I’m still getting hard cover books from my library for reading at home, because they’re free and I like to talk to my librarians. I prefer the tactile and visual experience of a book. The page turning for one thing. When I read the Kindle, I’m annoyed at having to touch the screen every 10 seconds to turn the page. I like that books have cover art, photos of the author and different fonts. With a book, you can see your progress: just an inch to go. That little percentage key at the bottom of the ebook page tells me I am 79% finished but 79% of what? (Yikes! I’m channeling Andy Rooney.)
I bought my first book, The Paris Wife, the day my Kindle arrived in December. I have not purchased one since then, getting them free from my local library’s ebook collection. Thanks to a tip from my voracious reader friend Julie V., I’m getting offers of 10 free books a day from Pixel of Ink. I haven’t read anything of the caliber of The Paris Wife for free, but I’ve been entertained.
Frequent readers of this blog know that the 4 Broads are writing books too. No one is published yet – emphasis on the yet because I know it will happen to one of us someday. But it just wouldn’t feel the same to me if my story makes it to the digital realm but never to the library.
And then I read about Amanda Hocking, a 27-year old writer of paranormal fiction for the teen market. She had written more than 17 novels since she was a teenager, and had hundreds of rejection letters from publishers to show for it. Out of desperation, she self published her novels on the Amazon Kindle site, and within months, she was selling thousands. She recently surpassed the million books sold mark – at 27 years old. It could never have happened that fast in the old print world.
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Recently, several famous published authors have railed against the e-Book: Jonathan Frantzen laments their impermanence, Maurice Sendak was more passionate about his eBook animosity. I can see why an illustrator like Sendak would hate the digital book.
It's inevitable that both media will survive: real books as an art form and personal treasure; ebooks for convenience and commerce.
Book lovers weigh in on this. Will paper books be extinct for anyone but the rich 50 years from now? Will you care?
I read from my IPad out of convenience(I can hold Ava and turn the pages at the same time!) but I still do love the feel of a book. It's funny you post a picture of where the wild things are. I have started to read to Ava(now 4.5 months) and I couldn't imagine reading to her from an iPad? While she is attracted to the light it is not the same interaction as with a real book.
ReplyDeleteMaryFran: When I looked at my bookshelf for a book that wouldn't translate to digital, Where the Wild Things Are leaped out at me. Then when I googled Sendak, I found that he hates ebooks. It was a perfect end to the story. I've saved that book from when Blake was a baby. It's a favorite. eBooks just don't give you that sentimental hook, do they? thanks for writing. Chris
DeleteChris, I am exactly where you are on this. I have downloaded exactly one book each to my Kindle and IPad and did it for convenience not preference. My gripe is accidently touching the touch-screen and turning the page without meaning too!
ReplyDeleteStill, as a writer, I realize e-readers open a whole new market and access to readers. I may not wholeheartedly embrace, but it has huge potential for debut authors like us.
Thinking with my business brain, ebooks are a commodity; real books carry greater value. Read my reply to MaryFran on the Sendak book. It's like your post last week on what we save. When I look at some of the books I keep, they have a connection to some part of my life that has meaning. And let's all hope that we can capitalize on the ebook world as Amanda Hocking did.
DeleteGreat post as always, Chris! It's great that libraries are making this easier, but I'm with you. The tactile element of reading is so important.
ReplyDeleteHey! I don't even have a Kindle yet or an iPad(no surprise there, as I just joined the world of Facebook about two weeks ago). But I still have my favorite textbooks from college. And I still remember the day I took my first book out of the library: we lived in Hatboro at the time, my mom took me to the library, I got a biography of Betsy Ross, and then we went to the 5&10 for ice cream sodas. I don't know if a Kindle can kindle those kinds of memories and emotions. That said, I am looking forward to purchasing a tablet or iPhone this year. But, as I furnished most of my early apartments with a few necessary pieces surrounded by piles of books, I think I'm destined to remain mainly in the print age. I can't prop open a window or balance a vase of flowers or even keep the seat of my VW Beetle from collapsing with a Kindle. A good book, on the other hand....
ReplyDeleteMary: your post reminded me of another lost book memory -- big fat telephone books. Remember how our parents used them as booster seats for toddlers? Now I toss them the minute they show up on the driveway.
DeleteYou are right that an eBook cannot kindle those memories as your text books and other keepers do. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy one for yourself, as they are very useful, I'm just saying that I hope that paper books will be with us for a while.
My husband is always accusing me of being old-fashioned when it comes to books, but I suspect that I will be one of those people who always prefers paper, kind of like people who only listen to music on vinyl. I understand the convenience of an ereader, but it's not the same experience for me as holding a book. Though the silver lining: we're killing a lot less trees.
ReplyDeleteI read ebooks, library books, purchased books, borrowed books, ... you get the picture! I do agree that children's books in printed format are far superior to ebooks (a grandmother's perspective here) but I do love to read my own books on my Kindle. So light and convenient to take with me anywhere.
ReplyDelete(Note: I found your blog through Goodreads' Women's Fiction Group "Let's Share Blogs.")
Sandy, thanks for visiting from Goodreads. I follow the women's fiction group blog too and will see you there :)
DeleteSandy: I get the picture... you are a reader ... I'm warming up to the Kindle, but as you read above, torn about it. It should be interesting to see the future of reading. Thanks for writing.
ReplyDelete