Will talks about eBooks versus their physical counterparts. Why does he prefer one to the other? If you read this book on an eReader, how do you think it affected your experience?

Several times in the book, Will talks about eBooks versus their physical counterparts. Why does he prefer one to the other? Does Mary Anne agree? If you read this book on an eReader, how do you think it affected your experience?

Will likes the ability to take many books with him in the form of eBooks, Mary Anne, however prefers the physical relationship a book offers. I agree with both but am at a stage in my life when I no longer want to amass books to place on a book shelf, or lug boxes of them away. That said I did read Will's story in the paperback form and I'm glad I did because it gave me the chance to make lots of notes in the margins!
I always loved holding a new book in my hands but the ability to have a larger print form and be able to take that story with me in my purse makes the eReader a mainstay for me now.

I'm a librarian, so you'd think I'd be a book purist, but... I love the portability of eBooks and also the fact I can read at night without disturbing my husband. I've yet to find a book light that isn't glaringly bright. If anyone knows of one, please tell me!

But I will always love the physical book and I own literally thousands of them, so many I can't live long enough to read them all even if I lived a double lifetime. I'm trying to amass less, weeding through my collection now, actually but there are certain books I'll buy when I see them, books I enjoy collecting. My newest love are the vintage books published by Penguin. I also love the older Modern Library editions, the kind with the illustrated covers from the 30s - 50s. When I find those at a reasonable price I'll buy them. You can't replace things like these with an eBook.

There is nothing like the feel of a good book in my hands. It's like a very dear and giving friend. BUT, aging eyes has changed the situation and I do use the e-book when I need a larger print and/or better spacing. I also travel and love to have the choices without the bulk. Luckily, I was able to read END OF LIFE in paper book form. What a delight!

Will is in the publishing industry, so I think it might be natural to prefer the print edition. I like print versions of books. I like to make quick notes to myself in the margin. I like to keep a list of discussion points inside the cover, etc. My mother recently passed away and although we shared books and she was an avid reader, I don't think she would have ever used an eReader. I own an iPad but hate magazines on eReaders. I like tearing out pages of magazines for things I want to investigate. I do not like books on eReaders either. However, I must admit that eReaders are essential on long international trips.

I am an avid reader of e-books, for their accessability, the ease for my hands as I age and cant hold the books as easily as I once did. But there is something about a book in your hands that cant be matched by an electronic device..We need both, but it is much harder in the ebook to go back and find that one passage you want and didn't mark!!

Physical books leave a legacy and presence about the person who reads it and wants to keep it. Books that have defined me and lure me to read again, I keep. Books I merely enjoy, I share with others. Some books get read and donated to the library. It is precious to receive a book that was owned by a deceased relative, even a relative that I never met. Like having a photograph of a deceased relative, having book once held and read by that person makes that person closer and more vivid in my memory.

Nothing smells as good as a brand new book! Sometimes an old musty book has a good smell, and I love walking into a used book store. I like the sound of the plastic covers on library books, but I hate when I have to read a book with a broken spine. I like trade paperbacks, but mass market paperbacks are difficult for me to hold. I have an eBook, which is great for some things, especially for reading samples of books I might want to read. But used books are still cheaper than many eBook editions.

I was given a Nook as a gift but I only have one book on it. I use it mostly for magazines. I just cannot give up the feel and smell of the physical book. Plus, when I am done with the book I pass it on to someone else. I currently have over 80 boxes of books in my garage that I have yet to read. This is why I always am reading 5-7 books simultaneously! I am addicted to books! I know I need to get some of those boxes cleared out but I keep buying books!

I'm a book addict too :) I love the feel of the shelves overflowing and I love seeing the spines, the titles, and remembering when and where in my life I was when I read a particular book. And, I collect signed editions; you can't get an e-book signed, can you? I get a little thrill knowing the author held that very tome in his/her hands.

But, I also have an e-reader and just bought one for my son. I get a little frustrated with the discussions (not here) that paint the physical book vs e-reader as an either-or proposition. Why not have both? I read books and magazines, fiction and non-fiction. There's room for both! It seems to me there are times when an e-book is easier (obviously travelling, large text books, the treadmill, reading at night) and there are times when holding the physical book is an essential part of the experience.

My 12 year old son, however, is thrilled with his Nook and I have "caught" him reading several times. I wonder if the electronic format will make reading "cooler" for some kids. Whatever gets them reading!

You can have an author sign an eBook case. I've heard of that before. Then you replace the case and start all over again! I'm not saying I like this method, because I wouldn't trade my signed books for anything, but it is an option if this is something you'd really like to do.

I do not have an ebook reader nor have I ever even seen a book on one. However, I wanted to read the comments from those who do own and enjoy Nooks, Kindles, etc. I have wet macular degeneration in one eye (thank goodness for one good eye) and may eventually find it easier to read using an ereader. Thank you for your comments re their use. I found them educational and helpful. Like some of you, I too have an extensive collection of "tree" books, many still unread and would grieve not to have access to such books. However, it may be that time will push me into the more modern era.

Just as an aside, Will is going to be speaking at my favorite local indie book store this coming Thursday. I've been housebound since some surgery, but am hoping that I can find someone to take me to his presentation. Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful!!!!!

Hi Lea Ann, if you manage to get to Will's talk, would be wonderful if you could "report back" and let us know all about it!

Great post! Did you happen to read WSJ article by Joe Queenan " My 6,128 Favorite Books"? It is certainly worth the time, as the article is so insightful when addressing the modern reader. I refuse to
acknowledge ebooks,Nooks,Kindles etal. I have a need for the feel of a page as I read; honestly, if you
love the written word, how can you NOT accept the page over the platic box? I fear that my grandchildren's reading future will not contain real books, and I hope I will not live to see that day. I love what Queenan says at the end of his piece, "Books that we can touch; books that we can smell; books that we can depend on. Books that make us believe, for however short a time, that we shall all live
happily ever after." AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
This article appeared in this Saturdays' edition; please take a look:)

I don't think that I would have LOVED this book as much I did without the written page. How would I been able to "mark" sentences, passages, and events that I wanted to return to? How could I find a meaningful statement after a year or two had passed if I didn't have a book on a shelf?

While you can "mark" passages on the Kindle (that's what I have acquaintance with), but when I mark a passage in a book I usually have a memory of what side of the page it is on, making it easier to find it later.

Great news - I just got word from Will that he'll be able to join us to answer our questions in a couple of weeks time. He's been following all the posts and particularly wanted Lea Ann to know that he'll be look out for her on Thursday at the book reading, in the hope she'll be able to make it :)

How wonderful! Can't wait to "meet" him and hear his thoughts on all our thoughts. Really, rarely have I encountered a book discussion in which everyone fell so in love with the book - online or off. Usually there's some criticism. It really says something about EOYLBC, Will and Mary Ann.