… read a classic! I’ve just finished J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, my first ever e-book, read entirely on my iPod Touch. Given how quickly I read it and how small my screen is in comparison to a standard paperback, I need to purchase a copy just to be sure my e-book wasn’t condensed! (At least, this is the “logical justification” I will use regarding the necessity of a hard copy. I think it makes perfect sense, don’t you?)
Even though I’ve been online for well over ten years, I’ve only recently entered the electronic age of literature; I ended up listening to more of Jane Eyre than I read last semester (though I still fully intend to read the book, I promise!), and listened to most of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland for one of my history book reports this semester, as well, but those and my very recent e-reader application on the iPod are my only forays into non-print books. While I love being able to multitask, I’m VERY picky about the voice of audiobook readers, and have a difficult time tuning out any background noise, so if I’m at the office, those are probably best for re-reads. The nice thing about the e-books on my iPod is that if I’m in an unexpected situation where I wish I’d brought a book (like my 45-minute wait to see a doctor last week), I have several from which to choose without having had to think about it ahead of time. Which, as any of you who know me can attest, is a good thing. Really.
What about you, do you e-book, or are you a paper purist? Do you read full-length books on your computer, an e-reader, an iPod, or other hand-held device? How about audiobooks? I’m currently using Stanza on my iPod Touch, which has multiple sources for public domain books; I’ve used LibriVox for audio on the computer, and am familiar with Gutenberg, as well. Have any favorite sources I’ve not listed?