Books ... no longer a treasure?

[wizard1luv]

there'as nowt that can compensate reading from a real book.

[littlepixie]

I love books, flicking through the pages mmm. I also go to charity shops to find books there not all mills and boon (I admit to reading a few when I was 12). But when it came to looking for terry Pratchett I had to go to quite a few. We do have an Oxfam book shop here in the town, but I don't do Oxfam there to expensive. Mostly my friends and family do swaps, although my eldest sister has just got a kindle . Such a shame as we both enjoy the same books.

[Duckman]

I have to say I think some books should have never been publsihed. I have a home renovation book there the authors did not know what they were writing about.

[dryad]

sounds like that's one that could be re-cycled/pulped duckman and help save a tree and add to a charity's coffers..

have a friend who collects paper, cardboard, telephone directories, catalogues, mills and boons etc.. in his local village, it all gets weighed in and provides valuable funds for the local scouts who do things to help the local community, which can't be bad..
thats where all mine go to..(not mills and boons though, they have never crossed my doorstep, even the thought makes me shudder)

[dryad]

Originally Posted by Red Fox

I agree with you about the kindle and also reading off a computer generally. Its ok when its essay length or even shorter forum length on a screen but for a real read you cant be the tactile nature and smell of a book-they are somehow more cosy and a screen always feels "cold" to me. I suppose it must be generational although my two stepdaughters, one in particular are book junkies, so that trashes that notion

have to say i agree with you fox, too long spent in front of a screen reading is a no, no for me, and too impersonal, much prefer to snuggle up cosy with a real book, as does my daughter too, guess it's a bibliophile thing and not generational..
i know many other young(er) ones who feel the same..
bookworms we are..

what worries me though, is the amount of kids leaving school who still can't read, or very little, and they can't all be dyslexic..
the emphasis, well to me, shouldn't be on the rigid learning to read bit, but giving a child encouragement to 'want' to, and finding it fun and a pleasure to do so, if that makes sense..

[General Lighting]

I collect books on engineering and electronics from the 1940s to 1980s, as well as stuff about maps, maritime info. But these are hard to find in charity shops. You do sometimes get the old dudes in the real old style bookshop but they charge increasingly high prices and many of them are getting elderly and too infirm to run their shops (especially in towns where security against robbery / theft / arson is a major issue). Some still sell their books online.

[Red Fox]

Originally Posted by General Lighting

I collect books on engineering and electronics from the 1940s to 1980s, as well as stuff about maps, maritime info. But these are hard to find in charity shops. You do sometimes get the old dudes in the real old style bookshop but they charge increasingly high prices and many of them are getting elderly and too infirm to run their shops (especially in towns where security against robbery / theft / arson is a major issue). Some still sell their books online.

There's an old style secondhand bookshop in Halesworth owned by a genuine Romany chap. I think he's had his own Rom/English dictionary published. There was loads of technical books in there when i last went (maritime, aviation, science etc). Trouble now is Amazon. A "rare" gypsy book in his shop was £12.99 and under £2 on Amazon. Its a real shame, but i cant knock Amazon Marketplace as ive gotten some rare and reasonably priced books off there.

[wildman]

I have over 2000 books, from engineering to farming, wildlife to exotic pets, model railways to flying and military. then gardening to computing. Nearly every one a reference book. some very rare and expensive others less so. I will be thinning down shortly out of necessity, we have run out of space. I have twice as many books again on my computer, for the kindle reader or just pain PDF's. I use both extensively.I no longer look at books in the recycling centre, just nowhere to put them

[waterman]

I love books and i buy more every week, there is also a regular book sale at Diss and Aylsham, Kindle will never fully take over and could even be a passing fad

[ribenaman]

I would find it impossible to concentrate long enough to read a couple of chapters when online, my mind wanders and i end up clicking on something else unrelated, I dont think theres any computer or laptop or phone or any modern gadget that can compare to the feel and smell of an old book, i love them, so for a good read its books every time for me, also i tend to gather old stuff and you cant hoard stuff thats online, books can be like prized possessions even if you dont open them for years----blah blah blah jeez i think im getting old