The soft riffling noise as you flip from one page to another, the yellow pages tainted with time, the dank smell of paper! Here and there, you straighten the dog ears, and mark the page you want to "re visit" with a bookmark.
Books— they stimulate your senses, even before you start reading. When I was little and couldn’t read, I would look at the pictures in the books and run my hands on them. It amazed me how a few letters scripted down in paper could transport you to a whole new world of fairies, goblins and charming princes! Bed time stories were all I looked forward to. My mother would pick a book from the rack and read me stories. They would ushere me to a different world altogether, and before I knew it, I would find myself as Alice, in a place no less than wonderland!
As I grew up, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ was replaced with hard bound versions of "Rainy Day stories" and "Bed time stories" by Blyton. These were picked from the library and had grown old with time. Sometimes, I had to place a ruler between the pages to pull the pages apart. The books were yellow and soft, and you had to carefully turn them over. I remember how irritated I would be to find caricatures drawn in ink in the book. "Blasphemous," I would say to myself!!
I still remember the first time I had (note-"had") to pick up an e book. ‘The Order of Phoenix’ was out, and it was priced at a handsome Rs.1100. I was in class 10 then, my urgency to read the book was at an all-time high, and cash in hand at an all-time low! I had to eventually settle for an e-book. The soft riffling noise of flipping from one page to another was replaced by carefully scrolling down the page with the help of an irritating mouse, the pages were stark white, and yes they gave me a headache! What’s more, there was no way I could earmark a few pages so that I could turn to them later!
But thanks to technology, I didn’t have to wait too long to get my hands on the book. Better still, I didn’t have to spend a buck! There have been several instances when I couldn’t find a book in the bookstore and had to do with e books, several instances when the book I was looking for would burn a huge hole in my pocket and I actually thanked websites for digitalising it!.
So, what are the pros of reading e-books? One is that it is easy on the pocket; you have a vast array of websites where you can choose a book from. What’s more, you don’t have to curse yourself on a bad buy. You can always try reading a couple of chapters on the net, and if it’s worth it, you can go grab a copy.
But let’s look at hard copy editions again.
They don’t need power to run, therefore if you’re in the middle of an exciting novel, there is no chance of it running flat. We are becoming far too reliant on technology; it’s nice to escape with a good book.
Hard copies can be carried around easily (unless of course, you are reading War and Peace), and can be read anywhere. E-books, on the other hand, are not too kind on your eyes and back. You can write notes all over the books if you want to. You can give them as presents, use them as furnishings and doorstops, and even the worst books can serve a useful purpose, lining the bottom of a birdcage or being used in art projects. You can't do that with an e-book can you?!?!
For all of you who love e-books but miss the dank smell of the tangible pages, here is a radical solution!
"Does your Kindle leave you feeling like there’s something missing from your reading experience?
Have you been avoiding e-books because they just don’t smell right?
If you’ve been hesitant to jump on the e-book bandwagon, you’re not alone. Book lovers everywhere have resisted digital books because they still don’t compare to the experience of reading a good old fashioned paper book.
But all of that is changing thanks to Smell of Books, a revolutionary new aerosol e-book enhancer.
Now you can finally enjoy reading e-books without giving up the smell you love so much. With Smell of Book you can have the best of both worlds, the convenience of an e-book and the smell of your favorite paper book."
As for me? I am into Fencebooks... I am content with the hard copies so long as they don’t burn a volcanic crater in my pocket!!
Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in August, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
—About our writer:
"Two roads diverged into the yellow woods and I took the one less travelled and that has made all the difference".30 years down the line, when Pooja looks back at her life, she wants these same words to summarize her existence. Professionally, Pooja works as a manager in a Bank and is currently based in Mumbai. She works as the editor of the corporate newsletter. She has worked as a radio jockey in the past and loves reading and writing.
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:
Chillibreeze offers content writing services to customers from all over the globe. We also leverage our experience in the content industry to publish ebooks about niche topics.
Upgrade Your Writing Sign up for news, events, jobs, tips
