Writer Compass Favorite Medium to Read On
Meet the Reines
♠️ Book Dragon
As an avid reader who is typically reading multiple books at one time, I do have a habit of reading on my phone or tablet, or listening to books in the car. But in reality, I always have a physical book or two that I’m reading stacked on my nightstand. I’m a book dragon, and I collect physical books. Mr. Kross is in the process of building my Beauty and the Beast library, and I always get the physical copy of the books for my book club. I have a book that one of my ancestors brought over from Germany in the 1800s. I have my grandmother’s worn copy of Little Women. Personally, I can’t imagine a home with shelves of books in every room.
❤️ Audiobook
My family grew up telling stories around the dinner table, so it’s no surprise I love to listen to others tell stories to me. In the bed, in the car, in the bath, doing laundry, you name it, and especially if I can pair it with my noise-canceling earbuds. It’s one of the few ways I can relax these days. Do I have a fave narrator other than the fabulous Laura L. Haas? You bet your booties I do. Split between Rosamund Pike with Pride and Prejudice and Sarah Zimmerman with the Countess of Harleigh Mysteries. And yes, audiobook listening is reading!
♦️ Physical books
I spend a ton of time reading on my iPad (through the Kindle app), tearing through books in my genre. I love to stay in the know--popular books with lots of buzz, authors (new and old), and I’m not made of money, so ebooks are my usual weapon of choice. But they’re not my favorite. Give me a paperback or hardcover any day. There’s nothing like snuggling down in bed, relaxing and letting the day go with a paperback or hardcover in your hand. The feel, the smell, turning the pages... (I think I need a moment to collect myself.) There’s nothing that brings me into a book’s world faster than holding it in my hand.
♣️ iPhone
We (my husband and I) are “downsizing”. Actually, not in the way you think. My husband keeps everything “Just in case...” 🙄 Our garage is like a large storage unit. Instead, I guess you could call it travel downsizing.
We’re retired, and our kids are plane-flight distances from us. So it behooves us to pack light, and by that, I mean physically AND electronically. Carrying around hard copies of books to read adds weight to luggage and carry-ons, so we’ve switched to digital. And since I always have my laptop with me for writing, editing, and revisions, I have consolidated my reading to my iPhone, instead of dragging around a third digital device (i.e., eReader). This is not an endorsement of Apple or Amazon Kindle or anything like that, but these companies sure have made digital consumption of reading material easy and convenient. While I still love the fluttering pages of a book in my hand, digital reading fits my travel lifestyle.