The Online Reflector

As a frequent reader,  I always have been fond of the accomplishment of finishing a book that exceeds my expectations. For me, it doesn’t get any better than Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk or Bret Easton Ellis, just to name a few. I have quite a collection in my room as well, and I patiently wait to pursue the next book I want to read. Even though reading an actual book is great, is the e-reader putting actual books out of commission? I don’t think so.

There are many pros and cons about reading an actual book versus an e-book. With new tablets available such as the Kindle Fire and the Nook, a lot of people are steering toward the technology, because it’s a better way to have a library all in one safe place: your hands. As an owner of the Kindle Fire, I, too, have my share of books on the tablet, most of which I have in book form as well. Compatibility is one of the main features of an e-reader, and the fact that you do not have to carry a 700-page book around with you.

The latter feature could help with any of the Harry Potter books, Stephen King novels or if you are a classics fan, any of the lengthier works by Tolstoy, Hugo or Dickens.

The biggest advantage to having an actual book in your hand is that you are holding the original form of the book and feel as if you can get into it a little more.

Another positive aspect is that having a collection of  books at your home can display to people what all you have read, whereas the tablet or e-reader can’t really show that, because everything is electronic.

What makes the e-reader so special, though, is that you can get many books loaded into one device, so it is travel friendly. The coolest part I find on the e-reader version of books is that you can highlight, take notes and bookmark more than one spot. I never like to put markings in my actual books or rip the cover of the hardcover editions because it takes away from the value. I can usually mark whatever I want in the e-reader and go back whenever I want.

Actual books trump e-readers in the overall price and value of the books. Certain books can be hard to find, and when you get them, they can be worth a lot of money later on in your life.  If you are a frequent reader like me, collecting books by certain authors or finding certain stories that were not published after a few years is almost an addiction. In most of these cases, these books are not available electronically.

I feel the selection of electronic books to readers is not as big as it should be. Some of the more contemporary authors sometimes back out of publishing their books electronically because they may feel that doing so ruins the overall experience of the book.

How should you choose which one to read? I typically go back and forth with both versions. If I do not want to read the print version between classes, I bring my tablet with me, so I can enjoy the book another way.

I feel books are more for when you are not doing anything and want to lie in bed or on the couch, (maybe even a hammock), and read, whereas tablets are for when you are going somewhere and  want to have the electronic versions of certain books.

Whether you go with electronic or print books is entirely up to you, but I do not believe books will lose their sentimental value anytime soon. Too much fun and joy comes from reading a book as compared to an e-reader because of the actual feeling of holding a book. As summer approaches, you’ll have many opportunities to sit down, chill out and pop open a book you have been dying to read. It’s only a matter of what you want to  hold in your hands to discover the story.