Saturday is my day to do chores, and one of those involves going to town to do a shop and pick up anything I need.
As I’m due to go a short break shortly, while I was trudging around I decided to head into some of my favourite charity shops to have a look for books I want to take with me.
After all, I love reading and spend most of my time reading while I travel. As I was browsing the shelves I realised that some of the books on there were ones I’d previously donated to help clear my own shelves.
It’s a lovely feeling, knowing my old favourites (and some I couldn’t wait be shot of) will now be not only raising money for good causes, but also brightening up someone else’s personal library.
That’s why, with all this talk that digital media and eBooks should’ve put the kibosh on printed books, I know in my heart that they never will. Digital files aren’t nearly as fun as actual paper books, and you can’t pass them on in the same way.
Imagine trying to gift wrap a eBook, whereas it’s always nice to have an actual book wrapped up in shiny paper! As for shopping for books, it’s great to go rummaging through a second-hand bookstall on a market or burrowing about in charity shops. It’s not really the same looting through an online store of floating book covers only to download your chosen item in exchange for Bitcoins or whatever it you pay with these days.
Also, you can’t really get second hand online books. Once you’ve got it, it’s yours; if you don’t want it you just delete it. You can pass it on to someone else, but you’d still have your digital copy. Whereas with books, there’s something satisfying about handing an old favourite on to a friend and introducing them to something you’ve come to enjoy.
In all, as I’ve said before, I really don’t think eBooks and online readers will ever replace the joy of actually reading a physical book, and for those who haven’t yet experienced the sheer joy of passing on a book to a new reader you really should try it. It’s the greatest high book enthusiasts can get without stimulants, and I’d fully recommend you pass your old faves on to friends or drop off some to a charity shop. Not only does this make you feel good, but it helps others too, and that’s always a good thing!
The Dorset Book Detective 