10 Reasons I Love eBooks

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Hi! I’m Bethany (aka “that eBook lady”) from the blog no twiddle twaddle where I talk about kids’ books and activities. I’m excited to share with you today why I not only like eBooks, but I actually like eBooks better than paper books. If you (like me) feel like your physical book collection is a piece of you, making the transition to reading off of a screen can take a little convincing.

So, first I want to be sure to reassure you that I love paper books (maybe even just as much as you?):

We own so many paper books in our house that we have 6 full bookshelves (3 of which are full size) AND an entire closet full of books.
We usually take a big laundry basket to the library and fill it to the brim. We frequently hit our 100 book limit even with almost weekly library visits.
I read stacks of paper books to my kids every day. There is no “one book” before bed rule at our house.

But today, I want to give you:

Ten Reasons I Love eBooks

(Who knows, maybe I’ll convince you to make the transition to digital reading too.)

Note: I own a ink-reader Kindle (my favorite for reading novels) and a first generation Kindle Fire (great for picture books). The features I mention may not be available on all types of e-readers.

Reason #1 – ZERO storage space

Early in marriage my husband and I figured out that we both loved books, we both owned too many books, we both didn’t like to get rid of books, and we both wanted our books easily accessible. Unfortunately, we don’t like the same sorts of books. (These are the sort of real life problems that never get covered in premarital counseling.)

Since getting a couple of eReaders, we are quickly finding that we can get rid of books that are easily available online, store other books, and only put out our favorite books and references. And, my husband is able to access hundreds of his professional books through purchased online libraries. (If you have any idea how big his books are, you will understand how happy I am!)

One eReader can hold a large library. In fact, a Kindle can store thousands of books directly on the device. And, the Amazon Cloud has unlimited storage space.

Reason #2 – easy to transport

If you are like me, you love having a book when you are waiting in a doctor’s office or traveling. Having an eReader makes transporting books very easy especially on trips when you have several books that you would like to read. Not only can you take books for pleasure reading with you, but reference works such as dictionaries and how-to guides.

Being able to transport an entire library with you really comes in handy with small children. An eReader is a lot lighter than a stack of picture books!

Reason #3 – bookmarking, highlighting, and read aloud

As a kid, I never got down the whole remember-to-mark your spot trick. I’ve probably spent years of my life searching through books trying to find my spot. I’m enamored by the way I can just turn on my Kindle, and my book always opens right back up to where I left off. Plus, it’s easy to highlight a passage, type a note, or mark a section that I want to remember.

Also, many eBooks contain a read aloud feature that allows you to listen to the book rather than read it. The best part is, you can switch back and forth between reading and listening and the device will save your place.

Reason #4 – read faster

Flipping pages takes time, more time than clicking a button. Meaning that on an e-reader, you will fly through that book you can’t put down.

Reason #5 – instant availability

Perhaps I’m impatient, but I do really like getting a book the second I choose to purchase it. I also love that I never have to worry about the book I want being on back order.

Reason #6 – more books for less bucks

eBooks typically cost less than paper books to purchase. And, you can also download books for free using online free ebook sites. You can also find many classics available for free on Amazon.

Many libraries also have eBook lending services, where you can check out books online. The books will automatically be “returned” once your loan period is over (ie. no library fines).

You can also follow Amazon Deals. Each day around four popular eBooks are heavily discounted (usually to $1.99).

Reason #7 – encourage kids to read

Many moms have told me that their reluctant readers respond better to eBooks than paper books. eBooks encourage reluctant readers by making more choices of books available, as well as making reading more fun. The recent Scholastic study on Kids’ Reading Habits seems to confirm this trend.

Children who like to read books that “aren’t cool” may also read more books on an eReader since they can easily hide what they are reading from their peers.

Reason #8 – access to vintage books

The digital age has renewed an interest in classic literature as classics are not only easy to obtain digitally but often are free. Also, many out-of-print but quality books are starting to be republished in eBook format. These vintage books are often available for inexpensive prices and sometimes are even promoted for free.

Reason #9 – customization

Never read a book again that has too small or too large font or even a font that you don’t like. A properly formatted book can be customized to perfectly fit your preferences.

Reason #10 – ease of use

I first started using an eReader when my youngest was a newborn. It wasn’t hard to convince me of how wonderful eReaders are when I discovered that I could sneak in hours of reading while feeding the baby. Holding an eReader with one hand was much more manageable than trying to prop up a book (plus turn pages) one-handed.

I’ve also found that eReaders are much more comfortable to read while resting. An eReader is perfect, if you like to read yourself to sleep.

There are two exceptions that I make for e-reader use:

I don’t recommend using an eReader with babies or small children. Babies like to touch books which is a real problem on a touch screen. If you are spending more time instructing your kid on how to use the eReader than reading, they are too young for eBooks.
eReaders don’t have a large enough screen to replace books with large elaborate illustrations, such as many picture books.

Have you made the transition to an eReader? What do you think?

ABOUT BETHANY: Bethany started No Twiddle Twaddle in January 2012, to create a kid lit and play blog that combines love for great literature with a down to earth perspective of a mom with small children. When she’s not writing (or folding the never ending stack of laundry), you might find her killing dragons in the backyard, joining a mission to Mars, or if lucky curled up on the couch reading to her kids.

You can subscribe to Bethany’s daily free kids’ eBook lists and activity ideas by email, and you can find her online on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, and in her community Great Books for Kids.