There are all kinds of work-arounds for the Kindle. All you have to do is ask Google.

I have a Kindle and I have a big stack of regular books that I intend to read. Guess what I end up defaulting to?

One of these days I'll read all of those paper books. To say that I love my Kindle is an understatement (and I was a huge skeptic when I bought it). That said, I don't think a paper book and the Kindle are comparable. Each has its place and advantages/disadvantages.

I didn't try the Nook so I can't comment, but I suspect I could love the Nook just as much as the Kindle.