A few months ago I posted this blog, a scathing attack on the rise of e-readers and why I most certainly did not like them. Well, I made a mistake. It would have been better journalistic practice to perhaps try an e-reader first before launching into an attack, but, you know what we’re like!
I purchased a Nexus 7 tablet last week, and one of the main reasons for choosing the mini-tablet over a 10-inch counterpart was the ability to use it as an e-reader. It’s just, after a few months living in London, I’ve realised finding time to read is quite hard. But with an e-reader, I can’t quite pin it down, but reading is made a lot easier and quicker. It’s a lot more inviting to ‘pick up a book’ on the Nexus 7, as it feels doing so on my tablet would incorporate reading into my daily schedule rather than plucking me out of it.
Last night I downloaded Ubik, one of the best Philip K Dick novels, and set to work right away reminding me why I love sci-fi and why I love reading. I tuned the page to a warm sepia hue, increased the text size, and relaxed. Only when I got in to the office this morning was I able to pull myself away from it. And my eyes don’t even hurt. And the books are cheaper. And I can read free samples without Waterstones’ staff thinking I’m going to steal something.
