E-readers

I didn’t always love e-readers. People say there’s something special about an actual book, and they’ve got a point. Real books have eye catching covers and interesting blurbs, a certain smell and weight that can’t be replicated by electronic versions. Besides, I couldn’t live in a house with an empty bookshelf. When I tried one for the first time, my real-book-only snobbery left me in a minute. They are amazing! Honestly, if you haven’t yet, just try one. Not an i-pod with a screen so small you have to turn the page once a second, a proper e-reader. Mine’s from Sony and you can download a free classics collection to start you off. They’re so convenient for travelling, my number one reason in their support. They also come with extra features. You can write notes (granted, I’ve only ever written notes whilst demonstrating to friends that you can write notes, but still) and the dictionary is pretty cool. You can even add photos and music, so if I’m ever stranded with just me and my e-reader, I’ll be happy. Recent news has suggested that publishing is set to follow the music industry as people pilfer digital files, and that’s a real shame. As libraries start lending e-books, you can get them for free! I hope this doesn’t damage publishing completely, but it’s difficult to enforce regulations and payment on a product that is so abstract. What do you think about the e-reader versus paper books debate?