Electronic books vs. paper book?

First, I have to say that I absolutely LOVE to read. My soul needs to read as much as my body need to breathe. I buy a new book almost every week and I always beg my mom to take me to the public library. But lately, alot of people seem to use devices like Nook or the Kindle to read books and I'm been kind of tied between them. Everyone keeps saying I should get a Nook because I can take all my books anywhere with me and I won't have to worry about paying almost 20$ for a hardback book. My books won't get torn or messed up because they'll be on a computer and it's environmentally friendly because trees won't be cut down to make paper. That last example is a big one because I really care deeply about the environment. But the thing is that I can't stare at any electronic screens for an hour without getting a slight headache. I like to read my books from start to finish in one setting, so that'd be a pain for me. And what if I can't charge the Nook? Then all my books are so near but concealed from my eyes. Paper books are without technology. It will make me feel dependent on technology, which I hate because I don't like the idea of anyone ever needing technology. And you may call me conservative, but I'm very fond of the printed word. It's the way books have been made for thousands of years, and a file on a computer is not a book.





So, I'm really confused here. The Nook is environmentally friendly and can hold ALL my books so I don't need to take up space in my bag with a few hardback or paperback books (because I need at least 3 lol) but my heart is for paper books. What should I do?





Thanks for the help in advance! :)|||This is a conversation from an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer":





Ms. Calendar: Honestly, what is it about computers that bothers you so much?


Giles: The smell.


Ms. Calendar: Computers don't smell, Rupert.


Giles: I know. Smell is the most powerful memory trigger there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgetten. Books smell - musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer has no texture, no context. It's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be smelly.





I agree with Giles.|||I will never use an e-reader for this simple reason:





Accidentally dropping a three dollar book in a puddle of water just means you're out three dollars.


Accidentally dropping an e-reader in a puddle of water means you're out $100-300....|||I alos LOOOOVE to read. PLEASE dont get an e-book thingy. we dont want to loose real books do we? i fear if everyone starts to buy e-books the "book industry" will become like the music industry noone will buy reall books, book stores will close, ppl will loose their shops and we will forget how it felt like to enter a bookstore or a library when everything is magical silent and the air is filled with the smell of paper and ink. SO SAY NO TO E-BOOKS|||i would NEVER get an e-reader, EVER.no way, no how. e-readers are cold and hard. Books(especially older ones) are soft and warm. Books are big enough the block your view from the world around you, so that you can get fully absorbed into the world the author created for you. Books have a simple(but good) smell that you could smell all day long. e-readers smell like nothing. books have colorful covers and soft pages. e readers are a boring piece of plastic.


also, the saying goes....if its not broken, dont fix it.... whats wrong with paper and ink books? why do we need to turn everything over to technology? the world was just fine before everything was digitalized. and guess what happens if you drop and break your e-reader? well your out $100 and i hope your okay with waiting untill you can afford a new e-reader to finish your story, cuz thats gone too


e-readers can never replace books, ever


if the world gets rid of all paper books and replaces them with e-books...well, i dont know what i'd do|||Yep I'm the same...I LOVE to read, and I have a massive collection of books at home.





I have no desire whatsoever to get an electronic thingy-ma-bob to read my books on. I like real paper books...I like being able to see them on my bookshelves, the non-fiction ones neatly ordered according to subject, and the fiction ones by author then chronologically (lol, I'm a little anal)





Yeah, I get the whole environmental thing, but the fact is, the trees used to make paper are planted for that exact purpose. The more that are used, the more are planted...Plus trees store carbon, so using wood for building, or for making paper IS environmentally friendly...





Books for me, will always be paper and ink, not LED lights and fancy do-dads...Called me old fashioned, but its paper books all the way...


So, I suck it up, and carry a messenger bag...it comfortably fits several books (all carefully protected in their own bags...again, anal lol) and a notebook for my own novel...|||I also love to read. I personally prefer reading actual books, but I do own a Kindle. It is much more convenient, since in my town there isn't a very wide selection of bookstores. If you do decide to get an e-Reader, get the Kindle or the Nook, not the NookColor. The kindle and regular Nook have e-Ink screens, so they look like real paper. The problem with most screens (like that of the NookColor) is that they have a backlight which is what gives you the headache. If the size of the screen gives you a headache (you can change the font size, though), you can get a Kindle DX which is larger that the regular Kindle and the Nook. As to your worry about not being able to charge it, it only takes a few hours to completely charge and the charge will last for at least 2 weeks, maybe 2 months! Sometimes I worry about buying most of my books electronically. Obviously Amazon and the Kindle won't be around forever, so I'll lose all those books eventually. Some people think books will disappear completely. I think that would take a long time, though. If it was easier to only read paper books, I would. Part of the joy of reading is the smell and feel of the book!