My wife and I had a discussion about books the other day. She is
reading a large hardcover, a book she got from English section of
the local library. She mentioned how much better she likes reading
actual books. I agreed, but it got me to thinking why I actually
feel this way. E-readers do have advantages, but something is
missing that makes reading from an e-reader seem less than
appealing. I think it is that e-books are sterile, they don't
provide the same sensory experience as real books. With a real book
you have the feel of the pages as you turn them. The visible
feedback as to just how much of the book you have read, as measured
by the thickness of the pages remaining. The smell of the book
itself. The ease with which you can hold it while reclining on your
couch. Flipping back a few pages to remember a character's name or
plot point while keeping your current position secure with a
finger. All combine to make a complete experience that e-readers
cannot match.

All that said, we both have e-readers and use them (Kobo plus
Calibre and DeDRM so I can make backups). They are necessary for
books (or magazines, or journals, or articles) that never see
physical print. And e-books plus the internet do allow anyone to
publish pretty much anything (that last point is both good and
bad). But the overall reading experience is not the same and given a
choice, I'll choose a real book. For now, the library provides the
physical book experience if we want it, with no cost and no shelf
space taken up.