Summer Reading
Have you been reading this summer? Here's a pondering about the comfort of physical books. What's your preference - paper or digital? Audio or visual? How do you like to read?
I wondered aloud recently about why physical books, printed on paper, feel more comforting. Don’t get me wrong. I love the story I get lost in while reading on my phone at night before bed. The stories I read in any format are no less real. Yet somehow holding a book is comforting.
Underlining important passages. Drawing stars or writing notes in the margins feels more personal. This is not a new thought, but the idea hit me hard again. Physical books feel more comforting because they are trees. They grew from the earth. Books are still rooted in the earth through their genetic composition. And they deliver a kind of presence and comfort that my
digital screen does not.
I feel less alone when I read any book — digital or print. Because the stories in the books I choose help me know another person or group. The best ones help me feel seen and understood
because someone else had a similar experience, and they took time and energy to share it in a written story.
