I am a fan of … eBooks.
I was once a fan of paper books. Back when nothing thrilled me more that the smell of a fresh, un-cracked paperback. Back when I would read late at night, well past bedtime to finish just one more chapter. Back when work, budgets and deadlines didn’t consume every minute of my waking time.
But then, one day I woke up in China. I was living in Beijing where I was totally immersed and thoroughly submerged in a different culture & language. Outside of work, everything was written, spoken and displayed in Chinese. It was exhilarating but mentally exhausting. Reading was a respite but English books were few and far between.
In my neighborhood there was a tiny book shop selling a small selection of English books for pre-schoolers, young adult, classical lit, popular lit and decade old current affairs – all located on a scant five shelf unit. Reading the web wasn’t an option. It was 2009 and the infamous Chinese fire-wall blocked social media … in as much social media existed then.
Amazon released it’s first generation Kindle in November 2007, followed by a second generation in 2009. On a home-trip to Canada, I purchased my first Kindle e-reader. With this device I suddenly had access to a treasure trove of reading. All my reading restrictions were lifted. Availability was what was in the catalog. Accessibility was a VPN connection away.
I still use my Kindle device today, upgraded twice since my original. I also read on my phone, tablet and laptop. Electronic books have served me well. Through countries, transit and travel, I’ve always had something to read. My catalogs are no longer limited to the Amazon library. Public libraries have digital libraries through OVERDRIVE and even streaming services through KANOPY. These digital services were lifesavers during Covid and I can only imagine them growing in use and catalog content going forward.
I am a Fan of books. Digital or otherwise. Always.
This post is brought to you care of Jez’s Fan of … #78 challenge. As he says, this challenge is for whenever you find yourself thinking “I’m a fan of …” Check out Jez’s instructions here on how to join and tell us what you’re a Fan of.
Toronto, Canada. September 2020
The Sandy Chronicles 
I was much in the same position as you when I worked in China. It also turned me into a fan of ebooks, though I read them on my computer using Calibre. Nowadays, I alsoprefer ebooks because of they’re more ecologically friendly, I think-and, of course, the weight when travelling .
Thanks for an interesting post.
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e-books are boon to readers, writers and travelers everywhere!
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Absolutely!
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Great post, Sandy 👏 Having had a couple of iterations of the Fire tablet, I am amazed at how light the Nia is, & the battery life seems to be about 3 weeks 😃
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I’ve only owned the basic Kindle e-readers (Paperwhite) & never tried the Fire tablet. I love Amazon but I hate their proprietary systems. I prefer Android devices if I’m going for general purpose.
How do you find the e-book availability on Kobo ? as I recall, this was a drawback before. I have been a dedicated Amazon fan but based on your post, I will check it out.
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A little research and I found out that Kobo is actually a CANADIAN company! Definitely going to check it out now 🙂
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I wish I could have used my Kindle more. I just didn’t get into it that much. I found it heavy to carry around in my bag with all the other paraphernalia that I lug around in my bag. ( I have a long list of essentials).
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My Kindle device is light compared to my tablet but for the same reason I dont carry either in my handbag. I can read on my phone in situations like this. The advantage of a Kindle reader is its battery power – it can last for days/weeks without charging. My phone runs out of juice in one day.
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Good point. Unless you haven’t recharged it in a while, which is my problem.
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