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I thought I’d take this week to pen a few articles of my own between hosting Coffee Pot Guests and the start of the Step Back Into Saxon England tour that Annie Whitehead and I are embarking on (traveling to?) from the 10th-16th October.
So expect a few difference of opinion debates interspersed with a daft post or two...
Today. What do you prefer? Digital or paper for your reading pleasure? I'm talking fiction here, not non-fiction.
I've headed this as Kindle v Paperback because Amazon's Kindle e-reader is the most popular. Yes, there are others (not so much in the UK though) and yes you can read a digital book on your smart phone or tablet or laptop... but Kindle is the favourite.
There doesn't seem to be a happy medium between the love/hate debate about e-readers does there? As a reader you either 'I love my Kindle' or 'Oh, I couldn't read something that isn't a real book!"
I'm a Kindle fan. 98%.
Main reason being I am visually impaired and print on a page is now next to impossible for me to read comfortably (I can't even read my own printed books anymore.) The PC and my Kindle enables me to use a larger font - a much larger font. Or for those odd days when my sight is more wonky than usual, or my eyes are tired, Kindle via my Personal Assistant, Alexa, provides read aloud narration. OK Alexa isn't perfect but she's not too bad either. (As an aside, one of her main advantages is instant access to any radio station - no more difficult fiddling with trying to tune in.)
Anyway, I digress. The anti-e-readers say that the reading experience is all about the feel and look of a book, about holding one in your hands and physical turning the pages. The pro-e-readers enthuse that you can store many books on one small tablet, that Kindle Unlimited gives (sort of) free reading (it isn't free, you need a monthly subscription - but this gives you up to ten books at a time.)
For my view, the disadvantages of a real book (leaving aside my sight problem) is the weight of a book, especially a hardback. The often small print in paperbacks, the cost and what to do with it once you've read it can be a conundrum. A few are 'keeper', novels, of course, but most just get passed over to the local charity shop. (A good way to pick up a popular book - you can guarantee copies will appear in charity shops or second-hand stalls. 50 Shades of Grey, any Jeffrey Archer, Da Vinci Code, you'll always find them. Bernard Cornwell's novels, Patricia Highsmitth, John Grisham... This isn't because the books aren't very good (leaving aside 50 Shades and Da Vinci - both utter rubbish in my opinion) but because once read they're not 'keepers'.
Then there's the use of paper and the 'energy' needed to print, distribute / deliver a physical book. Should we, perhaps, be leaning more towards a digital book to save paper - to save trees? Then to buy a book you have to go into town, find the bookstore,, probably have to order a copy - which involves another trip in and out of town (using fuel in your car or the bus). Digital means instant delivery.
The disadvantage of e-readers: a paperback will not run out of battery right in the middle of a particularly exciting scene. Books don't need power to read them. You can't easily go back a few or many pages to check something you're not sure of, nor take a quick look at character X because you've forgotten who she or he is. Nor can you have a quick shufty at how many more pages to the end of the chapter or even the end of the book. Lists of characters, glossaries', maps, genealogies - these are all next to useless on a Kindle. Forgot to charge your e-reader? Power cut? This has happened to me. Off went the electricity, 'OK, I'll read,' thinks I. My Kindle was at 2% battery. Blast! With a book (as long as you have a torch or candles, you can keep reading.
So pros and cons. Love 'em or hate 'em, the e-reader is here to stay ... but maybe take a look at my post yesterday as well?
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Books (sensibly priced) By Helen Hollick
Website: https://helenhollick.net/
Amazon Author Page: https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick
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| now also in paperback |
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| buy on Amazon |
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| FREE ebook! |
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| special low price during October (US/Canada only) |
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| buy on Amazon (UK edition) |
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| now also in paperback with additional scenes! |
Helen, I've just typed a great long comment but I think Blogger had a glitch. I'll wait a while to see if it's posted and if not, I'll write it out again...
ReplyDeleteI love my Kindle for all the above reasons. But I make sure it displays what percentage of the book I've already read, and I rarely let the battery run down, so that helps. But using Kindle also means I have space to pack a few clothes when I go on holiday, always a plus, lol.
ReplyDeleteMy bookshelves are heaving under the weight of way too many books, so except for a few specials, I rarely buy paperbacks.
I must say, among my few new paperbacks, I have yours and some of Annie's because your covers are so delicious. Plus, several of yours are signed which makes them special.