Debate: eReader or Books

I fought for so long against the eReader craze. I thought for sure that it wouldn’t catch on and become popular. Boy, was I wrong. Over the years, eReaders have taken off. It’s kind of like cell phones: the more advanced they’ve gotten, the smaller they are. eReaders now boast that you can travel with hundreds, even thousands, of books at once.

eReader

There are a ton of option out there. You can opt for a Kindle or Nook. Then Amazon has also extended to Fire tablets (with infinite scroll!), or the free Kindle app available on any smartphone.

Pros

  • Carry TONS of books with you. This has been amazing for when I travel. I’ve been caught off guard by planes without screens, so having more than one book with me is amazing.
  • You can read in the dark. If you have a significant other who goes to sleep before you or travel at rotten times of day, you can always read!
  • They’re lightweight.
  • Customize your view. Instead of buying large print books, you can just increase the size on your eReader. You can see how much time you have left in the book or in a chapter as well.
  • Generally, they’re slightly less expensive than books.

Cons

  • It’s not a real book. They have cases to help eReaders feel more like an actual book, but it’s not the same.
  • You don’t get the book smell.
  • It’s just another screen to look at.

Books

Whether you’re a buyer, or you prefer to rent from the library, you know the feel of a good book in your hands.

Pros

  • The feel. Is there anything better than holding a book in your hands? It’s the weight. Like people who can’t sleep without some sort of blanket.
  • The smell. I bet you can smell exactly what your library books smelled like right now. Or books on your bookshelf? It can’t be beat.
  • Your own library. There’s something special about showing off your books. I’ve always dreamed of having a library in my home. Somewhere for all of my books with the best chair to read whenever I want.

Cons

  • They can get heavy. If you’re traveling or moving, book can get heavy. In my last couple of moves, I’ve had to separate my books all through other boxes because they’re too heavy to move on their own.
  • It’s an expensive habit. Truthfully, this goes for both options of reading styles, but still.

I still strongly advocate for reading real books and owning real books. I adore my Kindle Paperwhite for when I travel because it keeps things easy, but nothing will ever replace actual books in my life. My Kindle is convenient for things like Advanced Reader Copies from NetGalley and library books that I’m not quite ready to invest in yet. However, when it’s a book like Where the Crawdads Sing, I can’t wait to buy a phsical copy.

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