Book or E-reader?

   As the popularity of the e- readers’ rise, so does the controversy between books and e-readers. I have heard so many things about e-readers both good and bad. Everyone seems to have taken sides, team e-reader or team book. The people that are all for books and against e-readers have probably never tried one out. I am here to tell you the good and bad of both sides to a book and e-reader.

First, I must say that I love both an actual book and an e-reader, so I am not here to take sides. When I first heard about an e-reader I was so excited because being able to have hundreds of books in one place is amazing to me. 

 Benefits of e-readers:

1.      You can have hundreds of books in the palm of your hand. For me personally, this part sold me on it. Who would not like to have that many books in one little device? 
2.      The low prices of books on an e-reader are the next benefit. Usually on an e-reader, newly released books are at least five dollars cheaper than the physical book would be. However, if it is an older book it can be anywhere from one to seven dollars. Now, I do not know about you, but the cheaper I can get a book the better.
3.    An e-reader is small and can fit anywhere. When I was on a plane for nine hours it was my best friend. If I had not had it I would have had to lug two books around with me and when you are traveling that is just unnecessary baggage
4.    An e-reader also saves publishers the trouble of going through printing and using all that paper. I am sure you are not going to hate an e-reader for that, now are you.

 Downside of  e-readers:

1.    The most used argument is that an e-reader takes away from the experience of an actual book, like the feel of the pages or the smell of a new book, which I completely understand. I love the feel of the pages between my fingers, but is it really worth the extra money to experience?
2.    E-readers can also hurt your eyes if you are staring at it for too long, like any digital device. Companies have gotten better at producing screens that are easier on the eyes, but for people like me who can read for hours, my eyes can start to hurt staring at a lit up screen.

Benefits of books:

1.    You get to feel the weight of the book in your hands. This may sound crazy but actually holding a book in your hands just makes reading it even more special. Holding the actual book makes the experience more real
2.   You have a book to put on display. As an avid reader, I like to show off what I have read. With an e-reader, you cannot do that. The actual book is like a trophy for readers.
3.    With an actual physical book, I have found that I am more likely to get into the story. It is as if having an actual book to read makes the story more real.   

Downside of books:

1.     Books need paper (obviously) and in order to get paper we cut down trees. I am not one to hate on books because they are using up trees, but it is nice that there are e-readers out there to reduce the damage.
2.    Books can be pricey. Physical books cost more than e-books because the production of a physical book costs much more. Sometimes it just seems ridiculous to pay so much for a hardback book.

   Maybe this has helped you see that both books and e-readers have their good and bad qualities. I am tired of seeing uninformed people say that those who use an e-reader are not real book lovers because they are reading an e-book. Since when did being a book lover become based off whether you read a physical book or an e-book? The only difference between them is the form in which they are read. Do not bully someone into thinking that if they read a different way than you then they are not a book lover. A book lover loves books no matter the form they come in. It is time for people to grow up, and just read a book whether it is physical or not.