I guess I should learn to read one day before I leave it too late. My maffs is fine. I’m up to my 5x table already.
1 Like
I know what you mean about the tactile and engaging quality of a printed book. But I’d be happy if people were using e-books. On commutes they mostly seemed to have dropped the e-books and switched to watching films or TV series on their phones and tablets.
I remember on the commute to London when e-books took off, back 14 or 15 years ago. This seemed to coincide with 50 Shades of Gray being published. Anyone could get their morning titillation but not have to show the book cover to the rest of the train.
Is that what I meant by gaining worldliness from books? I hope not.
1 Like
No - for me ebooks are not more stressful or less satisfying at all.
swiping is not harder or more stressful than paper page turning, charging my tablet is easy and network line problems are a total non issue - once the book is downloaded onto the tablet I dont need internet connection any more.
I get that some people prefer paper books and that’s fine - but the issues you mention are really not issues at all.
1 Like
I’m very fond of my books.A relationship I could never have with anything electronic. 
4 Likes
As a former librarian and watching the daily reading habits of my mom, I can say for myself, there is nothing more comforting than having a novel to pick up from my bedside stand at the end of a day.
A hard cover book is a life long friend, even after the read. With ebooks, poof, they disappear. Almost as if you never had them at all.
4 Likes
So true @RightNow, isn’t it lovely just to stroll around bookshops too, and having our book-shelves at home filled with lots of varieties.
4 Likes
Yes, of course I understand many people don’t have any problems with reading e- books, they weren’t issues, just my point of view. 
1 Like
I have to say that I find a ‘real’ book more conducive to sleep last thing at night. I’m sure that screens can have the opposite effect to some extent.
2 Likes
A couple of years ago I started to read the Bible. I had to give it up after a few pages. It got a bit religious.
1 Like
oh that’s fine - I thought you were asking questions so I answered them.
1 Like
I don’t understand this comment - ebooks don’t disappear after you have read them, they stay on your device and you can re open them any time
except borrowed library ones of course - but that is same as borrowed paper books - they return to the library and it is like you never had them at all.
2 Likes
Apart from the lack of tactile joy with an e-book reader, the other disadvantage is the clunkiness in flicking back to find a passage you want to re-read or a page you need to view again (perhaps a page with a list of characters or a map of locations or index). Otherwise I now prefer e-books and I don’t need to buy yet another bookcase…
Just the difference in holding a book with a cover or a tablet.
I prefer the real thing. Sort of like holding a kitten, or seeing one posted online.
3 Likes
Give me a proper book at bedtime thank you very much!
Nothing that needs to be plugged in , it used to be called reading 
4 Likes
well not really like that - you are still reading the same book whether in paper or e book.
I get that some people prefer paper books - I just didnt understand your comment about ebooks poof disappearing
1 Like
Or holding a kitten. Wriggling, sharp clawed little blighters.
yes I agree - sometimes scrolling back to a place is bit harder in ebooks - not so much if there are labelled chapters, but not all books have them.
I get that they are not for everyone - but for me, am converted to ebooks now.
I read the occasional paper book but nearly all ebooks now.
I’ve had some of my books over 50 years.They bring back a lot of memories of people and places.
Zen and the art of Motor Cycle Maintenance ,I still haven’t finished.
1 Like
Looking at some of the countries perhaps they prefer socialising and don’t have time? Some of the areas with high rates of book reading have shorter days for more of the year than we do. Being stuck in a beautiful mountain retreat in Switzerland does conjure up a perfect environment for curling up with a good book.
1 Like
I have a whole pile of half-finished books, often I pick a book up and finish it years later. Then there is another pile of books that I plan to start reading one day.
3 Likes