I Think I’ve Fallen in Love With eBooks

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about how much I wanted to like eBooks but just couldn’t called, ‘The Quest to Fall in Love With eBooks’. The post itself kind of slipped my mind, but after redesigning my blog, I was reminded of the journey I was supposed to actively be on (oops). After a moment’s thought and a glance at my Kindle resting centimetres away from my laptop, I realised how much had changed in that year.

When I drafted that post, I was frustrated with my reading habits and ready to make a change. For some reason, it shocked me when I realised that I had. I never thought I’d be able to convince myself that eBooks were worth it, but apparently, I was wrong. At that time, I found it hard to believe I could ever become attached to my Kindle, and feeling ungrateful sparked my initial interest in changing my attitudes towards e-readers.

I think the best place to start in order to illustrate how much has changed in my relationship with eBooks would be establishing what my problems were with them in the first place.

Why I didn’t Like eBooks

• Physical books – I was in a love affair with physical books (we are now on a break, but very much still friends) and the eBook format could not compare to collecting them like pieces of art. I was also able to write on my books, which is not yet an experience that translates well to e-readers.
• eBooks are aesthetically boring – It’s a completely different experience to see how much of a book you’ve read, accessorise with bookmarks and hold a book in your hands, one that I initially could not let go of. Essentially I thought e-readers were boring, especially because of their black and white format.
• Price – I believed that eBooks would be far more expensive or not worth the price. Why would I want a digital copy of a book that could be lost when I could have the physical version at the same price?

It’s so strange to be able to easily counter each of these points in a way I could not before, but I suppose I was stubborn. Now, I have managed to implement strategies, without even really noticing, that helped me change my approach to eBooks and, by extension, to reading as a whole.

Where I Made Changes

• I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone. This was a game changer. I don’t know if it reminded me of being younger and reading on my phone until I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open but being able to access my books wherever I am with no fear of tearing pages, getting them wet or having to carry anything extra with me changed everything. Having the Kindle store so easily accessible without the slight lag of my Kindle itself may not have helped with my book buying problem though…
• At the end of last year, I did a three-month stint of Kindle Unlimited, which is essentially an eBook library service. I wanted to get the most out of the (discounted) price I paid for the service, so I was forced to build up a habit of reading on my Kindle.
• More recently, Amazon First Reads – a service in which you can read new releases in different genres early – has kept me glued to my Kindle. Most of these are offered as Kindle books for a discounted price, though you can often get physical copies too, and I can’t resist.

What I Like About eBooks

I consulted my reading journal to ascertain the ratio of physical books to eBooks I’ve read this year, knowing that one would far outweigh the other. As of writing this, I’ve read 11 eBooks and 4 physical books this year. At this time last year, the idea that I would have read more eBooks than physical books would have been laughable to me. Back then, I was trying and failing to use my e-reader. Now, I’d rather scroll through my digital catalogue of books than wade through my stacks of unread books when I’m looking for something new to read.

In part, I think it takes away the pressure of picking the right book to read next that I get from my bookshelves. I still struggle making the decision sometimes, but often with Kindle books there has been a kind of urgency to getting through them, whether reading it before my rent on it runs out or before the book is published. I also used to worry about about wanting to continue any series that I started physically as eBooks, when in reality it’s great to not even have to wait for books to come in the post. The immediacy of the downloads on an e-reader is great when you’re looking for something to read quickly or you want to get the jump on a new release as soon as it’s available. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have to wait until 8pm for my packages to arrive in the post, so I think I’d rather my instantaneous eBook delivery.

E-readers also give you access to a wider range of books, often at discounted prices. There is no limitation imposed by stock and considering Amazon has its own self-publishing service, it opens readers up to the possibility of finding fresh voices or lesser-known authors.

My Conclusion? eBooks Are Worth It

The bottom line is that I truly enjoy reading on my Kindle now, not necessarily more so than I enjoy physical books, which I will probably always read without issue, but eBooks are more practical, which I noted in my post detailing why I wanted to develop a habit of reading them. I’ve amassed a couple dozen books on my Kindle in the year I’ve been using it. If I translated those into physical books, I would have had to give up my room, bed and all, to my books.

So, if you’re unsure about whether an e-reader is for you, or you’re vehemently against them, I hope my experience encourages you to at least give them a chance.

Now that I’ve completed my quest, I’m ready to claim my rewards! What’s your experience with e-readers? Leave a comment or find me on Instagram and let me know.