e-books vs tree-books

Don't get me wrong I LOVE the idea of an e-book.  I've often considered buying an e-reader or tablet and putting the app on it.  I have read the odd few pages of e-books on my android smartphone but it is so small that I could never read a whole book on it... we do read e-books on the internet occasionally (small few page ones),  and of course when you want to read 'that type' of book on a bus load of people an e-book is so much less embarrassing :).




I'm currently carrying Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to work and back in my handbag.  This book, if you haven't seen it is huge. It is a 320 page epic and is really heavy.  The next ones in the series I have are all hardbacks and really are back killers.   Many many hardback novels sit
unread on my bookshelf because I cannot face carrying them around.  Take the next book for example.... I have been sent a copy of Endgame: The Calling by James Frey.  Again this is a huge 480 page paperback but it is soo pretty and shiny (not something you would get with an e-book)



There is something magical about a tree-book tho.  I love the way they smell and the feel of them.  I love that first moment when you open the perfect book and how loved they look with dog eared corners.  My house wouldn't feel complete without the 4 bookcases I have.  You know the old saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" well I must admit I am very much a cover person.  If the book looks boring and uninteresting  I simply won't pick it up to see what it is like (unless it's by a favourite author or recommendation).



I recently changed Ben's bookcase over.  I moved the younger picture books into his brothers room
and put the new grown up ones in it's place.  I say the 'new' ones.  They are actually old ones, 4 boxes of books from my childhood that I've either saved, found in charity shops or been given on freegle.
 He is now the owner of Roald Dahl, Flat Stanley, Famous Five and lots and lots of Enid Blyton Books.  The look on his face when he saw them, moved them and well looked at them.  I can't imagine his reaction would have been the same if I had downloaded them to a Kindle and handed it to him and said "I've put some books on there for you".

Noah's favourite book is Superworm.... he often asks to take it into school.  So at £5 (ish) to replace if it goes missing of course he can.  Would I send him with a £100 e-reader just to share a story with his peers ....... let me consider that for 2 seconds......

Ben loves bringing home his school readers in his book bag - what will happen in the future?  Will the teacher simply text him a link to the one he needs to read?

I can't imagine bedtime stories without curling up with the kids and a picture book....
   At the moment Ben can read until we switch his light off ... no chance with an e-book they have their own lights.

Yes they take up space, yes camping with a kindle would be 100 times lighter then carrying their 10 favourite books and my novel ..... but it wouldn't be THE SAME.

So often I have seen opportunities from book publishers or authors to get a preview of their new best seller and review it ... and so often I look past or decline these offers.  Not because I don't think the book looks fantastic, in fact a lot of the time I add it to my "to read" list, but because they are only offering a PDF/ e-book version.
   When the world changes and I have to move to e-books I will - but until that time hand me my trusty, ageing paperback.

........... oh and what would we use to kill flies and spiders if Newspapers became extinct?

Are you an e-booker or a tree-booker and why? Would love to find out.......