As I've mentioned, I've been doing a whole lot of packing in preparation for the big move on July 1st. Dear God I have a lot of stuff. I really didn't think I did, but boy was I wrong.
I mentioned some other random things that I've accumulated over the years, like decks of cards. But the # 1 thing occupying my space is most definitely books!
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| The 2 stacks of boxes & the white box are all books! |
Holy canasta I have a lot of books. I mean, I knew this. But when I had to box them up and schlepp these 9 boxes across my condo, it really made me realize that I had a lot of books.
I love owning books but last fall I came to the point where I realize I had to stop buying books. I was out of space - big time. I do want to have a library in a house someday, but that is very far off as I am years away from living in a home big enough to have a room just dedicated to books!
So I bought a Nook. I was pretty quiet about it because truth be told, I feel like the reading community sort of looks down on people who buy e-readers. I think there is this perception that if you really love books, you would never buy an e-reader.
I understand the debate against e-readers. I think we are all pretty familiar w/ the arguments against e-readers. so I won't get into that. This is why I love my Nook...
- I am out of space. Besides those 9 boxes above, I am pretty sure I have 1-2 boxes in storage. I do not have any more room for displaying/storing books.
- It's great for traveling. I travel a lot. Mostly for pleasure, but soon I will travel for work. It's nice to not have to worry about finding room in my suitcase for books. Especially on week-long trips, like my trip to Paris.
- My back says thank you. Some books are not meant to be carried around in a purse. Like Anna Karenina (which I carried around for over a month last summer).
- 24/7 access to multiple books. If I finish a book on a vacation or on my bus ride, no worries - I can select another one (I usually have 2-3 unread books on my Nook). Or I can buy one.
- I have access to free books. Many of the classics are free. there is "Free Book Friday" (a select book is free), and I can also borrow books from the library.
- Hands free reading. I don't know about you, but I find it hard to read a physical book while eating lunch. It's tough to keep the book open. With the nook, I just push a button to turn the page. Way easier!
So that's why I love my Nook. There are some things I don't love about it, though - like how inconvenient it is to see how many pages are left in a chapter. You can page forward & back to do this, but it's not all that easy, I guess you could say. Also, I do miss the ability to lend good books to friends. Granted, one of my best friends has a nook, so we can lend each other "Lend Me" books, but unfortunately, not that many are lendable - or at least not the ones I'd like to lend to her!
So there you have it. I am definitely an e-book convert! I, of course, will continue to buy some books in print, but the majority of my future book purchases will be on my Nook.
Do you own an e-reader? What do you think of e-readers? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Indifferent? Do you agree that there is a bit of a perception that people who truly love books would never buy an e-reader?
27 comments:
I think they are a good idea. I probably won't buy one because I lose things, and the thought of losing something holding as many books as they can, which I would more than likely fill, terrifies me.
I have an e-reader on my phone, and I find it really useful. I always carry one book around with me, but I used to carry 3 or 4, so a reader is good from that point of view.
We moved nine boxes of books when we moved to Dundee(8 of which were my books), and there are still some in Paisley. I reckon I've added three more to that easily, so I completely see your point of view.
As you know, I am also a skeptic turned e-reader convert :) Before I got my kindle though, I was 99% of the time getting my books from the library. I started this about 3 or 4 years ago when I realized I HAD to stop spending money on books and also had no where to put them. Luckily I'm at the library all the time for kindergarten books so it's convenient for me to grab books for myself. Much as I love the library, grimy, dirty books are not as beautiful as new books so it was easier to switch to a e-reader in that regard. Yesterday though, I was at Target just looking through books I may want to download and I did miss the great feeling of a brand new book.
Even though I'm contributing to it, I do worry about the downfall of books. It's going to be a sad day when I have to read my students books on some kind of electronic device! Plus- I love spending time at Barnes and Noble so I hope that place somehow always stays in business!
I think e-readers are cool in theory, and are good for all the reasons you listed, but I don't forsee myself getting one anytime soon. I think they're probably handiest for traveling and I just don't do enough of it to justify buying one. Plus I have so many books on my shelves I haven't read yet, I don't think buying more would be a good idea! :)
I am a convert. Not only do I read books on my ereader, but newpapers as well.
So much less clutter. You look pretty organized for your move. Where do you get your boxes?
I am not a convert. Since getting my Nook in January I have read two books. Just two! I have even lent the Nook (the actually Nook, not a book) to a friend and didn't miss it at all. I love my books and just don't enjoy the e-reader as much. I think if I was traveling more I would feel differently... but I am not doing any traveling. Unfortunately!
I guess you could say I'm indifferent? I definitely see the point and purpose, especially for traveling, having multiple books at your finger tips, heck even from a green standpoint of the companies not having to print the books as much! I love the one my mom has and I'm intrigued, but I don't think I'll ever buy one myself.Probably one of those gifts I'd love to have even if I don't say so kind of things, you know?
I'm not against them at all, I just don't have a need to get one for myself. Yet. I was kind of thinking I could use one when I lugged 3 hardcover books home at Christmas...
Anyways, I think I will get one eventually, but right now I'm tending to take my books out at the library and I'm not doing a ton of traveling so I don't mind having actual books. But I'm certainly not against them the way some people are. I've also never tried to read a book on one so I'm not sure what I would think of that! I think I might ask for one for Christmas this year!
Nooks look really cool- I'd love to see yours when I'm in MN this summer! I have a kindle and I really love it, it's great to have fast, cheap access to books. I don't like buying books because we already have too many, so an e-reader is the perfect solution for me :)
Glad your nook is working for you!
I thought I'd never see the day when I'd want an e-reader, but my boyfriend got me a Kindle for Christmas and I'm obsessed with it. It's so much more convenient.
I enjoy reading, but I never thought of myself as an "avid" reader. But now that I have a Nook I can't wait to download my next book. It makes it so much easier for me to read. I don't ever buy books for myself (I ask for them for gifts) and I am terrible about making sure I read my book in the time allowed by the library.
I also love it for my son. I have downloaded books for him and if we are at a waiting area or at a restaurant I can pull it out and let him pick a book rather than lugging a bunch of books around in my purse.
I've also gotten a magazine subscription on it. I like it because then I don't have all of the paper magazines laying around my house.
So as you can see.... I LOVE MY NOOK!!! :)
I have a Kindle - my husband has a Sony eReader. We both love them. We still read real books too and of course, having the ereaders hasn't stopped us from getting real books either.
We are a military family, so we travel quite a bit to visit family and I have two kids, so we visit the dr office quite a bit. Those are my two favorite reasons for having an ereader. I am very anal about the condition of my books (so is my husband), so the ereader is a nice way to still read my book but not screw it up. LOL
I just had to comment for once because I have been debating this for myself for over a year! I think depending on the group of people you talk to, there is a definite mentality about e-readers being 'bad for business' so to speak. I read so many blogs though that extol the virtues of them that I find myself becoming more and more interested!
I have the Nook and Kindle apps on my iPod and have enjoyed reading books on them but wish the screen was bigger! I might find myself becoming a convert sooner then I ever thought. It makes me a little sad but also excited at the same time! I totally agree with you about the hands free reading being a MAJOR plus! :) Plus there are a few that are only about $100 which isn't that bad...
I'm a new convert and love it! I, too, thought I'd never get one because I have so many unread books on my shelves, but this is handy in so many ways and I am still going to read those "real" books - someday!
E-readers save trees. There's a convenience factor. And health benefits to boot? I think I'm probably pro-e-readers. But, given the last time I read a book was ... well, it was a long time ago, needless to say, I don't own one myself. =)
I love buying books too and I have so many, well not as many as you, but still alot. But I had to stop buying them. I use the library all the time now which is nice because I can get so many books and don't have to spend the money.
I would like one but in the meantime I have our ipad to use but have yet to download a book on it. I can def see the benefit when it comes to traveling.
I for some reason love having books lying around on table and on shelves.
I was very on the fence about e-readers for a long time but I finally decided that I really wanted one. So I bought myself one. :) I go on a lot of long car trips so it's very helpful in that regard. I like the convenience of it, really! I'm basically obsessed with it and always have it with me whenever I'm out.
On Kindle, they just started showing the chapters at the bottom of the screen with little buttons of when the chapter ends. Hopefully the Nook will come out with that feature because it's very helpful!
love the ereaders! Kelley got a nook and digs it. I just got a kindle for fathers day and i'm totally hooked.
i'm also in the dark about this move?
I don't have one but you make an excellent argument for one! My next big purchase!
hope the move goes well!
I don't have an e-reader---but I've been tossing around the idea of wanting one. Both my sister and sister-in-law have one--and love it!!! I'm the BIG READER in my relationship--and have TONS of books. Jason would love for me to fall in love with an e-reader so we could have more room for other things than bookshelves crammed with my novels! :)
I think it's a little funny that you think the reading community looks down on e-readers, because in someways I feel the opposite. Maybe it's because I read so many blogs, and you'd figure people who blog are more comfortable reading electronically? But I think part of it is I'm a little anti e-reader, and maybe that's why it feels like everyone else is on the opposite side? And maybe since you think the opposite of me, you also feel like everyone is against? I realize that sounds convoluted, but hopefully you're able to get my point. Ha!
I don't have one, and probably won't get one, just because I usually don't buy gadgets ... I am kind of old school when it comes to that stuff!
I think it's kind of sad that books are disappearing and being replaced by ereaders. But at the same time, I definitely see why someone would want one. They are so convenient! I borrowed my moms on a plane earlier this week and it's so light and easy to use! I'm always going to be a fan of curling up with a good book, but if I have the opportunity/money to get one someday, I won't hesitate.
I love my Kindle for travel but still really love the feel and the smell of a real book. Also shopping online is not even half as fun as going to the book store!!!!
PS I am not sure if I have NINE, but I have so many boxes of books! My BF thinks I am crazy, like WHY would ANYBODY want to move them around?! He just doesn't understand.
Holy goodness thats a lot of books! I don't have an e-reader but if I did buy one, I would definitely get a Nook. I think e-readers are a great idea, especially for someone like you with limited space and travels so frequently. I get most of my books from the library though so I don't know how well that would work for me, our small town library doesn't have a big ebook selection I don't think.
That is an awesome book collection. I have a much smaller collection of beloved books, and somehow an e-Reader just doesn't seem the same.
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