The great book debate

I have always been pretty firm on where I stood in the argument of real books versus digital and I would like to say this is something I have stayed firm on over time but  I do try not to lie on my blog even if it makes me look silly. While I do still love how books feel and look and enjoy the tactile experience of picking one up in a shop and physically bringing it home, I have started to veer towards the digital book or ebook as many know it.

 Before you get all up in arms please allow me to explain my change of heart. As many of you know I used to work in a bookshop up until recently enough and if you didn't know then I am sure my blog name was probably a give away. Before my bookshop days I got my books like a regular person; I pilfered from family members, regularly borrowed from the library, I ransacked second hand shops and I occasionally treated myself to a brand new book. As you might be able to tell, my passion for reading has been around a while. Then I got my bookshop job and for over two years I had a discount and the ability to borrow and read any book in store. As you can imagine I took full advantage and devoured hundreds of books in time there and frankly didn't really appreciate how spoilt I was for reading material. We used to get queries from people looking to buy ebooks or ebook readers and I would scoff at them. I would happily argue that books are better because they are more tactile and who doesn't love holding a book and the smell of a book. Plus buying actual books keep independent book shops going (well it does if you purchase them in store instead of with every independent bookstore's enemy 'amazon'). All of these are valid arguments and I stand by them. Well I stand by them and have also changed my position some what because I am a woman and thus am a complicated being. 

 I didn't actually mean to change my mind on this, it just happened.  So I left the bookshop and an unfortunate consequence of this is that they cut off my discount and my ability to borrow books from the store which seems a bit harsh but apparently it has something to do with me no longer being an employee. Even though I have been gone about a month now I am still getting sorted financially (damn social welfare is dragging its heels). I am getting by but not being left with much in the way of book money. I have been to the library but I think the bookshop had me ruined as I am finding it hard to pick out books I really want to read. The same goes for second hand shops. So then I was looking to download a movie recently and discovered a whole load of ebooks I can get for free and suddenly there I was on the ebook bandwagon. I am even thinking about getting one of those ebook readers. So far I have read four books just off my phone.Two of them have been Harry Potter books but it still counts. I never thought I'd be a convert but there's a convenience to it I can't help liking. I even checked out a library ebook the other day. I am not going to say that I have abandoned the traditional book completely but my ebook library is steadily growing so I have a feeling this might become a thing for me. 

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