Another win for the physical bookshelf and library is that others can come in and browse to their heart's content, too - a couple of our children have often done that with the books in my study and have found things they've enjoyed reading. I know it's possible to family share a Kindle library (mine, like yours, has hundreds of books in it) but it's far less inviting and convivial (I was generally in my study when they came in and browsed and so we chatted away merrily as they scanned the shelves.)
I can personally vouch for that. My interest in books started by rummaging through the books at home when growing up. I regularly scoured my dad’s bookcases. Still do when I visit :)
I can trace ideas I still hold back to some of those books. I can also trace ideas I now reject back to the same. What all those books did was open my imagination.
Physical books are the best. I usually buy ebooks as a test-drive. If I like it, I buy the physical book too so I can read it in my preferred format. If I really like it, I'll buy the audio version to keep the party going anywhere :)
I often pair a physical and audiobook. I enjoy being able to switch between formats. Ebooks are great for looking stuff up, but I often find that I can find whatever I’m looking for pretty easily if I read the physical book to begin with. I usually remember the place in the book and even on the page I saw a particular fact or quote.
Ditto. I find the spines that stand out on my shelves remind me of a million thoughts, whereas the thumbnail images of books on my phone hide in my pocket and don’t remind me of anything unless I go intentionally looking. Physical books prompt all sorts of useful, serendipitous thinking.
I think part of the advantages you describe for bookcases also explains the benefit of real books. I tend to have a pretty visual memory. I know where certain quotes are in favorite books. (Left page, about 1/3 of the way down, for instance). You can't do that with e-text. It's just one big scroll, even though e-readers let us "flip pages" if we change the font size, the pagination necessarily changes too.
The notion of the bookshelf as an interface is one of those obvious ideas that aren’t till someone has it. Had I the money, I’d own both the ebook and pbook versions of my books. More and more I’m finding the ebook easier to read, but the pbook is easier for me to locate, because it’s simpler for me to vaguely remember a book I have and poke around the shelves to find it. And if I don’t know what I’m looking for, it’s easier to find it on the shelf.
I like to read novels on my Kindle, but I have to have my non-fiction in my hands and on my bookshelves so I can stand in front of them and remember how they changed my life.
Book cases are like shrines. I find it hard to get rid of books I know I will never read again but enjoyed at one time. Just seeing the title is comforting,
My bestselling books - the ones that have been supporting my lifestyle for decades - are non-fiction paperbacks. While my print books often outsell my ebooks, I consider the electronic version to be a loss leader, or more probably a convenience to read when I have to look something up and aren't anywhere near that bookcase (like in the middle of a pasture.)
Some of my author friends who got burnt out on the rush-to-the-bottom churn of Amazon fiction are now insisting on making high quality hardcover books for their true fans - before they ever put the ebook version available through those distributors.
Print on Demand is the great equalizer. Amazon has no more sway than anyone else. And as well, the spammers won't go through the extra effort and cost to produce a print version. Churning out ebooks is much cheaper. Cheaper.
What goes around, comes around. And a person who loves a print book will more likely tell their friends - a viral phenomenon in the making...
I think that if I were a publisher, I’d offer an ebook version of my printed books to anyone who bought the print version. Maybe for free, maybe at a discount. Or maybe bundle the two.
This is where Kickstarter, Gumroad, and even Substack Founding Members take out Amazon. You can't bundle on Amazon - or giveaway bonuses to buying fans. While KS is almost a one-and-done, you can take these buyers and gift (or drastically discount) on Gumroad.
Every book on my shelves is important to me. They speak of the part of themselves that the author has given to the birth of each wonderful book & the book shelves (only IKEA I’m afraid) play their part in reminding me as I see them every day 🥰
Another win for the physical bookshelf and library is that others can come in and browse to their heart's content, too - a couple of our children have often done that with the books in my study and have found things they've enjoyed reading. I know it's possible to family share a Kindle library (mine, like yours, has hundreds of books in it) but it's far less inviting and convivial (I was generally in my study when they came in and browsed and so we chatted away merrily as they scanned the shelves.)
I can personally vouch for that. My interest in books started by rummaging through the books at home when growing up. I regularly scoured my dad’s bookcases. Still do when I visit :)
I can trace ideas I still hold back to some of those books. I can also trace ideas I now reject back to the same. What all those books did was open my imagination.
This is a feature of physical-media music collections as well.
A part of my physical library consists of books I’m holding against the day that my grandchildren will want to read them.
Physical books are the best. I usually buy ebooks as a test-drive. If I like it, I buy the physical book too so I can read it in my preferred format. If I really like it, I'll buy the audio version to keep the party going anywhere :)
I often pair a physical and audiobook. I enjoy being able to switch between formats. Ebooks are great for looking stuff up, but I often find that I can find whatever I’m looking for pretty easily if I read the physical book to begin with. I usually remember the place in the book and even on the page I saw a particular fact or quote.
The IKEA bookcase is a must have. Mine is packed full. I need more space.
The more the merrier!
I loved this. I still will accumulate and read both ebooks and paper books, but the paper ones have my heart.
Ditto. I find the spines that stand out on my shelves remind me of a million thoughts, whereas the thumbnail images of books on my phone hide in my pocket and don’t remind me of anything unless I go intentionally looking. Physical books prompt all sorts of useful, serendipitous thinking.
I think part of the advantages you describe for bookcases also explains the benefit of real books. I tend to have a pretty visual memory. I know where certain quotes are in favorite books. (Left page, about 1/3 of the way down, for instance). You can't do that with e-text. It's just one big scroll, even though e-readers let us "flip pages" if we change the font size, the pagination necessarily changes too.
The notion of the bookshelf as an interface is one of those obvious ideas that aren’t till someone has it. Had I the money, I’d own both the ebook and pbook versions of my books. More and more I’m finding the ebook easier to read, but the pbook is easier for me to locate, because it’s simpler for me to vaguely remember a book I have and poke around the shelves to find it. And if I don’t know what I’m looking for, it’s easier to find it on the shelf.
I like to read novels on my Kindle, but I have to have my non-fiction in my hands and on my bookshelves so I can stand in front of them and remember how they changed my life.
Book cases are like shrines. I find it hard to get rid of books I know I will never read again but enjoyed at one time. Just seeing the title is comforting,
If only the Billy shelves could hold up over time! But, sagging comes for us all, eventually.
I have 2 Old IKEA bookshelves from thrift stores. Real wood (pine?), stable. Of my 4 bookcases, all wood, they’re the most reliable.
If only IKEA brought *those* back…
They’d end up in thrift stores rather than the dump.
My bestselling books - the ones that have been supporting my lifestyle for decades - are non-fiction paperbacks. While my print books often outsell my ebooks, I consider the electronic version to be a loss leader, or more probably a convenience to read when I have to look something up and aren't anywhere near that bookcase (like in the middle of a pasture.)
Some of my author friends who got burnt out on the rush-to-the-bottom churn of Amazon fiction are now insisting on making high quality hardcover books for their true fans - before they ever put the ebook version available through those distributors.
Print on Demand is the great equalizer. Amazon has no more sway than anyone else. And as well, the spammers won't go through the extra effort and cost to produce a print version. Churning out ebooks is much cheaper. Cheaper.
What goes around, comes around. And a person who loves a print book will more likely tell their friends - a viral phenomenon in the making...
I think that if I were a publisher, I’d offer an ebook version of my printed books to anyone who bought the print version. Maybe for free, maybe at a discount. Or maybe bundle the two.
Yes. It's fans first.
This is where Kickstarter, Gumroad, and even Substack Founding Members take out Amazon. You can't bundle on Amazon - or giveaway bonuses to buying fans. While KS is almost a one-and-done, you can take these buyers and gift (or drastically discount) on Gumroad.
Every book on my shelves is important to me. They speak of the part of themselves that the author has given to the birth of each wonderful book & the book shelves (only IKEA I’m afraid) play their part in reminding me as I see them every day 🥰