I tried hard to resist. Maybe it was loyalty, or nostalgia. Possibly childish stubbornness, or fondness for the weight of a book in my hand. Maybe it was a combination of all these things. Whatever the reasoning, when I received my Kindle as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago, I didn’t take it out of the box for over a year. (True as it is pitiful, and wholly unexplainable. I have no defense , Your Honor.)
Well, I’ve definitely gotten over myself, and I have real honest and faithful love of the ability to download a book on a whim, oftentimes for free, special promo prices, in the dark, on a beach, riding a bike (not recommended, but doable), waiting in line at the P.O… It’s a book lovers dream; an unending highway of books at once accessible with the minor exertion of a fingertip pressed to a magic key.
And yet, always in my heart lives an affection for what can only be found in a pulp and paper creation. Sure, I’m loving all the bells and whistles offered up by the New Kid on the Block, but even then, I could never forsake what will always be a lifetime commitment between me and the Book. All ready lost touch with the magic of paper pages? Click here and rember just how special it is: Book…
Barbara Forte Abate 
I think it’s so funny…well, not like haha, but funny nevertheless. So many of us have experienced this. I still prefer the real book, but I love the convenience of the eBook. And the ease of using the eBook – the dictionary, highlighting, making notes – has led me to not onlyl start doing that again with the paper and hardbacks I read but also to fully absorb the words. It’s incredible the depth to which these books are reaching me now. Even those non-literary ones – mysteries and such. There’s gold between the covers, and instead of skimming quickly through it as I think I tended to do before (not all the time, but especially with page-turners), I take in every word.
The thing with my eReader is that I browse and shop for books now more than I would have without one. So it’s definitely opening up the world of books for readers. My hope is that both forms of book, traditional and e, can always co-exist 🙂
Yes, I’m with you. I still love my traditional books, and anything I think I’ll highlight, underline or write in (non-fiction and reference) I still buy paper books. But fiction I tend to download to my Kindle. It’s just so convenient to always carry three or four books with it so I’m not left bored while waiting places.
I am actually the opposite. I prefer my Nook to an actual book. I like the feel of it, and I find it easier to read. Still, if I come across a book that I truly love, I have to have it in hard copy, too. 🙂
A conflict most writers and readers can identify with, I’m sure. I will always love the heft, feel & smell of a real book. But my many moves & life changes have forced me to leave hundreds of books behind because of space issues. I still think about those old friends and wish they could have made the journey with me. The ebook ensures no books left behind, ever again.
I still feel conflicted. I love, love, love my Nook. The ability to carry an entire library’s worth of content no matter where I go still amazes me. It’s a marvel of technology, and I think we fail to realize its significance. (And believe me, at the rate I’m going, I’m going to give the Library of Congress a run for its money.)
I still love books though, and a part of me regrets not getting certain books in dead tree format.
Loving your comments and thank you all for stopping by :-). If there’s any one clear thing we all have in common, it’s our passion for books and reading, and that’s still the main deal, regardless of our preferred vehicle for ingesting the words.. And I absolutely agree that if I find a book I love–even if I happen to already have it on my kindle, I still NEED to own it, in “dead tree format” as Gabriel has so eloquently put it.
I think if you love reading, then an e-book opens up opportunity, particularly as bookshops are shutting down all over the place. There is no instant gratification in ordering a paperback from Amazon. And when you can get the e-book instantly, then . . . why wouldn’t you? There’s nothing better than browsing in a bookstore, finding the book you want and settling down to read it immediately.
Plus, you get exposed to so many more authors online. It’s all win win.
This is one thing I am not even close to the fence about, lol. I have told all my relatives that the moment I unwrap an eReader, the moment it is getting returned. I know tons of people love them, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I have almost a physical aversion to them, which is admittedly more than a little silly, borderline ridiculous.
I collect old books. I have a near-first edition copy of Les Miserables and another of Tales of a Grandfather by Sir Walter Scott. I love the way they smell and the history I feel in the pages. It’s like they come alive when I touch them.
I’m just glad people are reading, however they do it, but I am and will forever be a book person. I own several hundred pounds of them, and I would get rid of all my other possessions if that’s what it took to keep them. I sold a bunch once and then ended up buying them all back (at about 200% cost, because most were out of print).
@Emmie That you sold a bunch of your books only to buy them back at 200%, is the real deal when it comes to true love! (And well, sort’ve, very, funny!) In fact your comment at once brought to mind one of my favorite quotes, which is on a plaque outside a public library in Baltimore MD, “these are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves” (Gilbert Highet, Teacher & Scholar)
I’ve been browsing blogs, and after reading yours I’d like to nominate you for The Versatile Blogger award. Check out my blog post http://www.conantstation.com/ to see the award and read some instructions that go with it. Happy Blogging! Helen
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I loved my Nook from the moment I bought it. In those early days, I actually read from the Nook app on my computer just as frequently. I had ordered my Nook when they first came out and there was a delay in filling orders so I adapted. I was at a University at the time, with plenty of studying I should’ve been doing instead of the reading I wanted to do and realized immediately how much faster I could read an ebook compared to a print one. Not sure why that is. The Nook was a bit slow at page turning but I’d press the button prior to finishing the line.
I’ve since moved most of my reading to my iPhone and the Kindle app. The Nook app is often harder to navigate and frequently makes me an angry customer (needing me to update my info in order to access my books too often, losing my highlights, etc).
I’ve had a similar struggle. I love books and there’s really no comparison when it comes to having the real thing in your hands. I am especially drawn to the cover art and how it conveys the story within. You just don’t get that on a kindle. That said, I do love my kindle and it is very handy when traveling so I don’t have to lug around 2-3 books (as is my tendency). I’ve also been getting into the highlighting feature of my kindle and really love being able to find it quickly.
Sadly I do not own any electronic reading devices, I just can’t make up my mind which one is the best to purchase! I also fear that I will never put it down as I will never run out of things to read, and that in turn may cause chaos in my daily life!! I can see it now, bills will go unpaid because I’ve over extended myself on purchasing all the delicious offerings, I will never have to leave the house to purchase new material and thus all the thrift shops in town will suffer because I will no longer patronize them, the impact could be endless…..lol Seriously tho, I have been torn about committing myself to another new-fangled device that will supposedly enhance my life. I so love the feel of an actual book in my hand, the turning of the pages, the smell of the paper, (okay, some of those old, musty ones, not so much). I also enjoy the history of used books, who read them before me and why did they pass it on? I like when I get one that has been personalized, “Happy Birthday Jane, hope you enjoy this as much as I did”; did Jane hate it, never even read it, or did she want someone else to enjoy as much as she did? I do like the idea of having a wealth of the latest and greatest new books at a fingers touch away, and I think I will eventually cave and give in to purchasing one, but I’m holding out til I’m absolutely sure I can adjust to one more electronic device taking hold over my life!!!
Funny you mention personalized books, I always feel a little sad when I find one in a book I’ve picked up at a flea mkt or used book store. Especially when the message is clearly heartfelt. I just have to wonder how such special gifts are given away. I think how dejected the giver would feel if they knew it had been discarded, so I try to do the right thing and give it a more appreciated life on my own shelves…unless of course it turns out to be a stinker. I’m at the point that shelf space is now at a premium, and with continuously incoming volumes, my pity for orphaned books can only go so far.