My father has always been a tech-geek, fanatical about researching the latest technology, staying on top of the best trends in electronics and gadgets and I’ve always made fun of him for it. He was a Blackberry user before it became trendy and ubiquitous. But my father has also always been a big reader. I grew up in a house full of books which was not only mentally stimulating but fundamental to my current love for reading. When I visited home in September my dad was raving about the Kindle, his new favorite toy. I was quite disappointed in his latest obsession because in purchasing and downloading books at $9.99 he is thereby contributing to the extinction of a perfectly adequate 500-year-old technology. He talked of practicality, ease of use, portability and, the word that defines our culture the most today, convenience.

With the launch of the Ipad and the litany of feminine hygiene jokes that it fostered, the demise of traditional publishing and reading is likely to get pushed into overdrive. Imperiled authors will receive little to no royalties for e-versions of their work and the culture of reading will change forever. Reading a kindle or an ipad in the tub just doesn’t conjure up the same image as the tactile version.

Part of my memories of my pre-France life involve hours upon hours spent sifting through the aisles of a bookstore, reading my favorite titles until my parents practically dragged me to the car.  As was the case with independent coffee houses who were put out of business by the corporatization of convenience, the independent bookstores will continue to suffer a similar fate.

A couple of weeks ago I went to an independent book shop across the street from my apartment and bought a new book for 23€. Yes, I could have found it for significantly cheaper on amazon, but I’d rather do my part to keep these quaint book shops in business. Proponents of ebooks argue that reading is about content and not the tangible object but for me the joy of reading is absolutely about the pleasure of holding the book in my hands, turning the crisp pages or, in the case of an old book, the worn pages with that wonderful antique smell that reminds me of my grandfather’s home, that can never be replaced by a piece of glossy, sexy machinery.

While I do agree that reading in any form is what matters most in the end, I will not partake in the e-book culture that is rapidly developing. Slow down, read more! “Save the Shop Around the Corner and you will save your soul“.