If you don't, it's not all that surprising, considering how that ritual of selecting books in stores is now slowly disappearing. The advent of e-books and websites that deliver, at your doorstep, first hand books at a much cheaper rate than their store counterparts, has led to youngsters favouring online shopping. With Hyderabad hosting the International Conference on Language and Literature till July 7, it is imperative that we take a look at the the various ways in which reading practices have evolved among youngsters over the years.
Graphic novels win over fairytales
That reading practices have changed is obvious from what children and young adults now choose to read. Instead of the once popular Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, or even Grimm's Fairytales, children now tend to read more fantasy novels, some of them in graphic novel formats. Graphic novels have become vastly popular among the young and the old alike. So much so, that even latest Agatha Christie books have been given a graphic-novel makeover, as have series like Artemis Fowl. "I used to read a lot of Enid Blyton when I was young. Now, my juniors prefer Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games and other books. In the sci-fi genre itself, there are a number of independent authors, who are coming up with great new books," says Piyali, a 19 year old student from Bangalore.
Some attribute the popularity of graphic novels and the sci-fi/ fantasy genre to sensationalism, while others say it is due to books being made into movies. "People seem to be forming opinions on the basis of novel-based movies and online portal discounts," says R Ray, a 20-year old student from Kolkata.
Digital books are the rage now
With the rise of technology and given how tech-savvy the youngsters today are, will reading books online be too far behind? The increasing cost of books has even the veteran readers vouching for the fact that e-books, or PDFs of their favourite books, are a better option. "The rising price of books is making it very uneconomical for us to buy books. PDFs or e-books are convenient alternatives, and they are also very easily available," explains Ray.
There are now e-book readers, specifically meant to read books and other articles online. Another student shares, "These e-book readers and tablets are highly preferred among all readers. We can not only download books on it and read, but also exchange them with our friends. This is especially true in colleges, where most students exchange their book readers for a day or two to swap their reading lists, or pass on notes. Exchanging hard copies has become passe."
Availability is another factor that pushes these e-book-worms to these alternatives. "I don't get most of the books I want in local bookstores. With these e-book readers, everything I want to read is just a click away. I carry my tablet everywhere, so it's handier for me. It's so much easier than carrying books, which take up too much space in my bag," adds Swati Krishnan, a software professional from the city.
No takers for second hand books
Since technology has hit even big bookstores, the fate is no different for small, second-hand shops. The owner of a 30-year-old bookstore in the city says, "It is mostly college students who come here, looking for guide books to cut back on costs. That too, it is because they cannot find it anywhere else." When asked about how they run the business, he says, "We get by. There are some people who come because we offer such high discounts. However, this isn't a roaring business."
All is not lost
There are still a few who, despite the increasing number of e-book readers out there, still prefer buying books the old fashioned way. "I still prefer going to a bookstore and browsing through the myriad options," says one 19-year old, who wishes to remain unnamed. Then, of course, there are the connoisseurs who relish the very smell of bookstores. One girl, on a social networking site, updates her status about a second-hand bookstore, "Show me one Kindle that smells like this place."
The magic, then, is not completely lost. To paraphrase a quote from a series that spawned a generation of bookworms and fandoms, 'These bookstores will always be there to welcome us home.'
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