A couple of years ago, I remember saying that I would never want to read a book that wasn’t printed on paper. I was fiercely defiant in my determination not to purchase an e-reader. Why would I ever want an e-reader? I love books. I love the smell of the paper wafting toward my nose as I turn the pages one by one. I love the feel of flipping pages and the paper under my fingers. Then Amazon tempted me with an offer: I could access one free book a month. At the same time, my local library began e-checkouts with the book automatically returned at the end of the checkout resulting in no more late fines. I broke down and purchased an e-reader. To my surprise, I liked it. Consult Mikey from the gone-but-not-totally-forgotten Life breakfast cereal commercials. “She likes it.”
So now I’m always reading one printed book (because I still love reading an actual paper copy of a book) and one e-reader book (because I like my e-reader as well). Last week I shared that I was reading Jennifer McQuiston’s What Happens in Scotland. I’m still reading that. It’s the type of book that becomes more engrossing the more you read it. After I finish writing this blog and some online Christmas shopping, I’m going to read even more of it.
But I’m also reading Beach House Beginnings (Beach House No. 9) by Christie Ridgway. Ms. Ridgway was awesome enough to teach an online course last summer which was the first online course in which I ever participated. She was absolutely fabulous sharing her knowledge of the subject so I rushed out and bought this novella (which I am finally reading six months later).
One advantage of a printed version of a book is that you can flip to the back before you start reading it and refresh yourself about the plot of the book. With my Kindle, I often start a book without flipping to the back cover first.
One advantage of an e-reader is that you can take it anywhere. I was reading Beach House Beginnings while waiting for MJ’s choral performance to start. Parents were required to drop their children off at 5:45 and not leave until after the performance which didn’t start until a little after 7:15. There I was sitting in an elementary school cafeteria, really becoming enraptured in the romance novel when I noticed that the man behind me was looking a little too closely over my shoulder. I guess he was enjoying the book as well.
Beach House Beginnings revolves around Meg, a 29 year old heroine, who is returning to her family’s business of running beach houses to confront her demons over the loss of her first love who died while drowning. Peter’s cousin Caleb is staying in one of her family’s beach houses. (I hope I’m not giving any spoilers, I’m still pretty early in the book). So far, it’s been a fun read, easy to squeeze in while waiting for MJ and chauffeuring the rest of my brood around.
So I’ll continue to read one book on my Kindle while reading a paper copy of a book as well. What about you? Do you have a preference about an e-reader or a paper book? Do you read in both formats? If so, do you read one book at a time or one book on each format at a time?