I consider myself a “book person.” I love everything about books, the look, the feel, even the smell. So, when ebooks first arrived on the seen I laughed. When they were predicted to be the next big thing, I scoffed. However, when ebook readers started to be born, I became a little more interested. I played with a few ereaders at stores like Target and Bestbuy, but I hated the idea of reading on something that looked like a computer screen. Then, Staples started to carry the Kindle and I started to consider purchasing an ereader of my very own. The great thing about the Kindle was that the screen actually looks like the page of a book, thanks to some pretty awesome technology known as “e-ink,” which basically looks and acts like real ink and gives the Kindle’s screen its ink-like appearance. I also really liked that the screen wasn’t backlit, so it didn’t have any glare and was a little easier on my eyes than a computer screen. Needless to say, I decided to become a traitor to the physical books I knew and loved and purchased a Kindle.

The awesome thing about the Kindle is the convenience behind its design. It easily fits into my purse and can hold over 1500 books. I can also download the Kindle application onto any device and read any of the books I’ve purchased. Plus, whatever version of the Kindle or it’s applications I’m using bookmarks the page I’m on and updates my other devices. It’s also really useful to be able to search whatever I’m reading for a word or phrase, especially when writing papers. Last but not least, many of the classics are available for download online for free!

Although I was originally frightened that ebooks would be the downfall of traditional books, I no longer feel that this is the case. I actually think that ebooks can benefit publications such as magazines, newspapers and literary magazines. Subscriptions to these publications are often offered at a discounted rate and are available on the user’s device as soon as they are published. Instead of dying out, these forms of writing may now have a second chance in ebook form.

Even though I love my Kindle, I’m still an avid reader and lover of physical books. I’ve even purchased a couple books in ebook and physical form. However, physical books will always feel better in my hands, no matter how convenient ebooks may be. There’s just something comforting about having a book in your hands and being able to flip through it’s pages.