5 Reasons why I chose ebook reader over hardcopy book

The idiom ‘swim against the current to be successful in life’ acts in the reverse in this age of technology where you either swim with the current by embracing an e-book reader or face the same fate as the hard copy books in the library – dusty and forsaken. I developed the habit of reading and collecting books, of various sizes, shapes and designs, as a nursery student – my first book was “Thumbelina” story book with pictures that move. As I grew older the habit of book reading became part of my life; thus I refused to leave this old world of books, even if offered a billion dollars in exchange.

I cannot assume a Bookless (hard copy) world as the ingrained habit of reading books bestows unexplained pleasure tastier than eating a hot cake right out of the oven or a chilled chocolate ice cream. When I held the books in my hands a train of emotions followed with it – the smell of the fresh pages or the dust of the library; the crackling sound while flipping the pages; the little stains of tea or coffee left by the previous readers which gave the feeling that I read the book while being surrounded by an imaginary group of bookworms. Besides, there is nothing as exciting and pleasurable akin to reading books under the shade of a tree with the cool breeze ruffling the pages of the books.
Stubbornly clinging to save the glorified habit from extinction I travelled half an hour by bus, carrying heavy books, to the biggest public library in the city. The number of book shelves, in this library, decreased on my every consecutive visit with the vacant spaces utilized for personality development activities – English speaking, calligraphy, creative writing…. The silent giant the internet which gradually devours the brick and mortar library facilitates every activity in the library to be materialised through a virtual library. I subscribed, however unwillingly, for online membership enabling me to download books from an ocean of collections available in the virtual library

Switching from hard copy books to e book reader was a new milestone in my life– I discarded the habit I loved and felt proud of; a habit of reading books that became my friend, confidants, influence, intellectual powerhouse……….my all weather friends –my hard copy book. Now I own an e-book reader, not a library of books proudly displayed on bookshelves in every room of my house. Anyways e-books score over hard copy books in a number of ways as elucidated below:

1. I instantly download the books instead of the time-consuming practice of searching the rows of shelves in the library
2. I need no book marker as I can utilize the book marker feature in the e-book reader.
3. The night-reading mode makes reading comfortably in the night
4. I can easily carry the e-book reader in a handbag.
5. The e-book reader apps can be downloaded on mobiles, tablets and smartphones making the handbag lighter.