Hardbound Books vs. E-Books & Physical Bookstores vs. Online Bookstores

Our world has gotten so technologically advanced that now we can read and enjoy books, of all genres and topics, without actually opening up a hardbound book. Who would have thought that this could actually be possible?

Just like songs that can be downloaded, books can be downloaded as well. These have come to be called e-books. They are downloaded onto the computer or better yet to special gadget devices like Kindle and Nook that allow us to read books on the go, no matter where we are. Very convenient isn’t it? Why carry a book with you, which is probably bulky or heavy, when you can carry a pretty slim gadget, like Kindle, with you that will actually allow you to enjoy your favorite book, and not just one but many. A pretty convenient thing, especially if you are going on vacation.

Yes, I am up with the technological advances, and I am into certain technological gadgets like the iPod, that allows me to have a huge collection of albums and songs without having to actually carry physical CDs with me, but when it comes to books, gadgets like Kindle and Nook are not on my list.

I have nothing against these devices; I just prefer hardbound books to e-books. There is nothing like holding a hardbound book in my hands and leafing through its many pages. Ah and I cannot forget that indescribable book scent (especially from older books) that I can never get enough of; a scent that is obviously missing from those convenient e-books. Even the whole reading process is that much more enjoyable when I hold a hardbound book in my hands, than if I were to read a book online or on one of those gadgets.

Oh and what about buying books? Of course there are two options here – go to an actual bookstore or shop online. I will admit that I did buy books online a number of times in the past, but that was only because I had no time to go to an actual bookstore to get the books; and in a few instances, those books were only available online so I had no choice but to get them online. Those few cases aside, I prefer to go to a physical bookstore, again for its indescribable book scent and for the ability to touch hardbound books and leaf through them. There is also that feeling of being transported into this secluded place where I am happy and at peace; where I have all the time in the world to just unwind and escape into the creative minds of the authors and their stories that have been imprinted on paper for endless generations to uncover. There is just nothing like it. A feeling like no other; a feeling I can never get when I shop online. If I could go into a bookstore and spend an entire day there I sure would. It is actually hard for me to leave a bookstore once I actually go to one. I just don’t want to leave and it takes a lot of willpower to say “hey, it’s time to go…”

Reading is a passion of mine, and, if I had endless storage room, I would buy every book I read. Unfortunately that is not the case, so I have resort to getting most books from the library (that I return when I’m done) and be selective in the books I actually buy.

As you have already found out, I do not own a gadget like Kindle; and I do not download or buy e-books. That is just not me. I am a hardbound book fan and a fan for life. So long as hardbound books exist, and I am sure they will not be vanishing in this lifetime, I will always choose hardbound books when I feel like reading a book. There is nothing like it.