Like a lot of readers, Kimberly Field likes and laments her new Kindle.

On one hand, the in-demand electronic device solves a problem common to fans of novels and nonfiction: too many books, not enough bookshelves.

''I was about to resort to the Fahrenheit 451 method of book management'' joked the Denver author, referring to Ray Bradbury's cautionary tale about book-burning.

On the other hand, its convenience has removed the tactile sensation from a treasured hobby.

``I prefer turning the pages of a book because I like touching it and flipping back to reread passages. You don't get that with Kindle.''

While readers are torn over the merits of literary toys like Amazon's Kindle, the iPhone and Sony Reader, there's no doubt they have overwhelmingly embraced them.

This year, electronic books sales are up 150 percent and analysts predict the number could triple by December. That comes in a year when sales of traditional books are down four percent.

The publishing industry is scrambling to keep up with -- or take advantage of -- the interest in electronic reading. Ailing magazines and newspapers, hungry for a delivery system the public will like, are hopeful. Brick-and-mortar bookstores are hoping they don't become obsolete.

''The electronic handheld book is just part of the experience now,'' said Joyce Meskis, owner of the Tattered Cover stores in the Denver area. ``But physical books -- they're a tactile pleasure as well as a cerebral one.''

Amazon, the online retailer, has no need for bookstores. The company's 2-year-old Kindle has both the publishing and technology worlds abuzz.

Kindle titles already account for 35 percent of Amazon's book sales, and the company already owns 43 percent of online bookselling.

''It's very early days for e-books and we believe there is a lot of innovation ahead of us,'' Amazon's Cinthia Portugal said. ``Our vision for Kindle is to have every book ever published, in any language, in print or out of print, all available in less than 60 seconds.''

If that sounds like a Google-type domination plan, it's not far off. Kindle offers a bookworm's buffet of options, novels to periodicals to blogs -- all for a price.

''It's a menu,'' said Denver writer and columnist Judith Briles. ``Are we going to do it the plain old-fashioned way or a la carte? Do you want ketchup, mustard or soy sauce?''

The Kindle is becoming the iPod of e-readers in its brand identity and market domination. It even looks like a large iPod and, like that device, allows users to carry a library's worth of media in their pockets, up to 3,500 books for some models.

But like the iPod, it's vulnerable. Drop it in the bathtub and your library goes down the drain. You can't lend an individual book from your Kindle to a friend like you can a real one.

''I'm like millions of other people -- I sit outside and read,'' Field said. ``The Kindle screen is difficult to read in the sun.''

It's no small thing when the oldest form of mass media undergoes a major shift. Johannes Gutenberg's 15th century inventions that improved the use of moveable type and mechanical printing made books accessible and plentiful. The proliferation of paperbacks in the 1930s made them cheaper, less elite.

Is it premature to compare the rise of the e-book to those historical events? Perhaps, but the numbers are hard to deny.

Meskis laid off at least 10 employees in January from her three stores after a disappointing holiday season. Sales at her stores are down compared with last year.

Meskis remains confident that e-books and websites can't replace the physical community and leisurely browsing bookstores provide. ''We find our technologies of great use to us in today's world, but ink on paper between boards is a pretty good technology in and of itself,'' she said.

That may be true, but the give-and-take of technology could translate into real savings.

Schools are looking at the Kindle as an alternative to expensive textbooks. Arizona State and Case Western Reserve are considering subsidizing Kindles for students.

The general-market potential for Kindles is tantalizing. Forty-five percent of Americans older than 13 read a book last year, according to PubTrack Consumer. Visits to public libraries are also up, with 1.4 billion visits logged in 2006, according to the American Library Association.

Do readers even need traditional publishers and bookstores anymore?

Judith Briles, former president of the Colorado Authors League, thinks there's ample room for both. She points to Star Trek as a tongue-in-cheek example. ``Even Jean Luc Picard, who had his predecessor of the Kindle -- that tablet he would get communications on -- would also pick up an old fashioned book from time to time.''

If reading habits and publishing trends are headed back to the future, it may be the biggest thing to happen to books in centuries.

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