Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down is feature on my blog to promote discussion and the sharing of opinions because I’m curious what other readers/bloggers think about the topics relevant to the book/blogging world Every other week I will give a topic to be discussed. You can give your vote on whether or not it is a thumbs up or a thumbs down for you and then explain why. The topics will cover anything related to reading, blogging, the book industry, etc. etc. Basically whatever is on my mind! This feature is NOT intended to be a place to bash anybody or start a nasty fight or controversy. It is a platform for a mature discussion and sharing of opinions. It is also NOT a feature in order to TELL you how you should blog or act or think. Just a discussion of ideas.
This week I want to talk about e-readers. I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a while for Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and with all the hoopla involving the whole Harper Collins e-book thinger recently…this week seemed like the perfect week to do so!
So, readers…do you own an e-reader? Want to get one? Or are you vehemently opposed to them? If you own one, how often to you use it and does it affect your purchasing when it comes to physical books? If you are opposed to e-readers, why? Is is that you love having the physical book? Do you feel like you don’t really own an e-book? I want to know your general attitudes toward e-readers!
Take it to a vote!
My Opinion:
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| My Face of Fury Because I Want to Be Reading And Not At Work |
As some of you know, I was very adamant about not getting an e-reader and then I changed my mind and got the Nook for Christmas. I’ve used it mostly for NetGalley but I’ve bought a book or two off it. I am the type of person that I love being able to admire my books all lined up on my shelves (which I JUST got and need to show you all!) and I love having the book in my hand. However, the Nook has really been a great addition to my books. I love that I can read ARCs on it and I love the possibilities it gives me when I go on vacation or when I don’t want to lug multiple books around. The Nook will never replace my physical books because they are just so pretty but I do love my e-reader. I’m going Thumbs Up with this one with the caveat that it will never take over my love for physical books. Steph Su actually has a great post about this..so after you vote and share your opinion..definitely check that out!
I Eat Words says
I love my Nook! Especially because of Netgalley 🙂 I'm about 50/50 when it comes to buying physical and e-book, though. I like my shelfs to look pretty, but I enjoy the cheaper price of e-books. Plus, it's easy to slip my Nook in my purse when I know I'll have spend time in a waiting room or something. 🙂
-Farrah
Ashley says
I'm not interested in e-readers. I feel like I missing a part of the book when I read an electronic copy. It's not as 'real' to me anymore. I also love the site of all the books and I love that you can take a look at my shelves/piles/tubs or whatever and immediately see that I have many books. And see what books they are. I also feel like ebooks are never really 'mine' the way a physical book is, and I worry that something is somehow different about them… I do occasionally read in eformat on my computer, but I've never purchased one.
I appreciate what ebooks are, but recognize that they are not for me. However, if in some future, I end up with a job that requires a lot of travel, I might reconsider…
Midnyte Reader says
I thought I would "miss the book" but in reality I do not. As you said, I will never give up physical books, but my e-reader is a great addition.
Bex says
I dont think i'll ever get an e reader. I really dislike reading things on screen, and I kind of feel like all the comfort would be taken out of reading for me if I did it in this format. Having said that, it would probably be useful for reading ARCs.
stargazerpuj says
I still love my beautiful books all lined up in my bookshelf, but I can't deny the convenience of the e-reader. I read all my NetGalley books on it, I've bought a few more (okay quite a few) books on it and I listen to audiobooks on my Kindle. Also, since I live in India, it is a fast and inexpensive way for me to access the books that are being talked about online – these books become avl here much later.
Daisy says
I also love having the books on my shelve, but I absolutely LOVE my ereader. It's just handy and like you, I read my NetGalley books on it (which was pretty inconvenient before I had the ereader). Also, I'm looking at my copy of The Wise Man's Fear right now, and while it's soooo PRETTY, it's also huge and incredibly heavy, I seriously cannot take this one with my in my purse, it's that big.
I don't think it's affected my book buying problem, it's still pretty bad.
Chrisbookarama says
I have one but I rarely use it. I haven't bought a thing for it yet. I do download those free books that come up from time to time for it and have used it for NetGalley. But to tell the truth, I have too many paper books to actually use my ereader.
Debbie says
I love all ereaders because, frankly, I sell more books on Smashwords, Kindle and PubIt! than I do paperbacks. I love the option to change the size of the print – that's major. Thumbs up to ereaders, but they'll never replace real books. BTW, this is "Read an Ebook" week at Smashwords.
Red says
I love my Kindle. I just got it this past Christmas after swearing I wouldn't get one. I still like physical books (like you, I love how they look on my bookshelves) but I enjoy reading books on the Kindle and the options to take notes, highlight passages, etc. I generally won't buy an eBook if I want the book on my shelf but I have no problem for getting random books on there. And I love how many free books you can get eCopies of.
Holley says
I love my nook color!!!
I still will continue to purchase books as gifts and for myself. But my nook is so convenient. it helped me finally finish Stephen King's Dark Tower Series. I couldn't lug that 900 page book with me to work and back every day!
And, since my husband got one too, he's read more over the past four months that we've had it than he has in the past 4.5 years we've been together. That's a score! (does it make me sound bad if i say that makes me love him more, now that he's a reader? :P)
Annette says
I agree. My Kindle will never replace "real" books, but I love it and wouldn't give it up for anything!
Jen (Makeshift Bookmark) says
a) I love the face of fury.
b) YES YES YES NOOK!
c) NetGalley
d) I love "vehemently."
e) I thought I'd be opposed to an e-reader, and I was hardcore against them prior to my discovery of NetGalley. And honestly, nothing will ever take the place of actual books. But hot damn, it is convenient! And if the book has a hideous cover, you can't see it. AND you can't skip ahead to read the ending. Well, not easily, at least. I love my Nook more than most things in my life.
ConnieGirl says
I also used to be anti, but my husband wasn't convinced of my anti-ness (perhaps he knows me better than I know myself?) and got me the Kindle for Christmas, and I LOVE it.
Like you, I love to have fully-stocked bookshelves, so my Kindle will never replace my lovelies.
It surprisingly enough has led me to spend MORE money on books than I would normally — there are certain books that I've been wanting to read but don't necessarily want to OWN on my shelf, but I'm terrible at returning library books, and so purchasing the eBook copy has given me a way to solve that dilemma! I switch back and forth between my books and my eReader, with my Kindle being mainly for my purely "fun" reading (like the Hunger Games trilogy).
Megan Swicegood says
I feel like e-readers have a very specific purpose and it's not a full replacement for regular books. I'm not anti by any stretch of the imagination but if given a choice I'll choose a regular book over an e-reader. There are still a lot of things that e-readers can't do or you can't do with them (like read during take off and landing on a plane), but I think e-readers are a great addition to any book lovers collection. Our e-reader has been a Godsend during trips b/c my husband likes to bring 5-10 books which tends to put our luggage over weight limit or test the strength limits of the straps of his laptop bag. I do love the accessibility to new stuff as well – I turn down a lot of ARC e-reader copies b/c I don't regularly use an e-reader and I know I'm missing out (and going to have to make the switch). I would ay "thumbs up" but I'm dragging my feet converting.
alexristea says
I love my e-reader, but I can only use it in certain circumstances. Most of the books I read are ones that I would want to own on my bookshelf. That means that if I'm reading books on my Kobo, there is a possibility of double buying books.
However, the flexibility and ease of e-readers ensures that I'm reading at least one book on it at all times (for transit, walks between classes, dinner, etc). It's usually a free one or a book that I want to read, but don't need to buy.
E-books are great, but they will never replace the paper version. Merely a complement to the reading experience!
Avid Reader says
I think your feelings are very similar to mine on e-readers. I got a Kindle for Christmas and enjoy it, but it can't ever possibly replace my love of physical books.
tediousandbrief says
I'm still fence sitting on this. I want to get an e-reader (probably a Nook the way it's looking like it) but if I'm going to go buy a book to read rather than get it out from the library…I want the book so I can either keep it on my shelf or give it away.
bibliophile brouhaha says
I own a Nook, and I love it! That being said, I am not wholly attached to the books that are on it, and I primarily use it to read galleys. It was a little difficult to get use to it at first, but now I am okay and able to 'sink in' to a book on it. I absolutely adore the deals I can get on some e-books. I've always been a frugal shopper, so these are books I would typically would borrow from a library or just not buy at all.
About the HC thing – I don't think that it would be quite so distasteful to libraries if the proposed terms were adjusted a bit. They seem to have a very low time and loan limit before it would have to be licensed/bought again. It does feel a bit like price gouging a vulnerable public service during a time when they already have significant budget cuts. It's going to take time before we see the industry shake out from all this change. It kind of makes me regret the technology a little.
readersGUYde says
I used to be completely opposed to them. I'm a huge bibliophile and to be honest I don't even want to entertain the idea of living in a world without paper books. Although, sadly I think one day it will be the case. (Hopefully I'm not around to see it though, lol)
However, I must admit I've slowly started to come around to the idea of the benefits of e-readers (ie. Netgalley). I'm still not completely sold, but I think I'd be able to handle a world where ebooks and paper books can happily co-exist… Time will tell I suppose.
Flippin' Fabulous says
It goes like this… I own a nook, and despite my several ongoing qualms with the actual product, I do adore it. But, I love my books more, lined up on my bookshelf.
There are pros and cons to both sides of the e-reader discussion.
Pros:
-E-galleys from netgalley and S&S galley-grab, and those send via email from pubs.
-Great for traveling!
-Great to buy a book whenever I want and read it whenever I want, and have a choice of books.
-Great for e-book specials (2.99 e-book vs 8.99 for print = more books)
Cons:
-What happens when my nook dies. So do my books unless I buy another nook ($100-250 = lots of books I can't buy)
-Nothing to show for my books… my shelf is empty where they should go.
-While sometimes I prefer the size of my nook, it doesn't feel the same and I can't go back to reread something easily. There is a back button, but I'm talking about digging into the book. Doesn't work well
-In the e-book price war, a lot of the time the e-book is only cents cheaper OR even more expensive then the paperback version (and what do I have to show for it?)
Since our libraries don't do the e-book thing my nook is primarily used for e-galleys and I have categorized books into must-purchase-in-print and then ebook-okay lists. If a book is purely fluff, not something I think I will die over reading again, or just some random book that is much cheaper for an e-book then I'll buy the e-book. Books I think I may re-read, collect the series, are cheaper then the e-book, are just really pretty, or I love the author will be purchased in print.
Now that I have an e-reader, I will never go without purely because of certain conveniences (and the fact I can't read my books w/o one) mentioned above especially with the ability to read e-galleys on it.
Jenn says
My ereader is the Sony Pocket Edition, and it arrived yesterday. I had been on the fence about them for a long time, at one point I was very against them.
But as I use Net Galley more and more I hated having to sit at the computer for hours to read a book when I would much rather curl up in a chair or in my bed. Having my ereader for one day, I'm already in love. It almost seems like I can read books in a faster amount of time (I'm sure that's just a trick of the mind) but I don't really feel like I'm really lacking anything.
While I will never give up physical books, I think that ereaders provide more options for people like myself who do have to work with ebooks occasionally but don't want to feel confined to a computer. Plus spring is coming and my favorite place to read is outside.
Colin Matthew (TheBookPirate.com) says
I want a Kindle badly. I'm a fan of physical books, but I like the idea of not having to carry around books while I travel. I also like the idea of using it to read ARCs and other things that I have in digital form like stories I'm reading from friends. However, if I love a book enough, I will always buy a physical copy of it after I've purchased an eBook version of it.
Jamie says
Wow..great comments everyone! I'm at work so I can't really respond to them all..and I'll be gone this weekend but I'm going to make a valiant effort to get to them when I come home on Sunday night! 🙂
Jessica M says
I love my Nook. I was not a fan of the e-reader idea at first, but decided to play with one while I was at B&N one day and ended up really liking it. It's fantastic for commuting on the subway to work every day because I never have to worry about being at the end of a book and being stuck with a finished book for half a commute. And it's easier to push the buttons than to turn pages if I'm standing and holding on to a pole on the train. Also, I love it for traveling because I used to be one of those crazies that packed 8000000 books and sometimes it just got so heavy! I always have it in my purse, so I'm never left without a book.
The other amazing thing I love about my Nook is that both the Oakland & San Francisco public libraries use Overdrive, so I have been using my libraries a LOT more than before. It's so convenient to just check out a book from home, in my PJs, and transfer it to my Nook. That's actually why I chose the Nook over the Kindle in the end.
But as much as I adore my Nook, it will never replace my book love. I still buy tons and tons of physical books, and when I'm at home just hanging out, I typically read physical books more often. But I have something like 650 books, and just not enough space for them all! And I'm moving cross country in the fall to go to law school, so I've had to be more careful about buying physical books.
Jenni Elyse says
I do have an eReader–a Kindle–and I love it! But, I have a love/hate relationship with the concept of eReaders because I love holding a physical book and I don't want books to die out, but I also like the idea of saving trees and having a whole library at my fingertips, especially when I'm on vacation.
I used my Kindle everyday. I use it to read my scriptures because I find it's easier to take with me than my huge book. I also use it to read some school assignments–the line spacing is larger so I can get through older texts more quickly. And, I'm currently reading a novel on it that I own in physical form as well. It just takes up less space in my backpack, but I wanted the novel signed so I bought both versions.
At the moment, I'm having a hard time deciding what to buy on my eReader because I really want the physical book. But, I'm also running out of space to put my physical books. So, I've decided to buy books on my eReader first. If the book ends up as a favorite or the author is coming my way, I'll buy the physical version too.
Stephany says
I've been trying to decide if I want to get an e-reader or not. I actually did a post on my blog about this topic as well. I'm kind of in between. I think having an e-reader would be awesome because it's so convenient. But I feel like I wouldn't like it because it loses the affect of having the ACTUAL book in your hands. So, I'm stuck in the middle if I want to get one or not. I also always raise the notion that with e-readers, I'm afraid that as the technology world grows, we'll lose more and more physical books, and I am going to college to get a business degree for business management so I can own my own book store some day!! So yeah, I'm stuck in between!
Orchid says
I have absolutely no intention of buying an ereader. I just don't think it would be for me (I enjoy the sound of closing a book and seeing all my books on my shelves/floor).
Michelle says
Controversial issues aside eReaders get a total thumbs up from me! I started with a Sony (which I liked) and then I moved to a Nook which I love! I totally recommend it.
Tara says
While I love admiring my books on my bookshelf (or piles on my table) I do love the convenience of an ereader, especially with ARCs and when traveling. Nothing will replace the smell of feel of a real book for me 🙂
Jackie says
I LOVE my Nook! Last summer I flew back and forth between Michigan and Wisconsin a few times– between work any my parents since this was our first time being apart. I wish I would have had an e-reader then. It probably would have deterred me from lugging around five out of seven of the Harry Potter books all at once! Ever since that summer, I talked to my parents about gifting myself a Nook for graduation. It just seemed practical. I do travel a lot, I don't have a lot of room to store things. But, because I talked the Nook up so much, my parents ended up buying it for me!
I love my books. And I dream of one day owning a bookshelf so I can give my books a place to live other than a box (because I move about every four years) and the floor (because I'm simply running out of floor space)! The e-reader is a quick remedy for that! I've got 10 pages of books stored on my Nook. Imagine how much floor 10 pages of books would take up!
I spend probably equal amounts on e-books and tactile books. But, I can also download several free e-books which is pretty cool too! And I spend an equal amount of time with both too.
Rachel says
I LOVE my e-readers! My Kindle brings quantity and portability to my book collections, and as a totally blind reader, this device has given me access to hundreds of thousands of titles I would not be able to read without it. Perhaps that makes me extremely biased toward the positive aspects of e-readers, but I think they're a wonderful addition for anyone who likes to read.