E-books are electronic versions of printed books that can be read on a computer or handheld device. One of my goals for 2017 is to read ten books by the end of the year and e-books are a great choice for me when it comes to the format of books I want to read.

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I have already written a post about the advantages of reading and where you can find books in various formats. Today, I will concentrate solely on e-books and why I think they are so fantastic.

15 Benefits of E-books

1. Instant Gratification

I love that after you purchase an e-book, it is delivered to you pretty much instantaneously. This means I’m not waiting around for the book to be shipped to me. I’m kind of impatient so anything I can do to cut out waiting time is awesome.

2. Save Money

E-books are usually cheaper than their printed versions and I don’t have to pay shipping costs. They are sent straight to my phone or whichever device I choose by some kind of magic aka, the internet.

3. Space Saving

I have slowly been selling or donating my used books over the years and I have gotten to the point where my novels fit on one book shelf. When I purchase an e-book, I don’t have to worry about storage space in my home which is a good thing.

4. Portable

You can read your e-books on pretty much any device which means you can take them with you anywhere. In fact, you can take several books with you all at once. Try doing that with printed books. I especially love this when I’m travelling. Airlines have restricted luggage allowances so much that the last thing I need is one more item adding weight and bulk to my bags. Yet, I like have activities to keep my mind occupied when I’m waiting on my flight so e-books are a perfect fit here.

5. Timeless

When I say e-books are timeless, I simply mean that you don’t have to worry about them aging like you do with traditional books. Paper-based books yellow over time and may grow mildew and mold if not cared for. You’ll never have this issue with a book that’s floating around in the digital world.

6. Save the Environment

Go green and purchase e-books. No paper, no trees. E-books also eliminate pollution associated with transporting regular books to various destinations.

7. Easy Access To Even More Knowledge

One great advantage of reading is the endless amount of knowledge you gain. Sometimes there are hyperlinks in e-books that lead you to websites related to the contents of the book where you can find additional information.

8. Change The Look

The font in e-books can be resized making it much easier on the eyes. Forgot your glasses? No problem! You can also adjust the colour, font and more.

9. Shop Whenever, Wherever

Purchase e-books at any time and from any location in the world. You never have to leave your house and you don’t need to wait until the store opens. All you need is an electronic device like your laptop, cell phone or tablet, an internet connection and you’re in business.

10. Search For Specific Content

E-books are searchable so you can quickly find anything you’re looking for within the book.

11. Usually In Stock

Ever been to the bookstore and they didn’t have the book you wanted? I have never encountered that problem with e-books.

12. Never Go Hunting For A Dictionary Again

I loved to read when I was younger. Often, I would stumble across a word that I did not know the meaning of and I would ask my mother what it meant. Her usual reply was to go get the dictionary and find the meaning myself. I suppose as a former school teacher, she thought she was doing me a favour but she usually just succeeded in irritating me because I hated the fact that I had to drag myself away from a book I was enjoying to go find the dictionary.

If you read e-books via the Kindle app, you won’t have to do this. There is a lovely feature called Word Wise which you can choose to enable. Word Wise allows definitions to appear above more difficult words and you can also tap on a word to produce a card with definitions, synonyms etc. Read more about Word Wise here.

Where To Buy E-Books?

I get all my e-books on Amazon.com. I have the Kindle app installed on my cell phone and tablet and I use the Kindle Cloud Reader on my computer. Kindle e-readers are a good option too and they make a great gift for anyone who loves reading.

Amazon has a wide variety of e-books and I love the review system. I started reading The Girl In The Box, Books 1-3 by Robert J. Crane recently after searching for a book and finding this set. The box set of the first three books is free and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I am rapidly making my way through these books.