Book or Kindle? Where Are You In World’s Most Passionate Debate?
I wasn’t going to go, well, there.
Frankly, you’ve given me no choice.
Such a shame, too, as you and I were getting along so well.
In fact, it appeared we were never better following my column of a couple weeks ago where I confessed to be a life-long book lover.
Clearly, I’m not alone.
I don’t think a column has ever generated more email.
You are not shy about your love for books.
Nor about recommending who you think I should read next.
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel
by Anthony Doerr was the most-often recommended book, by the way.
That, and the avalanche of your other suggestions could keep my eyeballs occupied and happy the rest of my reading life.
Thank you for taking the time to send those along.
Honestly, it would’ve been great if you could’ve just left things there.
But, no.
You had to step into that divide bigger than nations, more fractured than religions.
A gulf bigger than the great oceans of the world.
You had to bring up the great debate of “Book vs. New Fangled Tablet.”
Oh, yes, you did.
And here I thought your Mama brought you up better than that.
And not only brought it up, but with great passion.
“And let’s be clear, I’m recommending real books!” one person emailed. “You can’t beat the feel, the smell of the pages, the experience.”
And in your sharing was the unspoken question, “And you, Daryn? Surely, a book lover like you, likes real books, too?”
The Paper!
The Print!
The Binding!
Well, here goes.
Get ready to burn the newspaper or click delete on your computer.
My name is Daryn, and I’m a Kindle user.
Aack!
There, I said it.
I never intended to be one of those people.
One day, I simply dipped my page-turning index finger with a little try of the iBooks app on my iPad.
Bought a book while sitting in an airplane at 35,000 feet.
Talk about a “Wow!” moment.
The instant book gratification was topped by the ease of zipping through pages.
Yeah, I can read faster on a tablet.
Evelyn Wood would be so proud.
I’ve now jumped into the deep end and gone full-on Kindle, carrying the equivalent of huge stacks of books with me wherever I go.
Simply, I hooked and booked.
So, judge if you will.
But also give thanks that I’m not the person in front of you at the public library on the wait list for the real book.
I’m not taking longer to gather my things from the overhead compartment on the airplane.
Perhaps, that’s enough to keep us friends.
Now that you’ve opened the Pandora’s Book Box, let me have it—
Old fashioned book?
Or tablet?
I’m ready for us to go there.
Find more uplifting stories on my website, DarynKagan.com
Please catch my newspaper column each week in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Dayton Daily News and other newspapers across Ohio.
5:46 pm
I used to be a snob, in that I didn’t think I’d “like” reading anything in e-version because it wasn’t a “real book.”. I was wrong. I LOVE my Kindle. The HOW something is to be read doesn’t matter to me; all that matters is its availability and content.
4:14 pm
I love to read and haves stacks of books, but they are expensive and we are now elderly with not much money, yes, I know about the library, but……. I do love my Kindle and have something like 400 books on it.
8:24 pm
I am bona fide book lover. However, I recently downsized from a rather large house to one half its size. Something had to go. While I kept my first editions and signed books, I have gone Kindle for the rest. It’s saving a few forests too. And my first editions and signed copies down the road won’t ever have any fingerprints on them!