At home on the couch I have access to lots and lots of printed reading materials, though more often than not if I'm reading it's from the screen ... and not a book. There are almost always a couple of articles, printed out from the web, in my bag, meaning that if I'm in a situation when I've got some reading time I can always open the bag and ... read an article. And frankly, though I've liked the idea of reading from an e-reader since these first started appearing, and even succeeded in building a small library of books to be read that way, the opportunities didn't really offer themselves often enough to make digital reading (other than from a computer screen) a serious activity of mine. I should add that though even before having a smartphone I had access to a tablet with a very workable epub reader there was something about that tool that made what should have been a relaxing and enjoyable experience a bit unwieldy and even clumsy. In short, though I read constantly, it's rarely books, and when it is books it tends to be from a print version.

An epub reader app on my smartphone, however, changed that.

I've discovered that there are numerous times throughout the day (and not only when waiting in line at the bank or at a doctor's office) when having the ability to take my phone out of my pocket and read a few pages is a wonderful way to fill some time. More often than not the difficult part is deciding which of the four or five books I've already started reading is the one I want to open. The decision usually depends on how much time I think I have - with some books I prefer to read an entire chapter at one sitting, while with others getting through only a few pages doesn't hinder my reading enjoyment (or comprehension). Each book, of course, will open to where I left off, which is nice, though it's hardly the main benefit of digitality.

There is, however, a digital drawback. I've already noted that having numerous books available to me complicates deciding which to read. But even if I had only one, there'd still be competition between the book and the vastness of the internet where I can also find more than enough of interest to occupy my time. I can, however, learn to live with drawbacks such as this.