Book It

I've always been a little slow to embrace new technology; I didn't get an iPod for years after they first came out and I am currently in no rush to secure an iPad. That being said, once I finally do take the plunge and get a new gadget I am pretty quick to throw the old technology to the curb (I couldn't tell you the last time I bought a CD). But, there is one thing I can't ever see myself fully embracing and that is the e-book. I've checked out various e-readers in the past and while I understand the appeal of being able to carry several hundred books on one piece of equipment, it is just not something I think I can ever fully get behind. I like to actually hold the book I'm reading (which is why I also prefer hard cover to paperback) and keep my place with an old-fashioned bookmark. Something about simply reading words on a screen, then pushing a button to go onto the next 'page' is unappealing. This is just one of those things I don't ever see changing - I'm too set in my ways.

Another reason I prefer to own a hard copy of a book is that I like having a bookcase that actually has books on it. I'm never going to have a library in my house, but the idea of filling shelves with books that I have read is something I have always aspired to. I understand it probably comes across as a little bit of an ego thing, but I imagine my wanting to show off how many books I have read is the same thing that makes hunters want to put stuffed animal heads on their walls (and my way no one gets shot). I know that reading a lot doesn't automatically make you smart, but it sure doesn't hurt. And, I'm not going to lie, if you don't have any books in your house I'm going to find that odd. Therefore, it really bothered me the other night when a friend of mine was telling me about the two books he had recently purchased. I asked him how they were and he told me he had no idea, because he hadn't read them yet. Also, he was in no rush to read them, because he had bought a few movies in that same online order and even though he has seen the movies before, he wanted to get to those first. Still, not having read the books didn't stop him from putting them on his bookshelf. Dude, not cool.

I really believe people shouldn't be putting books into their collection if they haven't read them. First off, it makes no sense: why would you even own a copy of a book you don't want to read? It isn't like a CD where you might have heard a couple of the songs, but not the entire album yet you still take the plunge. Nor is it like a movie where you might catch a clip on TV then one day see it in the bargain bin and figure it's worth a shot. Books are kind of an all-or-nothing proposition. Putting a book onto a shelf for everyone to see is like declaring that you have some knowledge about that subject, so when you display a book you have never read it is almost like you are lying to us all. Even if you plan to eventually get to the book (which we all know will never happen), keep it somewhere else until you do.