Electronic Books

[Chris Tusa]

I'm wondering how readers feel about e-books? Have you purchased (or read) any e-books yet? If so, how did you feel about the process as a whole? Are you impressed with (or suspicious of) the current e-readers on the market (Kindle, Sony, etc)? A few years ago, I remember thinking that I would never want to listen to an album (or cd) without the cover art and liner notes, yet I haven't listened to an actual album or cd in years (I simply download music from the Internet). Do you think the same applies to reading? Or, is the experience somehow different? Do you think you'll eventually read only e-books as the technology evolves? Or, do you think you'll always want to read a physical book instead?

[Chrissy]

I haven't ever/wouldn't ever use a Kindle or any other device like that to read a book. I'm too attached to books - it's not just the words you are reading - it's the whole package. I always notice the font the author chose, whether the page edges are stippled or smooth, the artwork on the cover, any little whimsical designs that are jotted here or there, the smell of the book, the texture - those things also become part of the story as you read and believe it or not, all these things are painstakingly chosen by the publishers because they are very important. Harry Potter books have their own unique personality - the stars on top of the pages, the font, the pictures - as do all books. That magic would be lost by simply reading the words on a screen. I will never, ever understand reading books on a screen. I could never give up my real books for that kind of a trade.

[Jess]

Good question. I think I'm mainly a traditionalist, give me a collection of browning secondhand paperbacks or fresh smelling new books and I'm in heaven. I'm also one of those horrible people that like to underline, highlight, make notes, and so on - only in books I own, of course! Just this year I started reading some classics via DailyLit, just to see what it was like, and I really enjoyed it although it was a very different reading experience. I spend enough time in front of a computer screen at work and at home, and enjoy getting away from the multitude of distractions with a physical book. That said, my mind is open, and I'm willing to start reading e-books sometime soon, but I can't ever imagine all my reading being done this way.

E-book reader technology is largely unavailable here in Australia, and what is available is hugely out of my price range. As long as I can keep finding books for a couple of dollars, I'm more than willing to part with the cash and spare space to store them in.

[Harvee Lau]

I really should consider a Kindle. For some reason, I read faster on an ebook.

[Patricia Ortin]

They are convenient and on the go especially if you have portable reading devices. I have some in my iPhone but I love the feel of having the actual book in my possession. Call me a dork but as a book lover, actually seeing it on paper has a different feel. Plus I collect them and proud that I have a mini library.

[cait]

While I think in some uses, like traveling, e-books may be convenient, I also think there are a great many issues with them that have not been dealt with. Certainly not yet. Lack of illustrations, lack of color, readability of graphs, limited fonts, propriety software, lack of actual ownership of the 'book' since you are actually just buying a downloading license, and a limited number of downloads at that..I could go on and on.

I posted about what I think is a very sad issue related to e-books on my blog for anyone interested in the subject, a discussion that I thing all book lovers have to be involved in... a bad dream.

[Lori]

My sister-in-law has a Kindle she loves. I can see using it for travel but otherwise, I think I'll stick with physical books. The cost of the Kindle is a deal breaker for me.

Not to mention that I'm another one of the book fanatics that loves the smell of a new book.

[Lisa Jemus]

I do not like reading ebooks. It is much too hard on the eyes and you can't take it anywhere (I'm in Canada where we cannot get kindle. Not that I would want to.) Music and Books are completely different as you are still listening with your ears the same music no matter where you got it from . Reading from an electric format is tiring on the eyes, and most of us stare at screens all day and love the chance to take a break with a good book.

[Miriam Parker]

Anyone who is interested in being part of a pilot program to read a digital ARC, please email me at [e-mail]. The title is THE WIFE'S TALE by Lori Lansens.

Please note that this digital ARC will only be available in ePub format. So if you have a Kindle, it won't work. It will work on a Sony Reader, on the Stanza reader for iPhone/iTouch, etc. (More info: http://www.epubbooks.com/)

[Stephen Tomlin]

For all the readers concerned about losing the sensory qualities of the printed word (feel, touch, smell) and maybe a premonition of things to come, there is a wonderful cartoon in this week's New Yorker. Check out this link:http://bit.ly/NPexY

[Harvee Lau]

Actually, I;m waiting for the time I can open an eBook and smell the food in a good cookbook or the flowers in a How to Grow Roses book. Then, I'll buy a Kindle.

[Charity Gamble]

While I don't mind the e-book format, I only read them on my computer. I don't feel the need to purchase special hardware for reading a book and frankly, feel that while it is all right to read them, a physical book is best.

[Stacy-Deanne (Novelist)]

Hi Chris,

I'll just say it like this from an author's point of view. I just received my last royalty check. I've sold an additional thousand and something copies of my books since my last check. Yaaa!

And only ONE ebook sale out of ALL those copies! And believe me, my books are available as ebooks everywhere!

That right there made me stick to my beliefs that ebooks are not taking over paper books any time soon. The proof's in the pudding and obviously most readers still prefer bound books. I know I do. The only ebook I've read are ones sent to me for free. I've never purchased one (not saying I never will) but I'd rather have books made of paper.

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net