I’m Sorry eBooks, Do You Forgive Me?

When eBooks first became popular a few years ago, I scoffed at the idea of some Nook (and cranny) or Fire replacing the familiar feel of paper or the distinct smell of ink on the page. I was proud of my shelves full of dead trees and fictional stories. I often scoured Half-Priced Books for bargains to add to my collection.

Last year several of my blogging buddies published books. A few of them published eBooks only, which meant I’d have to bite the proverbial bullet and read eBooks if I wished to support them. And I did wish to support them.

Luckily, I didn’t have to buy an eReader. My smartphone (Android FTW!) has a Nook app, a Kindle app, and many other eReaders available for download in the Play store. I began reading talented authors such as Laura Ashley Lord, Matt Roberts, and Helena Hann-Basquiat. And you know what I found? Well, besides the fact that all three are spectacular writers, I found that I love reading eBooks.

I’ll wait here a minute while you all recover from the shock of finding out I was wrong about something.

You good? Good.

I normally do most of my reading in bed at night. I curl up beneath my covers, under the dim light on my nightstand, and read until my eyes become so heavy I can no longer stay awake. Therefore, holding up my phone and swiping my finger across the screen to “turn the page” is infinitely easier than holding up a thick book and manually turning a page. First world problems, amiright?

But reading on my phone compared to one of those hardback books? It’s no contest. The eBook wins easily. It’s more portable. It’s more compact. It’s quantifiably lighter. It saves my place without any extra clicks, no bookmark needed. Overall, it’s just an easier reading experience.

The biggest reason I have come to prefer eBooks over traditional books is lighting. Since I read by a nightlight (because I’m too lazy to get up and flip the switch on the wall when I’m ready to go to sleep) I have to turn in such a way that the lamp illuminates the pages when I read a traditional book. An eReader has an illuminated screen. That means I can lay whatever crazy way I want in my bed without having to worry about where my lamp is located.

Additionally, there are features eReaders have that I’ve yet to use. Things such as bookmarking and researching. For instance, if you come across a word you don’t know you can look the meaning up right there. You can adjust the color of the background for ease on the eyes. You can adjust the size of the font. You can highlight a section and add notes, which I’m assuming is especially handy if you’re in school. There are probably even more features I don’t know about, especially on devices specifically made to be eReaders.

So basically I judged eBooks without even trying them, and forming an opinion on something you haven’t tried is something I often chide my children for. Fail.

So, eBooks, do you forgive me? Can you look past my indiscretions? Can we be friends? I promise I’ll never associate you with hipsters again.