September 18th is “International Read an Ebook Day.” Haven’t heard of it? Not to worry. It’s a holiday that’s only been around since 2014. Haven’t embraced the eBook technology that is marketed under names like Kobo, Kindle, and Nook? Well, I can relate. It’s hard for me to let go of the romantic appeal of holding a book in my hands and turning tangible pages. I still love to underline and return easily to passages I might have distractedly missed. And, who doesn’t relish the sense of accomplishment that comes with putting a book on the shelf to occupy its place among your other literary conquests?
My husband, on the other hand, has been an avid electronic book reader long enough now to become a reputable advocate. He swears that the new technology is an upgrade to the hardbacks and paperbacks he used to devour in swift succession, evidenced by a towering pile on the nightstand. A big reason he made the switch? Travel. While I haven’t taken the plunge myself, I’ve considered it for the same reason. I travel a lot and entertainment sources are a must for long flights, hotels, and unexpected travel delays.
So, in honor of International Read an Ebook Day I’ve invited him to lecture me on his top 6 reasons why eBooks are better than their time-honored counterparts. I am sharing the bullet point version with you. He’s an attorney, so he makes a pretty good case.
6 Reasons Why Ebooks are the Traveler’s Best Choice
Back-lighting feature. Have you ever wanted to read your book while jet-lagged and trapped in a hotel room with a sleeping companion? Pages turning can be noisy and turning on a lamp can be rude after hours. To avoid having to sit on a cold bathroom floor to read, take advantage of the electronic reader’s back-lighting feature which allows you to read noiselessly and in the dark without disturbing anyone else.
Does this look familiar? Trying to read by the fading light so you don’t disturb your fellow passenger?
Lightweight and portable. Can’t decide which book to leave behind? What if you didn’t have to edit your reading options while packing? With an e-reader you can literally take as many books as you want without adding one ounce extra to your carry-on weight limit.
Imagine packing an entire library of books on a device that weighs less than 6 ounces!
Download a book (or a magazine) from anywhere! Have you ever finished your vacation novel before your trip was over? How about selecting a book that turned out to be a dud after only 20 pages? If this happens in a foreign country it can be tough to find a replacement in your own language. With an eReader, as long as you are in a Wi-Fi zone with a credit card hook up, you can have your pick of an endless supply of reading material in just a few minutes from ANYWHERE in the world!
Other entertaining features. Ebook readers are often A LOT more than just one source of entertainment. We play Boggle and Scrabble on my husband’s reader to pass the time in airports. He can take pictures, listen to music and podcasts. He checks the weather and the news. We even watch in-flight movies. While a phone offers many of these same options, the larger size of an e-reader is a distinct advantage for these activities (especially when your eyes are getting weaker with age, like mine).
The ability to take immediate advantage of a tip. When we traveled to Vietnam, I met someone on a boat who told me they were reading a life-changing book called, “The Girl in the Picture.” The description they gave was compelling. It had everything to do with where we were and what we were doing. I really wanted to read it while we were traveling around. The only way to make that happen was to download it to my husband’s reader. Am I ever glad I did!
Waiting in an airport is a great place to catch up on reading!
Economy. If you’ve searched around for books on Amazon, you may have noticed that when you pull up a book to purchase there is a Kindle price and there is a paperback / hardback price. You probably also noticed that the downloadable version is a lot cheaper in most cases… sometimes it is even free! And shipping? Well, no need to worry about shipping. The book immediately downloads to your portable device.
Are you an Ebook fan? What’s your favorite feature? What book are you celebrating with today?
