Reading: print versus online

There are a lot of reasons I prefer print versions of books as opposed to online reading. Here are just a few of them!
For starters, there's the very physical presence of the book - you can rub the pages between your fingers, hear the turn of the page, run your fingers across the paper, mark passages that you like. Every book has a different texture, and feeling the glossy cover or matte finish while reading is one of the most satisfying things in the world for me. Online reading simply doesn't feel the same and can't compare.
Secondly, books smell good. Period. All my friends who purchase books absolutely love the scent of both newly-bought books and bookstores. Can we please have a perfume or cologne with this scent already?
Now, I know that when it comes to travelling, books can be a bit inconvenient because of all the extra weight. But think about it this way - books don't have a limit. When you're travelling and you already have to constantly charge a mobile phone and laptop, isn't it great to have something by your side that doesn't require constant attention? Also, with Kindles and other e-readers, there's always the concern about forgetting the charger or having it malfunction! A book is something you can carry anywhere you want, without worrying about it breaking down on you or dying out.
Lastly, there's something about staring at a screen that just makes us all look antisocial. Because of the new developments in technology, everybody's face is buried in a screen 90 per cent of the time. I think picking up a book is an excellent refresher every once in a while. And it's also a great conversation-starter and can actually help you make new friends!
Maddi ten Bohmer
is the blogger behind www.novelgurl.com and the author of fantasy novel Elements of Straefor! Follow her on Instagram @novel_gurl
Digital disruption first began with Amazon in 1994 when they started the first online bookshop. A decade later, the sale of e-books and reading online skyrocketed with the popularity of e-reader devices. Apparently, books are the category of those products most purchased online - both printed and e-books. In this light, let's take a look at the several advantages of e-books over the printed version.
. Access: You can browse through titles online and, post selection, the e-book can be sent to you offline or you can download the e-book. You can also read the book offline.
. Price: There is an initial investment on an e-book reader or tablet. But you'll find that e-books will normally be available at lower prices than physical books.
. Convenience: You can buy e-books anytime, any place and on any device. E-readers and tablets have a built-in light source, are portable, and can enlarge and change fonts. E-books can also easily be updated and upgraded. Being online makes it easier to share information with family and friends.
. Variety: The entire world bookstore is available online to download. How can you beat that?
. Storage: In the space that a comparably sized physical book takes up, an e-reader can contain hundreds of e-books based on the storage capacity.
. Features: You can refer to an online dictionary to look up a word, use electronic bookmarks and features like annotation, search and cross-reference.
. Sustainability: Easily one of the most important points, e-books are environment-friendly and save trees.
. Redundancy: e-books can be backed up and recovered in the case of loss or damage to the device on which they are stored; they can also be synchronised across several devices.
. Freebies: Many e-books are sold with bonuses and other information that doesn't come with the purchase of a book.
Personally, I think it's great to carry an entire library in my pocket and it has been a great enabler to sustain my passion for reading.   

Meghana Rao
is the blogger behind  www.megsblogged.com. You can catch up with her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @Megsblogged