I am a book lover of real Paperback books, will it still be worth it to buy a kindle?
I absolutely love reading books and enjoy the scent and feel of books. I’m thinking of buying a kindle but I am confused if it will be worth it? I won’t stop buying real books just cause I have a kindle. But then should I buy a kindle or keep buying books as I usually do? Book lovers of reddit, why do you like reading so much? I wouldn't say that I read books for distractions. That movies/TV shows may be better distractions are what put me off. All I have to do is sit and read a book. I can read at my own pace, I can flip a page, mark pages. I just don't absorb information from shows/movies like I can from books. If I want to be distracted, yes, they are better. But I don't read to be distracted. Watching TV or movies is entirely passive, not interactive in the way that reading a book is. When reading a book you physically have to turn the pages, but with a TV show or movie all you have to do is hit play, and unless you pause it yourself it will keep on playing with or without you.
Also, TV is a very demanding medium. You have to keep on top of it according to the schedule set out by the broadcaster. Even if you end up taping the program to a DVR or something, you'll fall hopelessly behind unless you're in there watching it every week. Then you have to watch two, three, or four hours at a stretch just to catch up with yourself.
Advertisements don't pop up in the middle of my books, not even when I'm using my e-reader (a Kobo Aura). And books aren't glued shut until an arbitrary time of day just because they have some four-letter words or sexual situations in them. Finally, nobody has ever ripped a book out of my hands and confiscated it, half-read, while claiming that the book has been cancelled.
Most books have not been adapted as TV shows or movies, even given Hollywood and the networks' terminal lack of creativity and originality. I'm reading half a dozen books right now, and five of them have never been adapted. They're The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus, Elizabethan Plays by edited Hazelton Spencer (which features no Shakespeare—almost invariably Shakespeare's plays are the only ones that are adapted. I only know of one exception, Alex Cox's Revengers Tragedy, based on a play by Thomas Middelton, but that play isn't in this book either), Elizabethan Poetry edited by Bob Blaisdell (which is impossible to adapt—TVs and movies require narratives), The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, and The Single Voice: An Anthology of Contemporary Fiction edited by Jerome Charyn. And the sixth one that has been adapted, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, is nothing like the book. If I waited around for a movie or TV show to be based on any of these works, I could be waiting forever. Why would I do that when the books are already published and available? Lastly, even when reading fiction I primarily read literary fiction and classics because I read for the quality of the language, not for the plot. If all a book has to offer me is its plot, then I might as well read the Wikipedia synopsis and save myself the time. So no matter how faithful a film or book adaptation may be to its source material, it will never replace a book for me because the book can be a medium for experimenting with language, style, and form in a way that movies can't really replicate (even if they can play around with content and form in their own terms). Book lovers, how do you handle your collection of books?
A few years ago, I had more books than I knew what to do with. I would buy anything that looked remotely interesting off of Book Outlet as well as all the new releases I wanted. I lived at home with my parents and my bedroom was full of shelves - they were neatly organized shelves, but every space was used. When I got married and moved to an apartment three years ago, I parted with everything that couldn't fit on two taller, normal-sized bookshelves. When we moved into a house just over a year ago, I got rid of even more books. We still have the two shelves, but one is full and the second has only the top shelf full; the rest is decor/my perfumes. There are definitely some more books that I'm willing to part with now, though. I guess my question is how do you manage your book collections? I don't want to be a household that doesn't have any books, but I haven't bought new ones in years and my collection is dwindling. I'm also not a big re-reader, so even though I have some of my favorites, it's not likely that they'll get re-read often. I've been a librarian for the last 6 years and have a great library system in my town, so it's even more difficult for me to justify buying books.
I bought it because i loved the title and was intrigued to read about a tall no nonsense heroine working in publishing. But it was terribly boring i had to DNF. I just couldn't get invested in her relationship with Libby (her sister) and what libby was doing etc. I tried to skip and read only the interactions between Charlie and Nora but that didn't work after a while. Just me that had to DNF book lovers?
My daughter went from a book lover to a book hater!
As soon as daughter was old enough to read, she consumed every book she could get her hands on. She became a huge HP fan and read and reread all seven books plus every David Walliams, Roald Dahl and others. Her book shelves are brimming with books. She's almost 12 now and refuses to read. She says nothing is worth reading, all books are boring, that only old people read, books are dumb, they aren't any fun, it goes on and on. The discussion about reading turns into a an argument where reading becomes the enemy and any suggestion of enforced reading time becomes a punishment. So in an effort to make reading not a punishment, we don't enforce it. I've purchased what feels like hundreds of books in the hope of getting her excited about one of them, and they all sit unopened and gathering dust. I encouraged her to read a book I loved when I was her age (Tomorrow when the war began) but she says its the dumbest and most boring book ever (not true!).
I have tried and DNFed two times. I get to that first restaurant scene with the would be love interest and I’m just like really? This guy? The author’s description makes me think of a cartoon villain and I just can’t picture a fun, witty romance with this guy. Also the heroine is a tad dramatic with her inner monologue.
I'm not looking for parenting advice, maybe just your memory of having to re find your love of books, what got you back into it? Did you have a period of not reading and then started again? What book made you remember the joys of reading? Book lovers of Reddit what book did you read that had an actual effect on your life? More specifically, I'm a 20 year old male. I don't have any friends for a few reasons but that's neither here nor there. I have a strong passionate interest in 20th century literature, non fiction, as well as modern non fiction, real accounts of history, books on political viewpoints. It's kind of my whole life. I want to be a writer myself one day. And I need to surround myself with others like myself. Where do I go in real life to find like-minded people. Friends, but also more specifically where does a lowly, handsome, educated bachelor like myself find a girl that likes to read. And maybe I could strike up a conversation of literary muses. You see where I'm going with this. I don't have much else to talk about. So it would be stupendous if I found someone that had similar interests. A girl in question doesn't have to like the same kind of books that I do, but have an understanding of why I like them and I could do the same for them. Have you ever had high expectations when starting a book and ended up being dissapointed?
How disappointed were you? What is a book you absolutely love, but have not met anyone who has read it?
Would love to hear some special recommendations! I’ve been looking for new books to read for awhile, but kept on seeing the same titles being recommended. Really looking forward to seeing some of your favourite; underrated books!
Why do we love physical books so much?
Hey, r/books. I've been mulling the question over of why I love owning and displaying physical books so much. I have yet to come to an answer. For those of us who love the physical books we've read ... why?
While reading Metro 2033, I've coincidentally been listening to VOLA - Inmazes (2015). My mind made such an amazing connection between the setting, the characters and their inner struggles - so now, every time I hear a song from them, I'm instantly teleported to the pitch black tunnels of the Moscow metro and straight into Artyom's boots.
I've always viewed myself as far from a materialistic person, and many of those books I love to own and display carry anti-materialistic or anti-consumerism themes. Am I being a hypocrite to put so much stock in physical objects?
Am I a bad reader if I have to search up the meaning of a book?
I'm starting to read more challenging books, and I find myself looking up what specific details mean. Just finished Franny & Zooey and I understood what was going on, and generally knew what the ending was about, but I needed to look up the meaning to fully understand it. Does this mean I'm not a good reader, will I ever be able to interpret things on my own?
I've had other thoughts as to why I keep books around as well: I love the ideas these books contain and keep them around as a reminder of those ideas. Perhaps it's something more abstract: those books are a part of who I am and that's why I treasure them. Or maybe something more egotistical: do I just have a secret hope that guests will find me well-read?
I love to read. I love books. About 8 years ago I had accumulated (over time) 700 ish books. Over time I read, decluttered, sold, gifted, donated, etc. most of them and am down to about 30 unread books that I have kept to read. Once I finish my 30 unread books I am considering getting a kindle/e-reader.
My anniversary is coming up and my wife is an avid book reader. She easily reads 30-40 books a year. I’ve gotten her autographed hardbacks for all of the Outlander series from Diana Gabaldon (one of her favorite series) for one of our previous anniversaries. She’s a huge Stephen King fan as well (IT is a top 3 favorite of hers).
Well I guess we’ll have to look into what JK Rowling is up to. She’s been really defacing her brand lately by being transphobic and maybe it’s getting to be too much for some people who don’t have a really strong connection to the books anymore? So they’re just getting rid of her things on account of they’re embarrassed to have them around or they feel Gross owning them? Or they’re tight on money, since some of them are probably 30 or 40 at this point (even if they read HP when they were young) and they’re selling their merch for money to put towards something else - like house, car, family, etc. Or they’re getting into Marie Kondo tidying up.
HAPPY BOOK LOVERS' DAY, REDDIT! What good or great or weirdly appealing or timeless or hilarious book would you recommend to an intelligent interesting person you just met? And (if you feel like it) why? With the pandemic I’d like to get her something a bit more memorable since she has been reading so much more lately. Can anyone help me with suggestions on book related gifts you’ve gotten that have been especially memorable? Ideally I’d like to get an autographed copy of IT but I know Stephen King isn’t doing many book signings these days.
Hello! I'm new to this sub, but for very good reason - I've always despised reading. Through all of elementary school, I would read what I was given, and there were a couple books (few and far between) that I would pick up and read of my own accord. Come high school, I had almost stopped reading entirely outside of the mandatory assignments. Now I am in college, and I still find myself never picking up a book. But here's the thing; I don't necessarily dislike reading. Every time I have finished a book, I typically feel poignant or nostalgic - because I enjoyed reading it so much and I'm sad the journey has ended (does anybody else ever feel this way?) Despite enjoying most books I finish, I come back to the same problem: I simply cannot get the motivation to read books. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD, which is giving me a better understanding of why I normally don't read. I find myself reading so slowly it gets frustrating because I struggle to comprehend text if I read it fast. Because I'm reading so slowly, my mind begins to wander, and all of a sudden I'm 2 pages ahead with no recollection of what I just read, and I have to go back and re-read it. This gets disheartening and I feel like I take twice as long as regular readers to finish books. My psychiatrist refuses to give me a stimulant medication (adderall, vyvanse etc) to treat my condition because of a history of addiction. I have no other ideas on how I can make reading less intimidating, and how I can find more enjoyment in it. I really want to because I always hear about all these wonderful books and stories I wish I could delve into, but I always end up back in this position. So I have come to this wonderful sub in hopes of receiving some good advice or wise words. Thank you for reading.
Thanks in advance! Also, if this is against the rules (I did read them), let me know a better place to post this.
When I do want to read new books, I look to my local library first. Unfortunately I live in a very conservative and religious area, so for many books that I am interested in I can't find at my library. For this reason, once my unread books are read, I'm considering getting an e-reader so that I can read new books without having them take up space. For those that loved physical books and have transitioned to e-readers, how to do you like it? Do you miss physical books or have you found that you are a-ok with the digital version?
Share your thoughts, fellow book lovers!
Edit: Thanks so much for the overwhelming response! Im gonna spend my night looking through the books, thanks to everyone who are so nice to share!
Also, TV is a very demanding medium. You have to keep on top of it according to the schedule set out by the broadcaster. Even if you end up taping the program to a DVR or something, you'll fall hopelessly behind unless you're in there watching it every week. Then you have to watch two, three, or four hours at a stretch just to catch up with yourself.
Advertisements don't pop up in the middle of my books, not even when I'm using my e-reader (a Kobo Aura). And books aren't glued shut until an arbitrary time of day just because they have some four-letter words or sexual situations in them. Finally, nobody has ever ripped a book out of my hands and confiscated it, half-read, while claiming that the book has been cancelled.
Most books have not been adapted as TV shows or movies, even given Hollywood and the networks' terminal lack of creativity and originality. I'm reading half a dozen books right now, and five of them have never been adapted. They're The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus, Elizabethan Plays by edited Hazelton Spencer (which features no Shakespeare—almost invariably Shakespeare's plays are the only ones that are adapted. I only know of one exception, Alex Cox's Revengers Tragedy, based on a play by Thomas Middelton, but that play isn't in this book either), Elizabethan Poetry edited by Bob Blaisdell (which is impossible to adapt—TVs and movies require narratives), The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, and The Single Voice: An Anthology of Contemporary Fiction edited by Jerome Charyn. And the sixth one that has been adapted, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, is nothing like the book. If I waited around for a movie or TV show to be based on any of these works, I could be waiting forever. Why would I do that when the books are already published and available? Lastly, even when reading fiction I primarily read literary fiction and classics because I read for the quality of the language, not for the plot. If all a book has to offer me is its plot, then I might as well read the Wikipedia synopsis and save myself the time. So no matter how faithful a film or book adaptation may be to its source material, it will never replace a book for me because the book can be a medium for experimenting with language, style, and form in a way that movies can't really replicate (even if they can play around with content and form in their own terms). Book lovers, how do you handle your collection of books?
A few years ago, I had more books than I knew what to do with. I would buy anything that looked remotely interesting off of Book Outlet as well as all the new releases I wanted. I lived at home with my parents and my bedroom was full of shelves - they were neatly organized shelves, but every space was used. When I got married and moved to an apartment three years ago, I parted with everything that couldn't fit on two taller, normal-sized bookshelves. When we moved into a house just over a year ago, I got rid of even more books. We still have the two shelves, but one is full and the second has only the top shelf full; the rest is decor/my perfumes. There are definitely some more books that I'm willing to part with now, though. I guess my question is how do you manage your book collections? I don't want to be a household that doesn't have any books, but I haven't bought new ones in years and my collection is dwindling. I'm also not a big re-reader, so even though I have some of my favorites, it's not likely that they'll get re-read often. I've been a librarian for the last 6 years and have a great library system in my town, so it's even more difficult for me to justify buying books.
I bought it because i loved the title and was intrigued to read about a tall no nonsense heroine working in publishing. But it was terribly boring i had to DNF. I just couldn't get invested in her relationship with Libby (her sister) and what libby was doing etc. I tried to skip and read only the interactions between Charlie and Nora but that didn't work after a while. Just me that had to DNF book lovers?
My daughter went from a book lover to a book hater!
As soon as daughter was old enough to read, she consumed every book she could get her hands on. She became a huge HP fan and read and reread all seven books plus every David Walliams, Roald Dahl and others. Her book shelves are brimming with books. She's almost 12 now and refuses to read. She says nothing is worth reading, all books are boring, that only old people read, books are dumb, they aren't any fun, it goes on and on. The discussion about reading turns into a an argument where reading becomes the enemy and any suggestion of enforced reading time becomes a punishment. So in an effort to make reading not a punishment, we don't enforce it. I've purchased what feels like hundreds of books in the hope of getting her excited about one of them, and they all sit unopened and gathering dust. I encouraged her to read a book I loved when I was her age (Tomorrow when the war began) but she says its the dumbest and most boring book ever (not true!).
I have tried and DNFed two times. I get to that first restaurant scene with the would be love interest and I’m just like really? This guy? The author’s description makes me think of a cartoon villain and I just can’t picture a fun, witty romance with this guy. Also the heroine is a tad dramatic with her inner monologue.
I'm not looking for parenting advice, maybe just your memory of having to re find your love of books, what got you back into it? Did you have a period of not reading and then started again? What book made you remember the joys of reading? Book lovers of Reddit what book did you read that had an actual effect on your life? More specifically, I'm a 20 year old male. I don't have any friends for a few reasons but that's neither here nor there. I have a strong passionate interest in 20th century literature, non fiction, as well as modern non fiction, real accounts of history, books on political viewpoints. It's kind of my whole life. I want to be a writer myself one day. And I need to surround myself with others like myself. Where do I go in real life to find like-minded people. Friends, but also more specifically where does a lowly, handsome, educated bachelor like myself find a girl that likes to read. And maybe I could strike up a conversation of literary muses. You see where I'm going with this. I don't have much else to talk about. So it would be stupendous if I found someone that had similar interests. A girl in question doesn't have to like the same kind of books that I do, but have an understanding of why I like them and I could do the same for them. Have you ever had high expectations when starting a book and ended up being dissapointed?
How disappointed were you? What is a book you absolutely love, but have not met anyone who has read it?
Would love to hear some special recommendations! I’ve been looking for new books to read for awhile, but kept on seeing the same titles being recommended. Really looking forward to seeing some of your favourite; underrated books!
Why do we love physical books so much?
Hey, r/books. I've been mulling the question over of why I love owning and displaying physical books so much. I have yet to come to an answer. For those of us who love the physical books we've read ... why?
While reading Metro 2033, I've coincidentally been listening to VOLA - Inmazes (2015). My mind made such an amazing connection between the setting, the characters and their inner struggles - so now, every time I hear a song from them, I'm instantly teleported to the pitch black tunnels of the Moscow metro and straight into Artyom's boots.
I've always viewed myself as far from a materialistic person, and many of those books I love to own and display carry anti-materialistic or anti-consumerism themes. Am I being a hypocrite to put so much stock in physical objects?
Am I a bad reader if I have to search up the meaning of a book?
I'm starting to read more challenging books, and I find myself looking up what specific details mean. Just finished Franny & Zooey and I understood what was going on, and generally knew what the ending was about, but I needed to look up the meaning to fully understand it. Does this mean I'm not a good reader, will I ever be able to interpret things on my own?
I've had other thoughts as to why I keep books around as well: I love the ideas these books contain and keep them around as a reminder of those ideas. Perhaps it's something more abstract: those books are a part of who I am and that's why I treasure them. Or maybe something more egotistical: do I just have a secret hope that guests will find me well-read?
I love to read. I love books. About 8 years ago I had accumulated (over time) 700 ish books. Over time I read, decluttered, sold, gifted, donated, etc. most of them and am down to about 30 unread books that I have kept to read. Once I finish my 30 unread books I am considering getting a kindle/e-reader.
My anniversary is coming up and my wife is an avid book reader. She easily reads 30-40 books a year. I’ve gotten her autographed hardbacks for all of the Outlander series from Diana Gabaldon (one of her favorite series) for one of our previous anniversaries. She’s a huge Stephen King fan as well (IT is a top 3 favorite of hers).
Well I guess we’ll have to look into what JK Rowling is up to. She’s been really defacing her brand lately by being transphobic and maybe it’s getting to be too much for some people who don’t have a really strong connection to the books anymore? So they’re just getting rid of her things on account of they’re embarrassed to have them around or they feel Gross owning them? Or they’re tight on money, since some of them are probably 30 or 40 at this point (even if they read HP when they were young) and they’re selling their merch for money to put towards something else - like house, car, family, etc. Or they’re getting into Marie Kondo tidying up.
HAPPY BOOK LOVERS' DAY, REDDIT! What good or great or weirdly appealing or timeless or hilarious book would you recommend to an intelligent interesting person you just met? And (if you feel like it) why? With the pandemic I’d like to get her something a bit more memorable since she has been reading so much more lately. Can anyone help me with suggestions on book related gifts you’ve gotten that have been especially memorable? Ideally I’d like to get an autographed copy of IT but I know Stephen King isn’t doing many book signings these days.
Hello! I'm new to this sub, but for very good reason - I've always despised reading. Through all of elementary school, I would read what I was given, and there were a couple books (few and far between) that I would pick up and read of my own accord. Come high school, I had almost stopped reading entirely outside of the mandatory assignments. Now I am in college, and I still find myself never picking up a book. But here's the thing; I don't necessarily dislike reading. Every time I have finished a book, I typically feel poignant or nostalgic - because I enjoyed reading it so much and I'm sad the journey has ended (does anybody else ever feel this way?) Despite enjoying most books I finish, I come back to the same problem: I simply cannot get the motivation to read books. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD, which is giving me a better understanding of why I normally don't read. I find myself reading so slowly it gets frustrating because I struggle to comprehend text if I read it fast. Because I'm reading so slowly, my mind begins to wander, and all of a sudden I'm 2 pages ahead with no recollection of what I just read, and I have to go back and re-read it. This gets disheartening and I feel like I take twice as long as regular readers to finish books. My psychiatrist refuses to give me a stimulant medication (adderall, vyvanse etc) to treat my condition because of a history of addiction. I have no other ideas on how I can make reading less intimidating, and how I can find more enjoyment in it. I really want to because I always hear about all these wonderful books and stories I wish I could delve into, but I always end up back in this position. So I have come to this wonderful sub in hopes of receiving some good advice or wise words. Thank you for reading.
Thanks in advance! Also, if this is against the rules (I did read them), let me know a better place to post this.
When I do want to read new books, I look to my local library first. Unfortunately I live in a very conservative and religious area, so for many books that I am interested in I can't find at my library. For this reason, once my unread books are read, I'm considering getting an e-reader so that I can read new books without having them take up space. For those that loved physical books and have transitioned to e-readers, how to do you like it? Do you miss physical books or have you found that you are a-ok with the digital version?
Share your thoughts, fellow book lovers!
Edit: Thanks so much for the overwhelming response! Im gonna spend my night looking through the books, thanks to everyone who are so nice to share!
