The other day I woke up dreaming about the ebook v. paperback debate. It’s
something authors do. Something readers probably understand.
I am a give-me-a-physical-book-I-can-hold kind of reader.
You see, while I’m an author I adore books!
It’s not unusual for me to inhale two or three a week while managing the rest of
my life including homeschooling, lecturing, and writing. I read like I breath.
But one thing I have learned, if the book is an ebook, no matter how good my
intentions, unless I’m traveling, I probably won’t get the book read. I just won’t.
For me, a book in the phone is a book I can’t see. A book I can’t see gets
forgotten in the daily tug and busyness of life. I’ll grab the book (or two or
three) that I can see every single time rather than my phone or iPad. I just do.
So I did a quick survey on my Facebook author page, and learned that many
readers have the same preference. While they might have an ereader that they
love for traveling, on a day to day basis, they have a strong preference for
physical books. I think there are several reasons for this.
First, if you are a true book lover, you love being surrounded by your paper
friends. You want to see them and hold them long after you close the cover. You
simply can’t do that with an ebook. While you can scroll through your library
and refresh your mind on what the cover looks like, you can’t easily flip to a
passage you adored. You just can’t.
Second, if you adore books, you love sharing them with your friends. That isn’t
easy or straight-forward to do with ebooks. Now I know, there is a function for
sharing, but if I share it, I might not ever get the right to read it back. At
least, I haven’t figured out how to do that yet. But with a paper book, you have
the reminder to return it, just like I have the reminder to read it. It’s a
beautiful thing.
Third, by reading and sharing the book, I can also collect those by my favorite
authors and be reminded of all the wonderful stories I’ve read. Now I know this
isn’t a practical reason for many of us. When my family moved last year, I gave
away BOXES of books. I’ve filled several church libraries with donations. Yet I
still keep my favorite books and authors to turn to over and over again.
I can admit there are advantages to ebooks. I can take a hundred books with me
on a trip without worrying about paying extra in baggage fees. I can try a
new-to-me author at an often lower cost than with a paper book. And my
bookshelves won’t sag under stacks of books I simply can’t part with.
At the end of the day though, give me a book I can hold, smell, turn the pages
on, and carry with me in my purse, and I am one happy gal. How about you? Which
do you prefer?
Giveaway
Tell us your preference below--e-Book or paper, and one person will win a signed
copy of SHADOWED BY GRACE .
Cara C. Putman, the award-winning author of 20 books and 3 repackages
with more books on the way, is madly racing toward deadline with her first legal
romantic suspense for Harper Collins Christian Fiction. She graduated high
school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. FIRST for
Women magazine called SHADOWED BY GRACE “captivating”
and a “novel with ‘the works.’” It received the Christian Retailing BEST award
for Historical Fiction and the HOLT Award of Distinction. Cara is active at her
church and a lecturer on business and employment law and communications to
graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman
also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman received
her JD from George Mason School of Law and her Master’s in Business
Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American
Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various
roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. You
can connect with her online at:
A Story of Monuments Men
Shadowed by Grace is a dramatic
story inspired by the Monuments Men of World War II by acclaimed author Cara C.
Putman.
Desperate to save her dying mother, Rachel accepts her
newspaper’s assignment to travel to Italy to capture images dangerously close to
the front lines of WWII. Her real motive – to find the father she never knew --
an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother
need to survive.
It’s an unlikely situation for love and faith to
flourish, but soon Rachel not only finds herself, but also her long-lost earthly
father, and ultimately, the man her Heavenly father created to cherish and
provide for her.
I don't have an e-reader , I prefer books and I cherish all my books . I treat them with tender love and care .I tell my grandchildren to always use a bookmark and never turn the corner of a page down . I love love love my books .
(Joan Thrasher 11:20am March 11, 2016)
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer paper books. I have both a Kindle and a Nook, but ultimately there is nothing like a paper book.
(Mary Smith 2:06pm March 12, 2016)
Both have a place in my life. I prefer to read most books with my e-reader, but there are some extra specials ones I want as a paper copy. These are the ones I read more than one time and enjoy them just as much as if it was the first time.
(Anna Speed 1:21pm March 15, 2016)
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