Glossy screen, slightly bigger than a paperback. I'm reading LoTR to my son using it now and it's fine, easier to hold for long periods of time than the iPad. No oleophobic coating, however, so it gets crazy smeared with finger oils.
There's a $4 case that's worth getting too: http://www.amazon.co...31760_M2C_SC_dp_1
Nook has a tablet too, but I haven't looked at it. If I weren't tied to the Kindle store already and just wanted a reader, I'd get their backlit one that can be read in both bright sunlight and the dark.