eBooks vs Print

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a geek .. okay a lot of a geek, and I love having electronic versions of books!  I find it easier to read eBooks because I can have all the books with me wherever I am with my iPad, and as such I can read whatever book I want.

I also love the fact that I can mark the books up without marking the books up!  With my Kindle books (and I believe with the Nook too) I can make notes and comments on the book while reading and access those notes from the web.  It makes getting quotes for my papers and reference MUCH easier!  And I can expound upon why I found a quote interesting without being limited by margin size 🙂 There’s even a few different apps for PDFs that you can use to mark them up electronically!  I just wish Apple would add a note taking function to their iBooks.

However, I also love my physical books!  If I’m looking for information to put together a ritual or spell, or for correspondence information, I much prefer to reference a physical book.  There’s just something magical about flipping through the pages that isn’t matched with an eBook.

So where does that leave me?  Well .. generally, I’ll buy the eBook version first and read it.  Then if I think that I’ll use that book as a reference, I’ll buy a physical copy.  I have physical and eBook copies of more than a few books now and I think it works out! eBook lending is also a great way to share my books with friends without risking losing treasured or often referenced books forever (and even better if I have a physical copy on my book shelf!)

I think it’s a win for all involved. I’m more likely to take a chance on a book if I can get it in e-form (I don’t have to store it on a bookshelf) and then if the book is good, I’ll recommend it to friends and sometimes get a physical copy for myself.  Good authors get me twice, and I’m happy to do so!