as a small notebook, is incredible. Sony just released its new PRS-700BC model, which is touchscreen and has a built-in backlight (I will review and compare the different readers in a blog later this month). It It retails for $399 (the Kindle is $349).

But I like the old model, which is $299. I remember a time when we all had tape players and Sony Walkmans. Now everyone has an iPod and this generation probably doesn't even know what a cassette or CD is, just as the previous one said, "What's an 8-track?" Will there be a time when a book won't be the same for the next generation?

"I still buy books," said Stich Mills. "There are just certain books that have to be bought in book form -- like my cookbooks. And there are some special books like 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard,' that you want to have in your library. But for the everyday kind of reading, I can't imagine carrying around books anymore."

Do you own an electronic reader? Do you plan on buying one?