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1 September 2017

E-Readers vs Paper books



I have to confess I am a traditionalist, when it comes to a lot of things.  It took me a long time to get my first mobile phone.  I resisted for quite a few years, until my husband finally bought one for me.  I never wanted to be contactable 24/7.  I still don't!

Similarly, I resisted getting an e-reader for a long time.  I love books.  I love book shops.  I love the whole reading experience.  I love the smell of a book, the feel of a book, the versatility of a book. You can take a book with you anywhere, and there is nothing more luxurious than running a bubblebath and reading while you soak.  That is my idea of bliss.

I could quite happily spend a whole day just browsing in a book shop. For me, one of the most exciting things about a trip to Sydney is visiting the big Dymocks store on George Street.  And they have a cafe, so you don't even have to leave to eat!

I love second hand book shops too.  One of my favourite memories from childhood is visiting the "Swap Shop" with my mum, who is also an avid reader.  The Swap Shop was a second hand book shop, tucked away in a little run-down arcade in my hometown.  It was absolutely packed full with books, magazines and comics.  To me, it was a treasure trove.  Not only could you buy cheap books, but you could take books that you no longer wanted and get a credit for them, that you could then buy more books with.  It was run by a little old lady (she must have been in her 80's) and she recorded all transactions in pencil in an old fashioned exercise book.

As a child, I would often read well after "lights out", using a little torch I had just for this purpose.  I have always loved hopping into bed and reading for a while before going to sleep. When I married though, I stopped doing this.  My husband suffers with insomnia, and to have any chance of sleep he requires the room to be dark.  So, no lamp for reading.  I tried using those little clip on book lights, but they are quite expensive and most are of dubious quality.

Then my sister told me about an e-reader which had a built in light, and my interest was piqued.  I did some research, and then went to the shop to have a closer look, and bought the Kindle PaperWhite e-reader.  I honestly didn't think I would use it all that much, other than for reading in bed, but I use it constantly.  It is so light weight, and versatile.  It has settings which allow you to choose different fonts, text sizes (fantastic for those who like a larger print book) and a range of different light settings.  It is easy to hold and very easy to use.

You can easily adjust the light setting, from dull to very bright

One of my main concerns was having to recharge the battery constantly, but I find that I only need to do this every couple of weeks and, as you can monitor the battery level, I just charge it when I'm going out and don't need to take it with me.

Some of the different settings available
It took a little while to adapt to swiping in order to turn pages, but I now prefer my e-reader over paper books.  I can buy books on special, or even pick up free books with Kindle daily and monthly deals.  I've discovered new authors too, because I don't mind spending a few dollars to trial a new author, but probably wouldn't pay full price at a book store.

An added advantage I have found, is that I can use the Kindle Paperwhite as a night light if I need to get up to  my daughter in the night, so don't need to turn on a bright light.

The only disadvantages I have found are that you can't pass a book on to a friend after you have finished with it, it's probably not wise to use it in the bath 😉, and you don't have that beautiful book smell.

I would love to hear your thoughts on e-readers, so please share them in my comments.

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kylieo
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16 comments:

  1. Hi Kylie, I'm Kirstie and have wandered onto your blog via Rhonda at Down to Earth. I too am a Christian and an avid reader. I went through the e-reader stage years ago.......and came back to hardcopy books which I borrow from the local library. I found an e-reader was great when I was away on holidays, but I missed the tactile part of reading a hardcopy book. Also when I'm reading I like to see how many pages I've got to go until the end of the chapter which I couldn't do with an e-reader. Good luck with your blog. I'm looking forward to reading more.

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    1. Hi Kirstie, I must admit to flicking through the pages to find the end of the chapter, particularly when my eyelids are getting droopy! It can be a bit tricky to get back to the right page on the e-reader, where you can just use your finger to hold the page in a hardcopy book. Thanks for reading!

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  2. I haven't gone down the e-reader path...I borrow most books from my local libraries and if there is a particular book I decide to buy, because I love it so much and know I'll return to it time and again, I will order it for my bookshelf. I love to sit and flick through the pages of my much-loved books, feel the weight of them in my hands, share my childhood favourites with my son, breathe in the scent of sometimes aging paper. I just don't think an e-reader would be the same. Meg:)

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    1. Hi Meg, I agree! There is nothing like the scent of aging paper.

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  3. I'm a lifelong book lover and I too resisted e-readers for a long time. I do like my Kindle Paperwhite, but I use it mostly for reading in bed (so I don't wake my husband). I get most of my books from the library, and while I can borrow many as e-books, there are just as many available only in hard copy, so I end up curled up in my chair reading the physical books, and switch to e-books when I head to bed. I also load up my Kindle before we travel--much to my husband's relief, I no longer have a heavy bag full of books along for the ride. :)

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    1. Hi Helena - sounds like our husbands have very special wives! E-readers come into their own when you are travelling.

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  4. Hi Kylie. I used to work in a school library before I retired and really prefer books to using my iPad to read as I have a couple of books downloaded on there and, to be honest, I have never finished them even though one was reasonably expensive. It's what you get used to and I have never persisted with it. I haven't heard any Hillsong music for a while but used to listen to it a lot a while back. I like Sandi Patty and Michael W Smith's music so tend to listen to that on Spotify now that Pandora isn't available in Australia anymore.

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    1. Hi Nanna Chel, I love the library. I've been taking my daughter to Storytime at our local library lately and she is really enjoying it - as am I!

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  5. Hi Kylie,
    Congratulations on your new blog. I followed you here from Rhonda's blog.
    I'm a book lover and use the library at least once a week. I enjoy visiting the library, bookshops, smells, bookmarks, turning pages etc. I received a Kindle for my birthday many, many years ago and gave it a good go however it wasn't for me. I think it would be good if travelling to save packing a lot of books. Other than that I must say I prefer a real book from the library.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Kylie

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    1. Thanks Kylie - I've been enjoying reading blog, and look forward to many more posts.

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  6. Hello Kylie, I have just popped over from Rhonda's blog. I don't have a Kindle. When I was in and out of hospital in 2014 one of the nurses tried to convince me that owning a Kindle would be easier than packing books. No doubt she was right and I will possibly get round to it one day. I think the great thing is though, that we all enjoy reading so much. (The Distant Hours was such a good read.)

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    1. Hi Sherri, The Kindle is a lot easier to pack, that's for sue. The Distant hours was great - I've read all of Kate Morton's books, and I've loved them all. I can't wait for her next one. Thanks for commenting! Kylie

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  7. I'm here via Rhonda @ "Down to Earth". Greetings from the middle of the US, on the farm, end of summer. I've been a vapid reader since I was 6 yo. To relax, unwind, take a much needed rest, I'll pick a physical book. But more often I'm using my Kindle or more likely the app on my phone. (It's always with me!) When I'm working off the farm, I have my current book there for lunch-time reading. When waiting on my dear-Farmer at the farm store, it's with me. Appointment waiting rooms, eating at a restaurant alone, relaxing for a moment on the patio. And like you, I enjoy trying out a new author for a few dollars. Of course I can do that also at the local thrift store (Op-store to you). It's also nice to have my Bible on my phone if I should happen to forget to take my "real" one to church. I prefer my physical Bible for highlighting and notes. I'll be adding you to my Feed Wrangler. blessings-

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    1. Hi Kay - thanks for commenting! I love the thrift store/op shop for books, too! I buy most of my kids' books from there, although it's getting a bit harder to find them for my 10 year old. I too prefer my physical Bible, although I do also keep one on my phone and on my kindle.

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  8. Hi Kylie. I came over from Rhonda's blog too. I think I love books just as much as you do! I worked in a bookshop in London for awhile and it was the best job I have ever had and one of the happiest I have ever been! I didn't get paid much, but being surrounded by like-minded people was a major contributor to my well-being and happiness. I'm not sure about the kindles either. I am always at our local library and there is just something about holding a book, flicking through it etc. I guess it adds to the pleasure of reading. I feel like I come out of the library with treasures every time I visit. Although I do agree it would come in handy travelling. Looking forward to following along with you. Great job on your blog.

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  9. I was gifted a Kindle a few years ago but can't get the hang of using it. I use the computer for e-mail and blogs and such but am not much of a techie. :) I didn't want any tablet but now I have one and have to use it. Right now it is to me, just another thing to take up more time trying to learn it. I am told once you get used to it you won't go back to not having one...I hope to get to that point some day! :-)))) I do thought love to read and read and read some more. It is encouraging to hear testimonies of people that have found switching sometimes to a tablet works for reading. Thanks for the encouragement. Jody

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