Digital Books vs. Paper Books: 7 Reasons Why I Love My E-reader
Do you read in bed? Do you lay on your back, hold the book up, and get lost in the story? It’s relaxing, isn’t it? Relaxing, that is, until, SMACK, the book falls on your face. “I guess I’m awake now,” I lament when this happens to me. Of course, I’m also a little miffed at the book as if it’s the book's fault. I never worry about it too much though because I know exactly how to go to sleep again, so I pick up my book and read.
Do you know what’s worse than a book falling on your face at night? An e-reader falling on your face at night (I have the bruises to prove it), but that’s my only gripe with e-readers. Like many Americans, according to Pew Research Center, I read both print and digital books. Subsequently, both fall on my face, and even though I would rather have a physical book fall on my face, I prefer to read ebooks. Here’s why.
E-Readers are easier to hold
If you didn’t guess, I read in bed a lot. Physical books get heavy after you read for a while. I always have to change positions while I’m reading them, and they take up more bed space when I read on my side. Because e-readers are easier to hold, they’re also better for your neck because you can hold them up at eye level. I tend to hunch over physical books because I'm lazy.
There are e-readers you can take in the bathtub, pool, or ocean
Not every e-reader is waterproof, but no books are waterproof. Books are less expensive to replace if they get wet, but why replace anything at all? I didn’t have a waterproof e-reader for a long time, but now I do. I read any time I have a spare moment and any sort of bathing is a spare moment that I wasn’t taking advantage of before.
E-Books take up less space
Because e-readers are usually smaller than print books, they fit better in totes and handbags. They also weigh less. I brought a physical copy of These Truths, a 960 page tome by Jill Lapore, on an airplane and regretted it. If I had the book on my e-reader, my backpack would have weighed less, and I would have had more room for other things.
My e-reader also takes up less space in my house. I'd have to line all the walls in my house would with books if I didn’t have an e-reader. That’s probably not even an exaggeration, and although I wouldn’t mind a decorating scheme of books, books, and more books, my husband wouldn't like it. Also, tall stacks of books sound a little dangerous, especially if there are small children in the house. I know that you can declutter books, but in my house, they pile up big-time before I do anything about them.
E-Books save me a trip to the bookstore
Trips to the bookstore are the only reason I ever read physical books at all. I love wandering the shelves and serendipitously finding my next favorite book, or more frequently, the next book I think can fix me. (TMI?) But I don’t have time to go to the bookstore every time I want a book.
E-Books save me two trips to the library and late fees
I’m the worst at returning books. (Sorry Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh!) I get all excited about going to the library and reading library books. But, when it’s time to return the book, the universe conspires against me. I either forget that the book is due, or I have absolutely no time to return it. I do return it eventually and pay my late fees, but this isn't a problem I have with my e-reader. I check out books on my reader using the Libby app and Libby returns them for me. No late fees!
It’s easier to take notes on a Digital Book
I don’t know how many notes most people take on a book, but given that I am a book reviewer, I take a lot of them. When I read a physical book, I use sticky notes and highlighters. I’ll also write notes in the margin and dog-ear pages. The notes are there, but they aren’t searchable. Notes on ebooks are searchable, and they’re easier to make. I don’t need any accoutrements. Come to think of it, I don’t even need a bookmark.
If I (gasp!) forget my e-reader, I can also read my books on my phone. This is not so with paper books, and I am quite forgetful. Kobo, Kindle, and Nook all have corresponding apps. Convenient right?
Most people read both print books and ebooks. I don’t think good, old-fashioned physical books are going anywhere. But if you are on the fence about getting an e-reader, get one! You won’t be disappointed! You will, however, have to forgive your e-reader for the occasional late-night bruising. There are, however, enough benefits to tolerate a little roughing up from your e-reader now and again.
