Week 16 Prompt

Courtesy of morgueFile.com

Both of our readings this week talk about the culture of reading and the future of the book. So I have two questions for you as readers, pulling on your own experiences and all of the readings we have done over the semester: First, how have reading and books changed since you were a child, for you specifically? Second, talk a little about what you see in the future for reading, books, or publishing - say 20 years from now. Will we read more or less, will our reading become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing? This is  a very free-form question, feel free to wildly extrapolate or calmly state facts, as suits your mood!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I enjoyed reading as a child.  I wouldn't say that I ate, slept, and berated books or reading of any kind but when I ran into a good book, I wanted to read it in one sitting.  I hated to put a book down until it was finished.  

My first chapter book is what did it to me--Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase. I remember sitting in my dad's reclining rocking chair from side to side with my legs hanging over one arm and my back against the other.  I was oblivious to anything else going on around me.  What I remember even more, is that no one interrupted--not even Mom asking me to do a chore or two.  It was a great escape!

As I grew into a teen, I looked at the library once in a while for a book for something to do; however, I still was not obsessed with books.  I was too busy with school to focus very much of my attention on reading.  But, I remember reading, The Count of Monte Cristo, David Copperfield (which in my teen ignorance I thought was about the magician), and Gone with the Wind. 

Now, I am around books almost every day at work.  I touch books and cannot help but be drawn to covers that seem interesting.  I can't help but read the blurb.  I can't help checking them out with the hope that I will be able to find time to read them.  Admittedly, while in library school it is easier when the classes require exploratory reading.  

This winter while stuck inside during the bitter cold and wind, I discovered ebooks.  I didn't have to go out to find a book to read.  It was a nice and quiet use of my time.  Before I would balk at anything electronic.  I love the feel of a book in my hand.  But the convenience was awesome!

While I enjoy the convenience of electronic media, I still prefer a book in my hand, relaxed and enveloped in the story.  We are seeing an ever increasing amount of e-books and e-magazines. This amount, I am sure, will continue to grow.  I hope; however, that the book made of paper, glue, and everything nice will not disappear.

Doctors talk about the disadvantages to health associated with electronic devices.  There are people who cannot afford to splurge on electronic devices.  And, taking an actual book to the beach is cheaper if something would happen to it.  Therefore, I think that there will always be available the book as it was created to be.

However, I see an up tic in the number of "published" authors.  More people are skipping the traditional way of becoming published (agent, editor, publisher, etc.) and self-publishing electronically.  

These two books are an
example of self-publishing.
This author, V. L. Holt, is an
Indiana author and also has
these two books
available in print.