Reorganization

1/16/2012

The world is changing faster than a speeding e-reader. But even I, whose book hit #16 in comic fiction on Amazon this weekend, and who has embraced this new media with a passion, love the smell of a new book. I love the feel of a book store, the silence, the smells, the curiosity of everyone in it. Will these independent stores go away entirely? I doubt it. But that debate is carried out daily across the Intertubes. This was sent to me by a dear mystery writer friend and a great lady. We are both looking at the future but don't want to leave the past behind. Feel the joy!

V-A

1/16/2012 02:33:52 am

thank you, Laura. I'm crying. Books saved my life. As a battered child, I climbed into them for safety. Even today the book I'm reading forces me to feel less alone. I doubt I'll ever be a kindleist. The touch, smell, sight of a book is too important to me. Holding one is like holding a living thing. Awkward at times, but always rewarding.

I once wrote an essay on my local library, and how grazing down the aisles of books simply cannot be replicated by a digital search. That works in bookstores, too. How many times have I found a treasure because it spoke to me, magically, and leapt off the shelf into my hands, causing me to give it a look-see. Just like in this video.

WakeUpAmerica

1/16/2012 03:18:02 am

What kind of world would this be without Barnes and Noble bookstores and used bookstores? I LOVE the smell of books, old and new, and the feel of one in my hands. I like turning the pages and inserting the bookmark when I take a break. I can't see me soaking in a tub with a glass of wine and a Nook. But a book in my hands while soaking in warm water and drinking wine? That's heaven.

WakeUpAmerica

1/16/2012 03:19:10 am

I should have added, in all fairness, Kindles and other tablets are terrific for travelling. Books take up too much room and are heavy.

Mhurka

1/16/2012 03:49:03 am

A book is both an intellectual and physical work of art. The experience is vastly richer because so many senses (sight, smell feel) are engaged. There is really no comparison.

mistah charley, ph.d. link

1/16/2012 08:56:50 pm

"The scent of a book" - in my middle school years I lived in Europe, because my career military father was stationed there. In the base library there were both American and English books. I noticed that I could distinguish between them by the smell.

I'm reminded of the 12 inch vinyl long-playing record. I have a collection of literally hundreds of them, even though I haven't played them in twenty years (haven't had a turntable set up to do so in that time, three moves ago). The record is NOT the cd, let alone the mp3 - but the music is approximately invariant.

But the speed at which things pass varies. If I have any large floppy disks around the house, what is on them is inaccessible to me. My laptop has no small floppy disk drive. But I have a few books which belonged to my grandmother, a century ago, and I can still read them.

Laura Novak

1/17/2012 01:29:00 am

Great point, Mistah Charley. The books, we can still use and read. The floppys and the LPs, not so much!

I think digital publishing has been a brilliant invention, but as with everything, there is a time and a place. And beautiful books that smell wonderful and have pictures we can flip to...they'll not go away. The industry might have to restructure around the new media. And rightly so. No author should get $7 million to tell their story. But as long as some stories are told on paper, that's what matters.

Claire link

1/17/2012 03:36:37 am

Great post, Laura and I loved the video. There is nothing quite like an actual book for me. I adore looking at the cover, touching it, smelling it, opening it up, feeling the weight of it, carrying it around with me. Digital is great but it will never replace an actual book for me. I am overly pleased that my daughter, at age 17, had finally got the reading bug and I don't think she would have done that digitally. She seems to like books too. And I get a thrill of excitement walking down the aisle of a bookshop - what could replace that? Congrats on reaching the giddy heights of #16! Wow, fab.

V-A

1/17/2012 07:50:59 am

Forgot to congratulate you on your Amazon position (too busy getting sentimental about books.) Well done!

1/17/2012 01:35:52 pm

I dislike much of modern technology (maybe because my husband is "gadget crazy") - but I adore my kindle - to have the world of books available at a moments notice is my idea of heaven. Apart from the stories available, the affordable price and the ease of access to those stories it is allowing me to reclaim my home which after 40 years of book buying was starting to resemble some of the horror stories about lives being buried in books. We had bookcases in the hall, the study, the bedrooms and the living rooms. The kitchen had its own bookcase and despite my argument to the contrary, so did the bathroom. The kindle has saved my sanity.

I am enjoying your story - reading your blog a couple of days ago I noticed the "now on kindle" - so another fan was born.

Laura Novak

1/18/2012 04:22:32 am

TS, thank you so much for weighing in with your "horror story!" I know people who collect books like you have. Perhaps because they are books, rather than stacks of paper (see my novel!) that we find it charming rather than alarming. But while I love the smell and feel, I've also enjoyed the speed and usability of the Kindle. Of course I can't imagine putting it down on a beach blanket the way we do with a book, but you've outlined our feelings perfectly. At a moments notice, presto chango, a book in our hands. And thank you SO very much for reading FC. I hope you like it! Let me know.

Sherryn

1/19/2012 02:16:28 pm

I'm in "catch up" mode. Sometimes I wish there were more hours in a day. Congratulations on the good kindle news!

We were raised in a house full of books and music. Our parents would take us to museums (they were free when I was growing up), zoos, ballet, opera, libraries, and broadway shows (or shows at local schools and playhouses). Movies were considered "treats".

I love going to used book stores and will go out of my way to find family owned bookstores. Some books, especially the classics deserve to be read in real book form. Coffee Table books and Cookbooks, and anything to do with art or photography can't be replaced by an e-reader.
That being said, I don't leave home without my kindle.

Comments are closed.

Reorganization

Laura Novak

Blogs I Read

Categories

Archives