Reading is my passion. My favourite past-time activity. Reading can be fun, entertaining and educating. Sometimes, all at the same time. I find it surprising that there are people who don't read. It can be and sometimes is, more fun than watching a movie or tv show. It forces you to use your imagination to re-create the scenes that the author is describing. But I digress.
What I want to talk about is the much spoken about debate-which is better, Books or Ebooks? There are pros and cons to support each. The main and strongest in favour of Books is that no electronic medium can replace the feel and smell of a book. The pride of owning a first edition. Getting your copy autographed.
And the pros of Ebooks are plenty too. Biggest and most important one-Saves Paper (Subsequent Con of Books). All environmentalists should be for it. You can carry multiple books on your e-book reader without inconvenience as opposed to carrying multiple books. Another great pro for e-books,rather ebook apps, is access to classics for free including books that you won't find at the local Library. (Bliss!)
And yet, bookstores thrive. And people buy books. Including me. It is one of my dreams to have a library in my house. If e-books replace books in the near future, then my library will most likely be a nice cozy room with only a Kindle decorating an otherwise bare floor-to-ceiling shelf (not a pretty sight.)
So I personally am in a dilemma. Though logically I am for e-books (saving paper, multiple books, searching-referencing within the reader etc), I can't yet give up on my Library dream. I can't decide if I should stay a Bookworm or progress to becoming a Bookvirus.
What I want to talk about is the much spoken about debate-which is better, Books or Ebooks? There are pros and cons to support each. The main and strongest in favour of Books is that no electronic medium can replace the feel and smell of a book. The pride of owning a first edition. Getting your copy autographed.
And the pros of Ebooks are plenty too. Biggest and most important one-Saves Paper (Subsequent Con of Books). All environmentalists should be for it. You can carry multiple books on your e-book reader without inconvenience as opposed to carrying multiple books. Another great pro for e-books,rather ebook apps, is access to classics for free including books that you won't find at the local Library. (Bliss!)
And yet, bookstores thrive. And people buy books. Including me. It is one of my dreams to have a library in my house. If e-books replace books in the near future, then my library will most likely be a nice cozy room with only a Kindle decorating an otherwise bare floor-to-ceiling shelf (not a pretty sight.)
So I personally am in a dilemma. Though logically I am for e-books (saving paper, multiple books, searching-referencing within the reader etc), I can't yet give up on my Library dream. I can't decide if I should stay a Bookworm or progress to becoming a Bookvirus.
Oh I so understand this debate. I too long for a dark wood library, a fireplace, and lots of first edition, leather bound books lining the shelves. I love the smell and feel of books, the texture and sensory experience of them.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, own a Nook and I love it. I mean I love it! I can buy books faster, cheaper, and read new authors I've never heard of before when they come up as free books. The amount of books under $5 is shocking! I have expanded my reading so much since purchasing my Nook.
That being said, when I find a book that I love, I still buy it (usually discounted at a used book store) and add it to my "real" library. For me it hasn't hindered my library building but it keeps me from having books around the house that I don't really need to read again, those throw away beach novels and such, and kept it to just the ones I love and want to be able to re-visit.
That's how I use the Nook and my library at least. For me it works and trust me I debated long and hard before caving and buying one for myself but I honestly don't know what I would do without it anymore. Hope this helped a bit. :)
My mom asked me last Christmas if I wanted a Kindle. I promptly replied NO. While I see the pros to ebooks, I would much rather have a book in hand.
ReplyDeletedear tortured genius,
ReplyDeleteas a fellow book lover and avid reader i can totally relate to your dream of owning your own library...just as described in the paperbacks i have grown up smelling, feeling and even tasting(accidentally dozed off a few times...i think).So i read through all my senses.But having done that i know and so do you that once you are engrossed in a good book, you cease to feel, hear and smell the paper and instead you feel, hear and smell the world described in the book...so i wont really mind upgrading to the status of a virus(though there are worms in the computer world too) as long as i get to read a good story :)
Hay, thank you all for sharing your views.
ReplyDelete@Jewels what you say makes a lot of sense. I guess I will mostly follow suit but then I still wonder abt the tonnes of books that are printed and how many trees are cut down for it.
@J.Day so u're a bookworm for life :)
@maudlin yes, that's a very valid point. It Is more abt the story than the physical copy of the book. But my dream Library! I really think.Jewels has the right idea abt this.