I know it’s hard to believe that there are people out there that haven’t jumped on the Kindle/Nook/etc. bandwagon. This post is no way a dig at authors who decide to only publish e-books, although it's rather annoying when I can’t get a hold of book in paperback! Please enjoy and maybe even laugh a little.
- I like the look of books (if I switched to e-books I would have nothing to decorate my house with).
- I like the feel of books (I can’t fold back the pages of a Kindle book).
- I like the smell of books...hmm... I could take it or leave it.
- I like to lend out my books (except for my hardcovers and really old books).
- I tried reading an e-book on my iPod and got halfway through the Wizard of Oz when I somehow erased all the books on it (I was left without reading material all day long!)
- Tossing a paperback in my bag isn’t stressful. Tossing a piece of technology in my bag makes me paranoid all day long.
- I don’t need another thing to remember to charge (I can’t tell you how many conversations have been caught short because I forget to recharge my cell phone or how ticked off I have been when I thought I would be spending the day writing away from home and had to return home two hours later because I forget my laptop cord at home).
- Walking around a bookstore is one of my favourite things to do. I love listening to the people around me talk about books (I call it research).
- I walk around the bookstore and pick up books that are visually attractive (a book cover does not look the same on screen as it does in print).
- I already spend hours staring at a computer screen. I don’t want to spend hours staring at a Kindle screen (my poor eyes need a rest).
- My shelf of awesome just wouldn’t be the same if I switched to an e-reader.
- I have a tendency to drop technology. I have the dents in my cellphone to prove it. And then there was the incident with my laptop taking a swan dive that left me with a half working computer for a few months before I could afford a new one. I have made the choice to switch from a laptop to a desktop (it's almost impossible to drop a desktop computer. I get the feeling if the Nook/Kindle etc. was stationary and heavy like a desktop it would quickly lose its appeal).
What are you thoughts? To read about the other side of this argument please click here to go to Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.
If you liked this post please share it with your friends. Come back for Book Review Monday. I will be reviewing War Horse and Barnyard Dance.
Rena, I have post-it notes stuck to my computer that say things like page 110 chapter 16. Very confusing. Love your post and I agree!
ReplyDeleteRena, I do have a Kindle but I prefer reading print books for all the reasons you listed. I'm afraid to take my Kindle anywhere because I think I'll drop it and/or break it. The only real plus to the Kindle is getting the book instantly with one click. Okay, and the space it saves. My house is overflowing with print books! But I still love the look, feel, and smell of a print book. (I almost typed "real" book.)
ReplyDeleteAh a person who thinks the same as me....I love curling up with a book....doing the same with a piece of technology is not right....I love book stores, looking at all the different books, the look of the covers, the feel of the books...and I LOVE 2ndhand bookstores....can spend hours in there
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I also love my books! When I was little and book orders were taken, I begged my mom to let me buy more than one book. When book orders came in, the teach would bundle your stuff together, call your name out and when you walked up to get your load, all the children whispered trying to guess what all you got.
ReplyDeleteI never went for posters or puzzles, I went for the books. Thin books, thick books, short books, long books. I loved them all! :)
I keep revisiting this topic in my head, online, and in face-to-face conversations. I have an e-reader on my ipad, and it's great for the gym, where the pages of the real book kept closing on me unless I bound them with a rubberband, which made them hard to turn. However, when I test-drove the e-reader while traveling I learned: (1) There is a period of time after you board the plane when you must turn off all electronic devices and are left with nothing to read for a LONG time unless you have actual print material and (2) I did NOT want to bring expensive technology to the beach, but I didn't care if I got sand in the pages of a print book.
ReplyDeleteAmen! I can't see myself using a Kindle/Nook for many of these reasons. In fact, my boyfriend is in publishing. He recently did the new novel "Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman. He brought me home a copy. When you hold it, you know you are holding something special. Books are tactial for me and I hope they remain that way.
ReplyDeleteI love books. And book stores. And especially picture books. Let us hope that picture books always stay in paper format! I do have to say that I own a kindle and loved it for when I was nursing my baby - so much easier to read with one hand! However I never bought books on it - I only got free ones or checked out from the library because if I buy a book I want to have it in paper form.
ReplyDeleteI'm really in a non-accumulation phase of life, so the e-reader I got for Christmas allows me to support authors and feed my reading habit without acquiring more "stuff." It's been a good thing in my life (though I can certainly relate to a number of your reasons!).
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your feedback. If e-readers get more people reading than I'm for it. I'm just tired of hearing that print is dead (I think paperbacks are going to be around for awhile)!
ReplyDeleteTwo of have iPads. We don't need alternative readers as you can read Kindle and Nook books on the iPad by downloading the apps.
ReplyDeleteAll four of us a voracious readers and visit bookstores and libraries to feed our habit. Our homes are filled with books and we wouldn't have it any other way.
(that being said, Susan has three published ebooks. However they are all available as POD's.)
@The Pen and Ink Blog Perhaps one day I will give in and get a e-reader. There are few books that I want to read that are only available as ebooks. I never tried a iPad. Honestly, I don't care if people use ereader or not as along as he/she is reading! I just perfer "traditional" books.
ReplyDelete