I've almost bought Anathem on my kindle at least three times for the physical issue. I already own Crytonomicon that way. Honestly, I think the late HP books are also physically uncomfortable to read, and am ready for some HP e-books already.

I've played with the touch some, Consuela, on a co-worker's device. I liked it a lot - enough that I would get it instead of the Keyboard, which I've been using and loving for a year. The touch screen has better feedback than I would expect - plenty good even for long comments, though if I'm planning to really comment on a book I'll open it on Kindle for PC no matter what. I'm getting one for my wife to replace her Kindle 2, because the screen contrast is so much better.

I've almost bought Anathem on my kindle at least three times for the physical issue.

How easy is it on an e-reader to flip back and forth from the text to the glossary at the end? (That's both a real question and snark directed at Stephenson and his made-up words.)

I have not needed to do so for REAMDE. Does that book not have a glossary?

I have not needed to do so for REAMDE. Does that book not have a glossary?

I haven't picked it up yet, so I don't know. I'm still recovering from Anathem (and considering re-reading it.)

On the Nook, you can bookmark the glossary when you first start, and then bookmark where you are whenever you want to flip back to the glossary. It's not onerous, though I think I'd find it a little annoying.

I flip to the footnotes in Pratchett super easily on the Nook. But that's tied in notes, so I don't know how easy it would be for something that wasn't linked.

Oh, good to know, Liese. I just checked out "Snuff".

Love love my kindle, but I have extreme book needs many people don't. I also love getting library books on it. Not sure how I'd feel about touch--I rarely need the keyboard, but the physical page-turning button is handy.

How easy is it on an e-reader to flip back and forth from the text to the glossary at the end?

It depends - if there are footnote links included in the text, ridiculously easy. If not, you'll need to bookmark the glossary, like Deana suggests, and it'll still be pretty easy. If you bookmark LOTS of places in a book, it can be annoying to get to the particular one you're looking for, but if the glossary bookmark is your only one it would not be hard. You wouldn't need to bookmark where you are, even: just go to the bookmark, then press the "back" button. (Though, now that I say that, I'm not sure there is such a button on the Kindle Touch: it'd have to be a menu, I guess, since hardware buttons are nonexistent on it.)

I may have to get Anathem on my Kindle just to test this for you. No other reason.

From what I understand, REAMDE is Stephenson in his more page-turner thriller mode, like Zodiac and Interface, which are not books needing glossaries. Anathem is Stephenson at his absolute geekiest. I think HE'S still recovering from writing it, thus his latest book going back to something a little easier, perhaps.

I rarely need the keyboard, but the physical page-turning button is handy.

I said this too, then I tried it. You only need to tap the edge of the screen with the same pressure you'd use to push the button to turn the page. It's just as easy to read one-handed as the keyboard. That was a big deal for me.