I’ve had an ereader – a first-generation nook – for a while now, several years at least. You would think that being a fairly early adopter of ereader technology would allow me to work ebooks into my habits and somewhat replace print books into my collection; but sadly that’s not been the case, and I’ve struggled with even fitting ebooks into my reading. I use NetGalley to read pre-release galleys electronically, and I buy a lot of my YA guilty pleasures on the nook store because I want to read them, but don’t want them to take up space. But largely I’ve stuck to a print books. I still have the mindset that, if I want to “own” a book, I want the print copy, as if the ebook isn’t really “owning” it.
Lately though I’m testing out a way to both own an ebook and a hardcover version, and make both of them work. I’m currently reading Stephen King’s newest novel, 11/22/63. I bought myself the hardcover before Christmas, and then shortly after, I got a Klout perk for an ebook version from Simon & Schuster. I’m reading them both, depending on the day and the situation, and it’s been nothing short of enlightening. Both in respect to how I use paper books and how I use ebooks.
Overall, I’m enjoying having both available depending on how and where I’ll be reading – and my poor purse (and shoulder) isn’t weighted down with a 900-page book. But the page counts are off – the hardcover has 849 pages and the ebook counts just under 700. So syncing my stopping place has been tricky to say the least.
But this method – reading both the paper book and the ebook at the same time – isn’t practical. I am most likely only going to buy one copy of a book, but if I were able to buy a bundle of the hardcover and the ebook together at a lower price than buying them separately (but at a higher price than one or the other costs individually), I would be increasingly likely to do so. There are some books that I still will only want in ebook, and some that I will wait and buy in paperback. But I don’t see many possibilities where I would want the hardcover and NOT also want the ebook version. I’ve been delightfully surprised by how easily I switch back and forth and how much I actually use that option.
I’m curious, have you done this dual reading thing? What are your feelings about bundling ebooks with hardcovers?
One other note about switching back and forth: the engaging nature of the a particular book might be a mitigating factor. Because I cannot put down 11/22/63 and pretty much want to read it all the time at every moment I can spare. So I’m more willing to make the effort involved in dual reading, but I can’t imagine that a book I’m feeling only meh about will encourage the same level of engagement.
Rachel
