E-Readers

 

First of all, what is the proper spelling ?

E Reader ?

or

E-Reader ?

or

Ereader ?

 Being as I work for the largest bookseller in the US, I jumped on the E-reader bandwagon quickly. I haven’t read an actual real-live physical book in several years up until just recently. The thing is, I really love English novels and unfortunately many of them are not available in e-book format on this side of the pond yet. So, I went a little crazy on Amazon last month and bought up 12 different English novels I'd been pining for. Woo Hoo ! I couldn’t wait to receive them and dig into my pile of loot.


So, now that I have them and I've started reading the first one, you'd think I'd be in seventh heaven, right ? Nope, I can’t help but complain about the pitfalls of reading a physical book again. Humans are never happy with anything are they ?

1. You have to have light to read because real books aren’t back-lit like color e-readers. No more reading in semi-dark rooms.

2. Real books don’t automatically remember where you stopped reading so you’ll need a bookmark (and Lord help you if your bookmark falls out of your book).

3. You actually have to “turn” the page (gasp) instead of making the cool little tap on the screen edge or the fun swiping motion.

4. If you come across a word you don’t know, you actually have to get a dictionary and look it up instead of just touching the word on the screen and holding down.


Reason 1, 3 and 4 definitely get to me. 

 
I live in an old, dark house that was built in 1917. A back-lit screen is really helpful when it comes to reading. When I read a physical book, I have to turn all the overheads on and then it’s too bright and the room ends up getting that overlit feeling, sort of like you’re in a operating room about to be operated on.  So... not the cozy feeling you want when you're cuddling up with a good book.

When I read a real book I find myself (like an idiot, I might add) automatically making the smart little tap on the edge of the book page and end up frowning in puzzlement when the book page doesn't actually turn. L-A-Z-Y !

When I’m in the midst of a book and come across a word I don’t know (and that happens quite often), being able to just touch the word and have the e-reader automatically pull up the definition is a godsend to me. If I had to get the dictionary and physically look the word up, I’d just skip it and I wouldn’t the clever, well-spoken (uh huh) guy that stands before you now. 

Stop laughing.