No, I'm sorry, this has never been a real argument for me. Reading books is an experience combined of many elements that ebooks cannot provide therefore i think that ebooks are great and all but they will never beat real books. So I guess this post is just telling you why.
Ok, first things first, books smell amazing! If you are a reader, you will know this. If you live with or know a reader watch them around books, they will eventually smell them. And just a little bit of science for you, this smell is not due to dust. A compound in wood called lignin related to vanillin which when made into paper, breaks down over time and causes a smell vaguely like vanilla. I love this smell and when in a second hand bookstore I will subtly smell the books before buying. An ebook just does not provide the scent and short of spraying it with paper passion (the aforementioned book perfume), which is expensive and will probably ruin your electronics, it's just not something you can replace.
Now you can curl up with a book but you can't curl up with an ebook. It's uncomfortable and depending what you're reading on, if you move the screen will swivel and personally I hate having to lie a certain way because my screen may shift.
In regards to the readers, I am an iPad user and don't have a kindle but I find that after reading on the iPad for a while it really strains my eyes. I can dim the screen but for some reason I can never read on my iPad for any length of time. My friend does have a kindle and I hate the controls on it so I'm not investing in one.
On the other hand, ebooks have some definite advantages. Books are getting more expensive every day but an ebook will generally be at least half the cost and there are so many free versions out there that are not illegal to download. So for an avid reader it will save you so much money. In addition, books take up a lot of room! In a handbag and in a room, you need so much space to keep books. And do you remember going out, finishing a book and having nothing else to read? Well ebooks prevent that problem.
In the end, I am a reader who loves books, i love visiting book stores and smelling old books. Ebooks will never replace this experience for me so I will happily stick to traditional books and continue to build my library. Because at the end of the day a big library is more impressive to me than an electronic.
Until next time,
Catherine
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