7 Reasons Why Real Books Are Better than E-Books ...

Photo Credit: Helga Weber

I’m not fond of rainy days, but it happens. So to me, a pretty good way of spending it is to curl up on the sofa and work my way through a book. Prop yourself up with plenty of cushions, snuggle under a blanket if it’s cold, and lose yourself in a Kindle … just not the same is it. Give me a book any day.

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From where I am sitting, I can see all the books on my shelves. To me, they are part of the décor, the different coloured spines and shapes adding something to my home. Sure, an e-reader saves a lot of space, and I’m sure it’s great if you’re travelling, but what is a house without books?

Photo Credit: Steve Webel

Electronic gadgets are always at risk of theft, and it surely won’t be long before we start hearing about a rise in Kindle thefts. But who’s going to steal a paperback book? Plus if you spill something over a book and it’s ruined, the value is much lower than a gadget.

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I wonder if e-readers will cause more eye strain than reading printed text, since effectively it is a small computer screen. Maybe it’s designed to deal with the problem. But I would find it a lot easier to read a book than a little screen.

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Browsing round a bookstore is a real pleasure. You may come across authors you had never heard of, all sorts of topics you had never thought of reading, and with second-hand bookstores you never know what gems you may come across. Downloading books takes all the fun out of it.

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In the same way that the cover art was a big part of collecting LPs, so it is with books. The electronic version has no art, no colour, but is just words. It’s really not that appealing.

Photo Credit: Arty Smokes (deaf mute)

Any books with illustrations just won’t work on an e-reader. What about art or photography? Imagine trying to read a recipe on a small screen (and that’s without trying not to spill anything all over it).

I’m not a technophobe, but while I can see the point of Mp3 players, as a true bibliophile I cannot see that physical books can ever be replaced. Space saving is all very well, but nothing will ever be an adequate substitute for a real book. What do you think – do you find e-readers work for you?

Top Photo Credit: win___hiro