I’ve made the full transition to ebooks maybe 10 years ago and have barely bought physical books ever since. I’m a prolific reader, I read maybe at least 1 book a week, and I guess one of the advantages of ebooks is that I can quickly jump to the next book once I’ve finished the one I’m reading.
Recently my wife and I were at Pavillion Bukit Jalil and were thinking of checking out that famous bookshop there, and I realised I no longer have the excitement to visit a bookstore. I recall I’d visit Borders so often back when I younger and we always on the lookout for my next book, or for newly released books by my favourite authors, and was so excited when the next book I. The series’s was available. Nowadays, though, most of them are already in my preorder list on Google Play Books, so the thrill of the hunt is no longer there.
A few months ago I dug out some of my old physical books to read downstairs so that my toddler can see me reading an actual book instead of staring at my iPad or phone (reading, but it looks like I’m just staring at a screen) because I want to encourage her to get into reading too. I’ve found, though, somehow it was a lot harder to continue. I’d keep wanting to switch to the ebook version so that I can read in bed when the lights are dimmer.
How about you guys? What are your thoughts or experiences about the switch to ebooks? Do you still read physical books? Do you miss it?
I used to sit in a bookstore and just watch the vibe around me. And discovering new books was a fun hobby. I do miss bookstores - so many of them have closed and the nicest one is Kinokuniya which is like so far away. I also miss being in libraries - when I lived in Oz that was what I did to just relax. Go to libraries and browse. Man our libraries here are so useless and far away. But my library is now Scribd - listen to audio books from it, and I read most of my nonfic ik book format and buy second hand books or borrow them from shops. My favourite one is this one cos I love my pulpy romance novels, and she sells second hand books of various genres too. (She has a physical store) https://www.leabooks.com.my/
I’ve been fully into ebooks for about 10 years too. Paper books have mostly lost their appeal for me since they can’t beat the convenience of having my whole library with me all the time.
My wife, though, LOVES bookstores and buying paper books even though she reads lots of ebooks, though many of the paper books she bought are left untouched on the bookshelf lol. It’s more for the sentimental value of owning the physical copy.
My reading now is also almost entirely on my iPad (mini ftw), because the books I read have always been harder to find in local bookstores so it has always been easier for me to get my books in digital copies. Haven’t been to a bookstore in quite some time as well.
But bookstores will always have a special place in my heart - I’m quite sentimental about reading hardcopy books - just browsing in a bookstore, and the excitement in discovering something interesting to read, that’s quite a joyful experience. (I mean, scrolling through webpages on the internet for something to read is just not quite that, haha!) And to reminisce how in my college days I and my sister would just hang around in MPH (rip) at Mid Valley, while our friends went for a movie or shopping - that was such a great time.
(Also, the stationery section of the bookstores - I just can’t resist looking at and playing with the pretty things, then picking something to bring home, hahaha!)
But yeah probably will be sticking to ebooks at the moment - the main reason above aside, it’s just so convenient. And I do feel like I read more and faster on the iPad. Perhaps one day I shall visit a bookstore, find a gem, and again immerse myself in a delightful experience of reading a physical book.
I still love bookstores and physical books. I don’t like the hassle of storing all the stuff though so I buy way less physical books nowadays. Reading ebooks is actually not so convenient for me either however, since I don’t have a tablet and have to read on my pc or my phone. I’d like to buy a tablet someday.
I mainly browse bookstores to look for picks, since I don’t really look for books online(unless I stumble into comments that recommend books).
I’m not quite in the same boat as you- I listen to audiobooks. I still enjoy reading a physical book, but I usually have so many things to do that the only actual reading I can get done is via audiobooks in the car.
I too, do not miss bookstores. However good a bookstore may be (or perhaps I haven’t met a really good bookstore with well curated books), it always seems like the world out there be it libraries (though not in Malaysia), or online has much much more to offer. Especially good older books- you wouldn’t find copies of good but not quite legendary books out in the stores. The only way I could find Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” or Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash” was online.
