The Twilight Zone

August 2, 2008 marked the release of the highly anticipated 4th and last book of the Twilight series (Books in order of release are: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse) by author Stephenie Meyer – Breaking Dawn. I have never heard of the book series before last week, to be honest. If it weren’t for the “Twilight” movie front page news in imdb.com, I would have remained blissfully ignorant of this Twilight phenomenon.

Intrigued by the buzz caused by the film, I read its plot and learned about the book which inspired this adaptation. For a teen novel, I was surprised by its Harry Potter –esque following. Although when you think about it, a story involving a teen gorgeous vampire and a pretty, awkward high school girl – why the hell not right? My interest piqued, I decided I wanted to read the first book of the series – Twilight.

For book lovers everywhere, I am sure nothing beats the smell of a new book. But for no-income bibliophiles (and I use that term loosely) like me, opening a .rar file will do. Before I was introduced into the wonderful world of e-books, scouring second hand book stores for books - both hardcover and paperback – was a favorite pastime of mine. Now however, I no longer need to choose which book I can buy, I only have to open my trusty IRC channel and I’m golden. Fiction or non-fiction, if it’s published and even remotely famous, chances are it can be found in this channel.

Ebooks may not have give a reader the pleasant feeling of turning a page, nor does it help lessen the strain on your eyes. However, it has its advantages. Here’s a list of reasons why you should put down that paperback and focus on reading electronic media instead. One of the reasons include the obvious "we're already sitting in front of the computer screen, so why not?" Additionally, ebooks are environmentally friendly, they can be shipped immediately, they are often cheaper than their paper-based counterparts, and they're an evolutionary technology that may be expanded upon in the future with additional features, such as embedded calculators and interactive tests. One of the most important aspects to ebooks is that their very nature allows for online discourse and commentary. This ensures that accuracy is achieved. The only downside? You probably won't want to take one to the bathroom with you.