Coffee and Conversation

Until this point, I have resisted the lure of the e-book. Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome to be able to get a book in seconds and I love that has opened a door for independent authors and allows them to easily get their work out there. But, a big but, I've always been a hardback girl. I love everything about a book, the smell, the weight of it in your hands, the anticipation of cracking it open  and discovering what is inside. I have collected books for years and like I always said I would, I have a library where all of the bookcases are filled and books overflow on the remaining shelf space. Going to author signings and readings is a particular thrill, it's a great joy to meet an author you love and have them sign your precious book.

I can see all of this slipping away as I have since the introduction of the e-reader. We are all about convenience and what is more convenient than a book you can pull up on your phone, not having to rush out to the bookstore, stand in line etc.  It makes me sad. Going to the bookstore for me has always been Christmas and my birthday all wrapped up and now I love taking my son with me and watching him discover the beauty of books.

E-book sales continue to rise and print is continually down. Independent book stores are becoming distant memories and only one chain book store remains, Barnes and Noble. Many people believe traditional printed books are on their way out but there are still some that hold out hope for the printed book to survive. I'm one of those people.

It seems I have come to a stand-off in my ban of the e-book and I will have to embrace it. It won't be with loving arms but resignation. I want to get into early reviews and reading/reviewing ARCs and so I must resign myself to the e-reader in order to accomplish that.Luckily I have an Iphone and will be able to use as my e-reader.  I will never give up my love of the printed book and it will still be where the bulk of my books come, I will still be championing printed books long into the future. A future that sometimes makes me think of Fahrenheit 451, in which all of the great lovers of books keep them recorded in their heads to pass down as oral history.The e-reader it seems is stealing into my life and I am about to embark on my first e-book experience. If you see me after at the book store gorging on hardbacks don't be alarmed, just point me in the direction of the fiction section.