Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Ink On The Page

     I must start this blog with a disclaimer. I am a proud Kindle owner and huge e-reading fan. The whole e-reading industry saves paper, is easier, faster, and the way of the future. However, even though in the last five years or so of owning a Kindle and seldom picking up a hard copy of an actual book, the magic of books is not lost on me. While I adore the feeling of my slim and sleek kindle in my hands, nothing quite compares the feel of a new book. 
   Whenever I pick up an actual book, a spark is ignited in me. All of the possibilities this novel may hold. The shocking drama, the psychologically thrilling mystery, the tear-jerking romance, it's all contained within this beacon of words. The power language can have over an audience continues to amaze me, and that's where the power and mystique of a book comes from. That irreplaceable smell as you flip through a new book; the author just waiting for you to uncover the secrets and fantasy they've laid out before you. The tangibility of the ink on the page. The feel of the rough pages as they slide through your fingers as if you can't get to the next sentence fast enough. As hard as Amazon may try, none of this can be quite perfectly replicated in the form of an electronic device.
   When people ask me if I miss the feel of real books ever since I've switched to e-reading, I tell them no, because it's true. While I miss the feel of pages and the new book smell, I really don't miss the soreness in my wrists after hours of propping up a heavy hardcover. I don't miss having to lug out a booklight if I simply can't put down a book way past dark. E-reading is good, it's a big step in the right direction...it's just the little things that I miss.
   As I was sorting through books at my local library for an upcoming book sale today, I couldn't help that twinge of excitement every time I picked up another book that sparked my interest. Browsing the titles, reading the inside covers, feeling the pages: none of this can quite be compared to browsing the Kindle e-book store on Amazon.com. While e-readers hold an ecological and economical intelligence, a huge convenience, and a futuristic attitude, books hold an unparalleled magic. 

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