This discussion has most likely been done to death but I wanted a little imput because why not? As a person who reads using both, I decided to do a quick pro's and con's and then decide which way is better for me. Everyone has a different lifestyle so sometimes one method of reading is easier than the other. This will most lilely be an 'in the defense of E-Readers' because they're slagged off a lot so here we go. Let's get this started.
E-Reader
It's not something everyone likes, that's for sure. The E-Reader, people feel, has taken over books and putting book stores out of business, stopping people from reading the printed word. I feel the same, to some extent, but there are parts of it that I love. I own a Kindle and I'd be lost without it. Why? Here are the pro's for owning an E-Reader.
- I travel. I'm a traveler. I've been backpacking and I'm also living abroad for 12 months so without my Kindle, how could I read? When I was backpacking, I had everything on my back. My backpack barely fit enough in for my clothes and other things I needed but room for a ton of books? No way. I read quickly so I'd need quite a few in there. My solution? An E-Reader. It holds hundreds and hundreds of books and the battery lasts a month. I went backpacking for a month. Problem solved. Besides, it charges with my phone charger which is a bonus for me so I wouldn't need to pack an extra charger.
- The battery life, as previously mentioned. It lasts approx. a month. I won't have to worry about the battery going out on me after reading one book because I usually read a ton of books before it goes off. Aslong as you're not charging it all the time and wearing the battery out, you won't have a problem.
- There's nothing worse than reading the first book in a series you've gotten into and you have to trek all the way into town to get book two. Wait - you have an E-Reader. Just go into the Amazon Store and buy it with no wait, it's delivered in....what, 5 seconds? Probably not even that.
- The books are cheaper. So they should be really, you don't get a proper copy to hold and it's just a digital print but you still get the story.
- We all love seeing a child read. I really hope the next generation of readers are as passionate about books as we are. I really feel like children are more likely to read if they have something tech-savvy because maybe reading a book is too 'old fashioned' and 'boring' but reading from an e-reader or an ipad? It seems more likely but that's what I think.
- Embarassing books. Nobody can see that you're reading 50 Shades of Grey and that's okay. The secret is safe with me.
- They're easier to hold. You don't need to keep pages open. When you're trying to eat and read, you don't need something to hold the pages when you have just a device.
- They're light and easy to carry. They also look good in those cases.
- You can eat and read. Yep.
- For some reason, I tend to read quicker with a Kindle. I get through more stories reading on a device than reading from a book.
- Even if your device breaks, when you get a new one, you're account and all your books are still there. You don't lose those. No re-buying!
- Some e-readers have a light so you can read in the dark. Handy!
- There's no sun glare on the book so you can read whilst sunbathing. Nice, huh? No squinting or having to sit a certain angle to get the sun out of the way because you don't have to worry about that.
- If you're travelling, you can have hundreds of books in one place! Decide later what you want to read. There's nothing worse than being out, finishing your book and being like 'well...what now' when you could just go back to the main menu and pick out of a ton of books, for whatever mood you're in.
- You can highlight quotes and parts of the book that you can go back to. Handy if it's for school or to reference back in a book discussion.
- It always stays to the last place you left off. Even if you're tiring of the story, read something else, then go back to it. Your place is still saved!
And the cons of an e-reader?
- It's not a book. It's just a file so you can't put it nicely on your bookshelf for the world to see!
- Nobody can see what you're reading. This is also a pro if you're reading something slightly embarassing but if you want to show everyone what you're reading and you're not ashamed, nobody will know.
- Sometimes it's nice to have a set of pretty books to look at, touch, sniff, pet. Books are pretty but if they're all files on an e-reader, once it's read, you can't see the cover unless you click on the book and select 'cover' and that's just hassle. Covers on books are always better printed.
- I guess I could put 'can't read in the bath/shower' but I've managed it. Just don't get it wet.
So it seems to me that an e-reader isn't so bad. People bash it but it's really quite handy. I seem to be going back up and adding pro's so it's a good way to read, I think. Now onto books.
Books
I love books. Obviously. They look good, smell amazing, and they're just the best way to read. We all know that. So why change to an e-reader when you can just read a book? But it has cons, as does an e-reader.
Pro's
- Well...it's a book. Enough said.
- They look good on your shelf, especially if you have a set. Oh, they look so good!
- I feel more accomplished once I've finished a book than when I've finished reading a story on my Kindle. There's something about turning that last page that makes me so happy!
- You can get books for so cheap now! Especially second-hand books or charity shops. You could probably find a good book for about £1
- Full bookshelves = <3
- You can finish a good story then recommend it by lending it to someone. On an E-Reader, you'd have to give them the whole thing. No way.
- No need to charge a book. It's always there and there's no need for electricity.
- The feel of a book in your hands is so satisfying!
- People can see what you're reading. I like that people know what story I'm emersed in! Especially if they're read it and strike up conversation.
and now for the cons.
- Let's just say, I've lent out a book and they've totally destroyed it. I leant away my copy of Mockingjay to a family member and it came back to me utterly covered in juice and pages were folded. Just....no. They can get damaged very easily.
- You need both hands to read them. Turn pages aswell as holding them open. I can't eat!
- They're big and chunky, they use up a lot of room in your bag, especially if you're reading a long-arse story.
- It's not easy to read in the bath/shower. It gets wet and you need two hands. It's easier to keep one hand dry and hold a Kindle.
- Maybe I'm lazy but going all the way downtown to get the next book? No thanks. I live far so that's not an easy task for me. And then there's the possibility that they won't have it in stock which happens a lot.
- Books can be expensive. Especially here in Canada, I go into a book shop and they're selling them for about $20. That's a lot. In the UK it's not as expensive but still, paying £2 on my Kindle is more of a price range for me for the same story.
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So in my personal opinion, an E-Reader definitely makes life easier. Having experienced both, I do miss reading from an actual book because...well, it's a book. It's how it's supposed to be read. However in my particular lifestyle of travelling and being unable to purchase books here (I can't heft them all back to the UK in my tiny bag!), a Kindle is just easier. When I'm home, it's likely I'll read more actual books but for now, an E-Reader.
What I think? I DON'T CARE HOW PEOPLE READ, AS LONG AS THEY'RE READING. It's the same story, same characters...just a different method.
Thoughts? Any more pro's/con's to add to the list? Comment below!
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