Print or digital books?

I take my library to bed

I take my library to bed. Never leave home without it. One-thousand, seven-hundred and two books aren’t heavy. They fit in my purse. I started reading e-books the end of 2010. Resistant in the beginning, I had a paper-book library big enough to wander through. After working on the computer all day, I wanted to pluck books off my shelves and thumb through the pages, not click or swipe on a reading device.

The day my reading life changed

My reading life changed the day I received notice that a book I put on hold months before, was ready for pickup. I dropped whatever I was doing and headed to the library.

I went to bed early that night. Fluffed the pillows and opened the book. I squinted. Brought it closer to my face. Shined the lamp on it. I couldn’t read it. The library had sent me a “tiny-print” version! Who knew they even made tiny-print books? Large-print for old people, yes, but who would read this one? A flea?

I got my husband’s attention and pointed at the text. “Look at this.” 

“What?” he asked, seemingly confused.

I pointed out the obvious.

And he read a paragraph out loud without moving off his side of the bed. I scowled, and he shrugged and suggested checking out the large-print version.

My first Kindle

I bought a Kindle instead. When it arrived, I went online to buy ‘the’ book that brought me into the e-book world and it wasn’t available. That’s right.

I bought a 150 dollar Kindle and the 10 dollar book I wanted to read wasn’t an e-book. However disappointing at the time, it wasn’t long before it became one, and I learned the e-book world was far bigger than font size.

No one can have too many books

But what would a life be without paperbacks and hardcovers? What would a town be without a library? What would a night out be without a bookstore? We don’t have to choose. We can have it all. Paper books or digital, no one can have too many.