How often do you get asked, or hear the argument asking which is better… eBooks or Paperbacks?
To me, both have their benefits and downsides.
The main thing against eBooks is, you need a device and you need that device to have 
power. An uncharged Kindle, iPhone or Tablet is nothing but a piece of useless junk.
Even worse, is when it cuts out halfway through a chapter and your miles away from a charger, like on the beach or halfway up a mountain.
Of course, good things for eReaders of any description is the number of books you can store on them and the lack of space they take up. (Not that you’ll read even a small percentage of the books you have stored, while on holiday… or ever.)
The good things in favour of paperbacks are, you can read them anywhere, power or no power, charging points or not. You can flick through the pages of a physical book whilst in the bathtub without the fear of totally ruining it if it gets wet.
Also, I have never (yet) seen an electronic device used to prop up the wobbly leg of a café table, I have seen this done with a paperback book.
If you drop a paperback, no harm done, just pick it up and continue reading, no broken screens, no expensive repair bills.
Oh, and when did anyone snatch a paperback out of your hands and make off with it? Never is my guess.
There is also the wonderful feeling of holding a ‘real’ book, sharing it and lending it to your friend, or having it displayed on a bookshelf in your lounge. You cannot do that with eBooks.
Paperbacks do have a downside.
They are quite large in comparison to an Android phone or a Nook, so take up a lot more room, which is fine at home but can take a good proportion of luggage space when going on vacation.
And so, the discussion goes on. You may prefer one format over the other, or you may take advantage of the benefits of each, as and when you want.
However, what if there was a middle ground?
What if… you could read a paperback the size of an iPhone?
Think of how many of those you could slip into your suitcase or rucksack, a handbag, or even your pockets.
You could read them anywhere, no batteries to worry about, no signal needed, no damage if dropped and no fear of anyone stealing them. You could even leave it unguarded on your beach towel when you went swimming, knowing it will still be there when you return.
How amazing would that be?
The thing is, this is not an idle thought, a sci-fi fantasy, or simply a futuristic dream. These books actually exist NOW.
Electric Eclectic has a growing range of ‘POCKETBOOKS’, smaller paperbacks whose dimensions are just 6×4″, which makes them ideal for travellers and commuters. These small-format books easily slip into a case, rucksack, handbag or, as the name suggests, a pocket, even the back pocket of your denim jeans.
Each pocketbook is a complete book, an entire Electric Eclectic novella or novelette. Most have an eBook option if you really prefer the electronic version.
Electric Eclectic is increasing the number of pocketbooks in their library, so keep checking in for new releases.
Here are some of the currently available Pocketbook titles.
Click on any cover image to read more on Amazon.
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