Ebook vs. paper

Let me first explain that I'm a reading addict. Living in French speaking Switzerland and France, English books are not as easy to come by as in an Anglophone country (although there wasn't a bookstore within 20 miles of my stepmom in Florida).

Geneva does have an excellent English library and a good, but expensive, English department in a downtown bookstore. A few English books are at the train station and sometimes used books are available usually tripped upon at a marché.

Yes, I do read French, but it is a different pleasure.

Where we are in the South of France, a late friend used to have an English bookstores. Now a tearoom has an unofficial English book exchange but 50 do not replace the 500 she had.

These solutions are limited if I want a certain book.

Here's a breakdown of Ebook and paper book advantages and disadvantages from my point of view

E-book advantages
1. Any book can be bought at any time and delivered immediately.
2. When traveling hundreds of books do not take up any space in the suitcase
3. It's lightweight
4. Highlighting advantages without looking for a highlighter
5. A lighted screen to see in the middle of the night without disturbing my husband
6. A big book is lighter to hold over long periods
7. Changeable size of type face when one misplaces glasses
8. Increases the sales of my novels www.donnalanenelson.com

E-book disadvantages
1. Not as easy to move back and forth within the text.
2. Needs to be recharged
3. Can break down
4. Does not last as long as paper. Think of all the technology you used to use
5. Harder to share (as an author I should be happy, but there's something wonderful about reading a book given to you by a friend, especially if s/he made notes)

Paper book advantages
1. Emotional...feel, smell
2. Doesn't run out of power (although I did accidentally wash a friend's book)
3. Is easy to share with friends or recycle
4. Much easy to flip thru, especially when making a buying decision.
5. More colorful.
6. Can last for centuries
7. Easier to arrange in book cases or topics.

Paper book disadvantages
1. Takes up room
2. Harder to locate a special book

Saying all that I still prefer paper.

Having a Kindle does not mean that I can't delight in seeing a street vendor and in looking thru his collection come across a treasure I can't wait to read.

Liking paper doesn't mean if I see a book review in The New Yorker I have to order it and wait. I can be reading it in minutes with an e-book.

In other words, e-book or paper doesn't have to be an either/or.