Oohhh! I have one (had it before the iPad) and I still take it with me to dentist / hospital/ hairdressers appoint,menus because it's small enough to tuck into my bag.
If you don't have a kindle, you can download the Kindle app and read books, but it's not the best thing to do on it.
I have: (not the definitive list!)
Crosswords
Scrabble
Thesaurus
Dictionary (Chambers is best for both)
Met office
BBC news
Tune in radio
Facebook
Google maps (amazing)
Whirly Word
Amazon
Saga Woteva
TV Guide
Peppa chick etc. etc.
Complete Works of Shakespeare
Nearly all my music
Angry Birds
I have a small docking / charging station (£25.00) so can play the music easily.
And all these apps, once bought, can be downloaded on to iPad.
Enjoy it.