Friday 21 October 2011

10 Things I Love About Paper Books

E-books are all very well (I love my kindle), but for those who think they are the SAME as paper books, here are 10 things, paper books give me, which e-books don't. 

  1. I love to see the creases and crinkles that a book gets when it's been everywhere with me for days, and sometimes weeks.
  2. I love to look at beautiful cover arts, feel its "skin", enjoy the artistry of it. 
  3. I love it that I can find my most favourites books, just by the feel of them without having to look, because I know so well how they feel in my hands, and how their covers feel.
  4. I love seeing piles and piles of books in my house. There are plenty of things that can be thrown out or shoved into boxes. Books deserve to be seen. Looking at my collection is like looking at art-work meant personally for me. 
  5. I love it that my books grow old with me. Their pages yellow, sometimes dust gathers, they have their smell. Just like people.
  6. I love it that they are all different - sizes, shapes, fonts, formats, colours. They are as varied as characters in them. Again, just like people.
  7. I love it that all the hard work gone into writing, publishing, marketing these books results in a tangible product that I can hold in my hands.
  8. I love it that books - like people - make a first impression. And I don't mind it when they prove me wrong for judging them by their cover. 
  9. I love to see a nice, tidy pile of books in a series that look almost same, but slightly different. Just like the characters and stories who change, without losing their essence.
  10. I love it that when I look at these piles and piles of books, instead of useless junk in my house, I feel good about what I've spent my money on, and the cosiness and comfortable feeling it brings to my home.

5 comments:

  1. All very true. :-)

    I love my Kindle, and I'm reading more and more on it (space is limited here), but there's something to be said for an old, loved, print book. :)

    Adam

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  2. ...and reading on a kindle while eating Cheetos doesn't work too well. :(

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  3. Brooklyn,

    I actually find eating is easier with kindle, because I don't have to hold it. Unless you are scattering Cheetos crumbs all over the screen of course :P

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  4. All right, I don't have a Kindle or any other e-reader ... but I totally agree with you on all 10 arguments about paper books! :-)

    ...except I don't spine-break or dog-ear or mistreat my books! *g*

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  5. Karin,

    Of course not!! I don't either ...but some books get used so much that they acquire their "wrinkles"

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