A lot of people have a grudge against eReaders. Whether it’s because they think it will signal the downfall of books, they consider its silly to pay money for a non-physical object, or they just enjoy the feel of a physical book, not everyone is all for the eReader. I was once one of these people. I love books, I have a huge library, a Kindle just seemed silly to me. Then my fiance gifted me one for Christmas and my opinion changed. I still collect books with a passion, but there are some things I prefer my Kindle for.
I buy embarrassing eBooks on my reader, classic books in the public domain, read digital copies sent by authors and publishers, snatch up ones that are on sale, and even buy books that I am too impatient to wait for. FYI: Kindle editions go on sale at midnight on the night of the book’s release, an added bonus for books not rewarded release parties. I’ve even used the Kindle Lending Library to loan out eBooks that I wanted to read but my physical copies were currently loaned out.
An Argument for the Kindle in 5 Parts:
1. Book Lovers Will Always Buy Books
2. Entices Non Readers to Read More
3. Expands Your Reading Horizons
4. Makes Things Easier for Reviewers
5. Promotes Library Use
1. Book Lovers Will Always Buy Books
I am a bibliophile with a Kindle and I still voraciously read and purchase physical books despite my ownership of an eReader. I have 110 books on my eReader and 579 physical books; you can figure out which I prefer. eBooks will never replace physical books, you can’t flip through or smell an eBook. Who doesn’t love that new book smell and picking up something tangible from the bookstore?
But just because I prefer physical books does not mean there aren’t certain books I prefer in digital form. For example, if the book is so embarrassing that I wouldn’t want to be caught reading it in public or have it grace my library shelves I will buy it for my Kindle. I own every single book in the Pretty Little Liars series but you certainly won’t see them on my bookshelves.
However, as a book collector if I happen to read something particularly spectacular on my device I will purchase a physical copy. It’s happened many times before and it will happen again. The Kindle may be a new way to read books, but it will never destroys books as we know it. You don’t need to charge a book and with a Kindle copy costing roughly the same price as a physical copy, true book lovers will not give up the feel of turning a page.
2. Entices Non Readers to Read
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an American in possession of income must be in want of new technology. We can’t help it, we’re a consumer based culture and must like the newest tablet, people went crazy over eReaders, even those who don’t normally read. People were being gifted Kindles and Nooks when they were released, an Uncle of mine with no time to read even receiving one. He loved it, and it gave him the impetus to read, even if he’s not what us bibliophiles would consider, “a reader”. It’s not necessarily what Harry Potter did for children picking up a book, but it’s something.
3. Expands Your Reading Horizons
Amazon in particular has amazing deals constantly available for Kindle books, and I often jump on these since eBooks can run from $9 to $12. Every day there is a Kindle Daily Deal where an eBook goes on sale for $1.99, today’s being Kurt Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan and yesterday’s being Blue is for Nightmares. Both amazing deals.
There are also books for free to cheap, such as anything in the public domain which is $0 (Vanity Fair, Pride and Prejudice, The Picture of Dorian Gray) and the rotating $3.99 and under deals. It’s incredibly fun to check out the $0.00 deals, and occasionally you find gems like a novella from Hold Me Closer, Necromancer author Lish McBride, cookbooks, and the occasionally hilarious romance novel. Claiming Poseidon’s Heart and Duke in Shining Armor are two of the most ridiculous titles I’ve encountered.
These affordable deals entice people to buy books they normal wouldn’t, and the eReader also gives them access to books not readily available elsewhere. All the bizarro books we review here are not something you could purchase in a bookstore or find at your local library, but you can easily locate and buy them for your reader.
4. Makes Things Easier for Reviewers
As a book reviewer, I don’t think I could survive without my Kindle. There is nothing more frustrating than reading a full length novel off a computer screen. I will read one off my phone, but it’s so much better on my eyes to read it on my Kindle. In addition to the ease on my eyes, there is a dictionary feature if needed, and most importantly a highlight function which saves quotations selected to a clipping page. It has saved me on numerous occasions from writing down lengthy notations. Not to mention reading in the dark is so much easier on the Kindle at night than with a paperback and a book light.
7. Promotes Library Use
Finally, the Kindle actually promotes library use with its lending system. Through an app called Overdrive, you can actually borrow eBooks to read on your device from your local library. Each library differs in terms of lending times, but all you need to get an eBook is have a library card/account to log in and pick and choose your eBooks. It’s perfect for people who want to save money but don’t have the time to physically lend and return books from their local library. Can you really argue will helping promote library use?
So there you have it naysayers, the five reasons eReaders aren’t as bad as you think. Real bibliophiles will never give up on real books, non-readers will read if they want the newest technology, they provide you with affordable options, expand your horizons, they’re great for reviewers and even helps with library patronage. I am a Kindle girl all the way, but these arguments work for any other reader, whether it’s an app on your phone, the Sony Reader, and even the iPad through iBooks. Except maybe the Nook, but only because Barnes and Noble is an evil evil company with nefarious plans to destroy their employees one shift at a time.
