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’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.