Home Office Organization

As writers, editors, social media mavens, bloggers and academics (or the unemployed who are making job searching a full time pursuit) we have become more than familiar with our home offices. In University we went to the library to get our work done but when you graduate into the real world there is no big, beautiful cone of silence lined in books that you can go to accomplish your work (or nap, or watch Downton Abbey online, or pin to your imaginary wedding board…. ). And worse still, there’s no “leaving” your home office. You can’t pack up your books at the end of the night and head home to the comfort of your bed and the delight of your roommates that you’ve finally emerged and finished whatever you were tirelessly working on. No, at your home office you walk out of your office and you’re still home, the mess you made doesn’t get packed up and your dog is still whining because he lost his favourite squeaker under the couch, an hour ago! Bad mom! You get the picture. It’s an adjustment. But is your home office serving you the way it should? In my opinion, if you’re going to be spending significant amounts of time in there you want it to be fresh, functional and yes, a little fabulous.

So you've gone from something like this.... 

Cambridge

 

The University of Graz

To this....

Peter Michaud

Dorm Room

But what if we could make it a little bit more like this? 

Articature

Decorology

The first thing you need to do is designate an area that you will call your home office. If you don’t have the luxury of having a room with a door that you can call your office, pick a spot in your apartment or house that is quiet and in the least distracting location possible. For example, if you live with your S.O. or a roommate don’t put your desk near the T.V. as they’re more than likely going to want to watch an episode of something while you’re working. Even if you don’t work when they’re home there will be the day that they’re home sick and you have a huge, looming deadline.  Once you've chosen a location, you need to purchase the essentials. Even in today's digital world you will t actually use all of this stuff and you’ll be way more productive when you have it at hand instead of having to run to your kitchen and rummage through your junk drawer for a pair of scissors a a roll of tape. You will need: 

Ally's Office Supplies

•   Wastepaper basket
• Recycling bin (I like the tall ones as they take up less space)
• Tape dispenser
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Three hole punch
• Post-it notes of all shapes and sizes
• Notepads for scribbling
• Pens, pencils, sharpies, markers, highlighters
• Paper clips, binder clips, extra staples, erasers
• Paper – the amount and kind is dependant on your type of work 
• Printer – suck it up and buy one at some point you will need it and you will be in a huge rush

I’ll start by telling you about my home office. It’s been my “work-in-progress” for quite some time now. Every time I get new content order I wish I had my office fully functioning. It improves your productivity especially when working from home is a “new” thing.  In University I had a tiny room that literally only fit my single bed, dresser, a bookshelf and my desk. It was a squeeze! Now that I have a room in my home for my office I plan to take full advantage of the space. To get started I bought a really cool refurbished and painted white antique dining room table off an online classified to use as my desk. Its not huge as it has two leaves which I have taken out to make it a more reasonable size. I like the square shape as it gives me tons of space to spread out my work and as you’ve probably realized I’m a sucker for anything antique. I up-cycled what used to be the bottom half of a (real wood) TV unit by painting it white as well and changed out the ugly knobs for a beautiful pair of glass ones I found while shopping in a cottagey town this past summer. On the bottom shelf of the unit I put my binders, notebooks and my English-y writing and theory books, dictionaries and thesauruses that come in extremely handy when I’m working away. On the middle shelf I have my paper stash – lined, white, recycled, coloured, you name it I’ve got it. I also have my cue cards, post its and a huge stack of assorted notebooks and pads. On the top shelf I bought small pink plastic baskets from the dollar store to separate my pens, pencils, paperclips, binder clips and other odds and ends into easily accessible containers.  I love having my “supplies” separate from my desk. The desk is reserved for a small basket of things I need on hand at the moment – one post it notepad, a few of my favourite blue pens, a handful of paperclips and of course the essentials like my stapler and you guessed it, my pink tape dispenser.

I’ve scoured the Internet for the most functional, visually appealing and affordable home offices. You don’t need to break the bank when putting your office together. Remember: always accept donations of furniture from family members - it can be painted!  & Good luck!

1.) The Fun Wallpaper and Antique Furniture Office
Best for: a small space ex: a hallway

Real Simple

A big, old desk set against funky wallpaper? I'm in home office heaven! If you have space restrictions Real Simple recommends “a desk and slim seat (like a stool) against a punchy printed floral wallpaper”. Personally, I think ergonomics experts would cringe at the idea of a workspace that include a stool for seating (how long can you really sit at this desk comfortably?) so I’d go with different seating, but that’s just me! I suppose if all you do at your desk is pay the bills you might not need to think so practically about your chair. This desk works well in a small space as it has two drawers for storage plus a storage unit set beside it. They have placed two nice looking binders and a lamp on the desk without cluttering the space. Oh, the the wide plank, white washed floors make me die of happiness (and jealousy). 

2.) The Cap Code Style Office
Best for: a small space ex: the corner of a room

HGTV

HGTV explains the space: “all the surfaces are painted white and distressed to carry the Cape Cod theme. The windowsills are used as extra seating and storage areas”. HGTV calls this a "cottage" office but I think the way they use the corner of the room is an excellent use of space for any apartment. The desk is small but with the built-ins in the corner you have ample storage space. And hey, if you have to read something long you can jump into your window seating for comfort. The room is well lit and I'd love to work away beside a big crackling fire!

3.) The Polished Office
Best for: a medium space ex: part of or a whole room

Confetti Style Wordpress

I found this office on Pinterest however its originally from the blog Confetti Style's list of 10 Office Spaces to Love who sourced it from Like a Lady. This is the office I picture all home decor/lifestyle bloggers having. They hit every mark: striped wall, grey tones, chandelier, light, fresh colours, patterned rug, fabric chair, throw pillow and the pretty assortment of knick-knacks on the built-ins (although, come on, where are the BOOKS!?). If you can produce something this beautiful in your home I commend you! This is a space I'd truly enjoy being in; its fresh, airy and clean. One thing I know I'd need right away though is more storage.

4.) The Great Storage Office

Best for: a medium space ex: part of or a whole room

IKEA Shelving and Bookcase

If you style is a little less "girly" than #3 and a little more industrial you're going to love this office. I like the contrast of the flock chair with the substantial rustic desk. I also appreciate the fact that this office actually has BOOKS. They have nailed the concept of practical storage with baskets, binds, accent pieces and shelving. My only complaint is that I find the flooring in this room completely repulsive. You can get all of this shelving at IKEA where I am going to assume? this photo is originally from as Pinterest had no source for it.

5.) The Big Statement Office
Best for: a big space ex: the extra bedroom in your home

This office makes me say WOW. They nailed their use of complimentary yet contrasting colours. The cool and warm colours make the space homey and inviting. The desk is beautiful and BIG (L-shapes are great!) and the matching hutch mounted on the wall provides practical storage space and visual appeal. This is a "real" workspace - there are even post-its on the Mac's screen (I know they're staged but come on, I believe I could work in here!). The wallpaper is fabulous and makes me a little jealous inside. The only thing I will complain about, again, is the floor. It almost takes the colour coordination too far. Who really has pink carpeting in their home in this day and age? I'd love to see a rustic hardwood in this space but other than that I love it!

6.) The Make-it-Work Office
Best for: a small space ex: a wall in your kitchen

Decoist Architecture and Interior Design

This is a practical, make-it-work home office. They have utilized an extra stretch of counter space on the edge of their kitchen and added a funky chair that matches the wall colour. Growing up a lot of my friends had their computer's in their kitchen because it was  "public space" for the "shared computer", remember those days? My favourite part about this office is the chalk board wall - so awesome! They also have lots of cupboard space to stash away extra paper.
 
7.) The Corner Office
Best For: a medium space ex: a corner of the finished basement

This office, to me, looks like its in the corner of someones suburban finished basement. Something about the carpeting and lighting screams basement to me. Nevertheless, they've made a cozy office space simply by utilizing an IKEA L-shaped desk that comes with tons of extra storage space. I like the way they use  baskets and have push-pin boards up for idea boards. The nice thing about this office space is its totally transitional - you could move this desk anywhere in the house and voila your office is transported totally intact to a new location, no fuss, no muss.

8.) The Realistic and Affordable Office
Best for: small-medium space ex: along a wall in your bedroom

This office is the one that I believe the most. The desk is small but practical and even better, homemade! This office isn't staged, you can tell someone snapped a picture of their desk. Unfortunately, again, no click-through link. To make your own desk like this one put a piece of particle board on top of a filing cabinet and there's your desk. Another interesting spin on this idea is finding an old rustic door to put across two cabinets. I like the twinkly lights, modern chair and collage of pictures that make the space unique. This person also has an ipod dock, printer and other realistic items! Love it.

9.) The Tiny Office
Best for: a small space ex:  any nook in your home or apartment

ImgFave

 If you have a small apartment and want to feel inspired check out this little tiny office. They have a practical shelf for books, a whiteboard calendar, filing cabinet drawers and room to work! It's a super cute space that could be pulled together really easily in a nook of your home.  I like that they still include touches like small plants and a few knick-knacks for personality.

10.) The Closet Office
Best for: a small space ex: a closet

Now this is an example of making the most of your space! Putting your office inside an extra closet in your home is an amazing idea! You can pull a chair from a nearby kitchen table whenever you're working and put it back when you're done. I love the fact that you can close the doors and completely hide your office from the world. If you're a messy person this might be the perfect solution for you.

...and the piece de resistance!

HGTV

This is my favourite office I found in my travels around the Internet. I love the desk in the middle of the room, the two patterned, fabric chairs for guests, the storage, the lights, the wainscoting ... everything is great about it. According to HGTV this office is in the dining room of the house. If you need any final motivation check out these before and afters from the creation of this space:

HGTV

HGTV

 See? I told you not to turn down free furniture!

Now go forth and organize your home office. Let us know how it goes on twitter, pinterest @jemcolborne or instagram @writersthriftersanddrifters!

Sustainable living: raising backyard hens

I am new to chicken ownership. My boyfriend and I got our chickens in the early summer and I have to say I can’t imagine life without them! Not only is it our first real step towards sustainable living but it has been a really fun on-going project for us. The chickens have a lot more personality than I ever expected and I’ve enjoyed spending time with them every day. I am writing this post as if you are all completely new to chickens, too – if you have chickens you might be able to shed some further light on the subject in the comments section below – otherwise, I’ll try and explain everything as clearly as possible.

Background: My grandfather did his undergraduate degree in Agriculture with a major in poultry. He started a free-range poultry farm with his brother before going to teacher’s college and eventually becoming a Vice President at his local high school. He never lost his passion for fowl though and was a renowned chicken expert in his area.  Sadly, I lost my grandfather this summer and I have to say raising chickens has been a tribute to him and the wholesome way he lived his life; I feel like I can connect with him every time I go in to our chicken coop.  He loved animals as much as I do and had every kind from ponies and horses to ducks, chickens, peacocks, sheep and jersey cows. Eventually, when I have my own farm I’m sure I’ll collect just as many different species of farm animals as he had.

When you decide to get chickens there are a couple things you need to consider before diving in headfirst. If you live in the city make sure to check out your local by-laws. Many cities now allow people to raise a small number of hens for personal use. If you live in the country the first thing you need to decide is whether or not they will be kept free-range or in a yard. We like ours in the yard for their safety but they have enjoyed a couple successful escapes. I think it really depends on whether or not you have neighbours and live on a busy road. We have both so it works best for us to keep them enclosed.

The Coop: We were very lucky because our house came with a move-in-ready chicken coop.  I’m going to bypass the "building the coop" part of chicken ownership as I simply don’t’ know much about it. A great resource is Backyard Chickens . The website has everything from building advice, helpful and informative information and interactive forums; basically anything and everything you need to know about chickens. Next spring I am going to spruce up my coop by giving it a fresh coat of paint. Below I will list the basics of what you will need in your coop:

• Nesting boxes: the chickens like to lay their eggs up high in a box. There are tons of cool ideas on google. The chickens will share boxes but you should have a few in the coop. I've heard that 1 box/3 chickens is a good ratio. They don't mind sharing. They also like a snug fit so don't make them too big!
• Roosts: chickens love to roost so give them lots of options
• Windows: chickens need daylight so consider putting windows in. In the winter you will need to provide artificial daylight so they get 12-14 hours of daylight/day to continue laying eggs. Some farmers believe they chickens deserve a break in the winter months and don't worry about artifial light. That is up to you to decide. 
• Venitlation: it's very important to have proper ventilation especially in the winter months when they are closed in.
• Food and water: situate them in a position where they can be raised up off the ground to elimate the mess that will be made if they're on the ground
• Bedding: shavings have worked well for us but there are many options

A couple coops that inspire me (and great click-through links about building them):

1.) A functional, chicken-friendly, country coop from the blog Beauty that Moves. I like the ladder that allows the chickens an awesome place to roost (on my want list!). I love that the coop is properly covered so they can stay out in most weather conditions. This blog also has an awesome tutorial for actually building the coop.

From the Blog Beauty that Moves

 2.) A chic city coop from the blog The Art of Doing Stuff This is my favourite coop. Personally, I prefer a bigger coop with more true outdoor space for the girls. Other than that, this coop has everything covered. Not only is it beautiful but it truly takes the chickens daily life into consideration. She has an awesome driftwood roost that inspired mine as well as a basin filled with sand for the girls to roll around in (also on my want list!).

The Art of Doing Stuff

.

The Art of Doing Stuff

The Art of Doing Stuff

 3.) A country coop with lots of outdoor space from the Backyard Chickenss forums. I love the huge space the multiple roosts and the pretty use of logs for structure!

 

User "Yellow Kitchen's" coop on Backyard Chickens forum

4.) The URL-less coops. Unfortunately Pinterest is rife with cool coops without click-through links. If anyone knows the owner of these coops please comment so we can give credit where credit is due!

My coop:

 

Exterior of the coop

Interior before the girls moved in.

Even on a mild, snowy day they weren't too adventurous!

The Yard: One thing I have discovered about chickens is that they love to be outside. Put a yard as high up on your list as possible when planning your coop. I kept them in last week when temperatures dropped but this morning I let them out in the milder weather and they were thrilled. My chickens go inside the coop as soon as it gets dark (smart gals) and I shut them in for the night when I get home from work. It’s important to have a secure door in to the coop to protect your girls from nocturnal predators. 

Temperature: If you live in a cold winter climate like we do here in Canada you need to have a source of heat for your chickens in the winter months. This was the biggest obstacle for us as although we had a ready-made coop we didn’t have a source of electricity. Luckily, my boyfriend is a handy guy and also has a friend who is a certified electrician so they were able to get electricity down to the coop fairly easily. (Note: definitely something to factor it in to your overall budget. The closer your coop is to your house the less wiring you will have to run). The boys had to rent a trencher, buy wiring and an electrical panel (as well as other things I don’t even know about, I’m sure) plus buy a heat lamp. Other more luxurious options include putting heating pads into your coop. If you are building consider insulating the coop it will keep it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer! We decided to put water down to the coop while we had the trencher so I won’t have to carry any more buckets in spring! Yay!

Feeding and Watering your Chickens: Like all farm animals chickens need access to fresh, clean drinking water at all times. I have a pretty basic waterer from our local co-op that I clean with white vinegar once a week. The chickens go crazy when I replenish with clean water so I make sure to give them fresh water often. For feed I purchase a laying hen mash from our local tack store. I give them as many greens and veggies as possible. After Halloween I gave them several pumpkins which they devoured. They LOVE treats and get so excited when they see me coming with an armful of lettuce. I also heard that the more vegetables your chickens eat the more flavourful their eggs are! Chickens also need access to oyster shells as a part of their diet. The blog Life at Cobble Hill Farm (another awesome chicken resource) has an excellent blog on supplementing your chicken’s diet with in-depth information on what to feed them and where to get it. Your local feed store should also have a knowledgeable staff member to help you out if you need any more information. 

Add a Personal Touch: I tried to add a few personal touches to my coop. My chickens have a driftwood roost I found at my cottage that they hang out on in addition to the built in roosts that our coop came with. Outside we left a tree up in the middle of their yard that provides them with ample shade in the hot sun. They love to have things to sit up on and I’m hoping to make them a bench or ladder for them this spring. 

A Few Final Thoughts: Chickens take more time to care for than I originally imagined. I go down to the coop morning and night to collect eggs, let them in/out, check feed and water and make sure that all is well. When we go away for the weekend we can't check our chickens in at a kennel you need to have chicken-sitters who are able to physically come to your house to look after them. The overall venture has not be expensive but it also hasn’t been inexpensive, either. We give most of our eggs away to our family members and sell some to acquaintances but we’re not making a ton in ‘egg money’. You have to consider the regular expenses of feed, shavings for bedding and oyster shells. I think the first year will be the most expensive as we have had to build a fence for the yard, put electricity and water down and had the initial expense of buying our “ready-to-lays”. A cheaper option is to purchase your chickens as chicks and wait the 21 weeks before you get eggs. These chickens are also supposed to be friendlier as they are "hand raised" however I don’t find mine to be unfriendly. Another helpful hint: our local retailer told us that brown chickens are much friendlier than white ones. Something to think about. Plus, brown eggs are lovely to look at!

Good luck with your chicken venture and share pictures of your coop with us on twitter @jemcolborne!

The girls hanging out on their roost and enjoying the heat lamp!

My Inner Grinch is Speaking Out

Holidays sometimes suck.  

It's not easy living up to the "most wonderful time of the year" reputation.  Between the crowded shops, the dwindling bank account and the lack of sunshine in miserable Ontarian winter, disappointment seems inevitable.  But here's hoping if we get our ranting out now-- if we let our inner Grinches grouch and grimace-- maybe they'll let up.

All the things I hate about Christmas from suckiest to shittiest (with the barftacular in between):

Money

Could there be a time of year that's tougher on the bank account?  I hate having to be stingy with friends and loved ones, but unless I start stripping to supplement my income (unlikely...I need to lose a few) there just isn't enough money to go around.  And DIYs aren't nearly as cheap as they claim to be.  By the time you gather all the supplies, you've spent as much as a regular old gift-- and half the time, when you DIY, people don't even appreciate it.
What's worse, I hate thinking that I may be the object of someone else's money stress.  To think that my strapped-for-cash Secret Santa is fretting away about what to buy me or how much to spend just makes me feel guilty-- and when I tell others not to buy for me and they don't listen-- then I feel unheard.

From dreamstime.com

Crowds

Ugh.  Christmas shopping.  The worst.  People are shitty.  Lineups are shitty.  Try to get a sale item, or make a coupon work, or tell a cashier she's overcharged, or to make a return are all incredibly shitty.  People seem to be at their most un-Christmasy whilst Christmas shopping.  They are stressed, rude, and pushy.  For awhile, I try to fight it.  I smile brightly, chat everyone up, and try to be generous ("No, you go ahead!")  But after awhile, the doldrums bring you down.  It's like walking through molasses with concrete blocks on your feet.  

People Who Don't Write Lists And Have December Birthdays

Father, you are the worst person on the face of the planet to shop for.  Are you even human?  Who doesn't write a Christmas list?!  I'd have an easier time shopping for Lady Gaga than for you (and she likes some wweeeeiirddd shit).  You don't make a list, you're incredibly picky, you continually buy the stuff you want or need for yourself, you already HAVE everything... and yet somehow I have to come up with two ideas in one month?!  I call shenanigans.  We're moving your birthday to June.

Sad Christmas Songs

WTF is wrong with musicians?!  Sad Christmas songs are The.Worst.  Do you know how many times I've teared up in the mall because "Where are you, Christmas" while its sappy lyrics has brought me to tears as I contemplate my lost childhood?  Countless.
Don't even get me started on "I'll Be Home for Christmas".  It made my mom burst into tears in the middle of IKEA last week.  Talk about shitty.  Nobody wants to be reminded of their dead loved ones at Christmas time.  We can do that on our own, thankyouverymuch.
If you like sad Christmas songs, you probably also like Nicholas Sparks.  You confuse me the way people who like horror movies and rollercoasters confuse me.  I do not like to pay to be terrified, nor do I someone to intentionally try to make me cry.  I'll do that on my own.
I'm going to start a petition that all sad Christmas song should be wiped from the archives: any DJ who plays them should be shot, and the singers who recorded them drawn and quartered.  Give me The Chipmunks' "Christmas Don't Be Late" any day over that tear-jerker about the shoes.

Christmas LEFT, Faith Hill.  It left because of you!

Winter

Worst and ugliest season ever.  No daylight.  No greenery.  Dangerous conditions for walking, jogging and driving means less exercise, less outdoors time and fucked up travel plans.  PEOPLE DIE FROM EXPOSURE.  Sure, you can skate or snowshoe every now and then-- but you can only handle a few hours MAX of skiing or snowman rolling before you have to go in and warm up.  The cold weather ruined yesterday's parade-- even my tough old dad couldn't stand the temperature and we had to bail before Santa's arrival.  Winter just doesn't compare to the endless days of summer when you're outside and barefoot from sunrise til midnight.
And what about winter gear? Unflattering, uncomfortable, expensive.  Doesn't do what it says.  Does not keep me warm.  And balaclavas make you look like a robber.  Also, who enjoys wearing a massive coat to keep warm outdoors, but then sweating buckets as soon as you step indoors?
I blame my ancestors for bringing us to this fucked up climate in the first place.

From cutestpaw.com

Absence

You know who's missing.  You'll always know.  It'll never be the same without them.  You spend all year patching the hole, and Christmas, with its twinkle lights and tinsel, blows it right open again.  It's enough to make you want to go missing too.

Gifts You Don't Want

Christmas is not about the gifts; we all know that.  So that's not to say an unwanted gift would ruin your Christmas.  It wouldn't.  You would still graciously hug the person, thank them, and enjoy your family/friend time.  But then what to do with it after?  Do you donate it?  Will it end up in a landfill?  Or do you let it clutter up your home?  How can you get that tacky sweater/knickknack/mug out of your home without offending the gift giver and being ungrateful?  And admit it: a tiny part of you is sad that the giver doesn't know you that well at all.

From bespoketraveler.files.wordepress.com

Don't even get me started on the baked goods.  How thoughtful.  How sweet (pun!)  Excellent, I was planning on gaining roughly 36 pounds right before New Years.  Thanks for your help with that.

Gifts You Can't Get

I don't really want new clothes or makeup.  Not in the same way that I want a job.  A job that I actually like, that uses my skills, and pays what I'm worth would be nice, but any old job would do.  Too bad Santa can't even score me an interview.
You know what else would be nice, Big Man, while we're compiling the list of Things You Won't Get Me This Year: an apartment.  It seems like a lot to ask, but after having lived on my own for six years, my parents' basement is getting kind of old.  I lived in shitty, cold, run-down buildings and had the best time of my life because it was mine.  My roommate and I made forts in the living room and shamelessly wasted hours watching TV before spending all-nighters at the library.  Now, I'm judged when I sleep in 'til 10.  My independence back would be nice.  Yes, I had to do groceries for myself and mop my own floor, but it was nice to be able to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted with whomever I wanted. Oh, and to not have 60 Minutes blasting throughout the whole house would be wonderful.  The looped soundtrack of never-ending lectures I could also do without.
Finally, bring my friends home.  We lived for years within two blocks of each other: just down the hall, just down the street and saw each other ALL THE TIME.  And then--POOF!  Grad caps, goodbyes, and now they're spread out from Toronto to Victoria and everywhere in between.  And even the close ones are almost unreachable: between hectic work schedules and literally not having enough money for the bus ride to go see them (let alone a beer, or a coffee, or contributing a couple bags of chips) my world has shrunk considerably.  Some come on, Santa.  Pony up.  I only want what was once mine.

Look at how wicked our apartment was!

The end of the book? Say it ain't so!

As we enter the holiday season, busy shoppers frantically enter overcrowded stores with “what in the hell do I get him/her” on the brain. In my family, we try to make things easier for our Kris Kringle/Secret Santa by sending wish lists around to everyone involved in the exchange, items that we would like our secret buyer to get that fall within our price limit. Personally, I prefer to both give and receive more intimate gifts, gifts that demonstrate really knowing a person and tug at the heart strings more than a mall gift card can do.(but that’s a whole other can of worms that needs a post of its own) Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against gift cards—in fact, my wish list almost always includes an Indigo gift card…which inevitably results in the same comment from my brother year after year, finally bringing me to the point of this post.

“Why don’t you just get a Kobo/Kindle? There’s so much easier than buying books”. Then begins the back and forth about the advantages and disadvantages of trading in paperbacks for paperless. To my chagrin, my brother usually counters my good points for material books with equally valid points in favour of technology. Reading off a screen wears on my eyes and gives me headaches. “Kobo has an anti glare screen, so it’s not like reading from a computer”. Digital readers can often be expensive. “But e-books are cheaper, so you’re saving in the long run.” And there’s that ever present argument that going paperless is actually better for the environment. Well it’s hard to compete with that; what am I supposed to say, “F—the trees?” (I mean, who really needs greenery, or oxygen…)

But I maintain that there’s still something to reading an actual book, to holding it in your hand and feeling the pages under your thumb as you flip through the story. And I get this albeit strange sense of pride when I look at how full my bookshelf is with books I’ve read, a Dickens here, a Bronte there (some two or three times) or books I’ve yet to get to: literary adventures just waiting for me to embark upon. Take a look at those beautiful bookshelves we included in an earlier post. The frames may have colour or rustic wood, but the books provide the character: both to the physical shelves in the variety of cover textures and styles, and to the owner, as a testament to the kind of literary pursuits a particular person enjoys. Now imagine those bookshelves with only a Kobo or Kindle for company: pretty sad.

 

VS.

And there are those reader idiosyncrasies that seem lost when there’s not an actual book to handle. For instance, I have this terrible habit of flipping to the last page and reading the last sentence, even if it completely ruins the book’s climactic surprise. I do it every time; maybe it’s my strong aversion towards surprises and the unknown in general. There’s just not that same feeling of rapid sneakiness and the feeling of “I really shouldn’t be doing this but I like to live on the edge” when you’re waiting for a page to load or sliding your finger over the screen to get back to where you were. I also like to see my progress every time I put my book mark back in, to see how much more of the story I’ve accomplished that day. I know that technology will kindly inform me that I am 88% of the way through the book or whatever, but it’s just not the same as feeling the shifting balance of the novel as the pages move from one side to the other. It’s the small things that I would miss should the world decide that paper-less is more. Maybe it’s the devout English major in me, but I believe that there are still advantages to reading books that are not merely words scanned onto a screen. The end of the paperback? I certainly hope not.