[tracings]

I broke down and bought the Rocket Fish cover and am quite pleased with it. Some notes on features not mentioned in the link:

* the cover folds all the way back and the elastic loop will hold it in place for one-handed reading.

* a slot in the inside "spine" allows you to stash a pen in the cover, and there is a pocket on the inside cover to hold paper, cards, etc.

* the little "flags" on the elastic band are removable (they've got velcro.) Apparently, the idea is that you can indicate your ereader with a particular color, and your significant other could use a different "flag" to indicate their possession. Or, like me, you could decide that today is a red letter day, and remove the blue and orange flags. Being a Vonnegut fan, I plan to switch to the blue flag on Monday.

* the inside is lined with a suede-like material that feels really nice in the hand. Really, really nice.

* the Kobo (or Kindle) is held in place by 4 elastic loops with a leather-like material reinforcement on the portions that actually touch the ereader. Because it uses the elastics, there's none of that "further to touch" issue that some have found with a cover that completely covers the sides.

* the outer cover is some sort of nylon that seems to resist coffee rings as well as dust.

Overall, it seems like a pretty nice cover to me. The pen-holding aspect was a pleasant surprise, and for some one who only reads library books, it's been nice to have a way to make notes.

I pass a Best Buy every day, so I just waltzed in, feigned shock at the $35 covers, and waltzed out feeling like I got a great deal for $20. For an impulse shopper like me, it was lovely to be able to begin using it right away, instead of waiting for it to arrive in the mail.