Ever since I was little, I've always read books. Hardcover, softcover, leatherback, paperback, you name it! I loved the feel of a legitimate book in my hands and I love flipping the pages. I also love the smell of books... old books with musty pages and new books with that crisp, fresh new-book smell (you know what I'm talking about). So you must understand my hesitation at going from normal, paper books to an e-reader where all of my books are stored on a small memory chip that looks more delicate than a butterfly's wing. Here are a list of some of my problems with an e-reader (not in order):
1. No lovely, calming book smell.
2. I love the look of books on my shelf so if they're all on an e-reader then I don't get that satisfaction.
3. If anything ever happened to my e-reader what guarantee is there that I could get my books back?
4. It seems that the e-book price is the same as the paperback for many books. So why not buy the paperback?
5. Granted, a book will get wet in the rain but if an e-reader gets wet then I think it's a bigger problem.
6. I love shopping in Chapters, not online!
7. If I'm confused, it's going to be a helluva lot harder to simply flip back to the beginning.
8. What's the author supposed to sign, my hand?
And these are just some of the things that have me hesitating and furiously protesting when people suggest I buy an e-reader. But recently, I've discovered that a close family member bought me a Kobo for Christmas so now I'm seriously forced to consider the pros. I guess it's easier, some books are cheaper, you can get the paperback price while the book's still in hardcover, books take up less space in your house because they're all on your e-reader (well, I don't really think this is a good thing but everyone around me seems to think so) and maybe it's easier to take with you when you're moving or going on vacation. But I'm still leery, though people tell me I have to stop getting books or I'll break the floorboards in my book room. I mean, technology is great and all but I'm not sure if I want it to get involved with my reading.
Plus, you need to charge the batteries. The batteries. Books shouldn't need those! *sigh* Sorry about the rant but I had to get that off my chest. I'm sure I'll enjoy it slightly more when I actually have it in my hands but right now I'm worried I'll hate it. So to end all disputes and make a compromise with the stubborn, never-wants-to-change part of myself, I've decided on this (keep in mind I'm a heavy-duty fantasy fan):
1. I will finish buying any series' that I have in paper... in paper (sounds weird but you get the idea).
2. If it isn't fantasy then it's going on my e-reader.
3. If it's short fantasy then it's going on my e-reader.
4. If it's long fantasy (at least one book in the series is over 500 pages or a standalone is over 400) then I'm dragging my ass down to Chapters and buying it.
5. If I love, love, love it then I'm absolutely buying it in paper, not giving a crap whether or not I already have it digitally.
6. If there's an author event, I'm buying in paper to get it signed.
7. If I love the cover and it's a brick book then I'll probably buy it in paper.
8. If the omnibus version in paper is cheaper than the separate e-books then paper it is.
And that's what I've come up with so far. I read a lot of YA fiction so I've decided that I'll put all of that on my e-reader (unless it's super-awesome fantasy YA like His Dark Materials or Narnia). Of course I can't bear to put my brick fantasy books on there. George Martin, Robert Jordan, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson... their books are too lovely looking on my shelf to buy them in e-reader format. Plus, one of my bookshelves is beside my bed and with those brick books on it, it's like a bookshelf of weapons (seriously, those things are so thick they could be deadly on annoying people who wake me up--and my alarm clock!) This also kind of helps eliminate problem seven, because anything under 500 pages should be okay for flipping back in. Seriously, I kept flipping to the beginning of Tigana when I was halfway through it and that would've been hell with an e-reader.
So the moral of this long, convoluted affair... don't wake me up or you'll die by book. And I suppose it's also a bit about making compromises with yourself if you're hesitant about an e-reader and you get one for Christmas. But it's mostly about not waking me up.
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