The Joy of a Book

Have you ever cracked open a new book and just taken a minute to appreciate it? The smoothness of the new pages; the stiffness of a perfectly unbent spine; that fresh, new book smell? Thanks to technology today, not everybody gets to experience that feeling if opening a fresh, real print book. Thanks to the Kindle, Nook, tablet, various e readers, and even cell phone, any book is available instantly at your finger tips. This is both a blessing a curse. It is making books more available in a day and age where many people are staring at a screen more than anything. Little kids with tablets can have a world of books and knowledge with the click of a button (or icon on a touch screen). Hopefully, this will result in a smarter generation than the one we have now. That, however is a conversation for another day. My point is this generation of electronic readers is missing out on something amazing. While the great part of a book is the story and where it takes you, when you read from a screen you just don't get the same feeling. You cheat yourself out of that experience.

 The feeling, the smells, etc of a new book; or even an old favorite. I love an old, worn, creased, loved book just as much as a new one. My Harry Potter collection is falling apart at the binding an has faded pages. This is because I've read them all dozens of times. I know many people who refuse to use e-readers because they do not want to give up books. My grandmother goes to the library every week and gets new books to read. My little sister has the best of both worlds. She goes to the library for print books but also has a kindle. She even rents library books on her kindle at times. Now, not to be called a hypocrite, I will openly admit to having a Kindle of my own. It is absolutely great technology that allows me to read more than I would have been able to without it.  I fall into the same category as my sister. I rent library books on my kindle, read the classics for free, and still buy new print books. While I have succumbed to technological advances of my time, for me there is still nothing like a good book (print).

 I can spend hours in a bookstore just browsing. In fact, I recently did. There is a 4 story Barnes and Noble in New York City that I get lost in every time I go. And make no mistake, I get lost on purpose. I go through random rows and pick up anything that looks interesting. I am not Rockefellar so I can't afford to actually buy all the books I want, but just being around them makes me happy sometimes. So while I am fully behind any technology that brings the joy of literature to more people, there is still something to be said for reading the old fashioned way. So next time you walk by a bookstore, take some time to browse. Crack open a new book, or an old favorite and enjoy the whole experience as you dive into the story.