To e-read, or not to e-read...

I love books. And by that, I don't just mean I like reading, I also love physical books. I think there is something quite special about holding a story in your hands, flicking through pages filled with words that someone has so carefully chosen. The smell of a new book can't be recreated and when I step into a bookshop it's the visual image of all the covers and spines that captivates me. This is something I only feel for books - I don't mind about owning physical music or films for some reason.

E-readers are everywhere nowadays and even my Nan has one, but I remain sceptical as to whether I will ever become a convert. I have an iPad (that I won, I hasten to add before I give the impression I am made of money!) so I could feasibly read books on that. I read blogs and the newspaper on it so what's the difference? I know that many people who swore they would never leave behind the traditional hard and paperbacks that have changed their mind and either now solely use an e-reader or mix how they read their books. Despite this I still think I would hate it, and I don't like the fact that I am so closed minded to something so I have decided to draw up some pros and cons to see if I can persuade myself to give technology a try.




Traditional Books
+ The feeling of a physical book in your hands and the memories and feelings that can be connected to them.
+ Browsing for books - I love a trip to a bookshop and think it's especially fun to go with other people.
+ Books from libraries are FREE, and who doesn't love free stuff! This is where I find new authors and books I haven't heard of, I'm more likely to pick something new as I haven't had to invest anything other than time in it.
+ Books smell nice. Even second hand ones. Honestly they do!
+ Books look nice, I love having books on shelves and piled up in my house so everyone can see what I like.
+ Books can be shared - they can be read together or swapped and borrowed. 
+ You can pick up loads of brilliant books from charity shops, they are cheap, you are helping a good cause and you can just donate the book back if you don't like it.
+ Children's books are very visual and tactile. I'm sure you can get an app for pop-up books but it's just not the same. I still have lots of my favourite childhood books and they mean so much to me.
- If you want a new-release book this can set you back a fair bit of money. The same with a lot of academic books. Being a book-lover isn't always a cheap pursuit.
- Books take up a lot of space. This is something I realised fully a couple of years ago when moving house and I had to scale back my collection. They are also bloody heavy.
- You can spill stuff on books, bend the spine, rip the pages, accidentally drop them in the toilet... basically they can get ruined quite easily if you aren't careful (or are just clumsy like me...).

E-readers
+ You can read them in the dark! I realise you can technically do this with a book by using a torch, but e-readers provide a much less awkward version of this!
+ You don't have to wait around when you find a book you want to read. Just a few clicks and you can have it delivered straight to your hands before you can even boil the kettle for a cup of tea.
+ An e-reader can store thousands of books in just one device - perfect for trips away and if you live somewhere with very limited space.
+ You can get lots of free or very cheap e-books. You can download some from the library and most books you buy online are considerably cheaper than their physical counterparts.
+ You will never lose your place again! With digital bookmarks there is no danger of that old receipt you've been using falling out and causing you to flick through pages and pages until you find a place you recognise.
+ The size of the text can easily be changed on an e-reader - great for older people and those who are visually impaired.
- Technology isn't always completely reliable - there's no danger of a physical book breaking or running out of battery.
- Depending on how flashy you want your e-reader they can be rather expensive, and there are always new coming models out so you may feel the need to upgrade regularly. 
- You can't really give an e-book as a present, it's just not the same as unwrapping a shiny new book.
- You also can't really keep e-books as special keepsakes. I can't imagine passing on an e-book to my children, but who knows!


So, there's my list of positives and negatives. I'm sure there are loads more, but thinking about it is taking up valuable reading time...

I think for now I'll stick to the traditional way of reading. I may one day delve into the world of technology but it will probably be a while yet. Besides, the charity shops of Norfolk would lose out on a considerable amount of business.