Electronic or Real Books?

Just one of the bookcases I have radically decluttered.

I have been enjoying looking at other Bloggers bookcases, seeing what sort of books they read, getting ideas of the books I would like to read, admiring their bookcases.  Seeing what they are interested in by the books they read, their hobbies, the type of food they like, whether they are gardeners, the list goes on.  You can tell a lot by what people read.  For me a home without books is unthinkable, and I am pleased that my sons still have homes full of books.  My parents were not readers when I was growing up.  We had the usual encyclopaedias, and a few Readers Digest Books on the law, first aid etc. but no fiction.  My mum was always busy, working, dressmaking, knitting and didn't start reading books until later in life when she discovered the likes of Catherine Cookson.  I, on the other hand, always had my nose stuck in a book.  I LOVED books!  One of my fondest memories of school was in the last year of junior school.  There was a locked glass bookcase that contained 'the classics'  I think I was the only one who was interested in reading them, and worked my way through them.  It took me to other worlds and times.

I have boxes full of books in the attic that I can't bear to give away, but I have managed to sell or give away several hundred.  I now find myself with a dilemma.  I am trying to declutter, if we are going to move house I need to sort through our possessions now, not just box them up and move them to another house.  I have boxes in the attic that were taken out of the attic of our old house.  It is ridiculous, I don't even know what is in them.  I know one box is full of my University books that I will never need or use again.  Can I justify buying more and more books to fill up the bookshelves that then overflow to every available space in the house and eventually to the attic?

The other thing I feel guilty about is the trees that are being cut down to feed my addiction.  Do I continue to buy books knowing that it isn't really a very 'green' thing to do?

The bearded one has been 'suggesting' for ages that I stop buying books and start reading books on his old iPad he gave to me.  I have resisted until now.  I have been looking at books about de-cluttering and being more organised, (yes it has come to this).  It seems a bit ridiculous to buy a book on decluttering by adding to the clutter so I downloaded an app. to read it on the iPad.  My verdict?  It is early days but I just can't get on with it, I don't feel like I'm reading.  I'm not enjoying the experience at all.  Why?  I have been trying to think what it is about it that I don't like.  Why is it so different from reading a book?  So I have been thinking about how I read books.  I read fiction and non fiction in different ways.  Fiction, start at the beginning and read through, they are well looked after, placed on the bookshelf and cherished.   Non fiction I flick through, look at different chapters, often go back and re-read things to get a better understanding.  Bookmark things, underline (I can hear you all take a sharp intake of breath, it is a habit from my Uni days, and is only pencil).  Shove it in my bag to read when I get a spare minute.  I 'use' them and make them 'work' for me.  With this electronic book I can't do this as easily.  I can't find that particular paragraph that I want to re read, I can't flick through and underline important points.  I don't shove the iPad in my bag for fear of it going missing, it's not as easy to carry, doesn't fit in my handbag.   I don't have a book in my hand, the feel of it, the smell of it, seeing the cover every time I pick it up.  It just isn't such a pleasurable experience.  The one good point I have found is that I can read it in bed without having the light on when the bearded one is sleeping.

So are you a real book or an electronic (is this even how you describe it) reader?  Can you persuade me or give me tips on how to make the experience more enjoyable?

Chickpea xx

Welcome to Marilyn :)