I'm Reading Books Again!

[mystang52]

You may recall my previous thread about my difficulty reading long books. One of my subsequent comments on that thread was that a major reason I could finish that current long book was because it was........a book. That is, not an eBook.
Since then, I finished a short quick read about local history, and now on page 100 of another nonfiction book [200 total pages]. Just got back from my library and picked up yet another somewhat short book.
I've been an avid reader since, literally, kindergarten and it feels good to have that love of reading reinvigorated. I don't think I'll tackle long books anymore, but regardless I doubt I'll ever use my eReader again.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

That’s great!
My grandkids all prefer real books so I don’t think this is an age thing.
I love my electronics but give me a real book.
My kids prefer hard cover so we usually just pass them around.

 

[USGrant1962]

I'm a switch hitter - use both a Kindle Paperwhite and real books. I like the kindle for easy reads - lots of cheap SciFi series collections on Amazon for example. For more serious stuff I mostly stick to real books - just finishing the second of Susan Wise Bauer's histories in hardback.

 

[brucethebroker]

Have adjusted to reading news "papers" online over the last 20 years (too cheap to subscribe). Those with paywalls are dumped for those without. Took awhile to get over not having physical paper in my hand.

Books, on the other hand, I cannot do without. Love the feeling of holding them. Besides, font on my smartphone is too small to enjoy reading dozens/hundreds of pages. Still enjoy going to the library and just browsing.

 

[Fermion]

I've been going back and reading some of the science fiction classics like "The Time Machine", The Invisible Man", "Something Wicked This Way Comes" and others. Quite enjoyable.

 

[mystang52]

..... Still enjoy going to the library and just browsing.....

OP here. I should mention that when I took the most recent book from the library, there 3 other books I wanted to take out, but I resisted. But they give me incentive to finish my current books relatively quickly so I can get to them, next.

 

[MichaelB]

That’s great to hear, mystang52. I read ebooks because I have arthritis and can put my readier on a stand, but I miss real books.

The 3 things I miss most about physical books are 1) the look, feel, and texture of a book, 2) the ease with which I can flip a page or two back to check something, and 3) when I’m done I can lend it to my mother, brother, or friend, and they can lend me one of theirs.

 

[swakyaby]

I like borrowing both physical books and ebooks for my kindle paperwhite. While my library allows up to 5 renewals (I do it online) for physical books, it does require a car ride to return them. With ebooks, it goes poof! after 3 weeks, so there’s never any overdue fees if you forget. I like that aspect of ebooks.

 

[FREE866]

Congrats! I'm always reading a book, various genres. I also like an actual book and I get them from the library. Love it!

 

[donheff]

I am happy for the OP getting back to reading. The inability would be a real loss.

I like the feel of real books but the convenience of eBooks on my iPad. I also use the library almost exclusively. When I read a review that sounds good, I go online and place a hold on the ebook. If they don't have it there is usually an opportunity to recommend it and then I will be early in line when/if they buy it. Since the titles arrive at random and when it rains, it pours, I occasionally decrypt one for later reading and return the title quickly so others can have it. I DO NOT post those few books - I just time shift when I read them. Technically a violation but not a significant moral issue.

 

[MarieIG]

Yes, I do recall that thread. I'm glad you found such a satisfying solution Mystang.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Glad to hear you're back to reading mystang52. I love reading and couldn't imagine having to give it up.

I'm an e-reader via my Kindle Paperwhite. I had an occasion to go back to a physical book when my son bought me "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin." I hadn't read a physical book (besides the Chronological Bible) in years. I admit the familiar turning of the pages was an attraction, but the large size of the book compared to the lightweight Kindle, the need for a night light to read by (I do most of my book reading in bed next to a sleeping wife) the awkward need to handle the book (can't prop it up hands-free on the mattress, to actually have *both* hands on it soon became a negative for me. Even using a physical bookmark seemed quaint. The inability to look up a word in an onboard dictionary was frustrating. And no instant access to Wikipedia with a physical book. No Wikipedia with an historical book was a negative.

Unless I'm looking at illustrations or maps, give me an e-book every time.

 

[albireo13]

I prefer real books except when I travel. Then I use my Fire tablet. It is useful but, not a book.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I prefer real books except when I travel. Then I use my Fire tablet. It is useful but, not a book.

Really? So when an author writes a book on a word processor and stores the completed text in computer file is that also "not a book"?

 

[Aerides]

Really? So when an author writes a book on a word processor and stores the completed text in computer file is that also "not a book"?

I think he means the tablet is not a book, not that the digital form of a book is not a book...

 

[Qs Laptop]

I think he means the tablet is not a book, not that the digital form of a book is not a book...

OK, got it.

 

[Dreamer]

Glad to hear that you are back to reading.

I love to read and would say that reading is my number one hobby. I read actual books and ebooks both. I would hate to ever have to give up reading.

 

[albireo13]

Really? So when an author writes a book on a word processor and stores the completed text in computer file is that also "not a book"?

Relax. I meant the tablet is not a physical book.

 

[pacergal]

I love reading! And much prefer physical paper books rather than digital.
Nothing better than reading a good book in a comfy recliner and a fire in the fireplace nearby(in my case, a pretend LED fire and heater!)

 

[Luvtoride]

Have adjusted to reading news "papers" online over the last 20 years (too cheap to subscribe). Those with paywalls are dumped for those without. Took awhile to get over not having physical paper in my hand.

Bruce, I've been subscribing to digital newspapers for many years. Your comment regarding physical newspapers reminds me of an encounter I had about 11 years ago, while going through Cardiac Rehab, in NYC.

2 or 3 mornings a week, I would go to Cardiac rehab at Cornell Weill for my 8:00 am group. While waiting in the lobby for my session to begin (I came in from NJ daily) i would often meet up with former NYC Mayor Ed Koch, who had just finished his session of rehab waiting for his assistant to meet him. He would always have a plastic bag filled with Newspapers (NY Times, Daily News, NY Post, etc.) that he read.

One day, while reading on my iPad, he asked me about how that worked. I sat down next to him and showed him how I had an exact copy of the PAPER newspaper that I could read, expand the font size on, etc. on my iPad. He was intrigued and said he would have to try that.
From then on, we would often just talk when we were both in the lobby in the mornings, about news, NY CIty (he was no longer the Mayor) or our families.

Alas, a few months later (after I had ended my rehab), Mayor Koch, passed away. I got many calls and messages from friends, expressing their condolences to me on the passing of "my friend the Mayor". He was a very nice man.

 

[FindingForward]

Have adjusted to reading news "papers" online over the last 20 years (too cheap to subscribe). Those with paywalls are dumped for those without. Took awhile to get over not having physical paper in my hand.

Books, on the other hand, I cannot do without. Love the feeling of holding them. Besides, font on my smartphone is too small to enjoy reading dozens/hundreds of pages. Still enjoy going to the library and just browsing.

Funny. Different strokes. Those are the exact reasons I no longer read physical books. They feel so heavy/cumbersome/uncomfortable to hold still after a short while - my fingers and wrist start to tire and even with reading glasses, the type is never relaxing to read vs kindle that adjusts easily and is so wonderfully light to hold - and water resistant to boot. I love the built in lighting also that never requires a reading lamp, yet works great in sunny outdoors.

My kindle is officially one of my favorite things.

 

[tulak]

Happy to hear OP is reading again.

Personally, I spent years reading on a tablet or phone. About a month ago I bought a Kobo eReader (similar to Kindle) and love it. I should have bought one years ago.

I’m reading a lot more and the quality of the display/device is excellent.

 

[mystang52]

OP here, writing this from Paris, as we near the end of our whirlwind London-Paris trip. Between the plane ride to London, Chunnel train, and some down time in Paris I finished one["real"] book, and started another. Still looking to sell my Nook