As I got a little older I realized that Ebooks might be a convenient compromise. At the time I was living in a very small and remote town. To say that the library was lacking would be an understatement and going to a bookstore was not realistic financially or practical in that the closest bookstore was over an hour away. So, I acquired an Ebook and compromised with reading Ebooks over not being able to read at all. I changed my opinion of Ebooks after that, simply out of convenience. My pleasure in reading a physical book hasn’t changed but I rarely have the time to acquire one and store it afterwards, because I know I’ll refuse to give it up. I can tote an entire Ebook collection with me taking up less space than one book, it’s hard to beat when traveling.
I’ve had a similar experience with audiobooks. I had previously thought of audiobooks with distaste, something that I would just never be able to get into. At a young age I tried them and could never sink into the story, always wishing I had a physical book instead. Within the past few years I ran into a new challenge, trying to fit reading for leisure in with working a very demanding job, being in school, and a social life. I found very little time to read, and when I did I was too exhausted to really be able to enjoy it. My eyes would cross trying to read the lines. But, I found my library’s collection of audiobooks and gave it a shot. Now I am able to listen to audiobooks at work and go through multiple books a week. It helps me enjoy my work and satisfy my need for reading at the same time.
In the future, I think that we will continue to read at the same pace and volume, but in continually different ways. Just like I described the rise of Ebooks and the growing popularity of audiobooks, I think that convenient and innovative ways to read will be developed and slowly, readers will adapt.
I’ve had a similar experience with audiobooks. I had previously thought of audiobooks with distaste, something that I would just never be able to get into. At a young age I tried them and could never sink into the story, always wishing I had a physical book instead. Within the past few years I ran into a new challenge, trying to fit reading for leisure in with working a very demanding job, being in school, and a social life. I found very little time to read, and when I did I was too exhausted to really be able to enjoy it. My eyes would cross trying to read the lines. But, I found my library’s collection of audiobooks and gave it a shot. Now I am able to listen to audiobooks at work and go through multiple books a week. It helps me enjoy my work and satisfy my need for reading at the same time.
In the future, I think that we will continue to read at the same pace and volume, but in continually different ways. Just like I described the rise of Ebooks and the growing popularity of audiobooks, I think that convenient and innovative ways to read will be developed and slowly, readers will adapt.
Although I read much more in print, the convenience of ebooks, particularly as you have described, can't be denied. I agree that in the future readers will be able to choose how they want to read. I think that will be likely to increase the amount that people read, mainly because of the increased availability of choices.
ReplyDeleteYou commented on my blog this week and you weren't kidding, we really do have similar experiences! You have taken your reading journey a step further with the audiobooks, and I hope to do this very soon. I have only tried it once and I could not get into the story, but I am eager to give it another shot. After doing the readings on audiobooks and the appeal of narrators, I really hope to find an audiobook I enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI feel like your younger reading experience was a lot like mine. I loved going to the library when I was little and after about high school, I realized that ebooks and audiobooks were a good thing. They will never replace my physical books, but I find them very useful.
ReplyDeleteI feel like your younger reading experience was a lot like mine. I loved going to the library when I was little and after about high school, I realized that ebooks and audiobooks were a good thing. They will never replace my physical books, but I find them very useful.
ReplyDeleteI though eBooks were going to be another fad too. Who would have thought they would be another way to read books. When I was young, I saw reading as a chore, but now I enjoy them so much. I would prefer going to bookstores than any other place. Nice prompt!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about audiobooks! I was sure I wouldn't like them, but then I took a Young Adult Literature class in which we had to average reading 500 pages a week. I figured the only way was to supplement my regular reading with audiobooks! Now I love them for the same reasons you do--they enable me to read way more than I actually have time for.
ReplyDelete"Convenient" and "compromise" (not in a bad way) are definitely good words to use when describing ebooks! When ebooks are cheaper and you can store volumes of a series in one small device, it's so nice. I'm going to travel this summer, the first time since I've gotten my Nook, and I'm planning on just taking it instead of taking up half a suitcase or a backpack full of books. I'm only worried about the batteries dying!
ReplyDeleteI think that I am going to ask for a Kindle this Christmas. My husband loves eBooks. He reads them all the time. I do not think he would have ever taken to reading without this discovery. I am not sure why but it changed him completely he read all the time now.
ReplyDeleteI think that eBooks will be easier once I go back to work. I also think that they will also allow readers to have access to more titles in the future.
With self-publishing becoming more popular I think that many authors will not offer hardback or paperback. It would be more convenient to track and offer. It will be interesting to see how they will handle things like copyright and tracking the purchases. Also, I think it will be interesting to see how libraries handle this.