Yesterday my
wife and I visited Barns and Noble Book Store in Augusta, Maine. As you first walk inside the door you are
met with a display of Nook electronic book readers.
My wife and
I are both of the generation that appreciates real books. Somehow reading off a screen doesn’t have the
same cozy feel as turning the pages in a real book; and book cases, with books
I have read and may read again, are a pleasing sight for me.
On the way
home we were talking about the generational difference in the acceptance of
electronic everything. I said I did
not believe most young people today will grow up to be novel readers in
the future - if writing contains more than 140 characters it is not likely to
keep their attention – they would rather see a movie than read a book.
My wife made
a point I had not considered. A change
to electronic book readers may be environmental friendly. Forrest across the globe are receding. Paper production is a large harvester of
trees and the byproducts of paper mills are major polluter of water and
air.
I acknowledge
that the time of paper books may be passing.
I know this sounds like a cynical
old man, but I still prefer paper books and am willing to leave the environment for the
next generation to clean up.
Not the Nook
the Ol’Buzzard
I am with you. My wife has been seduced by the Novels on CD. My daughter, oddly enough, embraces books on the electronic medium and the paper one. Odd I guess for a Millennial.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with books. I am right now surrounded by books. If I never read another one, I will still enjoy their company, I need the security they offer me by just existing.
I love paper books but a downsized reality had me facing the fact that there was not enough room. That was my reality -shrug-
ReplyDeleteI bought a Kindle paperwhite, it does nothing but books. It took a day or so but I'm there! Middle of the night? It lights up, not a problem. Outside in the bright sun? Works great! I can mark a word & a built in dictionary will tell me about that word. I like it!
Amazon & the publishing houses are thieves... if I want to re-read a story it costs more for the electronic version than it does to get a used paperback delivered in the mail. Amazon is more than willing to take $10 or more dollars for a book that is in the public domain & can be had for free from the Gutenberg project.
I have spent the money to rebuy a lot of books & I will still pick up a paperback from a second hand store or the library sales rack but I pass it on when I'm done. If I 'want'to keep a book I'll buy it & pay what I have to.
I am sold on the ebook.
I bought a Kobo to take on a vacation years ago. I haven't used it since. I am a library gal. If I can't find it in the library, they can usually order it for me from another branch. I like a "book in hand". -Jenn
ReplyDeleteKids these days read more than ever, actually. I used to be like you and like paper books. Then I published my first ebook, and my mind was blown. All of these people, a couple thousand or something, read my books on the kindle and e-reader, and I don't have to have a printing press! It's great! And then I discovered reading long fantasy novels on my tablet, in the kindle ap. So much lighter than the thousand page books! And then I got the kindle ap on my phone, and now I can read whenever I want, as long as I have my phone handy. I still offer my books on paper, and I still buy or borrow shorter books on paper, but I have definitely been won over to the ebook.
ReplyDeleteI love the smell, feel and heft of a book.
ReplyDelete