Let’s Be Practical
The house was dark. It was raining outside, chilly inside. I had no appointments, no particular place to be for a rare afternoon. I didn’t feel like writing (my book, that is.) I didn’t feel like Facebooking or Twittering or LinkedIn-ing.
So I curled up on the couch with what I hoped would be a good book.
“The Emperor of All Maladies,” is a beautifully written non-fiction tome on cancer. 550 plus pages. Pulitzer prize winner. I bought it in an expensive paperback version because it has a series of picture plates inside, which are easier to examine than in an e-book. I also bought it because I had a gift certificate from my in-laws to Barnes and Noble. And I bought it because, well, Pulitzers should be read in traditional book style.
So on this dark, dreary day, I propped myself up on my soft leather couch with this amazing book. (It really is wonderful!) But I had to get up and readjust the lights in the room because there was no Nook glowlight in this edition, and I had to find a cushion to lean the book on because cancer is so heavy – physically and figuratively. Honestly, did you ever try reading a large book on your lap in dim light with old eyes?
After an hour or so, my eyes and my arms got tired, so I switched to a light (inexpensive indie) mystery I had started on my Nook. Ahh, the glowlight made it a delight to read and it was so light in my hands, I wound up dropping it a few times. But then I forgot who one of the characters was and wanted to go back to the first chapter to check. Hmm. Not as easy as flipping the pages. When I finally returned to my current page, I got a signal that the battery was low. Ach.
Which book version is more practical? That’s up to you to decide.
For me, it’s time for a nap while my Nook re-charges.
Ha! That perfectly sums up the dilemma!
Thanks, Paul!
When I read physical books, I often wish I’d bought it on my Nook! I can blow up the type to help my eyes and look up words in the digital dictionary.
I know these are “first world” problems, but once I started reading ebooks, it’s hard to go back to the print!
Some books are still definitely conducive to traditional print. For instance, I recently finished a wonderful book on Van Gogh, and, of course, it had lots of colored plates. For fiction, I heartily agree with you.
Thanks for commenting, Mary.
For most reading I prefer paper versions. I have an assortment of e-books that I downloaded to my computer when they were offered for free, and have only read 2 or 3 of them so far.
I’ll get around to them AFTER I buy the Asus 10.1″ tablet I’m saving up for. The tablet is mostly for vacation and traveling. I plan to also buy the add on keyboard for it. That’s the only reason I’m considering one.
It’s nice to get different perspectives for different reasons. Thanks, Nora!
LIght and fun take on a serious difference between paper books and e books. Thanks for this little blurb it was delightful.
Thanks, Jessica!
Hi, Lynne. I like my reference books on paper and my recreational reading on Kindle. Love the enlargeable font and the text-to-speech dude who lives in my Kindle. He read me to sleep last night with one of the many free mysteries (some excellent, some disappointing) I’ve downloaded.
Hi Linda,
My Nook doesn’t have the text-to-speech feature, darn. Thanks for reading!
Lynne