Plugging In: Four Reasons to Try an eBook

Tuesday, August 12, 2014


For a very long time, I refused to read a book if I could not physically flip through the pages and hold it in my hands. I like being able to look at different fonts in each individual book and the progress I'm making from time to time. However, moving around from my parents' home to my apartment at school means traveling lightly and taking public transportation, so I've grown to really like ebooks. I still prefer buying physical books, but I'm a lot more open to reading electronically now.

If you are on the fence about trying an ebook, here are four reasons to just do it.

YOU CAN READ ON ANY TYPE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
If I'm headed somewhere in the car or on a bus, I get a headache from reading even a paragraph of text. MIRACULOUSLY, I read Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki on my iPad (using the Kindle app) during a two-hour bus ride and I didn't throw up or die so YAY.

NO WAITING!
After reading The Selection and The Elite by Kiera Cass, I couldn't want to read The One. My only problem (which really isn't a problem) was that I couldn't purchase The One because it hasn't been released in paperback yet. I decided to request it from my local library and ended up being the 60th person on the list. Two months later, I finally turned on the lightbulb in my head and borrowed it as an ebook. There wasn't anyone on the request list, so I received and started it ten seconds later. If you purchase an ebook, you don't have to drive out to the bookstore or wait for it to be shipped.

THEY'RE (ALMOST ALWAYS) CHEAPER.
The library, depending on where you live, can be a great place to borrow ebooks for free. If you want your own copy of a certain book, there are tons of websites that offer free ebooks. For newer books, you'll probably have to purchase them, but there are ALWAYS deals. (Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout is FREE right now!!!)

MULTI-TASKING? NO PROBLEM.
I like to read while I eat, but I don't do it during my bigger meals because I don't want to accidentally get soda or pizza sauce on any of my books. I guess you can risk getting food on your iPad or Kindle if you read an ebook, but you can always wipe it off the screen.

What are your thoughts on ebooks? Do you stay away from them, or is it all you read?
ALSO, do you read while you're eating a meal?

6 comments

  1. My boyfriend bought my a Nook for our first Christmas together. It was a surprise. He figured I liked books and wanted to get me something special. I was pretty anti e-reader at the time, but of course I didn't tell him that. It wasn't until our flight out to Colorado that I really appreciated my Nook because I didn't have to pack any books and I was able to buy new ones while we were on vacation. Win, win! I still prefer print to digital, but I use my Nook a lot more now.

    These are all good points. The big one for me is affordability, especially if it's a new book or author I'm a bit unsure of.

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  2. I can't live without my e-reader. Two years ago I was on the fence and I thought I would never go for it, but then I had the opportunity to get a really cheap e-reader and from that moment on, I was hooked. Soon after that I got a more expensive one for my birthday and I'm still so happy with it. Ebooks are a great addition to my reading life :)

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  3. Ereaders really are a great tool! I don't buy too many ebooks (aside from great deals!) but I love getting review copies electronically. I get so many more than I would otherwise and they don't bulk up my real shelves. The biggest advantage for me will always be that you can have piles of books with you without dealing with the weight. It's THE BEST when traveling. I'll always be a real book girl and will always want books I love in print, but you just can't beat the convenience of ebooks.

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  4. YAY, I'm glad you ended up liking it! I tend to borrow ebooks from the library if it's by an author I don't know about or if I'm trying a new genre. (I actually haven't read many ebooks — I just finished my third one earlier this month :x But I'm growing to like 'em.)

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  5. I have a friend who bought an ebook when she started getting into reading and all she ever reads are ebooks! It's very convenient, so I totally understand. I use my iPad for ebooks, but my old roommate had a kindle and I really loved how it reads in the sun. Do you have more ebooks than physical books?

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  6. I don't buy any ebooks either, I tend to just borrow them for free at the library. If I'm going to pay for a book, I'd honestly pay a little more to get the physical version if it looks nice :p I think that's my favorite thing too, I can't decide which books I want to bring with me when I return to school! :x

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