Books, and feelings about them?

[grue 1]

My whole life I've been an extremely avid reader, averaging 4-6 books (average-length fiction books around the 400pg mark) per month. When I was younger I had bookshelves in my bedroom with hundreds (perhaps more? I don't honestly know) of volumes, and I'd frequently re-read them. Then I moved overseas in 2006, and couldn't really bring any books and where I moved they were quite expensive relative to what I was used to, so I sort of stopped reading except when I could borrow from a friend or library.

4 years ago I bought a Kindle on a lark, and have been back to my old habits, averaging at least a book per week. I recently bought a Kindle Paperwhite and it's even better than my first one. But it wasn't until about a week ago that I had an interesting realization:

With very few exceptions, I don't think I ever want to buy another physical book. Don't get me wrong, I love the feeling of paging through a book, and I love having shelves of great things to read, but the (usually) higher costs to buy, the huge pain in the ass that is storing them, and worse yet traveling with them, means that they're just too inconvenient. That's not to say ebooks are perfect: The DRM drives me banana sandwich (I strip the DRM from all the books I buy), having to charge the reader (even once every few weeks) can be a bit annoying, and of course you can break the damned things as well.

But here's the kicker: I don't want other people to give up reading, because I love browsing bookstores to find the books I'll buy online later!




So what's the feeling out there? Anti-ebook, pro-ebook, don't give two shites or a frick?

cavete terrae.

[wmw999 2,318]

I used to read a lot, then I found dropzone.com

I still use real books; we'll eventually get e-books, but since we'll definitely need them next year, we figured we'd wait and see what was out then.

But I really like bookstores, too -- particularly the second-hand ones close to me, so I'm quite sure I'll keep buying from them.

Also the town dump where I spend summers has a book exchange. It's hard to beat free

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[popsjumper 2]

I have a Nook. Love it.
Project Gutenberg free books

The thing I don't like about it is the weight.
When I fall asleep reading in bed, it falls on my face and smacks my nose.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[MikeJD 0]

Your feelings are pretty similar to mine. I love hard copy books but damn, do they take up a lot of space. Every now and again I'll take a load down to the charity shop and it feels kind of liberating!

I've got a Kindle Paperwhite too, and I like it a lot - especially the illumination. And I find the battery life between charges (i.e. several weeks) astonishing. As for being breakable, I'd say they're pretty robust - so long as you put some kind of cover on it, you'd find it pretty hard to damage. The DRM policy is irritating in principle, but in practice it doesn't really bother me.

I feel more willing to take a chance and download a book that I wouldn't have bought in hard copy, because it feels like less of a commitment - but most of them do still feel too expensive.

Of course all of this only really applies to 'reading' books - and I haven't bought a hard copy one of those since I got my Kindle - but sometimes I'll still buy a 'real' book for the photos or artwork.

[DiverMike 5]

I also read voraciously, and have purchased a Kindle. I still prefer hard copy books because I am cheap. I can go to Goodwill or a thrift store and get hardbacks for a dollar. Like you, I hope people keep reading (and paying for) new books so I can buy them used.

Unfortunately, the well is drying up. Bookstores are closing

For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

[Zep 0]

"So what's the feeling out there? Anti-ebook, pro-ebook, don't give two shites or a frick? "

Love reading but never seem to have the time, Last book I read was "Winter of the world".
Can't stand hard backs or them new fandangled tablet things. Give me a good paperback
so's I can ruin the binding whilst reading.

Gone fishing

[davjohns 1]

Gave my Nook away and don't use my tablet for reading. I just need a good old fashioned book in my hand.

Love the computer for research. Prefer books for compiling my thoughts.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[Rick 67]

I have a Kindle fire and I love it. It is very convenient especially for traveling. You can bring as many "books" with you as you want in 1 small package.

I still get "real" books mostly used from the flea market or hand me downs from friends.

I used to have several bookcases in the house all loaded up. Now I have 1 book shelf for the hardcovers I just can't give up but since the Kindle I have downsized dramatically.

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[Squeak 17]

Both for me, I love the convenience of the e-reader because i travel a lot and cant physically carry all the books I want. But i like nothing more than sitting in the sun with a good book, turning pages,the feeling and smell is also part of the overall experience for me.
But i have about 10 lonely planet guides on my tablet and the equivalent books would weight over 10kgs and that shit sucks to cart around when backpacking

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[madhatter 0]

I read magazines, manuals and textbooks on my iPad, but still prefer turning physical pages when reading a novel or biography.

Nothing better than browsing 2nd hand bookstores and leaving with an armful of books for the price of 1 new one

A VERY MERRY UNBIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
D.S # 125

[NWFlyer 2]

I'm with you in that I love to read a physical book. Probably 90% of what I read I borrow from the library. It puts a little discipline around my reading (oh, that book is due in 2 days, I should read it rather than surfing Facebook for another mindless hour), and it's a very tangible value of my tax dollar.

It's very rare that I'll buy a book new anymore. I do troll the used bookshelves at the library and other sources to pick up paperbacks for a dollar or two. Those are the books I take with me when I travel, and I either leave them behind or give them to someone I'm traveling with.

One of these days I might break down and get an e-reader. I think if I traveled long distances more, it would make sense, but most of my travel is quick trips where one book will get me through the airplane time and down time.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[JohnMitchell 16]

NWFlyer

I'm with you in that I love to read a physical book. Probably 90% of what I read I borrow from the library.


One of these days I might break down and get an e-reader.

I can't believe I adopted earlier than you.

I, too, love a good book in my hands, but for long trips and convenience, the e-reader is hard to beat. The huge selection of books at my fingertips is great for my ADD.

[airdvr 201]

Read a lot growing up and in my early adulthood. Now books are relegated to vacations or long plane trips. Got a Kindle a few years ago and love it. So much easier.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[NWFlyer 2]

JohnMitchell

***I'm with you in that I love to read a physical book. Probably 90% of what I read I borrow from the library.


One of these days I might break down and get an e-reader.

I can't believe I adopted earlier than you.

I, too, love a good book in my hands, but for long trips and convenience, the e-reader is hard to beat. The huge selection of books at my fingertips is great for my ADD.

Part of why I don't get one is to keep me from impulse buying. Getting books from the library means I have to put them on hold and wait for them to become available, and read them in a short period of time. But it's all free. Almost all books I read, I only read once. I don't need to own them and I can spend that $10 (is that about the average price for an ebook?) elsewhere.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[The111 1]

I'm on board with e-books for sure, but I read them on my phone, not a full size tablet. My wife says the phone is too small, but you can set the text size to whatever you want, so you're not straining your eyes any more than with a larger device... you're just flipping pages more often, which is actually easy when you can both hold the phone and turn pages (with volume rocker) with just one hand.

The benefit of the phone is that it is always with me. If I unexpectedly have to wait in line somewhere for 10 minutes... BOOM, I pull out my phone and accomplish 10 minutes of reading. It can also be smuggled into places and read discreetly if you have any reason to hide the fact that you're reading.

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[Rick 67]

I have the amazon kindle app on my phone and tablet so I can read and sync books from phone to kindle to tablet

gotta love the newfangled technology

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[NorrinRadd 0]

I do a fair bit of camping, hiking, and touring on my bicycle, and I love to read. I have found that my Kobo Mini suits my purposes perfectly. It is light, easy to pack, stores more than enough books, andis small enough that accidental torque pressure endangers its screen less. I love it...but still, it suits its purpose, and no more. I prefer the feel of books, and I like being able to flip pages back and forth...especially with reference books.
Plus, it is hard to lend out ebooks!

Why drive myself crazy trying to be normal, when I am already at crazy?

[NorrinRadd 0]

One of the benefits of ebooks is that there are a large number of FREE ebooks out there. These are books that have entered the public domain after the grace period of 80 years since its author died (or something to that effect). It is a great source of literary classics, Victorian novels, and old reference books and essays. Shop carefully, though... some ebooks are better quality than others, and some are downright unreadable.

Why drive myself crazy trying to be normal, when I am already at crazy?

[airtwardo 7]

I like books...something about having a book in my backpack when traveling. By the end of the book, the condition it's in tells a bit of a story in itself.

Some have sand & sunblock on them, some get wet from snow, dog eared pages...notes on the inside cover with directions to a hotel or restaurant.

A book just has 'personality' I guess.

I don't save em when I'm done, lots of places I go have the take a book - leave a book policy...I've read some really interesting selections - things I probably wouldn't have 'bought' but end up reading through default.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[NWFlyer 2]

airtwardo

I don't save em when I'm done, lots of places I go have the take a book - leave a book policy...I've read some really interesting selections - things I probably wouldn't have 'bought' but end up reading through default.

At the Nicaragua boogie last year, there was a lot of book trading going on since none of us had planned on having quite so much down time! Those with e-readers shared with each other, and those of us with paperbacks just passed them around. I still found myself book-less by the end and hit the freebie shelf by one of the pools. 75% in French (and no, my high school French isn't good enough to enjoy a book), and 25% John LeCarre. I made it about halfway through one of the latter before getting to the Miami airport and access to a bookstore.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[airtwardo 7]

NWFlyer

***
I don't save em when I'm done, lots of places I go have the take a book - leave a book policy...I've read some really interesting selections - things I probably wouldn't have 'bought' but end up reading through default.

At the Nicaragua boogie last year, there was a lot of book trading going on since none of us had planned on having quite so much down time! Those with e-readers shared with each other, and those of us with paperbacks just passed them around. I still found myself book-less by the end and hit the freebie shelf by one of the pools. 75% in French (and no, my high school French isn't good enough to enjoy a book), and 25% John LeCarre. I made it about halfway through one of the latter before getting to the Miami airport and access to a bookstore.

We spend a few months in Russia about 15 years ago...I was down to re-re-RE reading the handful of books I brought. I was 'starving' !

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[lawrocket 3]

I prefer paper books. They are so versatile. Never run out of batteries. I can put post-it notes on interesting sections. And there isn't a pop-up e-reader yet.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[TriGirl 298]

However, it's easier to keep the subject of your reading material to yourself with an e-reader!

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[dhr18 0]

I prefer my kindle if I'm just reading for entertainment plus its nice never having to worry about having light to read by. If im reading something for informational purpose I prefer the old fashioned hardcopy. Much easier to jump around and look up information again. What is the DRM and how/why would you remove them?

[JohnMitchell 16]

NWFlyer

At the Nicaragua boogie last year, there was a lot of book trading going on since none of us had planned on having quite so much down time!

Being on injured reserve at that boogie, I had my new Kindle all loaded up and ready. Went quite a few books down by the pool in between pool volleyball games and beer runs.