I can’t get on the kick of E-Readers, not even for the purpose and convenience of travel. Yet, I’ve formatted Kindle books for publishing that are now on sale. Hint, hint, hint, hint.

So that means I travel with hard copy books, and here’s why...

1.    Because I don’t own an e-reader
To state the blatantly obvious, you can’t travel with what you don’t own, so if I want to bring a book, it has to be hard copy.

2.    Because if it’s like the rest of my technology, I will break it
I break everything electronic that I own… Frequently.

Laptop (this is my current broken item); cellphone; digital camera; Ipod.  I see no reason to add another breakable item to my list.

3.    Because I’m already electronically overpacked
Between packing my (broken) laptop, cellphone, digital camera, Ipod, I have enough valuables to keep track of.  Especially when it comes to security checkpoint at the airport. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Plus, with making sure everything else is charged, I don’t want to have worry that my book will run out of batteries, at the climax of the story, while I’m reading it down on the beach.

4.    I’m a chronic overpacker
This point may be ironic to the point above, but there is a difference between too much stuff and too much technology. So between my electronic packings and the rest of my prized possessions, packing a sleek and slim E-Reader would not fulfill my overpacking destiny.

5.    Because you can’t leave an E-Reader sitting out on the beach
Books are the perfect seat claimer. Plop it down at 8AM, and come back at 11AM for your perfect spot. Leave an E-Reader on your seat at 8AM, and come back at 11AM for a guaranteed missing E-Reader and a taken over spot by someone who used a hard copy book.

And worse, you’ve been robbed of your entire library.

Should have used a real book, because no one steals books. Unless it’s really, really good.

6.    Because an E-Reader has too many options
To me, an E-Reader is like Netflix. So many options that you can’t decide what you want to watch (or read), that you spend more time searching than you do watching (or reading). At least when I limit myself to 2 hard copy books, I have my decision-making cut out for me.

And even more so when those books are in a series so you know which one you have to read first.

7.    Because I’m an aspiring author
For as long as I can remember, even before I was 8, it has been my dream to walk into a bookstore and see my book with my name all bright-and-shiny on the cover, sitting on a stand. While I’d be happy to publish a book in general, even if it were on an E-Reader, it doesn’t hold the same effect as seeing it in a store. And because of this, I will never give up buying hard copies or make the conversion.

Do you still travel with hard copy books? What are your reasonings? Or do you travel with an E-Reader? And find my reasonings completely ridiculous?

Brianna Krueger is the Chief Editor of Wandering Educators