Wednesday, January 18, 2012

So I guess I'm kind of a traitor

"Traitor" might be a little strong. But... *whispers*... I've gone over to the dark side a little bit.

A few months ago, I purchased an ereader.

Dun dun duuuun!!!
"But Becca," you say, "you swore you were a paper book always-and-forever kinda girl! What gives?"

Well, one of my biggest weaknesses, that's what: shiny pretty things.

This shiny pretty thing:



And oh, it is so, so shiny and pretty. Smooth, matte, black outside, gorgeous crisp display... I love it.

And the act of reading on this gadget is so much easier than I anticipated! The page turns don't lag half as much as what people complain about, the text is super easy to read, and it's light as a feather. Seriously, it barely weighs anything. And even though it's black and white, the covers still look great! And when it's in sleep mode, it displays the cover of the book you're reading, which is a really cute feature that I love. Sure, sometimes I feel a little far removed from the book, not having something really, truly in my hands, but honestly? This way it's easier to stop obsessing about covers and formats and concentrate on what really matters: the story.

Do I still prefer paper books? Well, of course. Although my Kobo has a delicious new plastic scent all its own (think "new car"), I still love the way physical books smell. The way they feel and look so pretty on my shelves. And of course I miss the full glory of gorgeous covers, with foiling and shiny parts and such, but when I have two six-foot bookshelves full to bursting, I don't really have a choice but to buy more ebooks.

I'll still buy physical books, of course. Especially if they're new books in a series or books I really care about physically owning (favourite authors and such), but otherwise I'm going to try to buy electronic. Shelf space is at a premium around here, and cramming them all into this pretty little box suits me just fine.

7 comments:

  1. Welcome to the e-reader world! I got my Kindle thinking I'd never like it, and now I love it!

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  2. I got a Kindle for Christmas and it's great. I use it for editing my manuscripts as well. I'm a big fan of Kobo, love the desktop application.

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  3. Yes, it's great for editing! I'm going to use it to re-read my revisions soon. Hopefully it'll give me a fresh perspective, seeing my words somewhere other than on my computer screen. I also used it to beta read a manuscript, and that was great because it was portable. I just love this thing!

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  4. I got a kindle last Christmas and I was just like you about being against ereaders, but they really are so pretty and a great shelf saver! I love your kobo, so shiny lol :)

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  5. What I love about ereaders is that I am much more selective about what physical books I buy! If I read it on my ereader, well, it's not taking up any space. If I loveitneeditgottahaveit, I buy a copy and add it to my library. :3

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  6. I'm glad it's working out for you. I love actual books best too, and mmm the smell of books. It just doesn't compare. I don't know if I'll ever get an e-book. Maybe one day. I too have books overflowing and not enough room, but I just love having a real book in my hand.

    -Lauren (Let's Get Beyond Tolerance)

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  7. Good idea about using it to edit. Hmm, something to ponder. And we have very similar takes on the whole ereader thing. My space for books is nonexistent. :)

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