Whenever I see the bookstore pictured above, I think of all the wonderful nooks and crannies that can be explored. And then I am reminded of how few true bookstores there still are.
I am as guilty as the next person, shopping online and acting as if I’m not missing out on a wonderful experience.
Yes, our neighborhood still has a Barnes & Noble, but the Borders across the street is long gone. And in the quirky neighborhoods where I could once find used bookstores and independent ones…they, too, are missing those venues.
Some say that the digital age will change our reading habits forever. Even while I agree, up to a point, I don’t buy that the printed word in its physical format is a thing of the past. There may be fewer bookstores, and online shopping may be something many of us do, but when we think of books, we often think of the physical book.
I, too, enjoy reading on my Kindle, which I’ve named Sparky. But at least 3/4 of the books I read are the print kind. When an author or publisher approaches me about reviewing a book, my preference is always for the printed version.
Here are some recent review books headed my way, in print:
What I Had Before I Had You, by Sarah Cornwell
The Edge of Normal, by Carla Norton
One Hundred Names, by Cecelia Ahern
And then there are libraries. Those places where we can still find print volumes. I regularly request books from the library (online, of course), and then receive an e-mail when they are ready to be picked up.
Saturday, I received these two library books:
Invisible, by Carla Buckley
The Things That Keep Us Here, by Carla Buckley
Feeling content with the continued availability of print books, I won’t mind occasionally downloading e-books. I believe I can have it both ways…for now, anyway. What do you think?
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AN INTERIOR JOURNEY 
I feel exactly the way you do! I also prefer reviewing print books and I still use my library, even though I also like to use my ereader. I like having the option and I also think that there will always be a place for physical books in our world.
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I agree, Laura, and I sometimes think about how print books can be accessed without electricity or batteries…so that’s a good thing. Whenever my battery runs down on Sparky, I think about that. Thanks for stopping by.
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Oh I know what you mean…when Den and I were first married we were living in Santa Clara. We would go to Santa Cruz and Pacific Grove for dinner and over nighters for his work. I would always hang out at this amazing bookstore and yearn to walk out with stacks of hard bound books. We would wander in after dinner and just experience that amazing store. That’s the kind of bookstore I miss! But I do so love reading egalleys on my Kindle Paperwhite and my iPad just as much as a papery book!
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It is great to have the option of both. Sometimes I take Sparky to the bookstore in my neighborhood and read. But I do long for those bookstores that were around, once upon a time. Barnes & Noble is the only one in my area. Thanks for visiting, Patty.
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I almost forgot! I love you books this week…I love Carla Buckley!
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I haven’t read her yet, but another blogger posted about one of her books, so I requested them from the library. Just in case.
And wow, Patty! I just realized from your earlier comment…you lived not far from where I am! Santa Clara….And Santa Cruz was where we used to vacation every summer.
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I love this post Laurel. Thank you for supporting your local library. I had no idea how hard it was to keep them funded until I became involved a couple years ago. Its a battle every day. As far as digital vs. paper…. I am a paper girl… I like to think if that dystopia type future ever happens and all the e readers do not work because their is no electricity.. I will be just fine surrounded by books….LOL Ok, that’s a bit far fetched but you get my meaning 😉
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Thanks, Sheila…and maybe losing electricity at some point is not so far fetched. But hopefully, paper books will never go away.
Before I started buying books, the library was always the first place I checked out in a new town. And my first reading experiences were in a library, where my mother took me every week.
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I will always prefer print, there is just something about holding a book that does it for me. I plan to read print books to my grandchildren. Since I read so many books a year most of them come from the library, but I do buy my fair share of books too (from my local indy).
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I like having books in my personal library, but visiting the neighborhood branch of the public library is a great experience, too. And I utilize the online site to request books, so I don’t have to spend too much time trying to find something to read when I visit the library.
Thanks for stopping by, Nise…I do love holding a book, too.
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I really don’t mind which, I am as equally happy to read an ebook as a print book. The story matters more than the format to me 🙂
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I do enjoy the story, no matter the format, but I guess I prefer reading the print copies, but love the easy access of books via the e-reader. Thanks for stopping by, Shelleyrae.
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Am so curious ho you will like The Edge of Normal. Enjoy your week!
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I am really looking forward to it, too, Ciska…thanks for stopping by.
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