In addition to preferring hardcovers to digital format for certain authors and or books, if I run across a ebook that I think I would like to read again, I usually buy it in hardcover if it is available. What I REFUSE to do is pay hardcover price for a digital book! Not ever going to happen!
The only two positive things about digital books that I can say is that I appreciate the fact that I can read books at night while I lay next to my husband in bed without the bother of a book light, and that it has given me the opportunity to try new authors and take advantage of free book offers and/or discounts not given to a print book. If I like the author or the series, I'll usually go out and buy them in their physical form.
I read, on average, about 5-8 books a week. Yes, full length novels. I have the handicap of being able to read and absorb the written word far faster that most people which means I am often out of reading material.
Am I the only one that feels this way? Am I the only one who is thinking about what my future will look like without physical books? If you have an eReader, what kind do you have and why do you like it? Or not, as the case my be?
I hate e-readers. However, my husband has one for when he's underway and to me that makes sense. I HAVE to have physical paper! Additionally, I try to avoid hardcovers. Paperbacks are my favorite. :D
ReplyDeleteI used to be able to read that many books a week, and now that I've gotten into quilting that number has drastically diminished. That said, I go through periods of time where all I do is read, eat, and sleep.
Don't worry too much about having your e-library obsolete! There are conversion programs for e-book formats which will only get better with time. :)
Submariner's Wife - I must admit that I can't give up my quilting for my reading and so I also often have favorite books also in audiobook format. My favorite books I usually have in all three formats. Since I dream of a REAL library in my house, I've always tried to get the books I would want with me on a desert isle in hardcover. It also saves me from having to buy more than one paperback because I often reread books to death. Sad but true fact!
ReplyDeleteI would imagine if Nook or Kindle were ever to go out of business, a competitor would buy the rights to their content and continue to support it, or at least convert it into their own format. As far as ebooks go, I like a lot of my nonfiction and history books on Kindle, but for some reason I prefer the full-length fiction novels hardcover. It just doesn't seem right to read a novel that doesn't have a tangible cover and dustjacket.
ReplyDeleteDave, Exactly! In an age where the most physical human touch is one's fingers on a keyboard with less and less actual human contact and an even lesser human connection when reading digital books. To me, a physical, tangible book somehow connects and relates the emotion of a story an author is trying to tell in a more personal way and regardless of content, connects the reader more firmly into the world an author built.
ReplyDeleteIf this makes any sense to anyone else I'll count myself lucky (and pray none of my English teachers ever read it). : p
Overdrive - use you library card and read either via the app or the nook. I use my phone for the kindle freebies. Kobo epubs are also saved to the computer and can be read using adobe there one day should kobo go out of business. Your nook epubs should side load into other ePub apps or devices. I too still buy fav authors in print and won't pay print price for e.
ReplyDeleteI've never read library books on my Nook, but now that you reminded me, I think that I shall try it. I'm not thrilled with learning anything that smacks of technology, but I think this might be something I'll be glad I made the effort to learn.
ReplyDeleteI tried my first digital book a few months ago. Rather than buy an e-reader I did an online thing where I could use my notebook.
ReplyDeleteHated it.
I hated the scrolling/page turning feature. I hated the glare of the screen.
I know that I am being anti-"progress" and will have to try it again some time. The rest of my family all have e-readers and use them all the time. Books, magazines, you name it they use it.
Sigh.
I am about to become obsolete.
I also buy favorite books in hard cover...amazon generally has a great selection.
Hah! Christie you are not alone! I think I don't hate mine is because I have an e-ink screen that is not back lit so it's a lot easier on the eyes. At least with an ereader you don't have to scroll down. You just have to slide a finger to turn the page, but I feel much better knowing I'm not alone! :)
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