What is a book? By definition, it is "a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers" (Dictionary.com). But I'm going to ask again; what is a book? Is it a time machine, taking us way back into the past or fast forwarding to the future? Is it a little piece of magic that keeps you entranced? Or is it a figment of someone’s imagination? The correct answer is... all of the above. A book can be anything you want it to be.
For me, a book is a door that opens possibilities I never thought imaginable. It is a way for me to escape reality and travel someplace I've never been before, meeting new people and seeing new things. It leaves you wanting more. The story keeps going on even after the novel is over. It will leave you wondering what happens after the characters have said their goodbyes and the author has typed the last word.
But is reading a book on a Kindle, iPad, or phone the same thing as reading a physical book? No. Personally, I absolutely despise reading off of them. My mom rented a series from the library off her Kindle and told me that is was absolutely amazing. And I really want to read it, but reading it off a kindle, no thank you. There is something magical about physically holding a book and being able to turn the pages. When I finish a book, sometimes I like to flip back through it and re-read my favorite parts. With a Kindle, iPad, or phone, that is pretty hard to do. And there is just something satisfying about finishing a book, and having something to look back on. Say you picked up a 1,000 page book and finished reading it in one sitting. There is something satisfying about looking at this GIANT book and saying 'I finished that. Do you see how big that is? I finished that in one sitting'. But with a Kindle, iPad, or phone, you have nothing to look back on. It is just a flat tablet, no depth or glory that comes with its size.
For me, a book is a door that opens possibilities I never thought imaginable. It is a way for me to escape reality and travel someplace I've never been before, meeting new people and seeing new things. It leaves you wanting more. The story keeps going on even after the novel is over. It will leave you wondering what happens after the characters have said their goodbyes and the author has typed the last word.
But is reading a book on a Kindle, iPad, or phone the same thing as reading a physical book? No. Personally, I absolutely despise reading off of them. My mom rented a series from the library off her Kindle and told me that is was absolutely amazing. And I really want to read it, but reading it off a kindle, no thank you. There is something magical about physically holding a book and being able to turn the pages. When I finish a book, sometimes I like to flip back through it and re-read my favorite parts. With a Kindle, iPad, or phone, that is pretty hard to do. And there is just something satisfying about finishing a book, and having something to look back on. Say you picked up a 1,000 page book and finished reading it in one sitting. There is something satisfying about looking at this GIANT book and saying 'I finished that. Do you see how big that is? I finished that in one sitting'. But with a Kindle, iPad, or phone, you have nothing to look back on. It is just a flat tablet, no depth or glory that comes with its size.
So I'm going to ask one more time; what is a book? But this time, it's is your turn to decide.
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