Monday, December 26, 2016

DISCUSSION: Pros and Cons of Using An Ereader

I am a HUGE Kindle fan. There was a time when I was one of those pretentious people who looked down on others who used it. Yes, I called physical books "real books" and I told people there was no way I could ever make the switch to using an ereader. Then I got my first taste of the Kindle.
And now I can't imagine my life without it.

But I still read physical books. If the format makes using an ereader a bit more difficult (I'm looking at you, Illuminae) or if I win a giveaway or if the book catches my eye at a bookstore or if I want to have my favorite book as a physical book in case of apocalypse (yes, I do that) or if the book I want just doesn't come in Kindle form (makes me mad, but yes this happens). So basically, as much as I adore my Kindle, I will never fully give up physical books.
So what are the pros and cons of using an ereader?

Pros

1. Hundreds of books at my fingertips.
I am a speed reader. And I travel a lot. On a nine hour flight from Italy to the United States, it is not uncommon for me to get through at least two novels. Then there are the books I read while I am there. Then there are the books I read on the flight back. Can you imagine the weight of my suitcase if I had to pack physical books for my trips? I wouldn't have room for my clothes!

I also love that I can read on my phone. I pretty much have books loaded on my phone at all times. You never know when there may be a long wait time at the grocery store and I like to be prepared. 

2. Has a Light

I have to read before bed. Can I do that with a physical book? NO.
My husband typically goes to sleep before me and I would have to leave the light on if I read a physical book. The back light on my Kindle Fire rocks so hard.

3. Convenience 

I am so impatient.
I absolutely love the fact that I can have a book on my Kindle seconds after I hit that sweet, sweet "buy" button.

4. Cost 

More often than not, ebooks are just cheaper than physical books. And they go on sale way more often that physical books do. I keep an eye on Amazon price drops for that very reason. I love it when the cost of one of the books on my wish list goes from $10.99 to $1.99. And let's not forget about the many, many, many classics you can get for free through Amazon.

And the more money I save on books, the more money I have to spend on . . . more books.

Cons

1. No books to show off 
Reading makes me feel smarter. And when people come over to my house, do I have piles and piles of books to show off just how smart I am? No!

2. No Physical Outlet for Frustration 
There have been so many books that frustrate me to the point of wanting to throw the damn book across the room. But if I did that, how would I read all of my other books?

3. No pretty covers

I love looking at pretty covers and touching them and admiring them. That is so hard to do on a screen.

4. Can't loan out ebooks

If I absolutely adore a book, I can't share it with as many people as possible! I hate not being able to share my favorite books.

5. No electricity = no books

This is probably my least favorite aspect of the ereader. I was reading my Kindle once when the power went out. The power was out all day long. I kept watching the battery power get lower and lower and lower . . .
The power finally came on when my Kindle was at about 12%. Talk about anxious.

Even with the cons, I do still prefer my ebooks. Which do you prefer: ereader or physical books?

9 comments :

  1. I would have to say that I prefer physical books. Ebooks just don't feel right to me for some reason. I can't quite pinpoint what it is, but I think it may have something to do with it not feeling natural? Maybe I've just gotten to used to flipping pages, that it doesn't feel like I'm reading when it's on an ebook. I also can't seem to get the books to format correctly :/

    Fleur @ FranklyBooks just posted THE STORY BEHIND MY EMAIL & BOOK EXTRACT

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  2. I am so with you! I love my Kindle and couldn't imagine life without it. I really enjoy the app as well and while I don't love reading on my phone, it has helped me out in a pinch. <3

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  3. YES to all of these. I love my Kindle and could not live without ebooks. I read them so much quicker. That said I have been buying and reading more physical books lately mostly because of bookoutlet and amazon sales on physical books.

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  4. Great post and I totally agree with your points. I never thought I'd want an ereader but paper books do take up lots of packing space and the backlight is really great as well as being able to change the font size (I can actullay skip the reading glasses!). But as my office shows, my bookshelves overflow...so I still love holding a book and admiring beautiful covers.

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  5. I am just like you---I always THOUGHT that I would prefer physical books over ebooks, but in actuality the Kindle is better and easier most of the time. I still love to look at my pretty physical books and there are times that I just want to read a "real" book, but the Kindle can't be beat for convenience!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  6. Me, too--thought I would never give up physical books. Now it feels weird to hold a book.

    One of the pros--holding an e-reader is easier than a big book (especially when reading in bed)!

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  7. I prefer physical books, buuuuuut, I admit I used to be a snob and think ebooks were totally ridiculous. BUT THEY'RE NOT. THEY'RE SO HANDY!! I love using them when I go out because I hate ruining my precious physical books. And ebooks = no broken spines or ripped pages or damaged covers. It's lovely. :') I definitely do read more physical books though *nods* and that probably won't change but ebooks have sooo many benefits I JUST NEED BOTH. (Especially reading in bed with the light. That's gloriously useful.😂)

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  8. I've had a Nook for about 4-5 years. While it's definitely more convenient - I'm a speed reader too and whenever I go on a trip there is just NO WAY I can carry all the books I want to read - I still prefer holding an actual book, turning the pages, feeling and smelling the book in my hands. In reality I use a combination of the two, both when I buy books and when I receive them for review.

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  9. These Princess Bride gifs are perfection!! On the actual topic, I try to keep a good mix of both. If a book has a pretty cover, I'll probably buy the physical copy but if I just want to read it over and over or if I don't have much money in my book budget at the time, I'll just buy the ebook copy. Most of the time though, I'll get my books from the library and I'll only buy books I want to reread over and over. All the decisions!!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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