A Cup of Coffee with Reggie (9) - E-Readers
A Cup of Coffee with Reggie is going to be a discussion post feature in which I discuss anything book-related. They're just normal (sometimes random) discussion posts that are named A Cup of Coffee with Reggie because it's like having a cup of coffee with me and listening (or in this case reading) about my bookish opinions. It will be a random feature here at TUBL that can pop up anywhere from twice a day to twice a year.Today's Topic:
What do you think about E-Readers?
Lately I've been thinking about whether or not I should get an e-reader like a Nook or a Kindle. I love the feel of the physical book in my hand but there are also a lot of setbacks from having so many physical books. Over the past few months, I've been accumulating lots of books and ARCs from the publishers and my shelf-space is running out, forcing me to option e-readers.
For me, here are the pros and cons of having an e-reader:
Pros:
- It can store a LOT of books.
- It's light.
- It's efficient to travel with.
- Programs like NetGalley are starting to promote E-ARC copies.
- It's better environmentally.
Cons:
- Doesn't have the same feel of a real book.
- Even though programs like NetGalley offer E-ARC copies, not all publishers and books are not accessible in that format.
- Difficult to jump pages when writing a review.
- The books look aesthetically less appealing because the cover is in black and white.
I've personally never used an e-reader before, so I'm not sure I can make those assumptions about the pros and cons of having one...
What's your opinion? What do you think of e-readers? YAY or NAY? What do you think?
About the Author
Reggie is the (not so genius) mind behind The Undercover Book Lover. She's currently a sarcastic college student trying to juggle school, blogging, and her (non-existent) social life. In her spare time, she enjoys writing her not-closed-to-finished novel, photography, reading, and blogging. She can't get enough of oreos (especially the golden ones!) and caramel macchiatos and she loves everything vanilla or cookies and cream.
Follow Her on Twitter at @ReggieWrites
Follow Her on Twitter at @ReggieWrites
8 comments:
I love my Kindle 3 which I bought last year. True, it may not replace real books but it does save space. And we get to download galleys from Netgalley as well. That's the great part. :)
For me, e-readers will not replace physical books. It's just something extra that makes reading easy and enjoyable.
I was very, very resistant to getting an e-reader, but my local Borders closed back in February and I lost my place to buy books when I need them RIGHT NOW (instead of waiting a couple of days for Amazon to ship them because I'm all about instant gratification). So I got a Kindle and now love it! It does not replace paper books for me... I still have two overflowing shelves of paper books and continue to buy paper books, but it's a great supplement and it's awesome to be able to buy a book you are dying to read (like a sequel you just have to have) and start it within a couple of seconds without having to leave the house! I now also have a Nook as well so I can take advantage of the digital titles offered by my library, so you can say that I'm definitely an e-reader convert!
Haha, I'm kind of torn. When e-readers first came out, I was adamantly against them. Now I'm kind of in love with them. I just ran out of space for all my books and my Kindle just makes my life easier. E-readers can't replace the actual books, but they are helpful.
I love your blog. I'm a new follower. ;)
I agree with Sarah. I was very resistant to the e-readers. I even bought a nook back in December, kept it for a few days and returned it. I love the feel of a book, however, the books I read (YA) are generally rather large and tough to carry around with me. The other downside I found is I generally got most of my books from the library and with the e-reader, you generally have to buy them (and I'm cheap!)
I bought another Nook 2nd Generation (WAY better than 1st generation). The library is adding a lot more books to the availability so I can still rent books just not with the availability that I have with hard copy books. I LOVE being able to throw it in my purse and just go. I always have it with me. I really do love having it!
YAY. pro: Save the planet with usage of less paper.
- Nook Owner
I would have to say as much as I adore my Kindle I still find that I love my regular books more. I love my kindle for the fact that I'm able to get the books from netgalley before they're actually out so it's pretty nice. I also enjoy going through the .99 to 2.99 books on amazon. I haven't actually bought the 9.99 books for it though just because I'd rather pay that much and have a physical copy.
I think that they should be looked at in terms of use. Just like you might get a mass market book for a trip, and a hardcover for a must read. I have an ereader and use it exclusively for manuscripts that go on them, and try never to buy! One thing I would recommend, perhaps, is to consider in the pros and cons which company you buy from. Kindle, at the moment, might not be the 'best' for the industry.
I often think you need to consider the ereader as you would any book format. A MassMarket for the beach, a hardcover for the must haves. An ereader for... ease? I only use my ereader for manuscripts, in an effort to support the bookstores. Also worth considering which ereader you use. They aren't all the same, in terms of pros and cons. Like how in the pro colum 'environment' was listed, well, a Kindle might not be the 'best' ereader for the author and publisher in the long term. So maybe worth getting a Nook?
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