We live in an age where we have the privilege of debating over the use of e-readers or traditional books. In the interest of full disclosure, I will begin by stating that I use both on a regular basis and believe that we can fully enjoy both. I am very romantic about the scent of physical pages, the tactile experience of holding a book in my hands, and wandering a bookstore to find something new.
With all that said, there are distinct advantages to using an e-reader like a Kindle or Nook. I have compiled here, what I consider to be strong and valid arguments for reading from such a device.
Night Reading.
E-readers are their own source of illumination. Despite the technological advances of new book lights, they are still an additional encumbrance that gets in the away of enjoying your book. I love that my e-reader lets me read in the dark without disturbing anyone.
As a father, I can tell you that this is the best way to read to a toddler at bedtime because they are not distracted by whatever light source you are using and will fall asleep faster.
On an additional note, reading scary stories to yourself on a black screen with white text in the pitch black of night adds an immersive element that I highly suggest.
Transportability.
Most e-readers are more compact and light weight than a book and whether you are merely leaving for the day or travelling for an extended period, conservation of space makes the journey easier. As a bookworm with a tendency to change residencies, I can tell you that there is both ease and relief in fitting an entire library into a coat pocket.
As a bookworm with a tendency to change residencies, I can tell you that there is both ease and relief in fitting an entire library into a coat pocket.
Permanence.
If something happens to your book, the damage is something you are forced to live with or replace but if your e-reader is lost or destroyed, all of your books still exist and await a new device. I have personally lost entire boxes of books while changing cities and the realisation of this is heartbreaking. Having a digital library is like an insurance policy on your books.
I have personally lost entire boxes of books while changing cities and the realisation of this is heartbreaking. Having a digital library is like an insurance policy on your books.
New Reads Are A Click Away.
How many times have you finished a book quicker than expected too and been left without the next one?
Maybe you are traveling and have left the next book that you wanted to read at home or you are home and don’t have the ability to get to the store to purchase the next one. Immediate gratification is another gift of the e-reader as it delivers your next literary love affair to you at the speed of a wireless download.
Avoiding Judgment.
Let’s face the fact that we are not always proud of whatever book we are reading. I, like many other bookworms, enjoy looking around to see what other people are reading. Right or wrong, there are some books that we are embarrassed to admit that we enjoy.
Using an e-reader means that there is no cover that is shouting to the other people on public transit or in the cafe about what it is we are reading.
Everyone Stares At Their Phones Anyway.
Has anyone else noticed that it is socially acceptable to play on a smartphone when you are in public or meant to be socialising? I will leave the discussion of our wireless zombie apocalypse for another time but I have found that pulling out a book in the same situations is almost universally frowned upon.
Rejoice my fellow readers for your phone has apps for both the Kindle and the Nook so that you may access your digital library and indulge in reading while those around you are playing games or surfing the web.
I will never stop reading physical books but my love affair with the sensuality of that experience has not blinded me to the value of my e-readers. The radio did not disappear when television was invented but it did change. I hope that these insights will be helpful in leading others to embrace the e-reader.
Books Rock My World 
I love my kindle fire HD too and loved your post.
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Great article, I still love real books but I love my Kindle too. I have read so much more in the last 3 years since I got my Kindle than ever before, and I’ve always been a voracious reader. I think it’s the access to any book I want at my fingertips that’s helped.
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I do not have an ereader, so I cant comment lol
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Great post, thank you! I think people can be very judgmental of e-readers and I can’t see a reason for it. Books are books, and the eReader or the physical book is just the medium. 2 other benefits which are most important to me…1. Ebooks are header than physical books. 2. The space that physical books take up can limit what a person can own and for me, a large collection of physical books causes clutter. Not so if all your books fit onto a 6 inch device. 😊
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I meant cheaper not header.
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Experienced all advantages but the having no next book waiting in line…more books then I can read and still buying new, second hand or taking out of the library 🙂 #bookwurm
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So very true…FACTS! 🙂
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My ereader with its 200+ books never gets dusty! The 783 books on the shelves I have are very dusty.. love them both!
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I have never been without my next physical book ready. I still don’t have an eReader and don’t care to have one. I get most of my books from the library and garage sales so the affordability of books is irrelevant to me. I rarely buy a book, and almost never for full-price.
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My kindle died once when I was in Europe. I almost got hives thinking about the flight back until I found an English speaking bookstore in Gibraltar.
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I buy ebooks for some of the above reasons but mostly because I can adjust the print size . People are getting older and printed books can become hard to read, especially thick books with tiny print. When travelling it is much easier, there is no denying that, but I still browse in the library and bookshop to find the books.
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I was given a Kindle for Christmas (having resisted the idea for years) and recently saw its big advantage: that I was able to download a book in French and start reading it straight away rather than waiting for the book to arrive from France. Since I was going to an author’s reading the following week, this immediacy was important.
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I’ve usually got at least 3 traditional books on the go as well as the books I read to the kids and text books for uni but I love my ereader.
It was a sanity saver when I was breastfeeding, especially at night. At night, I prop my ereader horizontally so I only have to move a single finger to turn the page. It doesn’t lose my place when I fall asleep halfway through a paragraph. It’s easy to highlight passages to go break to later.
I have to admit to getting frustrated by those who say you have to like one or the other, and if course you should share their preferences. Raid is reading, and we all need to do more of it.
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I won’t lie; I prefer real books, but I love my Kindle mainly for the fact that I can tap an unfamiliar word and get more information.
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I love my e-reader because I can take a whole library with me when I am traveling!
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As someone with arthritis in my hands, my Kindle allows me to read for longer periods of time, without pain, than regular books.
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