I have a lot of bookworms friends, and sadly they dislike ebooks. To be more precise, they hate them because they think that they will lead to the decline of physical books. I can understand that they prefer the "tactile sensations" given by paper books and their smell, but I can't justify their hate. In my opinion e-books are way more appealing than paper books to casual readers, and they are a nice way to introduce non-readers to the literature: I think that they are changing the books world, for the better. I tried to explain my reasoning to my friends, but they won't listen. Have you ever had an argument because of your passion for e-books?
I both enjoy reading physical books and their digital counterpart. However, if I am to choose between the two, I would prefer reading a real book over a digital one. So to answer your question, I won’t be afraid to say that I read e-books. Why should I be afraid? It’s the future of the book industry and we all know it. Proof to this is the fact that the production of physical books is on the decline.
I'd pay no heed to any arguments that try to convince me that physical books are better. Thing is though I would prefer to read physical books I don't anymore because I don't intend to spend any money on books. Of course I could read free books in a library but since our library is 6 or so miles from where I live, I don't see the need of driving over when I could download a free ebook from a site like guternberg and save the money I'd have spent on gas.
I would say, if these are friends they should respect that you have different tastes. I personally am not afraid to tell people why I like e-books. I can enlarge the font, and use brightness to read in dim light. This is easier on my eyes because I have an eye condition that glasses cannot correct. I don't have to pay for shipping or use gas to run to the bookstore as often, although I still visit the library weekly. I might have saved a few trees or a few dollars in the process. Most of all, I live in an apartment, not a two story house. I like to have my space clear and uncluttered. I like the option of storing a lot of books in a tiny space. Owning all the e-books I have in physical format would be heavy, take up loads of space, require extra bookshelves and furniture. I can keep all my books in a slim little thing I can slip into my purse. I often find delightfully free options to download. I am able to check out an e-book from my library, and send it to my e-reader, with the touch of a button and no travel time involved. I am saving fuel, time, money, trees, space, and my eyes. I respect their nostalgia enough to give them all the paper books I can't store. If they don't respect my needs in return, they aren't really friends.
I too prefer reading real books over e-books but I also read the latter at times. I'm not afraid to say that I do read e-books even in front of people who are not fond of it because as what @bluebetta said, people should respect each other's choices and opinions. Besides, I really see nothing wrong with reading e-books.
I read physical books as much as I read e-books. I really don't see anything wrong with anyone admitting they read e-books. E-books are just digital versions. But they have the same content as that of physical books. I could say that having digital versions of most books today could pave the way for the decline of physical books. But I don't see that happening very soon. Technology has this way of "replacing" things, but then again, there are still a lot of people out there who prefer to do things the "old" way.
I read ebooks on my tablet, if there are people that dislike it then I politely ask them to go screw themselves. Physical books are overrated, just a bunch of nostalgia snobs whom can't accept the old way to read books are killing off tons of trees every day.
I'm not afraid to say I'm reading ebooks. I mainly read ebooks now because of it's convenience. I love that i can bring my ebooks anywhere with me that i can easily pick up where i left off in the story. I read through my phone via the Kindle app. Also the price of ebooks is way cheaper than physical books.
A book is a book, and the it's the quality of the book that matters more. I prefer physical books, but for some people e-books are more practical and that's fine. It really doesn't bother me at all, because e-books are cheaper and if it allows more people to read then all the better for the world. I just find my kindle fiddly at times and I lose concentration much faster with a screen.
I personally prefer a physical book over an e-book. There's nothing like holding a physical book and turning the pages, however, I do have a Kindle and I've never been afraid to say, I read e-books from time to time.
@Robilas, what fine friends you have LOL! I mean really, how does your liking eBooks impact on their lives? Are they obliged to ensure you always have a huge supply of eBooks to read, all of which they have to source and pay for? If you answered no to all the above, then you really don't owe them an explanation. Simple as that. Unless you also give them grief for reading actual physical books? I'm an avid reader and reading eBooks is a lot more convenient for me. It's not about preference as such. I love all books, eBooks just happen t be easier to access, a lot cheaper and don't take up space in my house. Plus you can them some for free. People around me know that I read them and it's never been a huge subject of discussion or debate. Even if it were, I'd just tell them where to get off because it's my choice and really has nothing to do with them.
Absolutely agree, I don't owe them an explanation, but after all they are still my friends and it was worth a try, even knowing that they are very narrow minded about e-books. However I'm still sure that they could change their mind after trying to read an e-book, but I stopped talking about that because it's long shot. The most "depressing" thing is that you would expect avid reader to be somehow open minded, or at least open to a civil discussion, but as it seems my friends don't fall in this category.
Definitely not. Why would you? It's still a book, it's just not solid in your hands. After I found out about e-books, I pretty much only read them because they're so much more convenient. They are cheaper, and you carry them around much easier. I wouldn't be embarrassed to say I read ebooks to anyone. Reading any sort of book, even audiobooks, is better than not reading.
Exactly, Robilas....they're the ones missing out, so don't sweat it! Just carry on enjoying books, whatever the format. Why should we have to choose, anyway? I know some people prefer to touch, feel and smell an actual book. But most of the ones I know do appreciate the convenience of an eReader. I'd say your friends are definitely not for turning, so you're best off letting it go. But by the same token, they should too, and not give you grief for liking eBooks
I enjoy reading both physical books and digital books - but lately I've definitely been leaning more towards digital books. They're just so convenient! Traveling with a ton of physical books is such a hassle and weighs you down so much, but if you travel with a Kindle, then that's literally hundreds of books in a single device that probably weighs less than a book! Technology is amazing these days. Plus, since I move places quite frequently, I need to limit my belongings as much as possible. (It's really annoying to have to pack a ton of your stuff when you move to another apartment!) I read a lot, and if I exclusively read physical books, I'd be packing up twice as many boxes, yikes! So I've never really been afraid to say I read digitally, even if my friends all prefer actual paper books. I have my reasons, and they understand my reasons, and they've never judged me for it.
I know some people who say, "I don't read" like it's OK. I, on the other hand, am proud to say that I read. A lot! I love ebooks because I can read anywhere at any time. At any given time I have at least 5 ebooks lined up for me to read.
I love ebooks, I actually have written one already. I don't see why someone would not like reading them. I can have 200 full books on my phone, that's probably more than 200 pounds easy in physical books, and then the space that those would take up is not something I would want. You can have a library on your phone, and access them when you want. There is no need to wait until you get home to read, and you don't have to deal with carrying physical books anymore. I will forever choose ebooks over the physical copy.
The more I read eBooks, the more I love them. In fact, I don't remember the last time I bought an actual physical book. Something tells me I won't be buying actual books for a very long time, and even then, I'm very unlikely to make it a habit. For me, the convenience of eBooks and the price at which I get them compared to physical versions has me under lock and key LOL I still like all types of books, though.
