Comments on: Books as Rituals

By: Patti

Patti — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:28:03 +0000

At age 50, I have collected afew hard backs as well as soft covers. In fact moved most into moving pods due to space. two 10×12′s and counting. Now travel for aliving, yes still get a thrill from going to the nearest bookstore to see what’s new. Have a coffee and relax, but my anticipation is when will it be available on ebook. The ease of access and storage has it’s appeal. With such a mobile society ebooks will become more and more appealing to people. Not that my friends in the pod will ever go away. The act of getting a signed First edition from your favorite Author will always be there.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:57:38 +0000

I’m a little late to the party but I still wanted to put my 2 cents worth in. (I’m without a computer right now so it makes keeping up to date here a little difficult)
I spend all day at work on the computer and do not want to come home and try and read on the computer as well. I love picking up a book and sharing it with friends when finished.
I recently purchased an iphone and have tried reading books on it. It’s not the same and really I feel more comfortable with a book in my hand not the phone. Also, I have to pay attention to whether the battery is close to dying or not. With a book I can fall asleep with it in bed and not worry if it falls to the floor or I’ve killed the battery.
While I like the idea of the ebook (it makes me think of Captain Picard on Star Trek: TNG) I think I prefer a real book in my hand.
My Mum works at the local library and I was brought up on books. I can remember bedtime sitting in bed with my mother and reading a chapter before it was time to sleep. I don’t think that would have been the same with an e-book.

By: joaquin

joaquin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:15:46 +0000

i felt the same way when vinyl records gave way to cd.

i like the clarity of a cd, but i like the ritual of a record. i like the pop and hum when the needle goes down, i like the grooves, i like turning them over. i like the whisper of flipping through paperboard covers more than the clack of jewel cases.

cd to .mp3 was a relief. i loved swapping boxes of cd’s for something in my pocket that could hold all my music. ripped ‘em and got rid of ‘em. there wasn’t any soul to a cd, nothing to miss.

i still have my records, though.

By: JayeWells

JayeWells — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:35:25 +0000

Brian, I’m glad you’re a fan of my books. However, I think it’s pretty ridiculous to say I should “Join the unibomber” just because I express a preference for print books. I believe I said in the post it’s not an either/or proposition for me. I simply like books. That’s all.

By: kathie

kathie — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:49:11 +0000

Hey Jaye, glad to hear you’re enjoying the simple things in life! I too, love the trip to the bookstore, have a book budget (one I’m not afraid to extend) and especially love curling up with my purchase every chance I can. But, I am going to get an ereader as I purchase many books for my writing work and don’t always need one for the purposes of reading the entire book! I’m also going to self-publish one of my books and that will involve releasing in e-book form! Good and bad sits with the e-book, but it’s def. here to stay. Great post, as usual.

By: Writer’s Resources for June 9th through July 18th | Waiting For Fairies

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:02:00 +0000

[...] Books as Rituals « Jaye Wells – On the purchase of books as "quests". Interesting look re: the importance of books in hard copy vs electronic. [...]

By: Christina

Christina — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 21:49:36 +0000

I love ebooks… I actually read on my Blackberry – I have the barnes and noble ereader, kindle ereader, ereader and mobipocket ereader on it. lol For me, buying on my phone is not anticlimatic – I’m a instant gratification kind of girl. I like the fact that I can buy a book at any time of the day or night and keep reading away in my pajamas. I do still love the smell of books, but after the convenience of holding the BB versus a physical book, the BB wins. I only buy paper books when they don’t have a digital copy for sale.

By: Brian pomerantz

Brian pomerantz — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:41:08 +0000

Yes the tactile feel and ritual is nice. I bet living with your family in a small home living by candlelight would provide a tremendous ritual and clones of family no tv. Now to ebook and Internet . No dissertation though it could be. Your book and many more will reach the masses. More margins will go to you. Most significant worldwide communities develop around an author character book etc. Not just through an academic class or book club. Real academicians can be involved as apprproriate dist info hold online con etc. Leading.to face to face friendships as with games. It can happen thru 2nd life fb or many arenas. Enriching lifes Dev new commities changing the world . Fast or slow it will happen. Tech exist for paper not books talk about convince so cheap it can be lost. So paper books will hold on but generational changes will slowly override it. Young people will carry ebook in school instead of 10 expesive heavy books. They text noy phone and much more. For better it will come. Maybe u should join the unibomber read the manifesto. During the change period there are some cultural and other negativesn but it’s better long run and nskrs the world smaller. I went to a music fest a 1000 miles away through fb I made many initial friends to meet with at least so common iteresr. Making the world smaller. Sorry Abt dissertation loved loved your book will read all of them!

By: Heather Dearly

Heather Dearly — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:23:30 +0000

My reaader was a Mother’s Day gift. It has made reading during my break at work a lot more convenient. It also helps when my hands are bothering me from arthritis or CT. I’ve downloaded some free book offers, good ones, but have yet to read them. It was a weird, anti-climatic purchasing experience. I also think I’m paranoid and cynical enough to think nothing in life is ever really free, so the titles remain unread on my reader. And I might even delete them if I don’t get around to reading them in the future.

BUT, I still enjoy paper books and I prefer the purchasing experience. I just wish I was physically able to enjoy holding them in my hands like I used to.

By: Emma

Emma — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:56:11 +0000

I love books, I’m something of an addict.
I like some people I know resisted the urge to switch to E-Book…I have by-and-large, continued. My opinion is purely as you ritulistic. I was raised by a book loving parent and has left a great impact on me.
Now, I do have an e-Reader on my iPod, and my LapTop (and eventually I might by an actual e-reader, the only reason I’ve given in to this point, is the fact that certain authors I like just don’t publish on paper, for whatever reason. the question became: Do I ignore the fact there’s tales I wanna read or do I relent and start buying e-Books?
Well as the above will surmise I’ve relented.
I do however prefer paperback, etc. The smell of a new book, the feel, taking in every part of the cover front and back, I’d rather wait for Amazon or whomever to dispatch the book and wait 3-5 days rather then have it in 60 seconds and read it on my pc/iPod.
If the stories I have through e-book eventually go paper, I will be buying them, even though now, I’m fighting for book space, but isn’t that the funb of it?