How I Learned to Tolerate Ebooks
From an ebook-hater to you
To say you’ve read a book, you need to have read the book.
Not the digitalized version of it. Not through your earbuds while doing the dishes. No, the superior way — the only way to read a book is by reading the physical, paper copy of the book.
At least, that’s what I initially thought. However, it wasn’t until this past year where I realized my outlook had unknowingly changed.
My list of reasons I hate reading a book in an ebook format was endless, but overall, it could be summed up simply in one sentence: I don’t like reading on a screen. In this day in age, we already spend a majority of our time staring at a screen — half my day includes typing on a laptop for work, my evenings brightened by my TV, and my phone screen illuminating the little pockets of spare downtime. I situate myself in front of a screen so much that I don’t want to increase my screen time percentage anymore, and the thought of, “Is blue light really that bad?” festers in my mind. All in all, reading ebooks were not an enjoyable, peaceful hobby for me.
But to be honest, all of these “cons” may have stemmed from the fact that I didn’t grow up reading ebooks for enjoyment. Choosing a physical paper copy was important because I needed to have something tangible in my hand. I needed to feel the weight of the book—the smoothness of the paper on my fingers. Hear the pages crackle as I rifle through them to a part I wanted to go back to. But most importantly, I needed to see my progress.
I don’t want to sound cliche and start with “The pandemic changed me by…blah blah blah” scenario, but it’s true. When the pandemic began, and there were so many unknowns, I had to stay locked in and minimize my contact with all objects until they figured out how it spread — which undoubtedly included books from the library. Seeing as I was already strapped for cash, there was no way my bank account could handle purchasing a ton of books either. So I had to find other means to fulfill my craving for books, and the only answer I could think of were ebooks. Their online counterparts were significantly cheaper, and I could rent them out at the library on my tablet without worrying if I’ll get sick.
The first ebook I read willingly — not for work or school — was so excruciating that I had to abandon the book. I’m not sure if it was because of the book’s fault, but I hated the whole experience. I couldn’t immerse myself in the story. But throughout the year, I kept at it and managed to finish a book here and there. It wasn’t until I was reading my seventh ebook when I thought I cracked the code. The code to be able to read an ebook and not have it be a painful experience. When I could pick up my device and not have to sigh my way through it.
When I read a physical, paper copy, every time I’m done reading for the day, there’s this ending ritual I do. I put my bookmark where I’ve ended, then flip back to the page I started reading from, and hold that chunk of pages from my starting point and ending point for the day. It might make me sound a little crazy, but it’s oddly satisfying. Seeing how much I’ve read in one sitting, the day, or even the week, allows me to see my progress and boosts my motivation.
But for an ebook, you can’t do that. You can’t hold the pages and see how much you’ve read to how much you have left. So while there’s no tangible book to do that with, I realized I could do another action similar to it.
I can look and compare the percentage of where I’m at in the book. For me, holding that chunk of pages gives me a win. It feels like I’ve done something. With an ebook, by seeing that I began reading at 23% and ended at 51% at the end of the day, I’m able to feel the same sort of accomplishment. No matter how riveting the story is, I need to see my progress to get through the slow parts. While it’s not the same, I can achieve this feeling by looking at the book’s percentage.
Physical paper copies are still my preferred form of reading. However, now, just noticing a minuscule detail such as a percentage makes me not hate ebooks as much. While I know, there are some books I just can’t stand reading on a screen (large books are an absolute nightmare because 30 pages don’t affect the percentage at all!), I find that I can get through it and enjoy the story a little more.
My reading experience with an ebook is never the same as reading a hard copy. I’ve accepted it will never be. However, reading a story is the most rewarding feeling that trumps everything else, and I’ve found that the format it’s in shouldn’t hold me back from reading. So, whatever form it's in, don’t stop reading too.
