I love to read.
I’m never happier than when I’m nose deep in a good novel.
I could say that I love books but that would be wrong.
I love stories, the written word, a well woven tale or a carefully crafted thesis.
I can’t bloody stand books.
Thebest Christmas gift I ever got was a Kindle Keyboard it changed my life.
I went from reading 30 or 40 books a year to more than 60.
The reason: reading an eBook is a million times better than reading a printed book.
There is only one defence left to physical book lovers.
The last refuge of the luddite: emotion.
Instead, while they’re onlinethey should ignore Taylor Swiftand sign up for a Spotify account.
They can built acomplete music collectionand listen to it at a far higher quality.
They won’t do that though, because vinylfeelsbetter.
No improvements in technology will ever convince a vinyl aficionado that they’re wrong.
We’re seeing the exact same thing with ebooks.
Oh my…"
You love Terry Pratchett because of how his words make you feel.
You want it to just fade into the background unnoticed.
Books for years have been great at this.
E-readers are now even better.
(Smartphones though, suck at it).
On The Emotional Nature Of Kindles
So where does the love of physical books come from?
In all my conversations on the subject, two things come up time and time again.
The first point I get.
Physical objects trigger emotional memories.
But you know what else is a physical object?
If I pick my Kindle up and sit quietly for a moment memories come flooding back to me.
Echoes of emotions once felt are tied inextricably with what I was reading at the time.
Faint tendrils of my excitement (and guilt-tinged excitement) cling tight to my Kindle.
Every time I pick it up I touch them.
While a paperback might be able to trigger three or four memories, my Kindle holds hundreds.
As for the people who love the smell of paper books?
They’re just strange!
I’m a tech-loving writer who can’t stand books because they’re awful.
Ten years ago, I loved books because the alternative was scrolls.
Trust me, pick upa Kindle Paperwhite you’ll love it.
And seriously, what’s the deal with the smell?
