Does Format Really Matter?

Not to be confused with 'Does Size Really Matter?' although the age old question is something I ask myself from time-to-time.

I've never really asked myself this question before, not until I found myself downloading untold amounts of free books from the iBooks store and rummaging through the books that my mum has on her kindle (yes, I did download the app and hack into her account - sue me. But just incase you're actually planning on suing me I did ask for permission. I'm not a total badass). You see the thing about e-books is that they don't totally seem real to me. I know that's a really crazy thing to say because they still have the same content as a physical book, do they not? They were still written by the same author, right? So why do I not see them as 'real'  books?

There is something about holding a physical book in my hand that just makes me extremely happy and being able to flick through the pages and smell the book and hug the book and use an actual bookmark just makes me feel so intelligent and at home. I think that's why I don't really read e-books, because nothing can beat the feeling of holding a book in your hands and being able to feel how much work has gone into the making AND writing of the book.

That's not to say that a lot of work doesn't go into e-books because I know that the same amount of writing went into the story and I appreciate that but as I said before - they just don't seem real to me. I'll try and explain this as much as possible without rambling but I don't have any notes for this post so it'll probably seem like a load of word vomit. I went through a phase of only reading on wattpad which is a website where people can write and upload their original works for free. So after a year of reading only things that normal people have written maybe my brain has been tricked into thinking that anything I read on my phone is evil and out to brainwash me and maybe without me even realising, Larry fan fiction.

The reason I'm even writing this post is because up until a few weeks ago I wouldn't even touch an e-reader and honestly I'm still not dedicated enough to e-books to even think about investing in a kindle but I've started acquiring a lot of e-books. As I said before I found myself on the iBooks webstore and there are so many books for FREE. Real, PUBLISHED books that I'll probably love and real, PUBLISHED books that I've been wanting to read for really really cheap. Not to mention that I've been finding myself getting accepted for e-arcs on Netgalley. So I've found myself reading more and more e-books and I don't know if I'm sure about it. I mean, it's still the same book as it would be if I could touch the beautiful cover and smell the pages right? My phone will never feel the same, nor look the same or even smell the same as all of the books on my adored bookshelf but I've come to realise, ever so slowly, that the format doesn't matter. If I'm going to love a book I'm going to love it regardless of how it's been read so I'm trying to overcome my prejudice and I want you to help me. I don't know how exactly, but I just need your support.