Being a lover of literature is certainly good for the mind (and arguably better than an energy-consuming TV addict), but books aren’t easy on the earth. From the trees required to make the paper to the chemicals in the inks, a good novel comes at a cost–and it’s more than just what you pay at the bookstore.

We’ve guided you towards libraries and the NetFlix of the book world (BookSwim.com), but today we’re offering up another suggestion for a greener read. Chances are you’ve heard about the electronic reading device called Kindle that’s offered by Amazon, but on February 24th a new Kindle 2 will be available for voracious readers across the country. It’s 1/3 of an inch thick, weighs less than most paperbacks and will hold more than 1,500 books–even the biggest bag would burst at the thought alone. Not only does this mean saving the resources that go into the books you read,  it means saving you trips to the book store (and, consequently, the resources of the bookstore itself).

Environmental elements aside, the Kindle 2 is convenient enough to lure plenty of readers: It allows you to download books wherever you are (often for better prices), can read your books to you, and even functions with your favorite magazines and newspapers. Perhaps most importantly, it reads more like real paper–without glare–than the first Kindle.

Still, the Kindle 2 has some shortcomings. For starters, the initial $359.00 investment is steep. Also, it doesn’t contain the SD slot found on first generation Kindles for extra storage space (in case you’re one of those readers who likes to read 2,000 books at the same time). And, on a bit of a side note, the robotic voice of the Text-to-Speech reader is downright creepy.

For most people, our strong encourgement to make use of your local library still stands, but if you’re a seriously avid reader who’s plowing through several books each month (not all available at the library), think about upgrading your reading method. Your back will appreciate the break from lugging your current collection around and you’ll save a few trees in the process.

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