E-Readers

E-Readers. The new (okay, not so new) electronic book medium.

For years, I've adamantly voiced my "I want to hold a real book in my hands" opinion. I still don't have an actual e-reader, but I recently received a .pdf arc to read and review that caused me to reconsider my position.

Here goes. I admit there are benefits to having books in their electronic format.  *Gasp*  I said it out loud. And I mean it.

Let's start with the electronic reading advantage with regard to exercise:

Holding a book while walking on the treadmill could be life threatening.
      Example: I tried to turn a page, dropped the book, tried to catch it, tripped over my own feet, and got launched off the back of the treadmill into the wall behind me. Only my pride got injured, but you see the potential for death here.

Reading a book while riding a bike could result in broken/bruised bones.
       Example:  Again, I tried to turn a page, dropped the book, tried to catch it, fell off my recumbent bike, and my shoe lace tangled in the pedal. Try explaining to your co-workers how you sprained your ankle on a stationary bike.

Electronic reading advantage while traveling:
      Example:  I was on vacation on the east coast and discovered a bookstore having a HUGE clearance sale. Being the book addict that I am, I bought over 40 books. Can you see where this is going? At the airport for my flight home I discovered I was WAY over the weight limit. I had three suitcases open on the floor, trying to shuffle their contents to keep from paying the extra fee. So didn't happen. Stacks of books are really freakin' heavy!

So, I'm thinking for Valentine's Day, I'll drop some "I'd love to have an e-reader" hints to my sweetheart. If he needs a selling point, I'll just mention, "I could read without the overhead light on at night." That should do it. He's learned to sleep with a mask on, but even he knows how silly it looks!

What advantages for using electronic readers have you discovered?