Tell us your thoughts on e-reading and win a Kobo Arc tablet, plus a signed copy of award-winning author Margaret Drabble's latest novel The Pure Gold Baby

Pros;- I can carry a library in my pocket, also useful reading in low light such as on a bus.
Cons;- having the tablet inform me that it is running out of power (a paperback never says I only have 14% and must stop reading in the next ten minutes.) also the slightest touch on the edge of the screen sends me two or three pages ahead but turning back always seems to take several attempts.

The best thing I like about my ebook, is that as a speed reader instead of having to carry multiple books I have one, that carries a thousand. How is that for convenience.
Some still want paper books but to be honest, I prefer paper to remain as trees as I desire lots of oxygen for a clear headed mind.

Am an avid reader,love my huge collection of printed books.But I must admit after having brought my step mum a Kindle for christmas ,I do love the look of the ereaders,so "YES" i WOULD LOVE ONE

Being able to have all your books to hand on one device is fabulous, and being able to take them anywhere you go is great. As an avid reader who has Fibromyalgia, it's difficult to hold a book, but an E - reader is so much easier to hold.

Really love to settle down with a proper book but think an e reader would be great for travelling and holidays as l never have enough room for the number of books l want to take with me.

I do like reading on the kindle but I do miss real books. I like the fact I can read with the light off with the kindle.I love my bookshelf full of books and I like to pass books on to friends and family that I have enjoyed and I want to share. It's love/hate really.

Up to now I have dropped hints about an e reader to everyone, but I still love the feel and the smell of books, and still haunt the library when I can.
Love Margaret Drabble books, wish I could write like her, so believable and so memorable, thanks Margaret for giving me many happy hours of reading!xx

An e reader helped my grand daughter so much. She loves reading and is an avid reader, but was always loosing her place on the page. She then borrowed her Daddy's e reader and said to her Mummy "when I use this, with a grey page, the words stay still and don't move about". It suddenly dawned on my daughter that that was a sign of dyslexia. Because she was such a bright little girl she had managed to learn to read fluently and cope with dyslexia. She now uses her Daddy's e reader all the time and is so much happier and also the school have taken on board the problem and are helping her. All thanks to an e reader......

E-Reading has made my life much easier. Instead of ordering in the shop or browsing the local library when I could not find my item now it just a few clicks away making life easier. It also feels good to know you will never loose the item and keeps events more organised.

I'm quite happy with ebooks as it is easier on my hands to hold the reader than a hardback book. For reading with the GC then I agree I prefer actually books, especially when they're young.

I somehow still love the fell of a real book particularly if reading in the bath!

I have M.E chronic fatigue and I now find it difficult reading anything too complex or long. Do you have any suggestions for short reads books for e book. Thanks. Elena

I know that e readers are the future, and I bought one, but I have so many books to still read that are hardback, I have not got the time to use it. Maybe when I next go on holiday as it will save on weight.

I have never used an eReader, but would like to try, sounds like it would cut down on the weight of my luggage on holidays, but wonder if I would miss things like the turning of the pages, sharing my books with other people ( I normally pass my books on to family members or to charity shops)

I was very interested to read recently that most libraries now offer an e-reading facility, the book is simply deleted from your reader at the end of the loan period.

A question for Margaret Drabble - do you use an e-reader, and if so, do you prefer to use that or to read a traditional book?

I have used an e-reader in the past and I think it is excellent, especially for travelling as it saves so much space and can be carried in a handbag. You cannot use while taking off or landing in a plane though!

i would love to have an ebook. we have recently come back from holidays and i noticed a lot of people using them.

The best thing about tablets or e-readers is being able to have umpteen books at your fingertips, so there's always one to suit your mood or available time, such as non-fiction you can dip into.

Not good for reading in the bath, though.

Having read through all the comments on this thread, I'm persuaded to give e-readers a try. I confess that I've been resisting them. I do love the feel of a good book in my hand, being able to flick back to check on details, etc. However, so many Gransnetters have been eloquent in their praise...I'm particularly convinced by the argument about avoiding the weight issue when travelling. So thanks to all for helping me see the light.
Now all I need to do is drop a hint when asked what I'd like for my upcoming birthday!!

I love reading on an ereader as it's so comfortable to read on commute and am not restricted by the weight of the book (like Ken Follet's huge books)

I do like e-readers as they are the ultimate storage solution and fantastic for a complete holiday selection, but the thing is I do love the smell of books

Do you think there's still a hardcore of readers who will always prefer the feel of paper to a tablet or pad form of reading

I cant say I have ever thought of using one. My daughter has one and she uses it often. I think if I did get one I would use books and the tablet equally as I have some cherished books at home. Although I suppose I could download the Kindle version!

As a life-long user of public libraries I feel really sad to think that e-readers might be the cause of their demise. I can see that it is much easier when travelling to have numerous books available on screen but there's nothing like browsing the shelves of a library and I regret that pleasure will never be known by the generation embracing e-readers.