eBooks, or How Preferences Change

I never thought I would enjoy reading a book on a screen. Computer screens, iPods, even the DS "game" that comes with a ton of public domain books for you to read - none of it ever appealed to me. I stare at a computer screen all day at work. I prefer the tangible pages of paper leafed (or more often now glued) together, folding open at just the right place, turning pages with my fingers instead of on a screen (which I do know you turn with your fingers, but this is a different sensation).

Recently I've started reading eBooks, mostly because I can get the public domain books I've been wanting to read for free. Saving money is hard enough without wanting to drop hundreds of dollars on books all the time. I don't have a Nook or a Kindle or anything. I do have an iPod Touch that can do eBooks, but I don't use the app because the screen is too small. I just read them on my computer and when I'm done I move on to the next one. And when they're free, I can read a lot more.

This puts me in a predicament. I don't want an e-reader as offered by Amazon and B&N, and I don't want to put books on my iPod. But I do want to start reading more modern books, which is only slightly cheaper to do with eBooks than it is with paper copies. Most of the books I want to read are around $5 in an e-edition, while a hard copy costs around $7 or $8. To me, the cost of buying an eBook just doesn't make it worth it. I'd rather hold the book in my hand.

I am also having the following problem: I downloaded a bunch of free eBooks from Suvudu. These eBooks were all the first books in their respective series. I enjoyed ALL of them! ARGH! Now I need to track down the rest of the series, and since I collect books I have to buy the ones I've already read too. Being a book collector (should I say hoarder?) can be tough on the wallet.

Chris is taking me to the Borders in Clifton Park tomorrow to use a 50% off coupon they have. Online they're doing a BOGO 1/2 off on all paperbacks, and I'm curious if it's going on in-store too because the coupon code wasn't working right for me online. There are books I want that I know I can get there because it's an author they actually stock (but that's a rant for another entry), but I'm not buying them if they aren't on sale!

Anyway...this entry veered slightly off-topic. I guess what I meant to say was that while I was vehemently anti-eBook for a very long time, I've softened a bit. It has caused problems for me though in that now I have to own the books I liked. I do appreciate the fact that I don't have to buy the books I didn't like (which is good, it saves me money), but considering I've enjoyed just about everything I've read lately (except that damned bad book I can't seem to finish), it's hard to tell myself "No, you don't need to buy that right now."

What is your opinion on eBooks and e-readers? I don't think I'll ever own a Kindle or anything like it, but testing out books in e-format isn't as bad as I'd previously thought.