Monday 16 January 2012

Musing Mondays #3

This meme is hosted by Should be Reading.
Every week a new 'musing' question is posted by the host for all participants to answer in their own posts.

This week's musing is:

What devices - if any - do you read books on? Do you find it enjoyable, or still somewhat bothersome? Or: if you only read the print books, why haven't you chosen to read on any devices?

I have owned a Kindle now for a little under a year, and I have to say that I do love it - I never thought I would. For so long I had been strongly opposed to them, and thought I would never buy into any of them. However, a friend of mine (Jenny at Chocolate Chunky Munkie) got one, and raved about how good it was, so it was then that I started weighing up the pros and cons of an eReader. Cons such as, you don't have the feel of the pages when you turn them, or the 'character' of the book (weight, size, aesthetic, print type and size etc), and you can't display it proudly on your bookshelves. However, the pros eventually outweighed the cons: I could get books that I wouldn't otherwise be able to read (because they're from a smaller American publisher, or something like that), they are often cheaper, it takes a little weight off my already-overflowing bookshelves (although since I've had an eReader, I still buy as many, if not more, paperbacks) etc. Another pro point for the Kindle has arrived since I've started this blog - I can read and review much more for authors and publishers alike - NetGalley has been a real treasure over the past few months - and I wouldn't have been able to read all of these ARCs without my trusty Kindle!

I have found that reading from the Kindle is actually a lot easier than I had originally thought it would be, as well. I have trouble reading from my laptop screen for too long in one go, and have to take breaks often, but the Kindle screen is so sophisticated, that I actually find it easier to read from than from real paper (a lot of the time anyway). It's also lighter, easier to hold than a paperback/hardback and I can lie down in bed and read with ease (a huge plus!)!
I can get to the stage where, if I've read for example, maybe three eBooks in a row, that I start to miss the feel of a physical book - this isn't a problem though, because as I've said, I still own enough physical books to fill a small library (and am being forced to buy a second bookcase this week - yep, forced). So I tend to alternate between eBook and physical books most of the time.

There is a lot I can say about eReaders, so I think I will stop rambling at you all pretty soon. I will say though, as I am aspiring to work in publishing after I graduate from University, that eBooks are changing the world of publishing at an incredibly fast pace. I haven't quite decided whether or not this is a good thing yet, but I'm sure publishers will be able to adapt. Bookshops on the other hand (in Britain at least), have been suffering, which is a real shame (there is one little bookshop in Hay-on-Wye - Bookends - that shall be particularly missed), and my current place of work, Waterstones, has also taken a hit. I hope though that eReader users, such as myself, will continue to hold physical books very close to their hearts, despite the wonderful selection of reading devices, and continue to support bookshops across the globe!

This is all I shall say on the subject for now! But what do all of you guys think? Do you own an eReader? Do you love or loathe them? If you do own one, what was the deciding factor that lead you to get one? Let me know in the comments!

10 comments:

Maria said...

I like mine too!!

Maria

Mommy W said...

I am thinking of getting a Kindle Fire. Any opinions?

Angela Hood-Ross said...

I love my Kindle and so want to purchase a Kindle Fire now. I do keep my Kindle on the bookshelf along with all my many traditional paperback/hardback books. I find the Kindle easy to read when traveling and the cover I bought has a built in light (which is wonderful when traveling at night). I will continue to buy traditional books. Got to! However, I do think having an eReading device is handy, especially since I started publishing eBooks. Oh...and the best part of an eReader, no one can "accidentally" lose your place by taking out your bookmark. Love it!

Dani Cotton said...

Unfortunately I can't help with the Kindle Fire, as they're not available in the UK, where I live. This does make me sad though - I kind of want one! :P

Glad to see that traditional books are not forgotten in the wake of the eBook!!

Unknown said...

I finally gave in and got a Kindle and I do love it! But, I also love my traditional books too, and still buy just as many (as my groaning bookshelves will attest to!).

I have found an ereader widens the scope of what I would normally find myself reading, and that's a great thing. I have actually read something I loved on my Kindle, THEN went out and bought it in traditional form.

Overall I'm still doing about 75% of my reading from traditional books.

elizabeth @ bookattict . com

Laura BurgandyIce said...

Yes... I think I usually alternate between e-books and real books. I've read 3-4 e-books in a row, but it does get me hankerin' after page-turning. Good point!!

My Musing: http://burgandyice.blogspot.com/2012/01/musing-mondays-ereaders.html

Fiber Babble said...

I have shelves full of "real" books, an iPod full of audiobooks. Then there are the books on CD waiting to be uploaded to the iPod (I haven't just played a CD in a long time). Also on the iPod are Kindle and Nook e-reader apps. What's more, I have two apps from our online libraries which provide both audio and e-book choices.

I received a Kindle Fire this Christmas and Mr. W. has both the Fire AND a Nook.

Uh, yeah. I don't have any excuse for not reading!

I find that I read audiobooks on my iPod the most - it plugs into the radio in my car, so I listen while commuting and running errands. I also have an iPod dock in my sewing room so I can read while quilting or crafting.

Jane said...

I have 2 eReaders a Sony and a Kindle.

I had 2 main reasons for getting them. First I do canoeing and kayak paddling. I always had to limit myself to 4 books at most as there is weight and space issues with this kind of holiday.
As I read a lot my husband, the poor man, had to bring books I could read as his book allowance too. That changed with the Ereader :-)

My problem was that I am not from a country where you could get eReaders that easily but I managed to get a Sony (Kindle was not available in the EU at the time) from the UK.

Second I live in a place that is so small that it only has one shop (+ a tourist shop) with only a few books of course in their language that I can not read. And the only Library is the school library with only a few books.

My Kindle and Sony are lifesavers! No waiting weeks for the books and paying very expensive postage but instead instant books with no postage. Brilliant!

Also with the possibility of reading samples we can explore authors we would not have looked at before.

Bottom line is I love my Ereaders and would hate to be without them. But I do still read the odd traditional book and my bookshelves are full of them.

Kristin_Texas said...

A few months back I read a book on my mother's Amazon Kindle. I've always been opposed to ebooks (reasons you listed, and I like to own a physical copy of all the books I read), but it was a lot easier on my hands. I never learned how, but I know passages can be highlighted which is a feature I really love... especially with the larger books like Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. (There are so many quotes in those books that I would love to have a record of). I can also see how ebooks are convenient for traveling, especially on a long plane flight.

I'm not as anti ebook as I used to be, but having the book in my hands will always be my preference. Besides, I'm a sucker for a book with beautiful cover art, so that's another plus for having a paperback or hardcover.

And what would the world be without a library or bookstore filled with actual BOOKS? That is just something that can't be replaced. We would have lost a great thing of beauty if bookstores were lost to E-readers.

Without shelves overflowing with books, life would feel a lot less 'magical' and more lonely. To me, that world is as unthinkable as an evening (or morning) without the sounds and smells of the coffee pot brewing. To quote The Princess Bride, it's "Inconceivable!"

Great post, by the way.

Kristin

Randi M said...

I love my nook. But, like you, I still have piles of physical books! :) I hope ebooks don't ruin the paper-book industry...I love going into bookstores and roaming around. I don't think I'd want only one or the other. I love the portability and lower prices of ebooks. And the fact that when I'm reading a series on my nook and just MUST read the next book, I can get it instantly. Especially because the only stores in my town with books are the grocery stores!

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