e-books the new rage; paperbacks passé

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 24

Book lovers love to read books but the only difference today is that instead of flipping through the pages, they just tap their screen or slide their finger to turn over pages.

With devices such as iPad and Kindle gaining popularity, the youth prefer to read books virtually rather than holding the book in hand. Book lovers have made a shift and instead of going to a library or a book shop, they are visiting sites and downloading books with a click.

“I am a book lover and there are some books that are not available in the market, so switching to Kindle proved to be a good decision for me. And its size is perfect too as I want to take a book along wherever I go,” says Mansi, a student who is doing her graduation.

Kanika, another student and an avid reader said her father recently gifted her iPad and what she loved the most about it was that she could read books online.

“I carry my iPad wherever I go and whenever I find time I do a quick reading of the book. It is convenient as I do not have to carry much stuff. All my work is done on iPad, be it sending mails or reading books,” she said.

Upasana, another city resident said, “I have bought a couple of children’s titles on my Kindle to see if I can wean my six-year-old son off his tablet. It does interest him as it does not have the appeal of a colourful, smooth, high resolution tablet screen. He loves to flip through the same books on the Kindle application. The way bookstores across the country are shutting down, I am tempted to tell him that he better start getting used to an e-ink screen,” she said.