The Sun has an op-ed by “chick-lit writer” Adele Parks—another one of those conversion stories about e-book doubters who become e-book evangelists. In Parks’s case, she became curious enough to buy a Kindle after learning she was selling a huge number of e-books.
After buying the Kindle, she discovered she liked it so much she has used it it constantly ever since—though mostly for travel and commuting, where a slim device that can replace a ton of books is most useful. She will “always choose a ‘proper’ book” for reading at home.
Parks does not have an “emotional attachment” to her Kindle, but acknowledges that some generations might, and thinks that it is a good thing that something has moved non-readers to start reading.
It’s true this isn’t really “news”, but it’s nice to see that at least some e-reader skeptics can be swayed enough to enjoy the device for its advantages without assuming it’s going to “kill” reading.
I can’t say I feel the same. In over 2 years since I got my first Kindle, I’ve only read 2 physical books, one was a gift and one I got used because the price for the Kindle version was too high. Despite being surrounded by thousands of books in my home, I prefer my Kindle every time.
I am now on my second Kindle (I wanted the smaller K3 size and lighted case) and wouldn’t trade it for a houseful of physical books.
“She will “always choose a ‘proper’ book” for reading at home.”
Yawwwwwn….
Who cares about the format of the book just read! I personally have been using my Kindle exclusively now for almost 2 years and won’t go back to paper books for a few reasons. Limited space and my eyesight. In many ways I think that an e-reader is a good device for people with bad eyesight, arthritis, limited storage space and for portability. This whole “Paper books are better, no e-books are better” is a load of crap, books are being bought, read and enjoyed no matter the format and that is all that matters at the end of the day.
The article implies that those who use physical ereaders now, were initially non-readers.
I’ve grown up with my mother buying me physical books, and I’ve used the library for other physical books. It seems like I have been reading physical books voraciously since 5 years of age. My friends and family all knew me as the girl who would sit quietly in a corner, reading a paper book. I’m in my early twenties now and I have made a complete switch to ebooks. Since graduating from college, I am not even dependent on getting reduced textbook prices from sites like half.com. I use online resources from the library as much as I can, use blogs and websites, and of course check out ebooks from the public library! If you can shell out 10 dollars to buy a new paperback, it makes more sense to shell out those ten dollars and buy an ebook, in my opinion. I do of course still buy ebooks, but I have many options that reduce expenditure for my e-reading.
I have the library nearby, and I can’t bring myself to read a physical book (even when free!) for leisure. Holding my own gadget seems so much more sanitary, and also the titles I really like at the library are available in hardback format – and my ereader is so much lighter! Oh, and I use the black-and-white e-ink format, except when there are color pictures.