Thursday, February 17, 2011

Shhhh...

Feeling quiet this week. Really still in my heart and head...

I sit at the computer and stare and feel little desire to read or write.

So I pick up my current Harry Potter
and dive back into the world of teenaged magic
and forget about the dishes
and schoolwork
and tediums of life in February
for a little smidge longer.

This morning, I heard a reporter say that Borders was going out of business
because nobody reads real books anymore.

"When was the last time
you curled up with a real book?"

She asked.

"We all pick up our Kindles and Nooks instead!"

Not me.

I understand.

I do.

It's cheaper/easier/cooler/etc. to read on a nifty reading thingy-bob.
There may come a day when I break down
and own one myself...

But paperless books just aren't the same.

My books are dog-eared and frayed.
They have spots of spaghetti sauce and salsa from reading during meals.
They have rips and creases from falling asleep with them.
They can be shared or given away
(is there something you'd like to borrow?)
My books are loved and worn and cherished
and I wouldn't want it any other way.

13 comments:

Joy said...

I love my paper books, too. They are my friends, and among the first things that I unpack when we move, because home isn't home without books.

Lisa said...

I am the same way. Nothing feels better then paper between your fingers when you read. There's just something warm and welcoming about it, something you can't get from a screen.

Julie said...

I always have 2 books on my nightstand and end the day by reading. I'm sure one day books will be an old antique oddity. My wallpaper on my phone is a picture of my library of books.

Katie said...

I used to feel the same way (except I only liked NEW books--buying used ones creeped me out). But now, I look at the entire wall of books I still own from years of earning an English degree and think, "Wow, I could have them all on my Nook and have WAY more room in my house." Honestly, if they had eBooks back when I was in college, it would have saved years on the life of my back (I can't tell you how many semesters I had to haul a hardbound copy of the complete works of Shakespeare all over campus).

I guess what I'm saying is, I got over missing the feel of paper pretty fast.

Mom24 said...

I know, I understand, I would have completely agreed with you. It's a huge surprise to me that when DS got me a Nook Color for Christmas (and I wasn't even happy to get it then), that I would come to prefer reading on it. Blows me away.

Michelle said...

Amen! btw your page has a spam link on it that goes to a "Wal-Mart $1000 gift card winner" site. New ad or changes?

Anyway, LOVE this post - and I am absolutely there with you on the books. I can't do the electronic books. I really really want to feel the pages and smell them and hold them and turn them. I wasn't the reason Borders is declaring BK.

Unknown said...

Well said - right on the money.

Unknown said...

You and I are totally on the same page (pun intended).

Stacia said...

I've never read anything besides a paper book. We just got a Kindle for Romania because it's the only way to get cheap English books for our year there. I think push had to come to shove for me to even consider it, but a year without books is imaginable to me!

Anonymous said...

Amen. As someone who bought/recieved (through giftcards/gifts) ten books for her birthday... I say long live the book!

~Lil Mama~ said...

Ohhh I soooo feel the same way as you do. I ♥ heart ♥ my books! ♥ seriously. I canNOT bring myself to buy a cool-reading-thingamajiggy. My hubby brought one home for me and it was crap. CRAP I TELL YA! I had it for less than 12hrs. My books tell their own story. I can remember everything about the 1st time I read them. I know that if I fall asleep reading and my book drops the couple feet to the floor it will be totally fine. Yes it might be a little bent or pages might have gotten folded but guess what?!?!? The wonderment(is that a real word? Heck, it is to me now!) of it is...it will still work. It will still tell me the story that made me want to open it up in the first place. That fancy 'I am better than a book because I am all electronicy and make the person using it look all sophisticated' thingamajiggy will NOT tell a dern thing!! You know why?!?! Because it will be broke, it will have a blank screen...with all your precious ebooks inside of it. *supersadfaceforyoursophisticated fancyself*

Okay. I freaked out. Sorry.

~Lil Mama~ said...

One Beer! 1!!!! Serious!

I like to call it 'passionately animated'!

Under the influence...pshhhh ;)

nmaha said...

In knooowwww.............I love my paper books and can never switch (never say never)

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