Special Guest: Why I read paperback books...and I think you should too by Jeff Gunhus
Why I read
paperback books…and I think you should too
By Jeff Gunhus
As a hybrid author with both traditional and
self-published works, I have greatly benefitted from the rise of e-books. It’s
hard to think back to the world before Kindle and Nooks and IPads. Back when
you had to go at an actual bookstore (remember those?) and
browse the aisles,
judging books by their cover, cracking open a book every now and then to hear
the voice of a new author. Most of the time, this toe dipping would last only a
few minutes. Occasionally, you would look up and realize a half hour had passed
by, somehow you had ended up sitting on the carpeted floor and were fifty pages
into the book. And that’s the book you’d buy.
I know you can get a similar experience
online, maybe even a better experience. Cool algorithms check in our your past
buying habits to offer you up more of the same books you’ve enjoyed in the
past. This can help discoverability every bit as much as browsing the aisles at
a large bookstore. You can even toe dip using the “look inside” feature. Even
buying a book is more simple. Just hover over a button, hit the buy now icon
and the book appears in the device of your choice. Where, if you’re anything
like me, it has a good chance of staying indefinitely, totally forgotten.
My reading list is long and grows every time
I bounce around Amazon for more than a few minutes. But it’s the paperback
novel I purchased that sits on my desk, staring at me, challenging me, that I
tend to actually read. More importantly, when I carry a book around with me, my
kids see it and they know what I’m reading. When they see me on a device, they
might think I’m checking emails, playing Words With Friends, etc. Seeing me
with a book in my hand sends the message that reading is fun…and that maybe
they should grab a paperback and try it too.
Jeff Gunhus is the author of both adult
thrillers and the Middle Grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first
book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his
reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new
series was born. His book Reaching Your Reluctant Reader has helped
hundreds of parents create avid readers. As a father of five, he and his wife
lead an active lifestyle simply trying to keep up with their kids. In rare moments
of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.
His latest book is the thriller/horror novel,
Night
Terror.
For More Information
- Visit Jeff Gunhus’ website.
- Connect with Jeff on Facebook and Twitter.
- More books by Jeff Gunhus.
- Contact Jeff.
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