What’s your opinion of e-books? We all have one. Some people love them because it’s convenient, others are purely traditional, some people don’t really care and will read either, and others consider e-books to be a horrible sacrilege which will herald the downfall of books.
For me I have a strong attachment to physical books. I love being able to flip through the pages, put it on my shelf and remember the adventure I experienced between its covers each time I look at it. Not to mention there’s a very particular book smell that I simply adore; it’s the smell of a book that’s been around, it’s passed from hand to hand and shared the company of many other great books and as a result has gained a rich scent like a fine vintage wine…
I think I’m beginning to get off topic. The point is I love physical books and nothing can ever replace that love. But having said that, digital books do have their place in the world. They’re small and compact and I can buy books and receive them instantly, it’s very convenient. E-books are also giving Indie authors more options to work with. I for one keep an eye open for promising looking free and 99 cent e-books, even if I’ve never heard of the author before. It’s a good way for new authors to establish themselves.
I know some people feel threatened by e-books. They’re afraid traditional books will disappears. But from what I’ve seen most people who read e-book still read physical books as well. I doubt the physical book is going anywhere soon. But even if it does I recently read something that Stephen King said that put it all into prospective…”The book is not the important part, the book is the delivery system. The important part is the story and the talent.” I think sometime we get too caught up in the medium, the truth of the matter is that what we really love are stories. We might have a preference of what form that story comes in, but in the end it’s about the story, not the packaging.
~~Lady of the Pen~~
I enjoy the physicality of real paper books too, they feel authentic almost and there’s a romanticism about them. I love ebooks as well. I love having dozens of novels at my finger tips and being able to jump online and grab the latest in a matter of minutes. I hope there will be a place for both but nothing beats: warm fire + real book + cold winter night outside. An awesome recipe I reckon
Agreed. Part of the reason I collect books. If they ever stop printing them then at least I’ll have plenty of old friends to keep me company.
Great post! I have never experienced an e-book. I can see the advantages for folks on the go. I do like the tactile-ness of a paper book, but I’ve moved so many times I’ve stopped buying them. Now I LOVE to browse the shelves at the library and bring home as many as I want for free. And yes, to be lost in the leaves of a great story, that is the cake.
I am a bit of a hybrid, I don’t care what format the book is in as long as I get to read it. The thing about ebooks is that I can have thousands of them on a reader. Bad thing is that I may forget about them. With a traditional book, they are always staring me in the face, but they also take up a lot of space on my shelves. In short, both formats have their pros and their cons. I’m just the type of person that enjoys the best of both worlds.
That’s my opinion. I prefer to have a physical copy of a book, but sometimes it’s more convenient to have it on my Kindle or iPod. In the end it’s definitely about the story and not how you read it. I’m a big fan of audiobooks too, I love being able to listen to them in the car or while I’m doing something else.
Audios are definitely fun. I like a story no matter what format it is in.
For sure stories come in a myriad of creative forms.