I was thinking about e-books and e-reading the other day.. and I remember watching that very episode of Oprah when she first gave everyone a Kindle. It seemed like a good idea at the time, affordable, easy to buy books, portable, I could go on..
I do love new technology (despite not having the funding to own most of it *sigh* the life of a student) but in my experience machines crash, bugs appear, and with most new and shiny technology they often get lost or stolen. (or is that just me?)
Ive been advised by a number of people to buy myself an e-reader after seeing the stacks of books I never find time to shelve properly, but I'm hesitant. Its not that I'm worried about whether I'll lose it, or even too cheap to buy books for it (which IS a factor, lol) but its that feeling of holding something solid, something someone printed in your hands.
By looking at my books you can tell straight away which ones are my favorites, the careworn covers mended with tape, pages dogeared, and cramped writing in the margins where I've underlined and noted the passages i loved the most. Whenever i pick up one of these, i have a memory that goes with it which makes them indispensable. A collection of Orwell's Essays of mine now has a handmade cover, but i think of my English professor who opened my mind on literature and ideas every time i read it.
I dont think that ill be making the switch anytime soon, even though it sounds more convenient. I think i like being attached to my past thoughts and emotions in this way.
One last note, i was given a few Paulo Coelho books as gifts...none of the spines are even cracked..Oprah can be wrong sometimes
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