I've been avoiding e-books since their creation because I love the feeling of a book in my hands and seeing the progress as I turn each page. Books make me happy. Sure, having all my books in one tiny machine is a cool concept but what would happen to my beautiful bookshelves? How would I be able to see all the spines?
And as an aspiring author, I don't want to see the novel I'm slaving over go from the screen on my computer to the screen of an e-reader. I want a print and paper copy in my hands.
So why am I getting an e-reader?
My reasoning is mostly to get novellas and open myself up to e-ARCs. I think e-readers are a cool concept but they will never replace the wegiht of an actual book.
Here's what I wish would happen:
I wish that if I went to the store and bought Latest Awesome Book that said awaesome book would have a code in the back. If I typed the code into my Nook, I'd get an e-copy and some extras (if available) on my Nook for free. Or maybe that books would charge two dollars more for the e-code and that would open the e-book up to the people that spent money on the hardcopy of the novel.
Basically, I will always be a books first advocate that happens to own a Nook for extras (I gotta get me Destroy Me after all) but owning a Nook won't change my mind about how I love to read.
What about you? How do you feel about e-readers?
For our 6 month anniversary my hubby (bf at the time) got me a Nook a week before they were set to ship. I was flabbergasted and have been addicted to ebooks ever since, at first I missed holding a real book or buying it for my shelves but now I'm not sure I could go back. I now read on my iPad I have all the reader apps so I can do Nook, Kndle, or Kobo and I love it. I hope you enjoy your Nook :)
ReplyDeleteSo a Nook changed your mind, hmm? My friend is sort of the same way. She prefer to buy things on her e-reader now too. I don't think I'll get to be that way but never say never. Thanks for sharing your experience.
DeleteThat was my concern as well. But a couple years ago my hubby talked me into getting a nook for Christmas. And I bought a few books to read and enjoyed it a lot. But like you said, it doesn't beat having a real book in your hands. I was a little sad I bought some ebooks that I loved and wished I had hard copies of. So now I don't buy so much on it but use it for egalleys, novellas, and all of those New Adult books you can get real cheap. Oh and the occasional lending system is nice, but I found not a lot of big releases have that option available. I also will sometimes peruse the ebooks available from the library. I have read a bunch that way too. Don't even have to leave the house for that, which is nice since I work at home. And sometimes it is a real benefit to just have a nook to hold in one hand (easiest when I would have a sick little one sleeping on me). So it does have a lot of benefits. :)
ReplyDelete~Sara @ Forever 17 Books
I';m glad that you like your nook but it hasn't replaced your love of a good old fashioned copy of the novel. I definitely see their benefits which is why I broke down and said I wanted one but I don't think they will ever be better than paper for me.
DeleteYou know how when you buy a DVD you get a code for a digital copy? That's how I wish books were. It's so silly it's not like that.
ReplyDeleteI do have a Nook. I got it for my birthday last year, and while paper books are my go-to, I do love the e-reader. I use it primarily for NetGalley and other e-ARCs I may receive from authors. But also, digital books will go on sale for really, really cheap. And since I'm A) Poor, and B) Lacking in shelf space, I will purchase ebooks at their ridiculously low prices when they go on sale. But I've never bought an ebook for the 10 dollars they ask, because I can just buy the paper copy of it for the same price.
Bekka, we seem to be in the same mindset. I've always thought of e-books as an extra like deleted scenes. I think it should thrown in there for people as a little reward for going out and buying a book or people have the option to purchase the e-book on its own for me.
DeleteI think I'll be exactly like you with my e-reader. Review ARCs, novellas and books that are silly cheap only.
I stayed away from ereaders for a while, I even cursed then. Then last year boyfriend got me a Nook and I vowed that I would only use it for for review copies. I've grown to appreciate them a lot more.
ReplyDeleteI'm still a little iffy on the price, but I love to grab an ebook when it's on sale. I've discovered so many books that I just bought on a whim and ended up loving.
WHile of course my shelves are still bulging with paper copies, my nook is filling up quickly and I'm happy that I have it.
I agree with your suggestion for ebook codes, that would be pretty cool, and I can see that actually happening in the near future. Blurays are doing it, so why shouldn't books?
Great books!
Amber Elise @ Du Livre
I'm just like you....I didn't want to betray the books somehow by going digital. It scares me that someday we just won't have a need for those paper books anymore because everything will be digital. However, I gave in to the trend this year on black friday and got the nook. Reading books is definitely not the same and I will always prefer pages I can actually turn and a cover I can put on my shelf. But I have to admit there are some benefits. The mobility is great. I take my nook everywhere. And I can borrow books from the library in 2 seconds. That's fantastic. Plus all the novellas you can't read elsewhere. It's a big change and you will probably end up liking the nook a lot more than you expect, but it won't replace your books. It kind of enhances the whole experience and just makes me feel like a more well-rounded reader. I will always be team books, but I can't ignore the advantages of having this e-reader. You'll have to make another post after some time and tell us how you feel about your nook!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I would just like to add that I totally had the same idea as you as far as digital copies. It would be fantastic to start a book at home and then have the e-book version for travel. Blu-ray does it, why not books? I don't want to have to pay twice for a book I want both versions of. I think this would be a really popular feature that could finally tip the balance between kindle and nook. I will have to make a sales pitch to Barnes and Noble about this. Anyway....sorry this was long. I just have a lot to say on this subject.
I have an e-reader and I was the same as you. I love the feeling from books in my hands and the sight of the covers on the shelves. An e-reader will never replace books for me, but it opened up another 'world' of reading!
ReplyDeleteMel@thedailyprophecy.