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E-readers make avid book lovers fall even more in love

  • by kathleen duncan/kduncan@vicad.com
  • Originally published November 14, 2012 at 3:27 p.m., updated November 14, 2012 at 3:27 p.m.

The smell of books. Paper, vanilla, dust. The scratchy, soft feel of each page between your fingers as you turn it. Seeing the notes you've made over the years or the fingerprints of friends you've lent it to. Maybe the water stains (heaven forbid) from that time you ran through the rain trying to protect it.

Sure, we book lovers are nostalgic and sometimes, a little possessive. But to us, a book with all of its tears, smells and aging pages are as important as a one-of-a-kind photograph. They tell us about the time of our life when that book came into it. They're practically irreplaceable.

So why, for all my dreamy rants about pages and smells and dust, would I own an e-reader? E-readers have been scorned by some and to them I say, to each their own! But I believe people who love books, will love books whether they are packed into an e-reader or stacked haphazardly around their home.

I love that I can take thousands of books with me to another country. And that I no longer have to pay weight charges on my suitcase because I want 14 books to go with me. (Yes, that used to happen).

There are, of course, other perks to e-reading. The ability to highlight and put notes on pages that are automatically stored online. To look up words you don't understand with the press of a finger. The ability to send a book instantly to a friend because you can't wait for them to read it, too. And my favorite, to download a book at 2 a.m. because you just finished the first one in the series, and you can't wait to read the next.

For those that think this sounds great, there are some wonderful e-readers out there right now. The best one in my opinion, is the Kindle Paperwhite. Thin and small, extremely lightweight, weeks of battery life and a soft glow screen that allows you read in sun or darkness. The Paperwhite is as close to reading a paper book as you can get. For the book purists out there, this is the e-reader for you.

For those that want a tablet that is also an e-reader, the iPad mini is a smart choice. Not only do you get the integration with your iTunes, email and Internet, but you can use the Kindle app, Nook app, Kobo app and iBooks to read however you wish.

And since it is mini, it fits better in your purse, briefcase or backpack. The main downsides are battery life and glare when you read outside in sunlight. I have seen my iPad simply give up on a beach because the sunshine was so fierce that it overheated and shut down. In the middle of a good book, that kind of behavior is maddening. But for the right user, the advantages of having a tablet can outweigh the flaws.

For those that would like something in between with a little color or glow and maybe some tablet type options; there are the Nook, Kobo and Kindle Fire to choose from.

I love my hoards of books as much as I love my e-readers, so I hope other book lovers will find the one for them and start reading! After all, day or night, with an e-reader, books are just a click away.