Further Conversation about Reading Print Books or Ebooks . . .

This discussion began on October 1st and continued on Oct. 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th… 

And, checking out those past installments of our conversation might help you contemplate the relative importance of e-books and print books…

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The first reader comment on the last post let me continue this discussion; and, it comes from an author and publisher in Germany:

“There was a time when I could define the contexts for reading e-books and reading printed books. E-Books were exclusively for non-fiction, printed books for fiction. Reading fiction involved emotions, and holding a book, feeling the pages – the physical aspect of a printed book that has been mentioned here before – together with the possibility to choose any comfortable reading position made the choice obvious. When I got my first e-reader I feel in love with it. It felt different but attractive to the touch, I could carry it anywhere, read on the sofa, on the garden bench, in bed, on the lawn and also at my desk. Since then the reading contexts have merged.”

“Merged”…

In the installment on the 10th, I wrote just a bit about e-readers adopting more features from print books; and, I speculated on print books becoming more like e-books…

Merging…

Our second comment comes from an accomplished poet… She writes on Wattpad:

“I prefer paper books, the feeling a book lends to my hands; yet, I’m very thankful for the ‘choices’ writers have for exhibiting their work .

“Paper books lend such a wonderful feeling that it leaves behind ‘the spirit of the book and writer’ after the reader sets it down. I don’t think e -books do that to be honest.”

I does seem that most folks who prefer print books like, in some way, the feel of that kind of book…

My 2 cents on “feel”—I do love the feel of a print book in my hands; yet, I love the lightness of my little Kindle e-reader—lighter than a paperback; and, it’s got over 600 books in it :-)

And, while not trying to contradict our poet from Wattpad, I can keep “the spirit of the book and writer” with me after I put my e-reader down; but, that writer has to be very good…

The whole concept of how a book “feels” ( physically or emotionally ) fascinates me—in fact, I’m going to do a bit of Googling—-be right back…

O.K….

I found 12 Book Quotes For Book-Lovers That Describe Exactly Why You Love Books So Much over on Bustle; and, I’ll share just two that I feel are somewhat appropriate for this discussion:

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”

~ J.D. Salinger, ”The Catcher in the Rye”

Seems this could happen with print or digital…?

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

~ Anne Lamott, ”Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life”

“…small, flat, rigid squares of paper…”—hmmm… What about small, thin, rigid rectangles of e-readers…?

So…

Do you like print and E-books equally…?

Do you use both for different reasons and/or occasions…?

Will you Never use one of them again…?

Are there features of e-books you wish were also feature of print books…?

Are there features of print books you wish were also features of e-books…?

Will you be the first reader to share a comment and allow this discussion to continue…?
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If you don’t see a way to comment, try the link at the upper right of this post…
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→ Our Blog Conversations are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the rest of the week, I share valuable posts from other blogs…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Private Comments or Questions, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

Yet More Conversation about Reading Print Books or Ebooks . . .

 This discussion began on October 1st and continued on Oct. 3rd, 5th, and 8th…

If you’re somewhat interested in the question of which is better for you—print or e-book—or, you’re contemplating whether or not both are equally worthy, you might consider taking those four links up there and checking out what’s been said so far in this discussion…

The first reader comment came from the post back on the 3rd—some folks arrive at the table later than others; but, the meal isn’t over yet :-)

Our commenter is an author from Canada:

“There’s a place for both in my home and life. Most of my pleasure reads and other novels are on my Kindle. All books pertaining to writing are always purchased in paperback, especially reference books. I must have a physical copy to leave notes, red marks, and dog eared pages for quick reference. I don’t feel that ease electronically. :-) “

It’s certainly true that we don’t (yet) have all those features on e-readers; though, if the world leaders don’t wreck everything, we could happily do to an e-book everything we do to a print book…

Sure, humanity’s habits usually die prolonged deaths; yet, as far as I know, very few folks still use a horse and buggy for daily travel…

Our next commenter arrived early to the table and does publishing and authoring in Germany:

“I find that I tend to try to press my finger on the page of my printed book when I’m tired and too lazy to get a dictionary. But … nothing happens… When I first noticed this behaviour, I laughed out loud ( to my husband’s confusion ). Maybe this means that I have reached a new stage on digital migration…”

Let’s check a dictionary of the future:

“Digital Migration” — the transference of functions considered natural to e-readers to print books.

Can technology provide such things?

I’ve seen sci-fi movies where the books have digital pages—so do the newspapers; and, even though they’re electronic, they feel and act like our normal paper…

Wait a minute—gotta look something up…

Yep…

Folks have already been experimenting with E-paper…

So…

Do you like print and E-books equally…?

Do you use both for different reasons and/or occasions…?

Will you Never use one of them again…?

Are there features of e-books you wish were also feature of print books…?

Are there features of print books you wish were also features of e-books…?

Will you be the first reader to share a comment and allow this discussion to continue…?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you don’t see a way to comment, try the link at the upper right of this post…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
→ Our Blog Conversations are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the rest of the week, I share valuable posts from other blogs…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Private Comments or Questions, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

Even More Conversation about Reading Print Books or Ebooks . . .

This discussion began on October 1st and continued on Oct. 3rd and Oct. 5th… 

Since it only takes one reader comment to move one of our Blog Conversations forward, the two comments we got have positively impelled us ahead :-)

If you’re somewhat interested in the question of which is better—print or e-book—or, you’re contemplating whether or not both are equally worthy, you might consider taking those first three links up there and checking out what’s been said so far in this discussion…

Here’s a comment from one of our readers (an author) in the U.K.:

“I did buy a kindle, as it seemed a cheap way of reading new books; but, it stopped working; and, I find that getting books from the library and buying others second hand is enough for me. Of course, it means I can’t join in the chat about the latest ‘great work’; but, it also means I can resist the urge to read what everyone else is reading.”

Speaking of stop working… I’ve had one Amazon tablet nearly explode and another start showing blank pages…

It’s refreshing to me when a reader doesn’t fancy-up their opinions in a comment—“…I can resist the urge to read what everyone else is reading…”—this is bold commentary; and, to me, holds more than a little wisdom…

If I were to load every “bestseller” on to my e-reader, I might be tempted to read them—I might like some of them; but, I’m dead sure most would give me a bit of mental indigestion…

I put bestseller in quotes up there because many folks lie about the sales of their books; and, even “legitimate” “bestsellers” are often not what they’re promoted as…

I also appreciate our first reader’s statement that she’s quite happy, “…getting books from the library and buying others second hand…”—I can imagine many bestseller–seekers depleting important funds in their budgets to buy new copies of print books—some to stock beautiful shelving, some to make themselves merely “feel good”…

Though, to clarify, I’m fully aware there are folks who truly love print books and feel a deep aesthetic centeredness holding and reading a brand new book…

And, since our reader is a frequent commenter here, here’s her author site :-)

So…

Here’s a comment from one of our readers (an author and publisher) in Germany:

“I have a kindle e-reader and an e-reader that’s not a kindle: a Tolino…
Tolino Media is an e-publishing project of several of the biggest online bookshops in German-speaking countries, covering about 45% of the e-book market. Their e-readers are only for epub formatting. I only use my Tolino to check how my e-books look as epubs because buying from Tolino-associated shops is complicated when you are used to Amazon. And, because I’m lazy, I stay with Amazon …

“Since you mentioned [toddlers] chewing on e-readers instead of books (in the post on Oct. 5th): Sometimes students in my German classes bring their children with them. The children sit in the back of the room and play with tablets or their parents’ smartphones. If they ever see printed books, they are in German; but, on the phones and tablets, they can get apps in Arabic or Chinese.”

I always like it when a reader shares info about other countries (I’m in the U.S.A.)…

Also, I like the insight about children being exposed to, on digital devices, writing in languages other than their native one…

And, because this reader does quite a bit of commenting here, I’ll share her publishing site and her author page :-)

So…

Here are some questions crafted to, hopefully, encourage you to share a comment…

I wonder how many of you have an e-reader other than a Kindle…?

I also wonder how many of you have never read a book on an e-reader…?

And, if you’re out there—a few folks who’ve never read a print book but do have an e-reader…?

Do you like print and E-books equally…?

Do you use both for different reasons and/or occasions…?

Will you Never use one of them again…?

Will you help move this discussion forward with your comment…?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you don’t see a way to comment, try the link at the upper right of this post…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
→ Our Blog Conversations are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the rest of the week, I share valuable posts from other blogs…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Private Comments or Questions, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

Still More Conversation about Reading Print Books or Ebooks . . .

This discussion began on October 1st and continued on Oct. 3rd… 

Since it only takes one reader comment to move one of our Blog Conversations forward, the two comments we got have positively propelled us ahead :-)

I’ll insert some history links here before sharing our reader comments:

History of Books
( including clay tablets through e-books )

History of E-books
( surprisingly beginning in the 1940s )

So…

Here’s the first reader comment about Print/E-books:

“I use both, though I prefer softcover books. I like the smell and the touch. Sometimes I buy second hand books with little notes written on the pages. I like that; seeing the thoughts of a previous reader. It’s something you can’t have with an ebook. Also, I am willing to pay more for a print book than for an ebook.

“I own an e-reader too. I use it to read cheap and badly written novellas. It is more about quantity than quality. A final and spontaneous thought: as a mom, my behaviour with books sets an example. I want my kids to read and to immerse themselves in books; and that is easier with print books.”

While it is possible to insert notes into an e-book, you don’t see them right on the page—you have to take a link; and, you can’t see others’ notes; though, there is a way to see what others have highlighted…

And, I must say I haven’t heard of any e-readers for toddlers; though it would be interesting if they could make one that babes could safely chew on…

Now, the quite different second reader comment:

“I grew up with print books and paperbacks. I loved paperbacks then; and I do still, now. When I was around ten my parents and I went away on holiday and stayed in a hotel near the beach. One night my parents had to have dinner with some other people and decided to leave me in the hotel room on my own; but, my father went out to a bookshop near the hotel and came back with some paperbacks—they were ‘Tales of the Greek Heroes‘ , and ‘The Tale of Troy’ by Roger Lancelyn Green.

“I read all night and didn’t even notice I was alone. Those books were magic to me and I still have them.

“I do have several e-readers and I do use them to download and read e-books that I cannot get from a bookshop. I enjoy this but so far an e-book does not have memories for me like the books above. Perhaps, in time, I will collect long memories associated with my Kindle :-) “

Fascinating thought—long memories of a book on an e-reader—different, even from re-reading on an e-reader a print book read long ago…

I don’t think I’ll have enough years left to “collect long memories associated with my Kindle”…

But, I’m enjoying returning to many books I read in print format years ago; now on my Kindle…

And, it’s interesting that our reader seems to only put books on an e-reader that she can’t find in a bookshop…

Personally, I get print books when I can’t find an e-format…

I do wonder how many of you have an e-reader other than a Kindle…?

Even though Amazon is a juggernaut, certain other e-readers seem to still have market value…

I also wonder how many of you have never read a book on an e-reader…?

And, if you’re out there—a few folks who’ve never read a print book but do have an e-reader…?

Do you like print and E-books equally…?

Do you use both for different reasons and/or occasions…?

Will you Never use one of them again…?

Will you be the first to move this discussion forward with your comment…?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you don’t see a way to comment, try the link at the upper right of this post…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
→ Our Blog Conversations are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the rest of the week, I share valuable posts from other blogs…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Private Comments or Questions, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com

More Conversation about Reading Print Books or Ebooks . . .

 Our current discussion began on October 1st and had one reader comment—that’s all it takes to move the conversation forward :-)

Last time, I talked about the precursor to the E-reader, the site that had the first E-books; and, that the first dedicated E-readers were the Rocket Ebook and Softbook…

And, for those who didn’t take the link up there, here’s how I began the conversation–proper in the first post—what I said about my experience of print and E-books:

“I Love print books—softbound better than hardbound—and have lost many more (through various Bachelor-Behaviors) than I now have…

“I also Love my E-reader, with around 450 books on it…

“My love of print books goes back nearly 70 years—my awareness of E-books only began when I turned 50…

“In fact, I’ll venture a guess that there are few folks my age regularly reading e-books…

“I’m weird, though…

“My E-reader goes everywhere I go ( kept company by a print book—the first novel of my Best Friend )…

My favorite feature is holding my finger on a word for a second and having its definition show up.

“Though, carrying around 450 books is pretty awesome, too…”

Then came this comment from a reader in Germany:

“I feel no longer able to decide whether I prefer printed books or e-books. If the story is easy to read—for the eyes, not necessarily for the mind—and, I can sit in a comfortable position, I get lost in it, forget my surroundings, and go to otherwise unreachable places. The medium, paper or a screen, of any form, is of no importance.”

A very well-put description of the interior environment of reading and how, for that reader, it matters little what the device is—physical or digital…

And, I can’t help but notice I just typed a commonly used adjective for print books—“physical”—yet, an E-reader is certainly physical…

But, even if that particular reader and the reader writing these words both like either “device” for reading, there are plenty of folks who have serious concerns about E-readers and plenty of folks who will never return to reading print books…

Are you like either of those types of folks…?

Do you like print and E-books equally…?

Do you use both for different reasons and/or occasions…?

Will you Never use one of them again…?

Please, do consider joining our conversation with a comment………
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you don’t see a way to comment, try the link at the upper right of this post…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
→ Our Blog Conversations are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—the rest of the week, I share valuable posts from other blogs…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For Private Comments or Questions, Email: amzolt {at} gmail {dot} com