'I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines.' (Oliver Goldsmith, in She Stoops to Conquer)
Of course, you can love the old, but still be open to the new. Which brings me to the subject of e-books. How do you feel about them? BookLoons reviewers vary, some being early adopters of e-reading while others firmly stick to what they can bend and bookmark.
Personally, I mostly read the old way. But I've used an Android tablet (with a Kindle app) as an e-book reader for a couple of years now, and have been delighted with it as a travel accessory. Surprisingly, many hotels in remote spots now provide free Wifi. I strongly recommend an e-reader for travel. Load it up beforehand and you're all set for a lengthy vacation. And if you read faster or more than anticipated, it's simple enough to acquire extra e-books en route. With no need to strain your back lugging heavy tomes around either.
Sounds too simple? Well, there are a few things to think about. Do download at least your first few books before leaving home - the initial setup process to get them to the reader can be complicated. Don't forget to take the right kinds of adaptor plugs on a trip. Recharge the reader before boarding an airplane, as you can't always plug in at your seat. And try not to leave your power cord in a hotel room - they tend to be plugged in obscure corners. I also recommend not going totally paperless for airline travel. Electronic devices must be turned off during takeoff and landing, leaving the hapless habitual reader twiddling thumbs in frustration.
I do love travelling with my tablet, but have to admit that I don't read from it much otherwise. I tend to have several books open at once and their colorful covers are constant nudges to 'Read me!' It's easy to forget what's loaded on the e-reader, and like Alice's 'Eat me' and 'Drink me', some of us need reminders of what's at hand. But e-reading is overall a much more pleasant experience than I expected it to be, with current technology (though not yet where I envisioned it in an earlier article, An Open eBook).
However I do worry about e-book standards and their longevity. And I love sharing books with others - though I hoard some in my home library, like Smaug sitting on his treasure pile, I also give many away, and can't do that with e-books. Their pricing is puzzling too. Given that they cost substantially less to produce and deliver to the customer, and provide lower value (longevity issues and inability to share) why do they cost almost as much as their older print versions?
For now though, I'm very happy to be able to have my cake (books I can handle and scatter around my home) and e-at it too, on long trips. E-books, e-readers and airplanes are the perfect match. But let's hope that stories printed on paper don't turn to dust any time too soon ... I do love everything that's old.
Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons.
