I have a Kindle fire tablet that I’ve had since early 2012. There are already a gazillion books on there but, honestly, I use it for games 80% of the time 😏
Recently when I asked my daughter whether she wanted ebook versions of the series she’s reading now she immediately responded with “No, I want to be able to smell them” 😄
The succinctness of her response made me take an honest look at what I have been denying myself ever since I came to Batam- the pleasure of my 1st love: real, physical books ❤️ It might seem silly but the feel of a real book in my hands just adds another level of pleasure to the reading experience. I also do like burying my nose between the pages for a good whiff! 😘
But getting my hands on English books is costly as I’ll have to purchase them overseas. The bookstores in Batam only sell books/magazines in Indonesian.
A Concession
I examined my reading habits further and found out that I like to high-light when reading non-fiction. And that it not only takes me longer to finish non-fiction because I take pauses to reflect on new ideas, but that I also enjoy re-reading them. Different ideas might find relevance at different times in my life.
Fiction on the other hand, is temporary entertainment, similar to movies. I don’t underline passages in them, nor do I re-read them.
The path forward [to happiness] thus became clear to me: physical books for non-fiction, ebook versions for fiction 😁😁😁
Bonus
The bonus to this is that now I can share/discuss with you what I learned from my non-fic reads 🙃 I’m always on the lookout for practical ideas and now I get to blog about them too!
Methinks it’s gonna be fun 🤸🤸
Of Snailmail, Books & Vanities 
The Happiness Project was a good read! It helped me declutter my closet. ^.^
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It was for me too and so is Happier At Home 🙂 It’s always good to pick up a happiness-themed book from time to time 🙂
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Ah the daughter is trained well 😉 I’ve so far managed to avoid getting an e-reader and I don’t mind one little bit
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LOL! 😀 Now that you mentioned it, an e-reader probably doesn’t make the same impression as a physical book in terms of influencing my daughter to read. My daughter has a tablet and uses it for games & watching videos. It would be too easy to get distracted on that. A real book says – focus! 🙂
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This book sounds really interesting I will definitely give it a read.
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I indeed found it to be very interesting and practical. Both books in fact. I hope you enjoy it/them too 🙂
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you realize that Kindle has a highlight feature, right? 😉
I get the appeal of actual books and I’m going to be honest here: I kind of miss that part about reading. But for me it’s become too painful most times to read physical books, so I stick with ebooks. The kindle weighs a hell of a lot less 😉
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Oh yes, the highlight feature and I are best friends! 😄 Yup, weight is another plus for Kindles.
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Definite plus
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There is a lot to be said about the experience (and smell ;))of a physical book, and I so understand the feeling. A friend of mine has a whole room of nothing but books.
However, it is so much easier to take ebooks with you on a trip, and they don’t take up any space in your house. It’s also great to be able to download one from the library. So, to each their own… reading is wonderful, either way.
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Exactly! Reading is wonderful either way ❤ 😀
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Oh Paardje, this is so great!!! I love how you are so self-honoring. 🙂
Book clubs sound wonderful as well.
You are welcome to contribute your experience with any of your books to Forgiving Fridays, if it calls to you. It’s a prompt that I do each week to encourage readers to share about forgiveness and what inspires them! (It can be creative, like a book review….. a poem …. photography …. or more)
If you’d like to do a post, all you need to do is include a pingback to my most recent Forgiving Fridays post & also include #ForgivingFridays in your tags. Here is the latest post I did if helpful: https://forgivingconnects.com/2017/07/14/todays-forgiving-fridays-results-of-my-7-day-quiet-my-mind-retreat/
Sending you loving, Paardje … that you may surround yourself with things that you love,
Debbie
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Aww, that’s so sweet of you Debbie. Thank you! ❤️ I’ll be sure to check it out 👍
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Hey! Thank you for liking my post! As for your daughter, shes completely right, we sometimes just need to smell the books. Nothing like holding a real book! I often like to download fiction books too the silly ones, trashy romances, etc are good for the ipad/kindle!
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And there are lots of free ebooks too and those sold at less than a dollar … can’t say ‘no’ to that! 😃
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Thank you for visiting my site. Seeing how many things you are able to accomplish, it was nice of you to take the time!
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Reblogged this on Bio-Medical Skin Care and commented:
I also feel the difference in “reading” a book that I can “smell” and “touch”… it’s almost as important a part of the overall experience as the experience as reading the book itself imparts!! Call me “old school” but I’d choose a weathered book with a musky smell, and even stains to boot, over an e-book any day!!! 🙂 love your blog! I look forward to reading more from you!
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Awww, thanks so much! 😘
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