Blogger: Rachel Kent
From a reader’s perspective, how would you feel if ebooks were suddenly not available for purchase any more and we all had to go back to buying physical copies of books? Would you mind having to hold a physical copy of the book as you read? Would you enjoy taking a bubble bath while reading a book again? I have heard that this isn’t recommended when you are reading on an iPad, cell phone, or Kindle. 🙂
Personally, as a reader, I don’t think I would mind so much if ebooks were gone. I like reading physical books and I buy them when I’m really excited about a book. The majority of the ebooks I have are books that I can’t imagine wanting to read over again or that I’ve been able to download for free, so I don’t value them as highly. If I read a book as an ebook and I love it, I’m likely to purchase the physical copy anyway.
On the other hand, a friend just bought a book at the airport while traveling and she is so used to reading on her e-reader that she tried to turn the light on on the top of her book. She has one of those Kindle cases with the light built in. She also thought the hard cover book was too heavy to read comfortably.
Would you still be able to go back to reading physical copies of books?
As a reader, would you miss ebooks if they went away?
How do you prefer to read your books these days? Do you buy physical copies or are you an “ebooker” now?
Hi Rachel. I’m with you. As someone who travels quite a lot, I love my Kindle for its lightness and ability to access a huge number of titles. However, hands down I’m still all about the magic of the physical book and imagine I always will be!
For instance, for my “must-read” authors I will only read their latest releases in hardcopy. Even though, living in New Zealand, there is often a difference of weeks between when I could have the e-version on my Kindle and the physical one (finally!) arriving in my mailbox.
I’ve also been known to buy an eBook on a promo deal from an author that I haven’t tried before and loved the first chapter so much that I’ve immediately closed out of it, gone and purchased the “real” book online and waited weeks for it to arrive!
For me waiting longer for the “real thing” is definitely worth the greater joy I find from paper and ink 🙂
I wouldn’t miss ebooks at all, Rachel. I love the physical book. Even if from the half-price book store. There is just something special about it. I love the hard backs … beautiful.
If ebooks went away, I’d scarcely miss them.
I’ve tried out a Kindle, and haven’t been all that impressed with the reading experience.
I read a lot of history, and many of these books are heavily footnoted (either end-of-chapter or end-of narrative). It’s simply easier to hold my place and go check the footnote, and refer back and forth as needed. You can do it in Kindle but it’s cumbersome.
Beyond that, when I used to travel a lot I’d buy a book in every city I visited, as a memento, and keep receipts and subway tickets and stuff tucked into its pages. Kind of a nice time capsule. hard to do with a Kindle.
Love the way you inserted paper memories of a trip into your ‘book memento’.
As a book buyer at a used bookstore for many years, I got a glimpse into the lives of strangers when I found pictures, notes, or tickets tucked inside the books they brought to us.
I’ve had the same experience. I always say a prayer for that unknown person.
Or not so unknown.
I bought a used book in Austin, and it had a familiar name inscribed on the flyleaf. I realized that it had been in the collection of the late brother of a good friend of mine – from the days when I worked in San Diego.
I called my friend, and he confirmed the find, but he didn’t want the book back. He felt that I was meant to have it, whatever route it had taken to Texas.
I recently inherited some books my grandmother read to me when I was little. It occurred to me that this kind of thing will never happen with my ebooks when I go to that great library in the sky.
And how can you ask an author to sign an ebook?
I still don’t own an ereader. I have Kindle for PC on my laptop but only read those ebooks when I’m riding the stationary bike. Since I’m looking at a screen all day most days already, I’d much rather settle somewhere with a real book to read.
Lori, I use a Note, like the iPad, that my husband bought … but I’m usually holding a book. We did get Kindles for our girls (mostly because we were desperate for a Christmas gift idea) because their rooms couldn’t contain all their books … those girls are reading me out of house and home!! 🙂
Shelli, knowing now how much work and soul goes into each book, I think each book deserves to exist between their own individual covers. Also, the tactile experience of reading is part of makes reading enjoyable for me, and always will be as long as their are physical books to hold. On the other hand… 🙂
I do agree that ebooks cut down on a certain amount of clutter. Sometimes, if I don’t mean to keep a book on my shelf forever, I’ll pass along the print copy and wait for a sale on the ebook, then add it to the Kindle library. I may or may not read it again in that form, but it’s there if I want to.
The one thing I can’t manage to do with ebooks is research. I need to have the book on the shelf along with related subject matter so I can SEE it, else I’ll likely forget I own it, ever read it, or what it contained. I highlight my research books, fill them with notes and markers. I have a spatial memory for text, and can usually find something I’ve read fairly recently by remembering where on the page those sentences or words were printed. Ebooks don’t exactly lend themselves to that.
Lori, I sort of wish the girls would pass along their books … but they could part with stuffed animals easier than their books. They’ll read their favorite books over and over. Honestly, their Kindles don’t get much use … periodic use … when they get gift cards, usually. They’d rather hold a book in their hands. Like me.
I use my beloved books for grammar “how to” examples, as well. If I have a question, sometimes I google it, but often I go grab a book.
When I hold a book in my hands, I hold a world, and the dreams and hopes of the author.
I hold the author’s gentle wish that I will enjoy the book.
I have not had this feeling with a Kindle, and it is one I am loath to forego.
Beautifully put! And I feel the same way.
Ha, you guys have to realize that e-books made me a buyer. If e-books were gone, I would never buy books anymore and the publishing industry would have erased a customer completely. Before e-books came, I got books from our local library or the library at our little Christian school. If a new book was coming out I would just request that the library purchase it and therefore I would be the first one to receive it when they finally got around to it. I borrowed books from friends who bought them and my favorites I borrowed from the library every year to read again. I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with one husband, 3 small boys, and a 150lb dog. There is not a lot of room for books. My boys have several bookshelves (I do buy books for them) and I buy a writing book every year. But I managed to read a book a week just fine without every buying them. That is what I would go back to if there were no e-books. Don’t get me wrong. I do love the feel of a book…just not enough to buy it. And I miss being able to look up a word with my dictionary with a touch. I find myself poking the paper and expecting it to look up the dictionary definition of that word. Very frustrating. If I don’t want to own a book, I still order the physical copy from the library if an e-book copy is unavailable. But yeah, if you want me to buy it, you better put out an e-book. I’ve been wanting to buy Eddie Jones book about the curse of captain Lafoote for several years. I never have. Because it is not available in e-book form. I’ve bought 3 of his other books, but not the one that piqued my interest. Perhaps I can find it at the library. Anywho, that is me. You want me to buy it, make it an e-book!
My experience is very similar. Add the super convenience of not having pages to turn has allowed me ro read so many more books while washing dishes or nursing a baby. With limited money, space, and hands-free time, as much as I love real books, it would be a fight to the death if you tried to take my Kindle.
I don’t think I’d miss ebooks as a READER. As a WRITER … I’d miss that income.
Like Kristen, I’d do a lot less buying and reading of books if eBooks went away. Books, especially hardbacks, were/are priced like luxury items. Seriously, you want $30 for a new book? That’s great and all, but on my income, I’m buying maybe two a year. At $2.99 I can (and do) buy 10 books.
What I love as a reader is the story and the characters. In my evaluation, books allow for much better stories with longer and deeper arcs than any other form of entertainments. Almost every time a book I’ve loved gets turned into a movie, invariably, I liked the book version better.
But the transport mechanism (paper versus bits into my Kindle) is wholly irreverent.
With eBooks, I don’t have storage issues or the weight of lugging around all those books. Do you still see people lugging around cases of cassettes or CDs? Most people have an iPod or Smart Phone that carries thousands of songs. It’s the same with my old VCR tapes collection which eventually become DVDs and now I just stream from Nextflix, Hulu, et al.
Books are headed for the same end.
If technology takes a giant step backwards, I will miss my microwave more than my e-reader. Just sayin’.
Lol…That sounds like me, Shirlee. 🙂
Don’t own a reader. Wouldn’t even notice if eBooks went away.
HOWEVER–
I think having lots of ways to get stories to readers is a Good Thing, so it would be sad if one of those ways disappeared.
I agree with you, Rachel. Several years back, I got a nook for Christmas, and I used it about a year before going back to physical books. Like you, I have (tons of) ebooks on my iPad, but they are all books I downloaded for free. Unless I run out of print books to read, I doubt I’ll ever get around to reading them. Strange, but I’ve found that when I’m reading on an e-reader, I can’t get into the story the same way I can with a physical book. If a book isn’t all that great, I’ll stay with it a little longer if I’m reading a print copy than if I’m reading a digital one.
That’s funny. I have trouble remembering where a story is. Is it on my Nook…or is it in that stack of library books in the living room? I have to pause and think about it for a moment before I remember where to look for the book. And if it’s been awhile since I read the story it is even harder to remember if I read it on my Nook or in physical form. The story is king for me.
Rachel, I’ll join the chorus and say I wouldn’t mind if ebooks disappeared. I read on my iPad, and I have a wireless keyboard with it, so it’s actually quite cumbersome. The only real benefit is that I can prop it up and not have to hold it which is useful for exercising and eating. I read a blog post recently in which the blogger admitted that she likes to buy two physical copies of a book, a look-nice-on-the-shelf copy and a walking-around copy. I could go for that. 🙂
They make beautiful decorations, Meghan … and the more worn, the sweeter.
I don’t have an e-reader yet, but do have the apps (free!) on my laptop. Since I stare at the laptop all day, the last thing I want to do on my down time is stare at another screen – so I do prefer physical books. However, when traveling, I do covet e-readers for portability!
I read on both… most of my ereader time is when I’m at the gym (its easier to tap a screen while on an elliptical vs turn a page and keep your spot!) Other than that, I still super love my paperback books, so I’d adjust to no ereader pretty quickly!
I would definitely miss them. The ink or paper in print books makes my eyes water, nose itch, and I get a headache after a few pages. So, my ability to read longer and more books shot way up once digital books were introduced.
Wow! That’s really a bummer to have a book allergy. I’m glad ebooks exist for you and for others who benefit from the digital text.
I have a three-year-old Kindle (e-ink kind, no web surfing temptation or app frills) and I love having it in my purse. I love the freedom of being able to sample a couple chapters of any book on Amazon before taking the plunge and purchasing. I love that classics in the public domain are almost always free. And that, if I run across a word I don’t know, I can look it up right then and there and adopt it into my vocab. Have a Bible loaded, too. And recently figured out how to do e-loans from my library. And–this may be the clincher–I can thumb pages effortlessly while holding hot coffee in my other hand.
Don’t get me wrong…I am a sucker for a new book’s magic smell and love a slick cover…I’ll buy a tangible copy if I think it’s destined to be a favorite…but I would miss my Kindle terribly if I had to kiss it goodbye.
I love all of those things too!
I am an omnivore…buy and “rent” both physical and e-books. And I can’t deny the power of a brick and mortar store…or library! I just think there’s a place for all formats. 🙂
I absolutely prefer physical books. Yes, e-books are more convenient to travel with. My sister loves to talk about how she can bring a hundred books with her when she travels. I bring books with me too, always a bible and usually a couple of paperbacks. Usually, that’s all I’ll need. I love the feel of the book in my hands. I love to turn pages (the feel and the sound of that). Holding a box just isn’t the same. As others have said, I like to decorate with my books–to be able to see them on the shelf or on the table. No, I would not miss e-books at all.
By the way, anyone who needs more light to read a physical book, there are lightweight reading lights. I play the viola in an orchestra and use on that is only a couple fingers wide. It would work well even on a paperback (and it sheds a wide light with two brightness levels).
Have a great weekend! 🙂
This is a pretty common discussion with regards to eBooks and reminded me of an essay I had read.
“You Can Pry My Paper Books From My Cold, Dead Fingers
People have an emotional attachment to printed books. So much so, that the most repeated argument against the universal adoption of ebooks is “I love print, and no ebook will ever be able to take its place.
Let’s analyze this position. At its heart, the argument is emotional, not logical, for reasons this essay will explain. ”
You can read the rest here if you are interested.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2010/02/you-can-pry-my-paper-books-from-my-cold.html
As a reader, I wouldn’t miss them much. I still mostly read physical books.
But I’d be the minority in my family and extended family! My husband loves e-books, and so do my brother and father.
And I have to admit, on my last backpacking trip, it was lovely to be able to pack a lightweight Kindle rather than a couple (relatively) heavy paperbacks!
Hands down, I’m a lover of physical books.
We could also get by without running water, electricity, and the Internet. Possible, yes. Desirable? I suppose ebooks aren’t nearly as essential as my three examples, but they do share one important element: they are the future become now. Those who rail against change risk missing out on the opportunities it offers.
I LOVE actual books, and have ridiculous amounts of them, but I would miss my the app on my tablet for a reason not yet mentioned.
I have arthritis in both hands, (and yeah, almost every joint in my body) so it is MUCH MUCH MUCH easier balancing a tablet and swiping a page than it is to hold a book.
Simply, books hurt.
Jennifer ZM,
I hope you see this response (I reported to work today–I’m a teacher–and I couldn’t get on here until now later in the evening).
I bought a Levo Floor Stand Book Holder like the one pictured on this link.
http://www.brookstone.com/levo-floor-stand-book-holder
I think you might like it. My hands were aching when I first got my Kindle due to having to grip it so much. The Levo allows me to lay flat on my bed, sit in a chair, etc. It was well worth the money!
And to answer Rachel’s original question, I would be angry if e-books went away. One, I can have the book instantly–I don’t need to drive 40 miles to the bookstore (I live in a small town). Two–Kindle Fire had made me read more, and I enjoy and the convenience the books in one place.
I know my MIL also has arthritis in her hands and LOVES how she can hold her Kindle with one hand and it’s so light. She has found many new favorite authors via her Kindle that would not be available in her small-town library. Another benefit of Kindles is that you can change the font, so those who need large print can read it easily.
Being from a small town myself, I love the access my Kindle gives me to the newest books, or OLD books my library may not have. If I find an author I love, I will usually try to get a softcover of their book, simply to keep and loan to friends. But I think e-readers are a great and easy way to find new authors, especially if you live in a small town. It’s also a great way to read early manuscripts of some of my fave up-and-coming author friends. 🙂
My reading is fairly balanced between the two, but for reviewing purposes I prefer digital books. I’ve found donating the used copies of paperbacks and hardcovers I’m not interested in keeping to be a pain. I literally can’t see one corner of my office floor because I’ve run out of room. I can at least donate the children’s books easily to our local schools, but other than that, I have to wait until the library agrees to accept used titles for their book sale or our church’s annual tag sale.
I still buy paperbacks regularly, especially if I have a collection going of an authors’ titles.
I love physical books, too, and read in paper form. (I have a Kindle, but haven’t charged it for a long time.) On the positive side, now that one of my books is out of print, I appreciate the fact readers can still purchase it as an e-book.
There’s truly nothing like cracking the spine of the book or smelling the musty pages of an old library find. As long as physical books stick around, ebooks can do as they will by me!
I love paper books, but I’d be sad to part with my kindle. E-books fit both my budget and my space better than paper books. If e-books did go out, I’d go back to checking stacks of books out at the library.
I would miss them very much. I’m writing, and publishing, in a genre that exists thanks to ebooks. Without them, science fiction romance wouldn’t exist.
I currently have no shelf space, so everything I buy is on my Nook.
I love both. I have three floor to ceiling custom-built bookshelves crammed with books, along with smaller bookshelves tucked here in there in a bedroom or alcove. But I really enjoy my e-reader. It is convenient for traveling, and reading in bed, and book discussions that pop up outside of my private library. I’ve downloaded books immediately upon someone’s recommendation that I might have forgotten about before I made it to the bookstore. If ebooks disappeared I would miss some of the treasures I’ve recently read. In fact just this week at the OCW conference, I downloaded one of the speaker’s books before he was finished with his keynote.
That’s awesome, Barbara! Was it Dan Walsh? He did a beautiful job with his keynote, didn’t he?
When we moved, I got rid of a bunch of books. I only kept the ones I 100% wanted to read again. It was hard for me to let go, but I needed to be smart about our new space! I covet your bookshelves.
I wouldn’t miss ebooks at all. But I know the younger crowd would.
I feel like I’m in the middle of the road. We’ll see how my daughter feels about it when she’s older. That will be the true test!
I love physical books, but I’m reading on my e-reader more and more. It’s easier to read in bed after my husband has gone lights out. The book light was always a hassle.
Also, I’ve met several people recently who, because of temporary or permanent disability, find it easier to read digital books. I’d never thought about how challenging it would be to hold a book and to turn pages if you had trouble with your hands, wrists, or arms. And the ability to change font size? Priceless.
Print only! If I love a book, or the work of a specific author, I want to share it with my friends. That’s impossible with an e-book. I worry that literature, like most forms of art is losing respect in our country, though I don’t think that holds true for the rest of the world. I applaud the remarkably loyal e-reader for taking advantage of the library system. It helps books stay in print!
I wouldn’t miss ebooks. Not even a little.
Nothing can replace a paperback. The majority of the books on my Kindle will never be read.
Courtney, I admire you for admitting this.
I much prefer to read ebooks. I have a Kindle Fire. (I borrowed it from my husband and have never returned it!) It allows me to highlight and make notes easily, which I love. I find ebooks so practical to take when I’m traveling-no need to worry about the weight and space that physical books take up in my suitcase. It means I can carry as many books as I wish. Also, it is so simple to buy ebooks. One click and the book has arrived. Ebooks are more environmentally friendly, too. As you can tell, I am a keen supporter.
The other thing exciting about ebooks, which i forgot to add to my comment above, is the development of display technology that will remove the need to wear reading glasses. http://www.technologyreview.com/news/529191/prototype-display-lets-you-say-goodbye-to-reading-glasses/
I’m sure lots of people will look forward to this advancement in e-readers.
Rachel, Ooh, that would be cool! I like the way you can enlarge the text on ebook readers, but being able to see it without reading glasses… even better!
I agree with your comment about ease of traveling with ebooks. I just returned from vacation, and instead of lugging along my usual 5 paperbacks, I tossed in my Kindle and read 5 novels while I was on vacation.
Rachel, I do have to “amen” that … I love hard back books, but it is wonderful not having to use glasses to read!
🙂 This is really neat!
I love both versions, but admit I’m becoming more and more of a Kindle convert. Last night, I finished a hardback suspense in the wee hours of the night. I enjoyed the author’s writing so much that I immediately wanted to read her next book. Enter library app on my smartphone. I checked out the ebook, downloaded it to my Kindle, and started reading the next book in the series in about 2 minutes.
I have done this, too. Even though I prefer having a paperback copy, if there’s no way I can get the next book in a series fast enough, I will buy the ebook and I typically read on my phone.
Like many of the others here, my reading is split between ebooks (probably 70% now) and paper books. A lot of people treat it like it’s either/or. I hear ebooks compared to “real” books all the time, and for me ebooks are just as real. The words are the same. The act of consuming the words is very similar. And, although I love the feel of most printed books, I find the ereader more comfortable for reading in bed or on a plane. And there are some books, like the recent Twain autobiography volumes, that are huge and hard to read. I love the heft and size of those printed books but do much of the actual reading electronically.
For my mother (early seventies) and one of my friends, ebooks means they can still read. They can adjust the light and the font to make reading comfortable. I notice myself that I get much less tired reading ebooks, even with a backlit screen.
For my three-year-old grandson, it has to be real books. A screen means playing, and he continually taps to go to the next screen, and wants a gaming experience from an ebook.
For me, I’m out of shelf space. Ebooks help with that tremendously. But I still squeeze new printed books in my limited space all the time. Also, I travel enough that an ereader has obvious benefits, but I also like to go to local bookstores wherever I travel, especially City Lights in San Francisco.
Oh, and I had to laugh at the title of this blog. Only a couple years people were blogging about “What if printed books go away?” Nice twist there.
I can’t imagine reading an ebook to my toddler daughter. I don’t think she’d understand it was a book. We do have the There’s a Monster at the End of this Book app–which is a book–but she thinks it’s a game because it is interactive.
When we are sitting in the car waiting for something (gas station, grocery store, just driving somewhere) I read out of my Nook to my boys. But I got the plain old e-ink version for a reason. My kids don’t need more screen time. So, Like you, I can’t imagine reading a picture book to my boys off a screen. It’s just more TV. But with the normal plain old Nook that doesn’t have a back lit screen. My boys borrow my Nook all the time (I buy books I think they might like, so that we have something wherever we go) and I do read to them. But mostly I buy physical books for them. Because I love books, and am actually willing to spend the $ on them if its for my kiddos.
My children bought me a nook several years ago. They were hoping I would transfer all my books to the nook and get rid of the 1000’s of books cluttering up my house. It didn’t work. I can’t bring myself to get rid of the books I already have. I do say that I enjoy the convenience of my e readers. I now have a kindle and a nook. Most of the books on there were free downloads, but I have purchased some of my favorites to take when we’re traveling. I read books very fast, so it’s easier to take an e-reader than pack a bunch of books. So I would miss them a little. 🙂
Oh, one more thing. My reading has more than doubled since I started reading a lot of ebooks, probably because I can read longer and in more places. My Goodreads stats tell the story.
My dog love to “dog ear” the pages of my books. Give me real books any day.
I love real books. My Nook is rarely used. I bought it so that I could buy ebooks for the same reasons you stated. I’ve always treasured books. It’s like owning a tiny bit of the author’s creative mind. Logically, I would have that same feeling with ebooks, but they are just something to read. I don’t get the same feeling of ownership with them. It could be my age. Perhaps the generation that’s grown up with ebooks feels differently than me.
Maybe my least favorite thing about ebooks, as much as I like them, is that every book feels the same. You finish one and start the next and it feels like the same book.
I totally agree with you!
I thought of something else I miss now that the majority of my reading is electronic: bookmarks. I have a mug on the shelf by my bed, full of mementos that I use for bookmarks, everything from ticket stubs to baseball cards to BART tickets, many of which are treasures in their own right.
I LOVE how everyone is just a little bit different with reading preferences! These comments are fun!
Thank you all for sharing today. It’s been lively.
Thank you for getting us going, Rachel! 🙂
I originally said I would never read e-books. That was before my husband and I received a Kindle as a gift. It sat neglected in its case for a month until the gift giver asked if we were enjoying using our Kindle. Um, er, well… So I fired up the Kindle, downloaded several books, and almost immediately fell in love with our portable library. So did my husband. I mentioned to my son that his Dad and I fought over whose turn it was to use the Kindle. This past Mother’s Day, my son and daughter-in-law presented me with a Kindle Fire. Woo hoo! Nothing will ever replace the pleasure of turning the pages of a physical book, but e-readers have given us the ability to inexpensively carry a wide variety of books in a small package.
I would celebrate. And judging from the chorus above (66 comments!) so would most of the others. Alas, it’ll never happen.
On my kindle I mostly have ebooks that I downloaded for free or almost free. If I’m really interested in a book, I buy a hard copy. So it wouldn’t be a big adjustment for me. There’s just something about holding the physical copy in my hands…I never have to worry about battery. 🙂
I wouldn’t miss e-books at all. I have a couple books on my husbands Kindle, but hardly remember they are there. It’s too easy to forget. Instead I love browsing the titles on my book shelves. Also, since I read a lot of non-fiction, I find it simpler to leaf through the pages to find the section that I need or which piques my interest.
The visual aspect of a physical book cannot be matched by an e-book.
Though I wouldn’t really miss ebooks, I have been able to attain and read more books due to free ebooks. I think ebooks make it easier to get one’s message to the masses. Personally, I will always prefer holding that book in my hands, being able to mark in it if I choose as I learn something new, and then re-read the treasure. To walk in to a library or bookstore and experience the thrill of all of those choices before me!…ebooks will never compare to that.
I prefer holding the physical book in my hands, but love the convenience of my Nook for travel. When I used to travel for a month at a time for work, it was a challenge to pack enough books and sometimes a challenge to buy books in English once I got there.
Also, some of my friends have found that, much as they love physical books, they only use their ereaders because they can adjust the font size and it is not too heavy for them to hold.
There are times when eBooks are more convenient, although I’m a person who never goes anywhere without a paperback in my purse, so there aren’t many times I have need of an eBook 🙂 As an author, I’m glad that eBooks make my own book more accessible to readers. But as a reader, I’d be 200% fine with eBooks disappearing off the face of the earth! Haha. I am a ‘physical’ book girl, all the way!!
This post upset me a little bit, because I did not expect to be a professional from a publishing industry to be so biased against ebooks. As a reader, I would very much mind if ebooks disappeared, and here is why.
“how would you feel if… we all had to go back to buying physical copies of books?” It’s a bit presumptuous to think we all bought physical copies of books in the first place. I didn’t. I borrowed them from friends and libraries. lol $20-$35 for a book? MAYBE if it is nonfiction that I plan to read over and over again.
“Would you mind having to hold a physical copy of the book as you read?” I wouldn’t mind per se, but it would definitely be a downgrade from a lightweight iPad or my slim smartphone. As someone who reads a lot, and someone who reads books known for their volume (e.g., A Song of Ice and Fire series), it’s certainly nice being able to read wherever I am without having to lug around a 5 lb brick of a book.
“Would you enjoy taking a bubble bath while reading a book again?” lol again? I don’t know of many people who find the time to fill up a tub so that they could read a book with bubbles. “I have heard that this isn’t recommended when you are reading on an iPad, cell phone, or Kindle.” It’s not recommended because if you drop it, it’s ruined. I’d like to point out that if you drop a physical book into a full tub, the book will be ruined as well. Also, I have a Samsung Galaxy s5, I can read underwater if I wanted to.
On the other hand, ebooks have clear advantages over physical books.
-rising gas prices don’t have to be factored in, as ebook distribution doesn’t rely on transportation
-ALL THE TREES WE WON’T HAVE TO CUT DOWN FOR PAPER
-the price of making paper and printing on it
-the physical space an ebook takes up vs a physical book. There will never come a point where I, a reader who prefers ebooks, will have to worry about where am I going to store all these books
-the cost is worth mentioning again. I am a young professional, recently out of college. I cannot afford to buy many books priced between $20-$35. But books that cost $9.99 or less? That’s doable.
-the issue of returns.. fewer people return ebooks and ask for a refund than physical books
-immediate gratification. No shipping! I want to read a book, I literally click one button and I am reading that book.
I cannot imagine the world reverting back to print only. What a backward evolution of technology would that be? And even more, I cannot fathom why a literary agent has not embraced the ebooks and wouldn’t “mind so much if ebooks were gone.”
I have read the digital version of several non-fiction books, but I just read my first fiction book on an e-reader last week. I enjoyed the book and instantly thought of several people to whom I would like to loan it. However, it’s much harder to loan the digital copy of a book. There’s something special about being able to pass on a book to a friend. It made me wish I had waited to buy the paper copy, which is what I would usually do.
Does anyone else prefer to pass on the printed book to a friend?
I rarely use my e-readers and read the old fashioned kind all the time. I wonder if the e-readers people have now will still be useable in twenty years. I wouldn’t be surprised if once everyone has one the manufacturers will stop making the batteries so people will have to buy new e-readers.
I’m a little confused by your stop making batteries comment. Both my Kindles (I have the original and a Kindle Fire) use rechargeable batteries. I just plug them into the wall. So I would imagine my eReader would be okay in 20 years.
But even if they came out with a brand new wiz-bang eReader (like they did with the Fire), it would work the same way. When I bought my Fire, all the books from my Kindle moved over without any problems.
But then again, I didn’t generally keep my paper books from 20 years ago except on rare occasion.
What happened to me was my Kindle paperwhite quit working properly. I got nothing but the run around from Amazon. I couldn’t afford to purchase one. It was then that I was so very thankful I hadn’t bought any ebooks. I download free ones only. If I like the book…I buy it! 🙂 Eventually, a friend sent me hers because she reads on her iPad. I can’t era long at all on a lit screen. So real books it us! I wouldn’t miss ebooks much at all.
I’m okay either way, though I give a slight edge to my ebook reader, mostly because of size, (lack of) weight and the ability to carry multiple books with me at once.
For me, a physical book has a certain presence that makes it, how do I say, “present”? It’s a tangible symbol of success. People are more impressed with the physical copies on my bibliography shelf, than the CD with my electronic copies on them. Also, if I’m researching, I find it easier to flip back and forth between pages with a hard copy.
If ebooks suddenly disappeared, I’d cry blustery tears for multiple reasons. If physical books disappeared, I’d have a good whimper, but not too much.
I never want to go back, however I still read the occasional paper book. I like to be able to read during the night with ereader/book light. I read comments from authors electronically that I never would have seen before having a Nook or iPad. I like iPad better, however I use both, especially when battery runs down in one of them. I don’t even want to consider them going away.