In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but how many can get through to you ~ Mortimer Adler
A good book is like a dear friend. Together you journey through numerous adventures sharing laughter and tears, growing ever closer and at the end glad to have found each other in the world. The whole reading experience can be almost a ritual. We chase down a new work by a favorite author, gather up a drink and maybe a snack, nestle into a comfortable nook in which to read, and with building anticipation fold back the cover to page one.
For many the physical experience of holding a new book and manually turning pages as you progress through the plot is an indispensible part of the romance of reading. But now thanks to technology we are moving away from paper book and entering the realm of electronic or eBooks.
Some seniors remain resistant to the change while younger audiences embrace the new world. Let’s face it there are many advantages of the electronic versions including the ability to link to additional information directly from the text as well as store a library-full of books on a single device.
But is there a replacement for the joy of turning that next page? What about that new book smell? And is there anything more convenient than sticking that paperback into a purse or pocket for easy access when the urge to read strikes us?
When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit you are enriched. But when you pass it on you are enriched threefold. ~ Henry Miller
In this weeks US News & World blog 6 Reasons to Make eBooks Part of your Retirement I take a look at the current state of eBooks to see if the pluses outweigh the minuses for readers of all ages. In the end it remains a matter of personal preference. Have you made a choice yet?
Yup. I’ve chosen the Public Library. Can’t beat the cost.
Hi!
As a lifelong book lover, this is a topic near and dear to my heart. I find there are definite pro’s to E-readers – they are portable, lightweight and capable of containing a large volume of books. I appreciate that they also provide the ability to share E-books with my spouse on his E-reader, so we can read it at the same time. Which we often do when reading our monthly book club selection, or when doing reading in preparation for a trip we are planning to take together. I also appreciate ability to download many of the classics now in the public domain for absolutely no additional cost (i.e., free!).
I can tell you that given the option of physically having to hold onto a 500+ page book vs reading it via an E-reader, I’ll take the E-reader. Much easier on the hands. Otherwise, I’m fine with either a “real” book or an E-book . . . once I got through the brief learning curve of adapting to my E-reader, I found that both delivered identical experiences.
I rarely purchase books these days, using the library almost exclusively. I start my hunt at home on the public library’s website to see if the E-book is available for checkout. If it is, I grab it. If it is not, I head to the library for the paper copy instead.
Thanks for the comments Tamara. I also learned recently of the whole collection of free ebooks out there just waiting for someone to download! Smashwords.com is one with a good amount and there are other sites as well. We will never run out of books to read!