Why real books will always be best
With a world full of computers, iPads and Kindles, for some, real, physical books have been thrown to the wayside. But for the rest of us literature-lovers, nothing beats the feel of turning the paper page. Here’s why real books will always be better than their electronic counterparts.
1. You can display them – Other than reading them, the most fun part of owning books is displaying them on your book cases. They can become décor in and of themselves.
2. They won’t break in the bath – You can bring them with you in the bath and, worst case scenario, you can just dry them out and read them again later. Try that with an e-reader.
3. Book covers are art – When you read on a device, the book cover gets all but lost. When you read a physical book, the beautiful covers are constantly on display to be fully appreciated.
4. The feel of the pages beneath your fingers – There’s nothing like the feeling of anticipation you get during a suspenseful scene, and physically turning the page to get to the next part just amplifies that feeling. And while you read, you can physically see the progress you’ve made as the read pages increase in number.
5. They grow with you – You can tell when a book is well-loved, because it ages with you. From stains to creases to tears, a well-read book tells its own story.
6. You can doggy-ear them or book mark them – You’re either a doggy-eared or a book-marker, and you feel very passionately about your choice. You can’t explain that to a Kindle lover.
7. That book smell – If you love books, you probably love the comforting old page-scent that fills bookstores and libraries.
8. They make personal gifts – Sure, you could buy someone a digital copy of a book for less, but it’s so much more personal to give a loved one a physical book as a gift.
9. You can read them in the sun – While some e-readers, such as Kindle, are adaptable in bright lighting, many, including iPads, are not. You can take your book outside in the sun without worrying about starring at a black screen.
10. They’re battery free – You can take your book anywhere, any time, and you never have to worry about it running out of batteries. What a luxury.
11. You can get them signed by the author – Imagine asking an author to sign your Kindle? Good luck with that.
12. That satisfying feeling of closing a finished book – When you finally get to the last sentence on the last page of a long book, closing it shut can feel satisfying, cleansing, and even heartbreaking. It’s all about the physical, measurable act of finishing something.
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