Last week, I bought an e-reader.
I’ll give you all a moment to process this shocking statement.
Yes, I am now the proud owner of a Kobo Touch and, what’s more, I love it. This means I must now recant all of my statements over the years about how I could never use an e-reader, how they are evil, etc. Like most people, I hate admitting I was wrong. But I was.
I had been thinking seriously (but quietly) about getting an e-reader for some time. My brother’s girlfriend and her family all have Kindles and all adore them. But I think their enthusiasm also scared me a little and I got very defensive about the superiority of print books whenever conversations turned to how great e-readers are. I love print books, you all know that, and for a long time I felt threatened by e-books on their behalf, refusing to see that both formats could exist in harmony, complimenting rather than competing with one another. Once I made my peace with that, and it took a while, the decision was easy.
For me, the main appeal of the e-reader is the access it gives me to out-of-print or hard to obtain titles. There are so many free e-books available by authors I adore: for instance, Girlebooks, which offers an excellent selection of nicely formatted (mostly free) e-books by female authors, has ten of Elizabeth von Arnim’s novels available, including the suitably obscure The Princess Priscilla’s Fortnight and In the Mountains. I love von Arnim but her books can be difficult to track down. Yes, you can obtain reprints of these titles (generally with hideously dull, un-illustrated covers) but is it worth the cost? I don’t like buying books I haven’t read and if an e-reader costs around $150 and a physical book costs $15 but an electronic version can be obtained for free and there are literally dozens of titles where this is the case…well, the math isn’t difficult.
I had also been noticing how often e-books came up when I ran searches in the library catalogue. In some cases, the library would have the e-book but not a hard copy. What a singularly frustrating feeling that is. But it did make me realise that getting an e-reader wouldn’t have to be a hugely expensive undertaking, not with all these recent titles available on loan and all the older books out of copyright protection.
And, of course, there was the allure of having something so small and light when I travel. It was excruciating trying to pick only three or four books to accompany me on my trip to Europe last September, trying to find ones that would see me through almost three weeks but not be too heavy for my bag. I can’t tell you how fantastic it is to know that I won’t have that problem this year when I go, that I can bring as many e-books as I want and not have to worry about finding the space or weight allowance to fit them in my luggage. I hate flying but I’m almost eager for my next trip, for the novelty of having just this in my carry-on or purse instead of the many paperbacks that usually weigh me down (I always seem to take as many books for a three day trip as for a three week one).
All of these thoughts have been whirling around my head for some time, but it wasn’t until early last week that I actually started seriously contemplating buying an e-reader for myself. My parents had been talking about getting one and, as usual, I was put onto technical research duty with the instructions to brief them with my findings and make a recommendation. I spent a lot of time researching and I read a lot of different reviews but, for me, it became clear quite quickly that what I wanted was the Kobo Touch. The Kindle and the Nook are both praised to the skies but Kindles don’t let you access library books in Canada and Nooks are difficult to obtain and support outside of the U.S. The Kobo, on the other hand, is Canadian and it is easy to go play with one at any Chapters/Indigo store to get a feel for how they perform. I wasn’t looking for bells and whistles; I knew I wanted an e-ink reader, I knew I wanted a touchscreen, and, most importantly, I knew I wanted something I could read library books on. The Kobo Touch offers all of that at a reasonable price and came with Very Good to Excellent ratings from techies. So I passed my research on to my parents (who are still mulling over their options) and promptly went out a bought the Kobo for myself.
It has been a week since I bought it and, I have to say, I’m shocked by how much I love it. I’ve read three books on it now – no surprise that the first was The Princess Priscilla’s Fortnight – and was surprised by how quickly I got used to it. For me, the biggest difference is the small ‘page’: I’m just not used to tiny pages and this is only 6 inches. But the reading experience is remarkably similar to reading off the page, thanks to the e-ink display. I love having the ability to change the font size as well as the type face itself. I also find the annotation feature, allowing me to highlight quotes, incredibly useful when it comes to keeping track of what I want to include in my review. I think if I were using the Kobo alone, without a case, I might find it a bit difficult and insubstantial to hold but my case (a stunning hot pink with a cover that folds right back and can be secured with an elastic) gives it enough dimension that I can hold it comfortably one-handed for long periods of time – without it, it’s almost too slim and I have to fold my hand in a very awkward way to support it. It is perfect for reading in bed, both because it weighs so little and because it means I no longer have to do an awkward twist to catch the light every time I switch from the left page to the right, needing only to make sure the light is cast on the display screen (actually, that’s probably just an argument for me getting a better, stronger lamp). I haven’t even turned the wireless on but I don’t really see any reason to. From what I can tell, the main reason to do that would be to purchase books from the store but I really have no intentions of buying any e-books, not when there are so many free ones available from the library and other sources. If I’m going to spend money on books, it will be on paper ones.
I’ve had a very fun week playing around with my new toy, getting comfortable reading on it and getting to know its features, and I’ve been having a great time looking about for books to load onto it. I’ve got pretty much the entire Girlebooks catalogue on there, as well as a number of Anthony Trollope titles and a couple of O. Douglas books. I’m also enjoying going through the library catalogue (which allows you to search by publisher, always a favourite feature!) and seeing all the wonderful things available there. I have to admit that the novelty of my Kobo has kept me away from my physical books this week but that was just a temporary aberration – and an enjoyable one at that. This will never replace paper books for me but, by giving me easy access to a host of titles that might otherwise be difficult to track down and by providing a travel-friendly reading format, it does complement them very nicely.
I agree with everything you say. I now have a Sony Touch & I love it for all the same reasons. Light, portable, lots of free books out there (although I’ve also bought a few. The Bloomsbury Reader books are wonderful & very cheap from Book Depository). Why buy ugly, expensive POD editions when the free ebook could be out there? My ereader complements my physical library & I switch between the two very happily. I hope you continue to enjoy your Kobo.
So glad you are enjoying it. No, I’m not there yet. However, my oldest was given a Kindle by an extended family member for her birthday, so we shall see what influence she has on this “all-paper” house going forward. 🙂
Like the cover you have for your Touch; thinking of replacing the one I have as its too big for the touch.
The easy access to older books is what is going to get me there in the end, I know. When I was first looking for Von Arnim’s books, I couldn’t believe how many were immediately available as e-books. The same is true of my new Victorian literary crush, Charlotte Yonge.
I have one too and I have over a 100 books on it now and everyone is free from Project Gutenberg. Like you that is what I love about it the out of print books! And you have just given me another author to look up and enjoy!
Its great to see some positive things said about ereaders! I have a Kindle (Keyboard) and Sony Touch and agree wholeheartedly about the convenience for out-of-print and chunky, unwieldy books. Like others here I don’t intend to forsake printed books entirely but I love ereaders. The Sony is great for borrowing from my Library’s epub collection too. Only minor niggle about Kindle is the price of ebooks which has skyrocketed this year. Prices are often much more than a paperback delivered to Australia from the UK. Eventually the ebook prices will come back down (I hope) as Amazon puts pressure on publishers.Happy ereading 🙂
Oh Claire! I wonder if this will ever happen to me. I am the perfect client for an e-reader as I travel a lot, live in France where I can’t go to the library or the charity shop, mostly read out-of-print books, etc etc etc. But I am SO resisting (though I must confess I do occasionally read books on my iphone). I think if I got anything it would be an iPad — as I am an absolute Apple freak — but really for £400 I can’t justify it. Glad you are happy, though!
Not sure whether congratulations is the right word. Or should it be welcome to the party! What made me laugh was the fact that if your parents want some thing technical you are dispatched to do the research. That is my role as well and has not stopped since I moved out of home!
I think you summed up the existence of ereaders ( I have a kindle and an iPad) by the world compliment. I have had my kindle for over a year now and still buy the same amount of physical books as before. The kindle does tend to have all the free books etc on, and it is great for the samples which I got a bit addicted to in the beginning.
Interestingly I have just picked up my kindle after 3 weeks as in that time I had been reading ‘paper’ books, so yes they can exist together, very happily in my case.
I love the cover of yours!
A really good review of an eBook. Don’t have one yet though I imagine an orange cover could be obtained and I would think all books I read were Penguins. I’m afraid if I had one, don’t yet, that I would spend too much time finding books to put on it as that alone would be lots of fun. I have a little netbook computer that I use accessing online things in bed at night and I downloaded the free kindle onto it. That is as close as I have come to it. It came w/ three books. Maybe in the future, like the idea of project Gutenberg and other free out of print books.
Oh Claire, your reasons for loving it are all the reasons I’ve been fighting against in my head! I know it makes sense to get an e reader but I just can’t quite bring myself to do it! When I think of all the free books by my favourite hard to find authors that I could have access to…I can’t help but think I should just throw my principles to the wind! So glad you’ve not regretted your purchase!
Like all converts, you carry your enthusiasm with zeal, Claire. Good for you. I’m not quite “there” yet where e-books are concerned, but, I feel myself inching closer and closer, especially since there is the free book availability for so many books. I don’t travel that often, but I’m always making trips to our daughter and family four hundred miles away. I load myself down with four and five books each time. I can see the ease in and e-reader. Your post brings me a bit closer . . . as long as I can still have hard copies as well, it seems like the best of both worlds.
I was a hold-out too, but ‘gave in’ and bought myself a Kindle. I find it has led to me reading more than ever as I rediscover classics and find things I hadn’t come across before in the hunt for free books. I will always love tree books and still buy them ,but love the fact that I always have something to read in my handbag, wherever I am,without it weighing a ton..
Here’s the thing, Claire. Your ereader is adorable and I love gadgets but I can absolutely see myself ‘playing’ with it and then tucking it away while I grab my print copy to cosy up with! I completed a training session with the Kobo Vox at work so I speak from experience. The Girlebooks website has me wobbling every now and then though I must admit. Either way, the writing is on the tablet so to speak and I’m just delaying the inevitable. Congratulations on making the leap and enjoy!
You’ve captured my thoughts on my e-reader exactly. I’m lucky, because mine (a Nook) was an unexpected gift and now I can always be a hypocrite and say ‘I would NEVER have bought this, but now that I have it…’ I didn’t think I’d like reading on it, but I do. The only disadvantage is the lack of backlight – I could never use mine on a plane. I especially agree about the availabiity of free and hard-to-find books. {I’m vowing never to buy one!} You might want to look into Netgalley (www.netgalley.com), where publishers make copies of new books available for review.
I, too, agree with everything you say. I bought myself a Kindle after much foot dragging, but the free books and a comment by another blogger / responder about her arthritis put me over the edge. I have arthritis in my thumb, so holding books open is painful. With the light-weight Kindle and the cover I bought that folds back like an easel, it’s completely comfortable to read now. I’ll always have and love and read paper books, too, but my reading world expanded with my Kindle.
Glad you are enjoying your new purchase! I’ve had my kindle for about a year now and I have used it comfortably alongside print books – I still read more print books but my kindle is great, especially for classics.
Thanks for the link to girlebooks, I didn’t know it existed and it is a fab site!
I’ve enjoyed this post! Like you, I resisted getting an e-reader for many of the same reasons. However, this December I also caved — for many of the same reasons. Having lots of free classics and out of copyright books at my fingertips has been fantastic. I’ve discovered a lot of more obscure works than I normally would have and more obscure gems by previously admired authors. There are some texts that are otherwise really difficult to find that have been made available for ebooks. I travel quite a bit, and often in non-Anglophone countries, and it is so much easier now that I have hundreds of (often very good!) books at my disposal. There were times when I would bring four books on a trans-Atlantic flight and end up rationing them for fear of running out, and even more times I would end up picking up a not great book I wasn’t very interested in for too high of a price at a train station. The quality of my travel reading has gone up thanks to my ereader. I don’t know if you read in foreign languages at all, but that can be another advantage — previously, I had to stock up on French books when in Paris and deal with mailing or carrying them back to the Anglophone world. Now, I can get them at an instant and with a built-in (monolingual) dictionary at that!
Enjoy your Kobo! Ereaders are great tools to add to one’s reading life, rather than replacements for “real” books with pages.
I’ve toyed with getting an e-reader. If I traveled more, I would. That’s the only time I can think that it would be beneficial for me. Enjoy!
My husband got my a Kindle this past christmas. I have read a few books on it and was surprised at how natural that felt. But actually what I’ve used it most for is playing scrabble with people! I do look forward to taking it on trips, though, and having lots of books at my disposal to read without the weight in the luggage!
Glad you’re enjoying your new toy! I borrowed my mother’s at Christmas and it was so nice to be able to read in bed on my back and be comfortable at the same time, and my arms not get tired. And to be able to get the e-books from the library, that was wonderful too. Instant gratification!
I too agree with your comments. I was deeply suspicious of e-readers, but book-loving friends enthused about them, my younger daughter let me use her’s, and I was hooked, so the family bought me a Kindle for Christmas, and I love it. Like you, I download classics and out-of-print books (Project Guttenburg is wonderful and free) – but I still read and buy ‘real’ books. Personally I think e-books must be the most exciting development in books and reading since the introduction of the printing press, and they seem to arouse as much controversy as that did! They make books more accessible, and encourage more people to read, and that has to be a good thing.
Loved reading this because while I’m not quite there yet, I can see myself getting an ereader in the near future. I just want to make sure I’ll use it enough to justify the cost – but I think I will – between library books, net Galley, and purchasing books that I don’t have to store (no more space in the bookshelves) – I’m more & more sold on it everyday.
I have always been fascinated (and tempted) with the idea of getting an e-reader simply because I think it satiates my greed and appetite for books. I find it so thrilling to know that one can have access to countless of books at just one’s fingertips (and for free!), so to speak. I know it can never diminish my first love, which is for books in actual print and like you said, it will only serve to complement.
But having said all that, I have yet to get myself an e-reader simply because I find it hard to justify my need for an extra gadget which will give me easy access to even “more” books when in fact, I already have more than enough to last me a lifetime (I am a really, really slow reader unfortunately.) And yet, that has not stopped me still from downloading the many free e-books available through Project Gutenberg, ManyBooks, Feedbooks etc to my PC and android phone. Not the most ideal mediums to read, but just the act of acquiring and possessing them, and to be able to flit in and out to get a feel of the books as and when I feel like it, is pure pleasure. It’s like browsing your way through a library or bookshop in the comfort of your home, office, chair, bed, while queuing for the bus, cinema or food, etc.. 🙂
I think it’s just a matter of time before I’ll throw the ‘hard to justify’ line of argument out the window.
I’m a fairly recent e-reader convert too, the only difference is i was brought a kindle. I always said that i wouldnt like it and didnt want one, but i love it. I actually dont know where i would be without it!
I’ve had a Kindle for two years and was given an IPad for Christmas this year – the IPad is great for reading magazines but too large to read books comfortably. I love the Kindle because it gives me so many options – for example, reading a sample before purchasing a book. I have a large number of books and frankly, I’m out of shelf space. Now I can read a sample, assess how important a book will be to me, who I might want to share it with and then determine whether or not I want to own a print copy or a digital one. This gives me more control over my personal library – hopefully I’m not the only one who finds disposing of books I don’t want to keep forever a difficult exercise! I also love being able to access British and Australian authors that are not published in the US. I lived in France for a number of years and have many favorites that are available only through Amazon.
I too ended up getting a Kobo, never thought I would. I have spent thousands of dollars having bookshelves built into my last two homes, for my thousands of books, I LOVE them. But, moving to Barbados last year convinced me to purchase one. Books are very expensive here, (and are certainly very heavy in a suitcase), and the climate is hard on them as well. But when I found out I could borrow books from the Toronto public library, sold! Now of course, the problem lies with the waiting list, it seems everyone has an e-reader now, and I can be quite high on the waiting list, lol.
Woo-hoo! I loved mine when I got it! I don;t use it as much as I should because I am constantly borrowing library books but I am glad that I do read it. I think I am probably reading one in four ebooks.