According to a quick google search, the first eReader was invented in 1997 and was called the Rocketbook. So we’ve been living in a world of digital literature for quite a number of years now. And with smartphones being in so many people’s pockets, you really can have books at your fingertips. But do these little devices compare when compared to the timeless value of a physical book?
I own both physical and eBooks, my eReader of choice is my Kindle Paperwhite which I have on hand for any books I may fancy reading in digital format. What may make me pick an eBook over a physical book? Usually, it will be if I have been sent an eARC, or perhaps my current read is huge and my muscles can’t deal with that kind of heavy lifting, or if a book was particularly discounted on Kindle. Why would I choose a physical book over my Kindle though? Well. Where to start.
When I was a child I would go to the bookshop, Borders if anyone remembers that gem, with my grandma and she’d buy me one book. This was in the days where I had no TBR and I was bought a new book when I finished the one I was already reading. The minute you step into a bookshop you are met with a smell, it’s the smell of thousands of pages pushing against each other, it’s the scent of coffee being enjoyed over a low murmur of conversation. It’s also the smell of stories and worlds to explore. Still to this day I smell any book I start. Some don’t quite smell as you want them to, but others have that wholesome, perfect smell of pages and stories. Why have I written a whole paragraph about smells? Because I think part of the experience of reading is how you read. We rely on our senses to taste and enjoy our food, so why would reading be any different? When you pick up a book you can feel the pages, stroke the cover and pay attention to any details embossed on the jacket. But the smell. That smell unlocks a door for me and tells me it is time to sit down, forget the world, and enjoy a good brilliant book. No matter how hard a Kindle tries, until they add a little scent feature, they cannot beat the smell of a real book.
I’ve talked about the smell and touched on… touch… but as a reader, I do find the physical connection with what I’m reading to be important. There’s a reason we readers get excited about a floppy book, it’s nice to hold, it’s comfortable. I love it when I open up my book and it just easily falls open onto the page holding my bookmark. One of the big things I like about holding a physical book is being able to see exactly where I am in the book, how far from the next chapter I am and being able to look back and feel satisfied with how much I’ve read. I know the Kindle offers these features too in the form of percentages, but it just isn’t the same. I do enjoy the perk of knowing how many minutes I have left in my chapter, that’s certainly a good feature, but it also turns me a little competitive. In an online community with reading goals and readathons, it can be easy to forget to just read because you love it. And sometimes I can find myself trying to beat my given time on a Kindle and realise I’m competitive reading, not pleasure reading. I will say this though, the weight of my Kindle will never change and see is easy to carry about with me. Whilst I do still take a mix of physical and eBooks on holiday, the Kindle means I will never be without a read. So I certainly appreciate its light and slight form.
Truly though friends, one of the biggest appeals of owning physical books vs eBooks has to be the sheer aesthetic of it. I look behind me as I type this and I am flooded with books written about all sorts of different stories, cultures, adventures. I see a collection I have grown over a lifetime and will continue to grow too. The spines of every book is different and I love that, I think it makes my room look beautiful and full of art. Living in one bedroom means I do have less space, but I will be moving out soon which means I can just spill my collection into every room in my house and I honestly can’t wait to do just that! Some people, we call them non-readers, will ask why I have so many books and question if I’ve read a book, why I keep it. I keep it because it is beautiful, because I loved it, because I want to remember the story, share it on my social media. I keep it for the reason parents keep baby shoes of their children – because the books meant something special to me. I look at my shelves and not only do I see stories, but I also see where I was at each time in my life when I read them.
Now I love my Kindle and it’s certainly very handy. But it will never beat a physical book. This blog isn’t me slating eBooks, because they’re so handy and I know for some they are a lot easier. But I just wanted to have some fun relishing in my love for physical books.
I agree! Nothing beats reading a book physical but over the years I’ve switched to reading on my kindle more most because physical books especially the ones I read (YA and adult fantasy) tend to be expensive and kindle books are far cheaper
I agree! Although I read ebooks, I still prefer actual physical books. It makes me feel so accomplished and happy because I could see my reading progress. Also reading with physical books is a different kind of pleasure; the smell, the texture, just everything about it is wonderful.
I read ebooks because it’s cheaper and it’s easier to carry.
I use my kindle when I go back to my hometown at Christmas and in the summer holidays, mainly because I get through quite a few books in those periods and wouldn’t be able to carry that many physical books in my suitcase, especially going over the bridge at St. Erth train station! But much prefer physical for every day reading!
I was a book snob for years (refusing to even connect the Nook my hubs bought me the first year they were released), as I oove the feel and (oh yes) the smell of bound books. But then…. I started traveling more for work, and then hubs started complaining about me reading late in bed with the lamp on [if y’all have ever found a book light that works and doesn’t ruin the book please share!], but the kiss if death was the arrival of my two darling but destructive kids. It’s hard to hold a baby and a book, harder still at night when you’re nursing, so I now have three ebook apps on my phone and sadly I have only read one paperback in the past 5 years. I am really excited for the day I can buy a brand new hardcover. #momgoals