Stories & Soliloquies

Stories & Soliloquies
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  • Tag: e-reader

    • A Reversal of Opinion on E-Readers

      Posted at 2:00 pm by Michelle Joelle, on March 11, 2016

      I have in the past professed a desire never to give up my physical paper books in favor of an e-reader. I was quite adamant about it. Not quite two years ago I said it thus:

      I’ll probably cave at some point and then I’ll be eating my words, but for now, I’ll revel in my own stubborn desire for the smell and feel of well-worn books, lugging around heavy packs and getting ink all over my fingers. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know!

      Well, the tide has turned, my mind has changed, and I am letting you know: I have acquired a brand new e-reader. Now, don’t worry – I’m not giving up my endless bookshelves. I will still have ink stained, dog-eared pages of philosophy and theology scattered around me at every turn. I’m just adding another facet to my reading habits.

      I’ve got it all set up with every public domain book I ever wanted to acquire, and bound in a fancy leather cover, and my, is it ever convenient.

      FullSizeRender

      So here I am, in the 21st Century, reading books on a screen – and quite happy to eat my words.

      Posted in The Waste Book | 12 Comments | Tagged books, digital books, e-reader, kindle, reading
    • Yet Another Literary Source: BookBub

      Posted at 11:30 am by Michelle Joelle, on March 9, 2015

      It is happening again – I’m actually considering buying an e-reader. I regularly waffle back and forth between the ease and efficiency of accessing books in the public domain, and the joy and tangibility of my growing book collection. Right now, the Amazon Kindle is on sale, and I have to say – I’m actually tempted. It might be nice to be able to carry around a full collection of books without injuring myself and to check out books from the library without fear that I’ll accidentally shelve them in my own collection and forget about them.

      Usually the sensory properties of physical books and my commitment to keep up the demand for them in bookstores and libraries (is there a better way to spend a lazy afternoon than sitting on the floor by the shelves?) win out whenever I consider getting an e-reader, but more and more I’ve been considering expanding my reading options. I’ve been reading public domain books on my phone (mostly Plato, although the Jowett translations are just not my favorite) and on my Kindle App, but the phone is too small for extended reading, and I feel I spend enough time on my computer as things already stand.

      Additionally, I’ve just discovered BookBub, which aggregates great deals on books across several digital platforms (Amazon, Apple, B&N, etc.), and then organizes them for you according to your interests. It feels just a little like browsing the shelves at the library or bookstore, because instead of searching, you just click a category and view your recommendations. I’d be much more likely to pick up a random bit of fantasy or something fun – and that would be good for my writing, as well as my relaxation. Sometimes I need to remind myself that not every book has to be an investment, and this seems like a way to do that.

      But rest assured, I’ll never stop buying and borrowing physical books.

      Posted in The Waste Book | 16 Comments | Tagged amazon, BookBub, books, digital books, e-reader, kindle, reading
    • If You Tell Me I Should Get a Kindle…

      Posted at 11:30 am by Michelle Joelle, on June 23, 2014

      Sometimes people like to try and convince me that I should get a Kindle. I see the merits of e-readers and why people like them; I feel like I should have one in order to reduce clutter, have more books on me at a given time, have easier access to self-published works, etc, etc..

      But since my resolution for this year was to be sincere, I’m embracing certain truths about myself: I don’t like asparagus, I don’t understand free verse poetry, and I’m probably not going to get a Kindle, at least anytime soon.

      Objection 1) “But you’ll save so much space! You’ll be free of all this clutter!”

      Reply: I will buy another bookshelf. In the past, I have kept books in the trunk of my car. Also, books are not clutter. Books are beautiful.

      Objection 2) “But you can take notes and highlight passages and search the text!”

      Reply: I will build a visual, tactile map instead. If I adequately mark up a book, I can find any quote I need off the top of my head. If I don’t mark it and it’s not narrative in flow, it will honestly be like I never read it. I’ll remember nothing.

      Objection 3) “But you can have a bunch of different books with you at the same time!”

      Reply: I will carry a large bag. Lucky for me, I love leather briefcases like most women love designer clutches. For now I’m happy to fill my bags to the brim with my laptop and all the books I need.

      Objection 4) “But it remembers where you left off!”

      Reply: So do I, friends. And as is clear from item #2, I have no reservations about physically marking up my books, and none about dog-earing the pages either.

      IMG_2121

      Objection 5) But what about all the self-published works and articles you’ll be missing?

      Reply: I can read them on my laptop, which also doubles as a word processer should I desire to type up my notes. And I can download PDFs from academic journals using whatever search function I like.

      So there you have it. I’ll probably cave at some point and then I’ll be eating my words, but for now, I’ll revel in my own stubborn desire for the smell and feel of well-worn books, lugging around heavy packs and getting ink all over my fingers. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know!

      Posted in The Waste Book | 17 Comments | Tagged bags, book bag, bookmark, books, e-reader, kindle, notes
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