*deep, inhaling sniff * Ahhh, the smell and feel of a new book! Okay, I’ll admit it…it’s EXTRA special when you finally get to hold a book you created in your tight little hands! *g* But being able to hold ANY print book with a good story waiting to be devoured makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Considering my publishing career started off in the eBook market, that statement probably sounds kind of weird. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fast and convenient ability to download an eBook on the fly that many of the online websites offer today, but I guess my need for print books goes back to my childhood.
I was in fifth grade when the whole “love of reading” concept finally clicked with me—the kind of “totally absorbed” reading where you get lost in a story, lose track of time and place. I’d curl up on my bed or the couch with a paperback book in hand until the wee hours. As I grew up, browsing the bookstore was something I always looked forward to. Then Starbucks moved their cafes into the bookstores and I was a goner when it came to spending a couple of hours in the bookstore and more money on books. :yes:
Now that we’ve seen eBook sales jump considerably the past couple years, and most NY publishers have moved to producing eBooks alongside their print books, even Amazon has joined the market with its own eBook reader, all this progress makes me wonder…
What would I do if the publishing world eventually phased out paperback books? I know there are definite benefits to eBooks–you can carry your whole library in your hand with an eBook reader and read in the dark (with some eBook reader models), but for me reading can be a whole sensory experience, and the first knee-jerk response that pops into my mind is…”DON’T STOP THE PRESSES!” :no:
Can an eBook reader produce a “new book” smell like that “new car” scent you buy for your car? And will an eBook reader ever “feel” like a paperback? Just like a song can bring back a favorite memory, so can certain smells and other tactile senses. I like the choice of both eBook and print options, but for those “keeper” books, I want to be able to hold that paper in my hand and curl up on the couch for a good old-fashioned-style read.
What about you? Do you read both eBooks and print books? Do you only prefer to buy print books? Or have you gone ALL electronic?
Patrice…I’m with you. I understand all the advantages of ebooks but I still want the book in my hands even if I’m running out of space for my keepers:smile: I don’t read ebooks on my pc nor am I interested in purchasing an ebook reader…I rarely even enter contest if the prize is a book in “e” form. I’m all for technology but I still want to see and feel my books…and be able to organize them on book shelves (or NOT ~ my TBR pile is out of control at the moment :grinnod:) Everyone will have their own preference but I just hope that there will always be a choice. Best….Nancy Bristow
Hi Nancy,
Well, the other aspect that just occurred to me…if you’re battery dies, you can’t read any of your books. Ack! =O
I read both eBooks and print books. I prefer print books for the reasons you stated. :yes:
Thanks for the feedback, Susan. There’s just something about holding a print book for me.
Oh, congrats on holding it in your hands! That’s always a beautiful moment.
I read a mix of ebooks and print, but I will never go all ebook. Sometimes I just don’t want to read on a screen. Sometimes I want to whine at friends until they send me signed bookplates.
How can you get a signed ebook copy? And finally, I can always pass on a print book if it’s not a keeper or me. I can’t do that with an ebook. And I like knowing that the book I didn’t keep might win that author a new auto-buy.
However, during our recent power outage I was reading on my Palm with backlight because it was too dark to see print. They both have their place in my reading life!
That back light REALLY comes in handy doesn’t it Charli? One day I KNOW I’ll break down and get an e-reader. Hope things are going okay with all the snow there!
Congrats on holding Scions in your hands for the first time, Patrice! That’s so exciting, and it’s such a great cover. :yes:
Mmm, I love that new-book smell, too. But as far as print vs ebook goes, I’m bi-book. *grin* I like both, although it’s a mood-dictating thing. I don’t have an e-reader, but when I’m in the mood to read e-books, I use either my laptop or my Alphasmart. If I want to curl up in bed, though, it’s a print book that wins out. I’m usually reading books from both formats at any one given time. lol
By the way, Happy Holidays!
Titania
Hi Titania!
Thanks for the congrats. I know that one day I’ll get an ereader, but I’ll ALWAYS love holding print books.
Happy Holidays to you, too!