Kindle... are you the answer to my problem?

One of the most annoying things about long trips is that I tend to have a lot of time to read... but only a limited amount of room in my luggage for books. Books are bulky and heavy. And since I try to bring books with me I like, I not only have to lug them with me, but lug them back again when the trip is over.

This has become a big problem this trip for two reasons:
(1) I didn't bring a couple dozen magazines with me like I did last year (because I canceled my subscriptions to reduce junkmail)
(2) The more I read, the more I want to read. Thereby increasing the amount I do read.

Now I'm conflicted. I love building a library of books. I normally by used paperbacks for less than $5 each. But my location independent lifestyle is not compatible with my desire to read, and keep a lot of books. (It would work just fine if I didn't mind disposing of the books along the way.)

My proposed solution: get a Kindle. I'm not sure why I didn't think of it last year. I knew Amazon had come out with an eReader. But that was about all I knew. And now the second generation device is about to start shipping. If it weren't for some blog post about the new release, this solution may not have even occurred to me! Generally speaking, second gens are way better than first gens. I don't care one bit about the 'wireless downloading' - I can't use that internationally. I already know I have to download to my PC then transfer the content. I'm speaking from a purely spatial standpoint - the Kindle would save me space and weight in my luggage. The books will (mostly) cost me more than they do from Powells, but a book I can bring with me and read is better than one I can't. Even if it's a bit more expensive. And most titles are still under $10. Older books seem to be in the $6-8 range. Some are even less. I can always ask for Amazon gift certs in lieu of physical presents.

The catch? Well, first there's the price. A brand new second gen will set me back $359! For $100 less I could pick up a used first gen. Normally, I go for the late model to save some cash (I did for this laptop, for instance), but I don't think it's worth it in this case. And I think I can mentally justify the cost as long as I use it for more than 2 years. The second problem is shipping. Amazon doesn't ship to Brazil, or anywhere else in South America for that matter. I'm guessing a combination of customs and fraud concerns. So I'm gonna have to ship to to either Billy's parents or his office, then have them ship it to us. Since his office has more experience with international shipping (and will probably already be sending us some stuff in March, assuming we stay), I think they're our best bet. But it still makes me nervous - will the package arrive with my fancy new toy?

If you have any experience with using a Kindle, or thoughts on my plan, please let me know!