I agree, I was given a Kindle as a gift and I use it but never feel like I'm reading a book. The minute I snuggle with a real book I feel totally different. I love the texture of the pages and the sounds of them turning and also the weight of the book in my lap.

I read my Kindle all the time, but I do miss not having the dustjacket to read the back of and kind of flip through the book before I start it.

What I don't miss is having books stacked around everywhere. I must have about 75 cookbooks as well and I probably actually use about 3 of them.

I love books too. I've always loved to read and have literally devoured thousands and thousands of books until my bad old middle age eyesight has made it so much more difficult. I still don't have a kindle, but tend to watch for books with bigger print and do less reading then I used to.

And then there are the books on particular subjects. I do love fiction, but I also absolutely LOVE:

Cookbooks
Photography Books
Bird Books
Other nature books (butterflies, dragonflies, rocks, trees, flowers, fungus, animals, etc, etc,)
Gardening books

I'd love a Kindle, but it would never replace books for me!

My family asked if I'd like a Kindle as a gift and I declined. I am another one of those who love books! I have books in every room in the house except the bathroom! There's always a book on my nightstand and a day without reading is rare! I seldom use the hundreds of cookbooks that I have collected but I do enjoy reading them, so they serve a purpose. I always give the children on my list at least one book and sometimes more. It's encouraging to see my DGD and DGS ages 9 and 7 reading every time I visit. I am delighted to learn that so many of you still prefer books. Thanks for this post!

I as well, love the feel and weight of a hardcover!

I have several cookbooks, and browsing through them is relaxing for me. Having to search on the internet for a recipe is frustrating at times. But blogs and tried and true sites (like here) are a much better way to find or try a new recipe.

I'm in heaven when I see someone on Freecycle offer their cookbooks up for grabs, and I get chosen as the recipient.

I love a good mystery and have my favourite authors, where I will buy their books. I go to the library, instead of buying books.

I'm in love with my Kindle. While I also love the look and feel of a physical book, I no longer have the storage space to keep all of my favourite books. If I buy cheaper books at garage sales/thrift stores the musty smell in those books gets me coughing. The Kindle is a great alternative for me. I read at least one book a day and sometimes two or three. I have always been a quick reader.

Susan, you take beautiful pictures, are a great writer and love to cook. Hmn...

The best recipes are on KT Hmnnnn. Best eaters too.

Everyone on here would buy one for themselves and maybe someone else here and of course their friends.

You could choose to sell within the forum but you would make a great impression on Good Morning America too.

I'm just saying...............

I love to read, but I am a very fast reader. Have given away most of my cookbooks except a few older ones. I like the Food Network sometimes, and do get their magazine, because I like reading about the people and articles. I don't read many hardback books. I like the receipes here on KT. I am debating on between a Kindle and Nook --but will see what Santa brings me at Christmas
M.

I have several ereaders that I love and use every single day, however I have bookcases full of books, some I will never part with. I don't think the 2 are mutually exclusive. There are some people who will never want to go the technology route and are perfectly happy with real books.
For me and my eyes the ability to choose and adjust font size and brightness is pretty critical these days and the light weight is also a factor when you have problem hands and joints. Having the options is a wonderful thing.

There are children's books that have pictures that are very beautiful. One of my favorites is linked below. I don't think these would be as impressive on a K or ipad.

Here is a link that might be useful: Once Upon a Starry Night

I'm another one who can't read musty old books because of allergies. I also can't shop in used book stores or go to old movie theaters without medicating first.

I bought a leather cover to protect my Kindle. It opens like a book and really helps give the feeling of reading a book.

But, nothing will ever replace a beautiful book, ever. I love my coffee table books full of gorgeous photography.

Photo books you make yourself from scanned or digital photos will really take off. They're cheap to make and the quality of these book services (there are many) is usually excellent.

Because I'm a designer, many of my co-workers have used the same books to showcase their work portfolio.

Jodi-

I won't be getting a kindle. I never buy books, but go to the library every Wednesday and get about five. New releases like the JOBS book, are put on reserve. I have many books on shelves thru out the house but these are reference books and decorating ones with gorgeous pictures to reference. Can't do that with the Kindle. DD has a Nook.

I used to devour books up until about 15 years ago. Until then, I always had a book in my hand...and all of those books ended up in bookshelves in my living room. They took over the house. I hated the sight of them after many years. I hated dusting them.

So, if I ever take up reading again, I'd be much happier with a Kindle.

But I know what you mean about beautiful books. I don't know if they'll ever stop producing them entirely, but I think it might be likely sometime in the future.

My dh bought me an ipad last week. He's unhappy that I haven't used it. I prefer an honest to goodness book. My kids are all good readers and the local libraries don't have enough selection. I but books for the kids to read for school or when we are going on trips so we have something to read on the plane. I bought the Chronicles of Narnia series and the Interview with a Vampire series last week for Christmas presents for the kids. I try to buy books that might to read again or that will appeal to the whole family.

One of the greatest icebreakers in the world is a comment about the book the person in the sunchair next to you is reading. I guess you could ask what they are reading on their Kindle but some how that doesn't seem the same, it seems really invasive. I love when someone comments about the book I'm reading or tells me about another by the same author.

I love my Kindle but it will never replace a beautiful book.

you can get library books on pretty much all ereaders now for free just like real books. So no need to give up those library books. All it takes is having a library card, a library that participates and there are many, and an ereader that can use overdrive for library books. In case anyone is interested.
How To Get Free eBooks From Libraries Using Overdrive

Good point, Lynn. Peering over a stranger's shoulder to check out his Kindle text doesn't quite do it for an icebreaker. LOL

Oldgardener--and others whose books are overflowing their bounds--you might think about selling some of them. I've sold a lot of books on eBay and Amazon. It's easy to check out what they're worth. I don't bother selling anything that goes for peanuts, but even a sale like I had today on Amazon (buyer paid $14.50 + $3.99 shipping, I cleared $10.75 after shipping) brings in a little money and gets one more book out of the house.

Glad to see so many book lovers!

I am a lifelong reader. So is my entire immediate family. We love books but we also all have Kindles.

DH lost his love of reading when it became too tiring for his older eyes in blended trifocals. Now with his Kindle he is back to reading all the time.

I will always read books as long as I am able but I love having an instant library with me wherever I am with my Kindle.

The heaviest boxes I packed when I vacated the marital house last year have books in them. Unfortunately they are all still in storage... but fortunately I will have them all again some day. :)

Moni, who loves books!

Flipping through a new book with that new book feel and smell is just delightful. I will never give up my hardcovers of collections (Harry Potters, Children of the Earth) but I want to check out the new trends.

I want a Kindle or e-Book though, what do you think is the best for the money? And now that libraries will rent you books I am even more interested.

Another book lover here; all my life. I'm surrounded by shelves of books here and am also a regular at the library. I've never tried an e reader but just can't imagine that it would be the same.

One of the best parenting decisions Dad and Mom ever made was buying a set of encyclopedias when I was 9. Whenever I was bored during the long Minnesota Winters I'd pull out a random volume and flip through it until I saw something interesing and start reading.

Ron

I don't think I'll ever buy anything but real books. Both of my kids love to read too. Alex prefers real books too.

I see a Kindle in my future, but I love going to the library like a lot of women like clothes shopping (hate, hate, hate). So, I'll miss that browsing.

I was at DD#2's recently, and she has books my mother gave her when she was little, and mother always wrote something in them, plus the date. She had one of her brother's that said "to sweet Matt on his first birthday. May 5, 1971. I love that.

WE still love to go to book stores and browse now we take a notepad with us and jot down the author and title, then we can get the ebook version. I started putting a little note in the ebook case with the book names and a few lines to remind us what it is about. Not having the book cover to read and remind you is one of the things I miss.

All of our moves have been much more costly due to the number of boxes loaded with books. Some have been in boxes for 3 moves and I have no idea what is in them. Many are now in bookcases here in the house. Just not enough room for all on display. I will always have bookcases and books.

Alisande, yes I sold all my books when we moved here. I didn't want to have to lug boxes of them here and then either take up space storing them or dusting them on shelves forever.

I don't ever want to have to mess with a collection like that again, so I'll go to a Kindle if I start reading again!

At the auction of the contents of my Mothers house last week, the books didn't sell. But these were books from the book clubs that Mom, and I, had belonged to in the 40's and 50's. Many of them classics and best sellers of their time. They were headed to a dumpster the last I heard. My brother was able to salvage several coal mining books, some published about 100 years ago. Our Dad taught classes on all aspects of mining in the 50's. Who knew how much math and science was involved? We donated them to a local Mining Museum.

I have been going through my many books (95% non fiction) and giving them to a small town library, near where I grew up, that operates mostly on doanted books and volunteers. No point in letting these beautiful books get so out of date that nobody wants them anymore.

No, I don't want a kindle. Can't imagine limiting a fine picture book to a 6 inch screen. I want to turn the pages and smell the ink.

Anyone here remember a movie called "Soylent Green" from the early '70s?

It was somewhat of a sci-fi movie but one of the parts I remember the most was that books were no longer written/printed/published...and...Edward G. Robinson played a character called "Book" in the movie. It was his last screen role before he died. Book had read/memorized all the great books and people sought him out for knowledge.

In today's world...I often look around and wonder how much fiction there really was to that movie. It's a thought worth pondering now and again. ;-)

Anne [another book lover]

I adore my Kindle!! I waited for years before I finally decided to try one....thanks to the help of my daughter. I just "knew" I'd not like it since I am a [real] book lover. But it was love at first sight.

Now, saying that........I'm very partial to my real books and find that those I will read again in the future are ordered in book form only. Most often these are non-fiction. For my Kindle I buy those novels that are a one-time read or a book for which I can't wait out the order time. (I live in a foreign country.)

I have such an over-abundance of books....a bookcase or two or three in every room.....and need to cut down on the space that all the physical books take up. This has been a great way.

It's great for travel or when visiting away from home. I enjoy the feeling of having hundreds of interesting books all inside my Kindle.....my own library! It really saves weight and the hassle of packing multiple books.

Even though I'll be getting an e-reader in the month or so, I'll always love real books best.

The other day I was in a TJMaxx and when I came to an aisle that had books in it, I could feel my pulse speed up, it's a knee-jerk reaction of the finest kind. :) When I walk into a Barnes and Noble, it's like being a kid in Wonderland and I just love that feeling!