The age old question. No I am not talking about the chicken or the egg. I am talking about a more up to date question that leaves readers scratching their heads and running around in confusion.
Digital Reader or Print books
Should I have this many books on my shelves?
I really could use the space for other things.
What if my e-reader quits working?
When I first started blogging, I was a die hard fanatic about having every single book in print. I am a visual person, so I like seeing the pretty spines all lined up completing a series. I enjoyed having something real and tangible to show off to other readers. An author signing? Why yes, I have a print book for the author to sign! Then when you opened a book — the smell. It was so inviting. Nothing beats the smell of a printed book. I get a rush just walking into a bookstore or an aisle full of books at the grocery store.
Then I was given a Kindle. I set it on the table, walked around it several times giving it the evil eye trying to figure out how something so modern and plain looking could give me the joy that I get from the thousands of books I have in my home library! I eventually caved and willed myself to use it for a full week. I hit the Amazon Kindle freebie list and started my week of being a traitor to my precious print books. I found I could easily highlight quotes that I wanted to either share immediately or for later use in a review. I could finish one book and have the next book in the series within minutes, if not seconds. No more waiting for the mail or a trip to the store!
Since that week of digital awareness in the reading realm, I have added hundreds to my digital library. I find myself walking into bookstores just to get my aroma and visual fix of the books. Yes, I still buy print books and enjoy stacking them onto my bookshelves, but I have found myself splitting it 50/50 with the Kindle. I still refuse to go digital if the digital version costs more than the print edition. I still refuse to give up my favorite series books to digital. I will however enjoy the pleasure of the “one click” button when needed.
I guess the great debate is still going on in my head, but at least the Kindle has earned a spot on my nightstand next to my print book at night. No more evil eye and western showdowns have arisen since embracing the technology.
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