Dead Trees and EPUBs

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I wanted to read more. And so I started buying books. Now I have shelves and shelves of unread books—a classic case of tsundoku.

I wanted to read more. And so I bought a Kindle. It sat in a drawer for a decade.

I wanted to read more. And so I installed the Kindle app on my tablet. The app sat mostly untouched.

I wanted to read more. And so I installed the Kindle app on my phone. And then I started reading a lot.

A bigger screen is nicer than a smaller screen. E-ink is nicer than a typical screen. And real ink is nicer than e-ink. And yet I do most of my reading on my phone. Funny how that works.

I guess the most important reason is that I always have my phone in me. I do make an effort to put my Kindle or a paperback in my bag, and yet I always end up reaching for my phone instead. Perhaps it's a bit too rainy so I don't want to damage the paperback. Or I'm on the train and can't easily fish the Kindle out of my bag. But my phone's right there and so is my personal library. Plus, seeing that reading streak count up does feel pretty nice.

It's not as ✨bookcore✨ and ✨aesthetic✨. I don't feel as comfy reading a book at a coffee shop when I do it on my phone. And it can't be that great for my eyesight either. Yet for some reason it just worked for me.

Maybe that's my problem with a lot of things. I try to get it all nice and perfect, but then getting the details just right is too hard and so I give up entirely. Ultimately, an EPUB read on an LCD screen is better than a paperback left untouched. Maybe I'll grow into reading paperbacks one day. Until then, e-books it is.

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