The e-reader question answered: Why this useful device should be on your Christmas list.

 (Not sponsored, I just wanted to answer some common questions)

As you likely have noticed from some of the pictures here on my blog, I read a lot of novels as ebooks. My e-reader, a kobo, is close to seven years old now. In those seven years I have learned that e-readers vs. physical books is a big debate in the literary community. As a kobo-fiend, and with the Christmas season fast approaching, I feel that it is my duty to talk about why I love my kobo, why e-readers offer benefits over paperbacks, and why booklovers should consider the electronic version of their all time favorites.

First and foremost, I should clarify that I love physical books. Like, my bookshelf is overflowing and I can’t leave a used bookstore without at least one worn classic. While I love the smell and feel of books, it isn’t always feasible for me to be carrying them around.

I travel a lot throughout the summer and during the school year. My traveling backpack is already heavy as it is, and adding hardcovers is not an option. Additionally, I read a lot of library books, and the last thing I want is to lose a library book in another province. When I’m traveling back and forth, it’s a lot easier to bring along one small device than, say, five hardcover library books.

My use of my kobo has been influenced by my library's eBook system called Overdrive. I love this app for so many reasons, so many that I have made a list.

• It’s a lot quicker to turn on my laptop and scroll through what’s available online as an eBook than to drive all the way to my local branch to learn they don’t currently have the physical copy.
• I hate buying new books because of the high prices, but the thrift stores don’t always have the newest books available right away. With Overdrive, I can place new releases on hold and when they’re available, they’re downloaded automatically to my account.
• If you are a classics fan, you can download thousands of classic eBooks without any waitlist or time constraint not only through Overdrive, but also through the Gutenberg collection. 
• Since all of these eBooks are downloaded onto your device, you don’t have to worry about damaging someone else’s book.
• Lastly, as a book blogger and member of the bookstagram community, taking pictures of the books I read is important. At my local library, all of the books have a barcode sticker on the front, and the hardcover books have a gross, plastic-y film that looks terrible in photos. The eBooks, on the other hand, look great.

As for the actual device, the screen is completely unlike any other electronic screen I have seen before. It doesn’t have the white glow of smartphones, meaning you can read in the sun while wearing sunglasses! This is huge for me, because I read on the beach a lot and hate straining my eyes. For my friends who need bigger text, you can adjust the text size! The ability to highlight and write notes without damaging the pages is a huge bonus.

My old kobo still works well after seven years, and is in no way an electronic device that dies after two years. The device still downloads a lot of books at a reasonable speed, though it can’t handle magazines or picture books. While the touch screen can be at times finicky, (when I’m at the beach, water droplets from my hair will sometimes switch the page,) I don’t think it harms my overall reading experience.

To sum this all up, I honestly can’t imagine life without my kobo. When it inevitably breaks or I drop it in a pool (RIP), I will be at Best Buy the next day, cash in hand, to buy another. It has made reading so much easier for me, and I have read a couple of my favorite books this way. If you are reading this and are on the fence about using an e-reader, I say have no fear! In my opinion, it’s an extremely useful long term investment and an amazing way to read books in your home or on the go!