Apparently ebooks sales are catching up pbook (paper book) sales across USA and UK. In some genres (such as romance) ebook sales are surpassing hard copy book sales. In the first 6 months of 2012 alone there was 188% increase in digital book sales. And according to a recent report, for every 100 paperback/hard back books sold via Amazon UK, 114 are sold in ebook version http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/06/amazon-kindle-ebook-sales-overtake-print
Here in the George household we are early adopters of technology- we like our gadgets (particularly Apple ones). We have iPhones and macbook airs and iPads. We love the digital world. Hand on heart I love my iPad too. It’s sleek and beautiful. I’ve had it just over a year and I wouldn’t be without it. It’s great for staying in touch, for taking photos, for writing even. Editing definitely.
But reading? I’m not so sure. I’m actually pretty saddened by this discovery. I thought I’d love the experience. I thought I’d never ever want to go back to holding a book in my hands. But really? I don’t get the ‘feel’ of the book when I look at it digitally. I don’t get the same sensory experience. I find it hard to lay in bed on my side and hold the darned thing at the right angle. And time and again I find myself flicking from one book to another. Or checking my emails. Doing a twitter feed. Checking Facebook. I can’t seem to settle with this cold metal gadget in my hand and read for hours like I used to. On a recent holiday I even went so far as to take paperbacks with me, and my iPad kindle books as ‘back-up’ in case I ran out!
Although, judging by my TBR piles I don’t think that’s likely!
Is it because I use an iPad, do you think? Are kindle ereaders or other ereaders bringing a more positive experience? Is it possible to not be distracted on a pure ereader?
Or am I just plain old-fashioned?
For anyone with a preference, it’s good to know Mills and Boon Medical Romances are available in hard copy or ebook form- so it doesn’t matter which way you like your Medical fix! Hop on over to Mills and Boon to check out this month’s selection!
(And please excuse the quick plug for my very own The War Hero’s Locked-Away Heart released today! 
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Cheers!
Louisa x
Love is the Best Medicine 
Hi Louise
First or all let me say that I see you have a five roses rating for your book on the M& B site. Brilliant! And judging by the blurb it sounds fantastic.
I have read a couple of books on my ipad (I also love my gadgets btw) but give me a paperback anytime. I’m not nearly so inclined to download a book as I am to pick one off a shelf- be it in the library or from a bookshop. There is just something about holding a book, seeing the cover, that makes me have to buy it. My tbr pile is enormous too! Over the last week I have read three books including a Thomas Harris a Philippa Gregory and The Magician’s Wife (can’t remember who wrote it). You might be able to tell from the speed I read them that I loved them all- yet each is so very different. The best think about actual paperbacks is that I can pass the ones I love on to my daughters or friends. (Plus I like the way bookshelves look when they are stuffed with books. When I stay at a B& B- or a friend’s house-I always end up scouring their bookshelves and I always find a new author or a well loved favourite that way.)
So, I’m definitely not giving up my paperbacks for the foreseeable future although I will take my ipad with me on holiday- just in case I run out- heaven forbid- of reading material.
Hi Anne! Sounds like we have very similar preferences. I like the actual feel of the book in my hand – and of course, being able to pass them on is a huge benefit. I think physical books will be around for a long time for people like us! I’m in a book club and we take books along and swap them- that couldn’t happen if we all had books on ereaders (although I’m sure we’d find another excuse to catch up and have a wine!).
I love Thomas Harris and Phillipa Gregory- must check out The Magician’s Wife!
I have been converted from paperbacks to Kindle. Don’t get me wrong I still have paperbacks and some hardbacks but everything new will now be via the Kindle. I can understand that it is not for everyone and some people just have to “feel” the book but I have a recurring neck and shoulder problem which is exacerbated by holding heavy books for long periods and as I read a lot it is great that the Kindle is a constant weight, irrespective of the actual physical size the book would be in paperback. I still have all my “keepers” in paperback and I still have a tbr pile too which I am slowly getting through. I would say also that since I got my Kindle I have actually discovered more new authors than I ever did in paperback so that’s another good thing about it! And there are lots of free Kindle books too. The big downside is that you pay VAT on ebooks and not on paperbacks so the tax man is the real winner financially.
One thing about Kindle or ebooks which I don’t understand, perhaps someone could explain it to me, sometimes the ebook version is more expensive than the paperback even though there is no paper involved and no postage involved, sorry that one just doesn’t make sense to me.
Oh and the biggest downside I have found when reading on my kindle is that there are no page numbers, (although I believe that the new touch Kindle has this facility) you can sometimes forget the title of the book you are reading or the author as well, as it does not appear anywhere except if you go back to the home page.
In answer to your question about not being distracted by email etc I would say I never get distracted when reading my Kindle any more than I would whilst reading a book 🙂
Hi Sharon, sounds like you are getting real benefits from your kindle. That’s fabulous, and I hadn’t thought about the consistent weight regardless of book length. That’s definitely a bonus!
I read yesterday that some ebooks are more expensive than paperbacks- I hadn’t realised this. I can’t understand why this should be the case- it makes no sense to me at all either. And I didn’t realise that you had to pay VAT on ebooks too- that’s a real downside.
Glad to hear you don’t get distracted on your kindle- is there an email function in it? I think I get distracted on ipad because there is immediate and constant internet access on it.
No there is no email facility on the Kindle (think there may be on more advanced one but I just have a basic and its fine, I have my pc for email, lol) I only wanted my kindle for reading so the basic one was fine I didn’t want it with bells and whistles, lol. I would love an iPad but think I would spend a lot of time on it so will stick to what I have for now.
I think perhaps this is the answer for me- I need something that is purely for books and has no other distractions (I didn’t confess to the games I play on the ipad too!)
also the basic Kindle has just come down in price again, only £69 now so not bad at all and you can get all kinds of covers for them, I have one that can stand up on its own, I can rest it on top of (usually a pile of books, lol) on the kitchen worktop so I can read in between cooking hands free 🙂
I find the iPad too heavy for reading in bed – and, like you, I end up just checking email or FB or generally getting distracted. And I like the feel of paper books. But I am running out of space, so I might have to cave in and buy an ereader… 🙂
Ah, Kate, maybe that’s my answer- buy an ereader too! LOL (I’d get locked out of my overly Apple-reliant house!)
I do not own an ereader or an iPad, yet. However I do have kindle for MAC so I have downloaded some ebooks. I rarely read from it, maybe because it’s cumbersome to read from my laptop and yet I spend hours reading other things from my computer. Perhaps it is a habit I haven’t acquired? I doubt I will ever own a dedicated ereader. It seems a waste of money. Yes, I know that is ridiculous thinking, but it is where I’m at right now.
Hi Nan, I first started with kindle for Mac and quite enjoyed reading books on it, but didn’t feel like I was actually taking a break from the computer/screen and therefore didn’t get the whole relaxing experience you get curled up in a sunny spot on a chair with a book. Will be interesting to see where we’ll all be in 5 years on this subject.
Hi Louisa! I still read a mix of paperbacks and e-books, but the paperbacks are books I request from the library. At this point, the only books I purchase are for my Kindle. I do not adapt quickly to new technology but I’ve grown to love my Kindle!
Wendy, sounds like you’ve adapted very well to this technology! Maybe I should buy a kindle…..hmmmm.
Louisa,
I still loved to hold a paper book in my hand but my ereader has value when I travel. I see them both as having a place in my reading world. I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who has a large TBR pile.
Hi Susan! Yes, my TBR pile has started to become unmanageable (I must stop going to conferences with free book giveaways!)! Like you I love to travel, but I’m nervous about taking my ipad to the beach, so it will be paperbacks for a little while longer I think!
Gorgeous cover on your new book, Louisa! I just finished reading South of Broad by Pat Conroy in print (I will buy print when the e-book is nine dollars!!!!) and enjoyed holding the book in my hands by the pool on my visit to Scottsdale. I was amazed by the number of people (mostly women) with e-readers around and IN! the pool, too. I kept worrying that someone would drop their electric utensil into the pool. Anyway, I am able to read without distraction in both e-book and print, but my recent preference is being able to increase the size of the font. Old age and all…
Off to check out your new book!
IN the pool? In the pool? Are they completely mad? I don’t take my paperbacks near water! LOL! I have to admit, I’m with you on the benefits of increasing font size- sometimes book print is so small it’s almost unreadable.
My house was in danger of bing taken over by the piles of books! Thankfully my kindle means that my other half has no idea how many books I’ve bought!
Ah yes, Scarlet- that is definitely one advantage of having an ereader- no-one knows how many books……..
I love my ipad and have been buying a lot of digital books and reading them on that. But I did go on an SEP bnge a few weeks ago that have been on my TBR pile for ages and oh my, what a joy to read a paper book! I loved it and felt very retro 🙂 I think from now I’ll have a foot in both camps – tis the way of the world!
I love that- Retro! I think my heart will always be for paperbacks- but I can definitely see the benefits of digital.
I think my viewpoint will be kind of skewed because I live in Brazil, but my Kindle has been a godsend. I have one of the older styles (we were very hesitant about spending a large amount on something we might not use–or that we couldn’t use to download books while living outside the U.S.) I have loved it! Truly. I don’t check email on it (although I can get online to buy books with it) and it’s light enough that I can read in bed without problems. I only have three gripes. It’s hard to remember that the page forward and back buttons are set one above the other on both sides. I’m forever clicking forward with my right thumb and trying to click back with my left one (and always hitting the forward button instead). And I can’t get my little light situated in a way that lights up the whole device without a glare somewhere on the “page.” And the other thing is that I love to flip back and forth to the cover image on a real book, which I can’t do on my Kindle.
While I think I will always prefer a paperback book to a device, I’m sold on my Kindle. No more waiting to go to a bookstore for a book. And when I’m in Brazil, no more reading the same books hundreds of times–and no more having to pack massive boxes of books.
Hi Tina! I can definitely see how a kindle has been of huge benefit to you in Brazil – it’s certainly a must for travelling/living in unusual places where there are few English language books. I guess your thumbs will eventually learn where to go and it’ll become second nature!
Louisa, I’m a bit of a dinosaur with regards to an e-reader – I don’t have one! I do read e-books but I read them on my PC which is functional but does tie me to the desk or to my Notepad so it is a bit of a nuisance.
I’m so tempted to get an e-reader but haven’t quite taken that action yet. But I can see it would be fabulous for taking away for a holiday! So many books all in one little piece of technology!
Woohoo on your latest release and the great review! Awesome cover too!