It is two a.m. when I finally finish the second book in the series and it ends on a huge cliffhanger- I must get the next book. But Amazon won’t deliver for five to six days, and it’s an extra 14 dollars for express shipping. I could get the book at my local library online, but I love feeling the edges of my paperback book as I turn each page hoping for the happy ending. 

Reading for me has always been an escape where I can forget about my problems and imagine myself in another life or even another universe. There is a genre for everyone, whether it be romance, fantasy, mystery, non-fiction, sci-fi etc. I can live through the eyes of an adventurer, romantic, scientist, alien and so much more. The question is how do I read these books? Digital or paperback?

For so long, I refused to read books online because I needed to physically have a book with pages to fidget with and feel. Plus, the  strain on my eyes whenever I read on my phone and the headache causes me to only read for half an hour at a time. However, the more I read the more grateful I have become for the availability of online reading resources. 

As a student in Baltimore County, I have access to the local library online, allowing me to check out any books that are available on Overdrive. We must not forget how easily accessible it is to read any kind of book we desire with thousands of books available at our local library online. Often there is little wait time to get a book, and if there is, it is better than paying 10 to 15 dollars for a paperback book that you will still have to wait for. 

Digital reading has become much more convenient;  I can take the device around anywhere I go. Plus, nighttime reading is much easier on a device with its own personal lighting instead of an inconvenient light hanging off the side of a book.

Now I am not saying that I will never buy a paperback book again. I still enjoy and understand the pleasure of having my own book and not having a deadline to read it by. Yet, digital reading provides me with a variety of free books that are easy to carry around on a phone, kindle or other devices. With this increase in availability and convenience of books online, I have gained a new perspective on digital reading.

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