![]() ![]() This wasn’t related to the time I had at my disposal, so much as the technology itself. Over time though, I began to notice a curious change in my reading habits that was the direct result of reading on a tablet or smartphone: I was reading less and less during the day, and almost only in the evening or at night. I had read comments on it being ‘better’, and not tiring the eyes, but it seemed like a fairly weak reason to invest in one overall. For a good two years it was my main reading medium, and I didn’t really appreciate the point of a dedicated ereader. Like many, when I first really started to get into ereading, it was on a multi-purpose tablet on which I had the Amazon Kindle app installed. I never need to choose between knowledge and the reading experience. When faced with this scenario, the question was always ‘ can I deduce from context?’ and ‘ is it important enough to stop reading?’ Now, a quick tap on the word on the screen and a full dictionary definition will pop up instantly answering my query. Ideally, we would always seek out knowledge without hesitation, but let’s be realistic: Looking up a word means putting down whatever you were reading to retrieve a thick dictionary, then spend time finding the word, and thus breaking clean from the reading immersion. Consulting a dictionary has long been a decision process that involved weighing the pros and cons. ![]() A couple of clicks, a few seconds downloading, and you are on to book three!Īnother feature that stands out is the instant dictionary lookup, and in many languages no less. With digital, not only are all the books always available, but they are available immediately too. If it is 10 pm and you are at home, you may have to wait to scratch that literary itch until the next day, possibly after work or class, and still make the time to go to the bookstore to buy it. Even if you know finding it will be easy, such as book three of a popular series, and you just finished book two. If you’re just out to get that latest bestseller, then you’ll almost certainly leave satisfied, but if you are unsure, or looking for something a little less under the limelight, then a generous dollop of luck is needed to be sure you find what you seek. By that I mean that no matter how extensive or specialized the store’s selection, one never really knows what one is going to find. As anyone who has regularly visited in bookstores can sympathize with, there is always the matter of the ‘bookstore lottery’ when browsing. The sheer selection and ready availability is also staggering. It means that not only do I never need to worry about getting rid of a book for lack of shelf space, but that I can enjoy them when and where I wish. At least books that are dedicated to the printed word and not digital photo albums. The first and most obvious is that of portability: it is clear that even without access to a cloud service, I can probably fit more books onto my ereader or smartphone than I will read in my lifetime. That said, I have embraced and love the ereaders of today for all the advantages they offer, even if I forego some of the minor perks that printed books still enjoy. The point is to be clear that not only did I not grow up reading on my phone, tablet, or what-have-you, but have long been enamored with the printed word in its classic format, mostly unchanged since the Gutenberg press. I always tried to keep the ones I thought I would reread, whether entirely or just some ‘favorite scenes’, but as time passed, even those hardcore favorites faced eviction, since room had to be made for new arrivals. This happened every six months or so on average, and it was agony. When I began forming piles on the side, it was time to start the painful process of ridding myself of them to give away to the library or other. ![]() Over time, my shelves grew over-populated with my indulgence, filling one row from end to end, then a second row of books directly in front, and finally a third with a part of the books sticking out, hovering over limbo. Even my jacket was chosen according to its ability to fit a good-sized paperback in its pockets. I didn’t have an eating disorder, just a reading one. I spent most of my lunch money feeding my reading habit, much to the despair of my single-mother, who could not understand why I perpetually looked like I was only one step above anorexic. I have been a voracious reader since I was a child, and grew up on a diet of normal printed books.
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