I love my tablet and use it every single day. I also love books but by books I mean 'real' books aka paper books and as such have avoided e-books for the last x years since their launch. However, when NetGalley offered me the chance to e-read one of my favourite authors (Karen Clarke in case you're interested) pre-release I finally succumbed and downloaded my first e-book. So, am I now a convert?
The thing I struggled most with was not being able to gauge my progress. This is especially true with a print book towards the end, when the pages are getting fewer and fewer I want to keep reading until the big reveal in a psychological thriller or the happy every after in a romance. But, with the e-book I couldn't work out if I had time to read until the end, or even another chapter, as I had no idea how much was left. Was I nearer the beginning or end and how many pages even were there?
One of my favourite places to read is in the bath - a nice long soak in a hot bubble bath with a good book. But, that just doesn't work with an e-reader. It's too risky; I was worried about dropping it in the water in which case with a book it's simply annoying but with an electronic device it's game over. It's also impossible; wet fingers and scrolling just doesn't really work.
Because of this, it meant that I started reading a paper book (in the bath) alongside the e-book (when not in the bath). For me though having more than one book on the go diminishes my enjoyment of both, with two stories and two sets of characters I just couldn't fully focus on either. So, whilst fans of e-books argue that e-reading is more flexible because you can carry around an entire library or books, if you so wanted, on one little device - the point is that I just don't want to. I'm strictly a one-book-at-a-time girl.
Similarly, fans argue that not only are e-books easier to carry around but they also take up less space in your house. True, but I like looking at my books. I want to display them, they are an integral part of who I am and what I like. My books aren't just for reading but are an interior design feature, decorating the walls of my house. Many of my books are treasured possessions, my favourite being an old edition of "Five Children and It" that won in a school writing competition. Others have been gifted to me by family or friends, perhaps with a meaningful inscription inside the front cover.
E-books just don't make good presents; you can't see them, they never really belong to you and often you can't even keep them as they expire or can't be transferred when you get a new device. If I love a book I either want to keep it to reread or share it with as many people as possible whether that's passing it onto a friend or family member or donating it charity for a stranger to enjoy, When I first started commuting into London my brother was quick to make sure that I understood that people don't like talking on the train (especially to strangers) so he was gobsmacked when one day I got chatting to somebody on the train about the book they were reading only for them to give me said book at the end of our journey.
I'm notoriously bad at charging things up so inevitably my reading kept being rudely interrupted by the low battery warning and on one occasion even cut short when I completely ran out of charge. Books, however, don't rely on battery power, chargers or WI-FI - they never disappoint but are like a faithful friend ready and waiting whenever you are.
This also leads me onto to my most powerful (get it power-ful - sorry but I couldn't resist) objection to e-readers. I spend so much of my time these days staring at a screen whether on a computer at work, on my tablet at home, on my mobile phone or even just controlling my heating with smart technology - that for me reading a good fashioned paper book is a chance to do something that doesn't involve screen time. Whilst I can lose myself in a book for hours, my eyes frequently tired when e-reading. And, we all know that doctors and sleep scientists recommend complete avoidance of screen time before bed (again another favourite time of mine to read).
As well as not wanting to be on-screen, I didn't actually even like e-reading. Despite really wanting to read and enjoying the book, I still found it really difficult to focus and stop myself scrolling and skim reading as I do online. With a paper book I read deeply, focusing on every little detail, committing it to memory and building an emotional as well as physical connection to the story and characters. I am totally immersed, I can feel the book in my hand as I turn the pages, I can smell the paper and I can see the words permanently imprinted on the page.
I also missed all the subtle nuances you get with a print book. With print, I love uniqueness of every book, knowing that the authors and publishers have carefully selected fonts and formatting to complement the story. For example, the book I'm currently reading, set in a bookshop, has used a beautiful old-fashioned shop sign style graphic for chapter headings. Another included scenic photographs as page fillers bringing the scenery and locations being described to life.
To be fair, my e-experience wasn't all bad. I did enjoy the immediacy; the fact that I could download a new book and start reading it within seconds - no need to visit a shop or wait for a book to be delivered. Although that said I love a bookshop; shelves and shelves of colourful covers catching my eye leading me to stumble across a novel or author that I otherwise would never have discovered.
As in this case, e-reading also offers access to writing that I otherwise might not be able to read; from pre-releases to short stories or independent, self-published authors. Of course, e-books are also considerably cheaper than their print counterparts. But, I would argue that you get what you pay for and for me paper books are worth every penny.
So, no I'm not a convert - although I wouldn't be as resistant to e-books in the future as I have been to date. But, e-books or print it really doesn't matter - the important thing is that we continue to love reading however we do so.
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