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zelda_pinwheel · 02-05-2008, 04:40 PM

this weekend i had a small clear-out and gave away about 20 paperbacks. these were all old books that i have since found PD texts of ; i only give away a pbook if i have an e version or i am POSITIVE i will never want to read it again (that case is pretty rare). i was really pleased to give them away since i have so many books i literally don't know where to put them anymore, and these in particular were old and tending to be dusty and not very inviting (especially since i am allergic to dustmites).

i can't bear to throw a book away no matter how old and dusty it is but there are plenty i would love to see go nonetheless, for lack of space and dust issues. however there are also plenty i will never give away, even if i do get an e version, either because they are good quality editions, or art books, or because i like the covers, or there is a sentimental attachment, or...

- i gave a few to a friend who stopped by,
- some to a café near my house which has an informal lending library (a big bookshelf full of books, the "official" rule is bring a book / take a book but they don't hold you to it, in practice you can take whatever you like),
- others i will donate to my library for their "book exchange" which is just a table in the entry full of free books donated by members, you can take whatever interests you. they hold one every few months.
- i could also give them away through freecycle but since i have other options that's usually a last resort.

i like knowing that they are still out there and other people will read them ; it would be sad to leave them eternally sitting on shelves here never getting any attention.

of course i also just bought around 10 new paperbooks recently (not available in e versions...) so it feels a little like "two steps forward, one step back."

funny story, one of the new paperbooks is an omnibus edition with 3 novels in it. it's almost 600 pages long, slightly oversize, *really* heavy. almost the size of a phone directory (from before online yellowpages

) it was the first paperbook i read since i got my eb1150. when i picked it up for the first time, all i could think was "arg ! there's no possible way to hold this with one hand ! and it's so heavy ! and it's too thick to open very well so the text near the binding is hard to read !! and ARG !! when i turn on my side in bed, the top half of the book blocks the light from the page i'm trying to read !! and my thumb is getting sore now and my wrist is tired from propping it up !!!" i forgot about all that, with my eb1150... i wish i could find that book in e version !!!

i guess i'm definitely convinced by the ebook device experience...

02-05-2008, 04:40 PM	#33
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	this weekend i had a small clear-out and gave away about 20 paperbacks. these were all old books that i have since found PD texts of ; i only give away a pbook if i have an e version or i am POSITIVE i will never want to read it again (that case is pretty rare). i was really pleased to give them away since i have so many books i literally don't know where to put them anymore, and these in particular were old and tending to be dusty and not very inviting (especially since i am allergic to dustmites). i can't bear to throw a book away no matter how old and dusty it is but there are plenty i would love to see go nonetheless, for lack of space and dust issues. however there are also plenty i will never give away, even if i do get an e version, either because they are good quality editions, or art books, or because i like the covers, or there is a sentimental attachment, or... - i gave a few to a friend who stopped by, - some to a café near my house which has an informal lending library (a big bookshelf full of books, the "official" rule is bring a book / take a book but they don't hold you to it, in practice you can take whatever you like), - others i will donate to my library for their "book exchange" which is just a table in the entry full of free books donated by members, you can take whatever interests you. they hold one every few months. - i could also give them away through freecycle but since i have other options that's usually a last resort. i like knowing that they are still out there and other people will read them ; it would be sad to leave them eternally sitting on shelves here never getting any attention. of course i also just bought around 10 new paperbooks recently (not available in e versions...) so it feels a little like "two steps forward, one step back." funny story, one of the new paperbooks is an omnibus edition with 3 novels in it. it's almost 600 pages long, slightly oversize, really heavy. almost the size of a phone directory (from before online yellowpages ) it was the first paperbook i read since i got my eb1150. when i picked it up for the first time, all i could think was "arg ! there's no possible way to hold this with one hand ! and it's so heavy ! and it's too thick to open very well so the text near the binding is hard to read !! and ARG !! when i turn on my side in bed, the top half of the book blocks the light from the page i'm trying to read !! and my thumb is getting sore now and my wrist is tired from propping it up !!!" i forgot about all that, with my eb1150... i wish i could find that book in e version !!! i guess i'm definitely convinced by the ebook device experience...