Do you remember Brick Heck in The Middle saying, "Do you know how hard it is not to be reading!?" That's something most of the bookworms could relate to. We, bookworms, can read from morning till night to escape reality. We can read 24x7 and not be tired. But have you ever wondered about the bookworms who juggle numerous jobs at the same time to make ends meet? What if they are curious to know the story's ending but have to be at the job - ironing clothes, preparing food, arranging things, painting walls or fixing pipes? Imagine yourself at a party in which you are not interested, with no one paying you any attention. You feel lonely and sleepy but can't leave as they keep tabs on people leaving. A bookworm would rather read a book than be a part of something they are not interested in. But where will you find books in that situation? It's a tricky question. That's where audiobooks and ebooks attract your attention.
An ebook is a book available in electronic form. Ereaders are devices that we use to read ebooks. An audiobook is the voice recording of the text of a book. Michael S Hart, an American author, is considered the inventor of ebooks. His main goal was to do away with ignorance and illiteracy. The American Foundation for the Blind introduced audiobooks in 1932 to help blind people to experience literature. It's clear from the goals behind the introduction of ebooks and audiobooks that they weren't only technological innovations for making life easier – but also for the greater cause of spreading the seeds of literacy.
Why do you think some bookworms detest ebooks and audiobooks? Let's go over some reasons why bookworms prefer paperbacks. Mainly, they love the feeling of a book in their hands; they love the texture of the books that add to the reading experience. That is something most of the readers could relate to. They love the smell of the new paperbacks and the feeling of physically annotating and highlighting the quotes. More than that, some people love to collect books too. Don't you love to see a room full of bookshelves with thousands of books arranged beautifully, like the library scene in The Beauty and the Beast?
I own numerous ebooks, and I'm a regular listener of audiobooks. I love to collect books and have collected more than 300 paperbacks as well. You must be wondering why I read ebooks and listen to audiobooks if I love to collect paperbacks. It's true that paperbacks evoke memories and provide a wonderful reading experience. But it's not easy to carry paperbacks in sling bags. And if I face a situation at a party, like I mentioned before, there won't be any paperbacks to save me from boredom. So, I'll have to depend on ebooks and audiobooks. Or what if I'm busy with house chores or any other work and need to know what happens in the next chapter? I'll listen to audiobooks without compromising on my work.
Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to read a book instantly, but you couldn't visit the bookstore or didn't find it at the nearest shops? Even if you find it online, you won't get your hands on it that day. What would be the solution to this problem? Ebooks and audiobooks! Since we can purchase them from online or digital stores, the book will be available instantly for reading. So, one of the advantages of ebooks and audiobooks is the ease of purchasing them. Secondly, as I mentioned before, carrying ebooks everywhere is very easy. We can carry numerous ebooks in a single device and read from any genre according to our disposition. What if you are staying in a college hostel and there isn't enough space to keep your books? Ebooks and audiobooks to the rescue- they take up much less space than paperbacks. Sometimes, the text in the paperbacks can be too small or too large that we won't feel like reading it. However, we can reduce or increase the font size for ebooks as we wish. Ebooks also help indie authors to extend their platform. Some books by indie authors are unavailable in some countries, so I always depend on ebooks to read indie titles. What if you are the parent of newborn babies and need to read without waking up your little ones due to the lights? No worries - ebooks can be read without turning on the lights! Or you can fall asleep to audiobooks if you are too tired to read! More than any other thing, ebooks are way cheaper than paperbacks! You can read books and save money at the same time!
The main disadvantage of reading ebooks is the physical problems it causes. It strains our eyes and affects our vision. That can be solved by using audiobooks. Another problem with buying ebooks is that they cannot be sold, while used paperbacks can be sold at thrift stores. Ebooks and audiobooks aren't as boring as most bookworms think. We can never consider one better than the other. It's just a matter of perspectives. As a bookworm, I consider these three forms to be similar. It's up to the reader to decide what they love - physical books or it's electronic forms.
Do you prefer books or digital reading?
Books
Digital reading
Both
Nah, I don't read
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