PRINT IS DEAD! Or ... not.

Print is dead, and I am part of the problem.

Why, with a blog about books and a job in the newspaper biz, would I be helping the death of print along?

I bought an e-reader. *hangs head in shame*

It was a long process to decide whether I wanted one, and which one I wanted, but in the end, it seemed like a pretty great thing to have. Just buy a book, upload it to a small, hand-held device and read it. I especially love the idea of taking it on vacations, since my ever-shrinking bags (thanks, airline fees!) are usually full of books.

I know, I know ... I'm a terrible person for not wanting to read books with ink on paper. Instead, I'm reading a book ("Under the Dome" by Stephen King, if you're curious) with e-ink on a screen. I'm sure there are people out there shaking their heads at me for not wanting that feel of a paper page between my fingers and the smell of a book and the weight of an 800-page hardcover book in my hands.

But, to me, that's not what a book is about. A book is the words, the story, the characters, the feeling I get when I'm reading it. The paper and ink, or the e-reader and e-ink, is just the vehicle upon which to convey the words, story, characters, etc. that give me that feeling is what a book is really about for me.

And, I have to say, it's pretty dang convenient too. Anytime I want to read a new book, I can get online, buy it, upload it and read it. I also have an app on my phone where I can read the books I've purchased, too. I can get on the computer and check out books from the library without having to go to the library, too. And there are lots of books in the public domain that I can read for free! It's pretty dang sweet!

Despite how much I am enjoying my e-reader thus far, I don't plan to sell all of my "dead-tree" books and go to a strictly electronic existence. I mean, maybe eventually I will, if that's the way that the world goes. But for a long time, I'll probably live a hybrid existence, reading some things on my e-reader and other things in books.

If you've been contemplating getting an e-reader, I'd urge you to try it. They're not that expensive, and there are a lot of wonderfully convenient things about them. But if you're inclined to stick with paper and ink, that's OK too - just don't take to the Internet, magazine, newspaper or carrier pigeon to denounce people who choose to use technology to read books, newspapers or magazines. After all, the important part is the book, not the way that you're experiencing it!