eReader

I got pretty spoiled this Christmas. Due to the forgotten Anniversary (He still claims he just didn't know we were doing gifts), I got a lot of stuff I asked for. THIS /\ is a Sony eReader Pottermore edition. For those Harry Potter geeks out there, you may have noticed that the first chapter of Philosopher's Stone is in the picture there.

And yes, I did ask for an ereader... but hear me out!

I know I said "never" to an ereader, but when Erin was here for 6 weeks, she told me about how she gets library books on hers, and how much more convenient it is for her when she is ferrying back and forth between Vancouver and Victoria.... and this got me thinking....

I haven't been friendly with any library since university, and while I was in Education, I only went and got a new card for the Saskatoon Public Library so that I could use a Dr Seuss book in a lesson I presented (and only because I procrastinated and it was too late to order it from McNally at that point). But the more I was thinking about the library, the more I realized that this ereader thing has a definite advantage there. Some people like "well read" books and the smell of libraries, but I hate both of those things. I prefer my book pages to be crisp and perfect, and I prefer my books to NOT be scented by age and body odor... or whatever it is that makes library books smell that way (gross). But digital copies can't be dog eared or have pages entirely ripped out, and they will only smell like my very own ereader. PLUS this is financially ideal, because now I can read books from the library and only go out and buy them if I LIKE them. I've read quite a few duds lately and it would have been nice if I had never bought them... not that they don't look good on my bookshelf.

The other part, about travelling on the ferry, made me think about how I ALWAYS bring a second book with me to ANY road trip, it doesn't matter if it's only a weekend, I *might* end up finishing that book I'm 2 chapters in to and I would lose my mind if I couldn't start another one. When I went to London for 3 weeks I brought 3 extra books and then bought another 4 while I was there. I did not even finish the one I had started before I left Canada. (I mean, SERIOUSLY! Who goes to London to just READ when there are a million things to see? I should have known better) With an ereader, I could take that many extra books (MORE, in fact) and not have to worry about the extra space, or getting damaged in my bag (for the record, I do pack them as though they were breakable objects) Not to mention when on road trips, or on a plane or anything, you don't always have the room to stretch out and properly read a book, and an ereader is smaller, so that's a plus too.

So yes, I have relented to say that ereaders have their place in my life, but they will never replace an actual book in my hand. This one has a specific purpose to (in theory) save me money. But if an author I like publishes a book, it's off to McNally I go! to get my own copy. This is just for the iffy ones... and Harry Potter... cuz apparently I can't have enough copies of those books :)