Think about it: we’re part of the last generation that remembers what it was like ?before e-readers.
Physical books have been around for a millennium, but just like that, we started hearing about reading everything you wanted off of one little piece of technology.
Barnes & Noble CEO Mitch Clipper was quoted in a recent Fortune article about the release of the company’s fiscal 2015 first quarter financial report.
Despite predictions of a woeful ending for Barnes & Noble, the company has managed to hold off some of the anticipated loss.
“People still love going into a bookstore and are always looking for something new,” he said.
I would live in a bookstore, if possible, by sustaining myself with café drinks and book smells.
My body would mold itself into a lounge seat where I would read novels cover to cover from all corners of the store.
But the rise of e-books has changed the reading experience altogether and a fear has swept through the industry that bookstores may become obsolete.
Not only are e-books convenient, space-conserving and environmentally friendly, they’re relatively cheaper.
Every time I’m buying a book, I check the prices all around from Barnes & Noble, Amazon and iTunes.
I’ve noticed that most times, the e-books have a significantly smaller dollar amount than their physical counterparts.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a list of drawbacks to reading from a tablet, including your health.
Staring at a screen all day as well as reading off of one during a time for relaxation isn’t an ideal routine.
Adjusting the brightness on your tablet can help with eye strain, but when you get down to reading for a couple of hours, you may come away with Jell-O eyes.
I’ve also noticed that reading late at night off my iPad screws up my sleeping habits. Usually I can fall asleep with a book in my hand, but a tablet ends up leaving me wired and restless.
I always seem to read until the battery drains and my beloved digital library is just out of reach.
And let’s not forget the presence of the book itself.
There’s a way the weight of the spine, the crisp pages and the smell of the paper coerce you into reading.
This weekend I’m traveling back south to meet up with friends and family and listen to two days worth of music at Music Midtown.
Unfortunately, I live about nine hours away from Bloomington and flying is the easiest means of travel.
So given the perfect opportunity to kill time while waiting to board and pass the time up in the air, I will be reading.
I cannot express enough how e-books and e-readers are convenient during times like these.
Given my experience of lugging a carry-on full of heavy books to read on multiple occasions, I can attest that e-books are a traveler’s best friend.
I’m always concerned neighboring passengers will end up bumping my bag and crushing my beloved novels.
Or worse, they may ask me about what I’m reading. The ultimate beauty of a tablet is the discrepancy.
You could be reading “Lolita” by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov, for all they know.
Whatever side you play for in the book wars between the physical and the digital, know that all is well as long as you’re reading.
But I do suggest branching out and trying each method.
Don’t continuously glue yourself to a screen, and please do explore the wonders of the digital reader.
In all, I hope whichever you fancy takes you higher into reader heaven. Safe travels.
