I have recently acquired a Tablet from my Dad so that I could work while traveling. The laptop is quite heavy to carry around on my dodgy back so it’s easier to take the Tablet. Except that I have no way of transferring photographs from my phone to the tablet, so I end up taking my laptop anyway, but in my suitcase rather than on my back.
I promise there’s a point to this rambling.
While I was setting up the tablet – clearing unnecessary apps and games, adding Spotify, Twitter, WordPress, and Tumblr apps – I found it already had an e-reader installed on it. Great! I managed to add the e-books I’m reviewing and now I can take them everywhere with me.
I’ve discovered I rather like e-books. I wasn’t sure about the whole concept of electronic books at first because I like the way a books feels in my hands, and until recently I’d only ever read e-books on the laptop; it’s a bit of a strain on my eyes and a hassle to read the books.There just seemed something wrong with reading from a screen, but then I suppose when people went from reading clay tablets to papyrus scrolls someone lamented the change.
The use of a tablet has revolutionised my reading. I read a wide variety of books – especially if they’re free – which means I’ve discovered new authors, authors I wouldn’t have read otherwise. This is partly because I would have had difficulty getting hold of them at the library and partly because many are indie writers who only publish in e-book format. I have become slightly addicted to e-books; I take the Tablet everywhere and I enjoy looking for new books to acquire, something new to discover. I especially haunt the freebees page at http://www.everythingbooksandauthors.com because the listings are updated fairly regularly. Also there’s the Gutenberg Project providing free books, and a variety of websites. Just put ‘free ebooks’ in to a search engine. It’s not news that I love reading, I just have a new way to feed my addiction to words. At least it’s not harmful.
In addition to the current e-reading programme, Aldiko 2.0, I have just added Kindle for Android so that I can add my Kindle e-books as well. I have a library of 50 Kindle books sat on my laptop that I rarely read because it’s such a pain to do so. I have a lot of classic novels in my collection of Kindle books.
I’ll never give up physical books but e-books also have their place in my library. Considering the sheer number of books I own (5000 at last count) and my future plans, it makes sense for me to make use of electronic formats. I’m running out of space for more books in my current accommodation and packing up to move will be a hell of a job. I own very little and my books make up the majority of my possessions. They are my constant companions and my solace, but they weigh a ton when I have to carry them around. E-readers are light and portable, an entire library in my pocket. I know, sooner or later, I’m going to have to sell some of my books, purely because I lack the space to keep them properly.
Besides which, every time I go somewhere I end up coming home with more books. I brought 4 home from my trip to Nottingham last weekend, four books I have no shelf space for or any clue where I will store them. They looked interesting though, second hand academic literature books. In this cultural wasteland I lovingly call home I have to travel to find interesting reading matter; so why take books with me when I travel? It’s easier to take the tablet, and save space in my suitcase for more books to bring home with me.
I made a quick list of pro’s and con’s
Pro’s
- Light and portable
- Wide range of ebooks available
- Many free books available
- Will support a variety of formats – mobi, epub, PDF etc
- Ebooks provide a means for independent writers to publish their work
- Can have a large number of books in a very small space – fit in to a pocket or save space in a suitcase – useful when traveling
- E-readers can be used as tablets or tablets as e-readers = more than one function
- No one can see what you’re reading in public!
Con’s
- Purchase cost of e-reader, although this is coming down a bit
- Some e-books cost almost as much as physical copies
- Don’t get the tactile sensations with e-books that is part of the enjoyment of reading a physical book
- If you lose your e-reader, unless your library is backed up somewhere e.g. your Kindle account, you risk losing your library – which is a horrible thought
- Electronic things break, at least around me anyway
- You can’t share e-books the way you can lend a paper book or sell them second hand, or give an ebook away to a friend or charity shop, these things are part of the joy of books – sharing, passing on something worth reading
The positive and negative points to e-books and e-readers are fairly evenly spread, and I think there is an advantage in diversity in a library, as in many things. If something happens to my house at least I have some of my books left.
I shall finish this ramble on that rather depressing note and return to my book.
Whatever you’re reading, have a good day
Rose
Everything Is Better With Dragons 