I felt somewhat saddened today as I was flicking through the Times and saw the headline, 'Pulp fiction: the crisis facing the book trade'.
"Traditional bookshops are closing; vending machines are churning out novels; and e-books are the new paperbacks - so is this the final chapter for the book industry?" writes Nicholas Clee
What really made me stop and think was talk about the Espresso Book Machine and as the name denotes it means instant books - although not quite as quick and satisfying as a strong shot, me thinks. Apparently this EBS - as those in the know refer to it - looks something like an over scale photocopier. This machine stores up to 400,000 titles, which are digitised texts, and shoots out the book in paperback version in about twenty minutes. At the same time as books join diet drinks and junk food in vending machines, Amazon has also launched a revised Kindle e-reader with newer and wider screen so that the problems of zooming and scrolling are no longer.
What these weird and wonderful inventions do suggest is that book sales are down in the traditional way and that the book industry is searching for new ways to supplement revenue. Book stores are feeling the pressure from internet sites and can in no way compete with the likes of Amazon or other online shopping services. As much as I am a bookworm and love nothing more than an afternoon spent browsing in Hatchards, which I think is the best book shop in London - or anywhere for that matter, I have bought many more books from Amazon than I ever have bought from Hatchards. And this is the sorry truth. As passionate as we are about books, as loyal as we are as customers and as intellectually committed as we are to the survival of the book trade nothing beats Amazon for ease and choice. But what this does lead me to think about is the price of convenience.
The price for my convenience will be the loss of one of my most loved and happy past times. Book shops will close their doors, many small independents have already, and I will no longer be able to browse at my leisure, enjoy superb prose for free or gaze at the illustrated and photographic books without being obligated in any way. The truth is I have taken book shops for granted.
I am going to try harder to support book shops, be more patient about titles that are on back order and buy less online. It will cost more but it will be worth it to stand in the presence of real books, to turn over the pages and to feel the smooth and rough texture of different papers. I could not bare to think that our children would never know what the inside of a living bookstore looks like, xv.
article - The Times arts, style life
Ahhh......an interesting discussion. My son and I were just having this conversation yesterday.
ReplyDeleteHe's reading Plato online and he says it's no-how and no-where the same. He prefers the book-in-hand and we both think it will always be the real deal that will triumph.
It just isn't the same and we all know it.
XO
I prefer the book in hand as well, you get more of a rewarding experience sitting and reading a book. I have read online books and I don't like it as much. Interesting read.
ReplyDeletehttp://fab.typepad.com/brunette
Very interesting post. I had lunch with a pal who is smitten with her new kindle,an electronic device that holds many books, and knowing how much and how often I read, cannot believe I do not have one, especially because I like to bring many books wherever I go. I am not against it, just not for it, if that makes sense, as nothing will ever replace the crisp feeling of paper as I turn a page or holding a book to my chest with a contented sigh. A sad progression, indeed, but one I do understand.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite pastimes is whiling away my lunch hour at the Hill of Content bookshop (don't you just love that name!) that's just around the corner from where I sometimes work. I enjoy talking with the people who work in the bookshop and enjoy their recommendations. I pay quite a bit more for my books than I would if I bought them on Amazon, but I treasure the interaction, the relaxation, the pure joy of perusing books in such a lovely space. No EBS or Kindle will ever replace that for me. Great post Vicki - it makes me even more determined to support my local bookshops. Lee :)
ReplyDeleteI do buy a lot of books online - I would be very sad if I could not wander into a bookstore. Amanda x
ReplyDelete-sigh- Yes, book stores may go the way of 'Mom & Pop Corner Stores,' and old time 'Corner Drug Stores'... Because of cost and efficiency and etc.
ReplyDeleteBut oh how much is lost... On the altar of cost and efficiency?!?
May we remember... Before it's too late.
'Dear you,'-
'Aunt Amelia'
This is of great interest to me, both as a reader and as a writer. I adore bookstores and make a point of doing much Christmas and birthday shopping in my local independent bookstores. But. as you say, nothing beats Amazon for convenience.
ReplyDeleteIf I traveled a great deal, I'd be tempted to own a Kindle -- but my preference is for the book in hand -- can you imagine dropping a Kindle in the bath?
Never never would I trade the hours spent in a bookstore! Never ! I just can't even wrap my brain around that. My little town (so small it's not even a town) has a box at the Post Office where people leave and take books - even that is fun ! Save the bookstores!
ReplyDeleteI don't think technology will ever replace books. There's just something about holding a book and flipping through the pages that can't be matched by a machine. And don't even get me started on the wonderful way that libraries smell!
ReplyDeleteI can't ever imagine buying a book from a vending machine or reading online - I like the real thing, who wants to snuggle up in bed with a computer?
ReplyDeleteYou've made me think about my book purchases, as I too buy a lot of books online, yet love nothing more than browsing a book store.
I love book shops Vicki and have bought quite a few lately...help my shelves are full...but it won't stop me!!! There is nothing nicer than to spend time in a bookshop looking at the new releases...planning the next purchase...and walking around with books underarm while I decide which ones to get. The only time I have ever bought one on line is when the shops didn't have what I was looking for ♥x
ReplyDeleteSome excellent points there. I read about that machine , but as with most things we believe they are placed somewhere in the long distanced future. Alas, time flies faster and faster.
ReplyDeleteI admit to Amazon shopping , too.It is easier, faster and cheaper. It is equally true that there are two places i may get lost and be found: a bookshop and the florist's. So, yes, in a way I have to think more about where I buy. As far as imported books go, though, and the same is true of magazines, the prices are litteraly double the suggested retail, which really makes Amazon hard to beat...
It's funny how much we are changing our lives through time in so many ways because of the internet.... hold on tight the ride has just begun~
ReplyDeleteThe rot began with the demise of the net book agreement. Before that any small bookshop could compete with the big boys because the price was set and discounting as we know it today did not happen.
ReplyDeleteFewer bookshops meant it was harder for small publishers, which in turn meant that fewer books got published. The only good thing about print on demand is that small publishers are not left with unsold stock and books need not go out of print.
My husband and I often have this discussion because he loves going to Barnes & Noble which I dislike because somewhere along the line I entered it into my brain that it is the corporate giant just trying to swallow up the little guys and rip us off. Which means I too...when I can't go to the little independent bookstore, shop on Amazon (a corporate giant who IS swallowing up the little guys)! I'm definitely drawn to it because of prices.
ReplyDeleteI'm way too visible and tactile to get into the new tech-style reading, but I am certainly guilty of forgetting to patronize the real bookstores. I've even hesitated carrying beautiful books in my shop thinking: "who's going to pay retail when they can just order it from Amazon for $5. (or more) less. To my pleasant surprise, I have sold many beautiful books which just "jump out" at my clients when they are sitting on a nice table. Vicki, your book is certainly one of those, which seen in person is irresistible. So yes, I think I will follow your lead and try to support the brick and mortar stores. If not, we will lose the opportunity to peruse the beauty and physicality that makes life so rich.
I am so sorry to see so many of the small, quaint, independently-owned book shops closing. I love the feel, the smell and the intimacy of the sweet book shop.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine not holding a book in my hands, not feeling the smooth paper, and the comfort I get from just having it near-like a dear friend.
As convenient as the Kindle and other online books seem, I LOVE spending time in a bookstore and thats the best way to find new books!
ReplyDeleteI hope more people feel the same way too!
I agree with you Vicki! I would like to take your stand as well! Just last night I had this discussion although about the local library. The OLD index file...there is nothing like it. Opening a little wooden drawer with all these cards labeled with a book and a brief description...then you decide or move on to the next card. Touching and feeling something besides plastic means something to me! Hmmmm...Makes me think at my age(thirtysomething) am I prehistoric?
ReplyDeleteI will take this stand with you Vicki!!! Miss Kris
I do treasure my books .. . they play such an important place in my life - far beyond reading. Stacks of books on many surfaces are so visually pleasing to me: a reminder to sit and visit the words & images.
ReplyDeleteI also find I must make a concerted effort to support my small local bookstores.
So very worth the extra drive --- -
jjj
You amke an excellent point, Vicki. Bookstores are one of my favorite pastimes and it would not be the same without having a bricks and mortar version to visit.
ReplyDeleteI still love to buy real books from real book stores. I love holding a real book with great photography in my hands and reading leisurely - it is a great pleasure. I particulary love your book - "My French Life." With your wonderful story and the stunning photography by Carla Coulson, you have made it a great book to hold and behold. In addition, you have two enjoyable covers - the inner one a lovely padded french floral, with a handy and elegant satin bookmark. The outer book cover is an engaging photo of a woman in Paris. God is in the details, and your book is loaded with great touches throughout. Thank you for a wonderful book to savor. - Laurie Klaue
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting...I've discussed this with my tutor in uni before. Nothing really beats curling up with a paper book, and I don't think any kind of e-reader could replace books altogether. The way we buy books has definitely changed - I admit I always buy books off amazon just because of the ease and the price too! I visited a wonderful bookshop in Bath though called Mr B's Book Emporium and it was really amazing. I spent about 2 hours in there and me and my boyfriend both bought a book each. It was such a rare find - a warm, welcoming independent bookshop. If I lived in Bath I would definitely always frequent it!
ReplyDeleteif you order books online, might i suggest www.betterworld.com (this site helps fund literacy all over the world so with every book you buy, you're also doing good!)
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic Vicki.
ReplyDeleteHow many more casualties in this recession I wonder?
I doubt that bookshops will become totally extinct though.
I am so totally with having a book to read and carry it everywhere you go....even during good long bath. A favorite things to do has been to go into the bookstores and just browse through everything that is available...ie Barnes & Noble. So sad to think they will no longer be. Somehow, the thought of getting a book out of a machine is not intriguing to me!
ReplyDeleteThis is a subject at the forefront of my mind these days. I am passionate about books... real ones with bindings and covers....and I'm equally passionate about book stores. Like you, we have lost our independent, character-filled bookshops, and it is a loss I feel often. I have recently been buying wonderful copies of classics, just in case they become harder to find!
ReplyDeletenot me!!! i buy books incessantly at the bookstore. and i would never read a book online. good gracious that seems dismal. nope paper and such is far, far too glorious to me.
ReplyDeletej
Great post! I’m with you in support of independent bookstores although I am guilty of ordering through Amazon and B&N when the store doesn’t have the title I want in stock or I need to send a gift. I’m lucky that my town has an independent bookstore in walking distance of my house. Bookstores are my favorite places to visit in other towns too. I loved Blackwell in Oxford.
ReplyDeleteVicki- so funny that you posted this because I was just talking about the kindle the other day... I just can't switch! (not yet anyway) I love the smell of a book and feeling the pages turn.
ReplyDeleteI have given French Essence an award on my blog - check it out when you get the chance! xo
I love browsing bookstores too and I would miss my favorite local bookstore if it ever went out of business. I am going to try and spend less money at Amazon and buy more from my local booksellers. Wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteI am guilty of spending time in a bookstore, but getting my books from the library. Hopefully when I publish mine, my reader won't be like me.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that small book stores have, is the ability to actually recommend a book. Also they might need to adapt, sell coffee, offer advice. Big bookstore are so confusing.
I am certainly not loving all the changes that go along with this new "techno" world. I love going from front to back of my local bookstore flicking through every book in the place till I find that perfect one. They were talking about this on the news here in Perth last night, and they were saying it is the cost of books in bookstores that is closing them down - they are so much cheaper electronically, although I would much rather have something that I can physically hold in my hand smoothing the pages over with each turn, it is something that often makes me feel as good as the book I am reading (the smell of the paper is part of it for me anyway :) )... We are heading towards disappointing times if we lose our bookstores. {{sigh}}, it's all going a bit fast for me....
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jen
I think I must be the worst blog-follower ever! How did I just come to realize (from another blog no less!) that you have a book on your life in France??? I can't begin to tell you of the joy I have had reading the few books of that nature that I currently have. They are the reason I take French lessons every week. And how appropriate that your post is about buying books. Looks like I am going in search of your book tomorrow...
ReplyDeletexo
Oh Hatchards...sigh
ReplyDeleteReason enought to go back to London...
we have the Strand Bookstore in NYC and I wonder how they will survive all this. I recently bought a beautiful book...a steal I thought at $31 and then saw it on Amzn for $5.95!
But I decided to keep the Strand book. We MUST support our bookshops. It was an impulse buy that never would have happened has I not been browsing the stacks...
Very sad really...
PS Can you underline in yellow or dogear on a Kindle?
ReplyDeleteI think not
Phooie I say to Kindle but I wish I owned some AMZN stock :(
I'll take a book in my bag over an ebook anyday. Nothing beats going to WHSmith on the Rue de Rivoli to buy English language books (like yours!)Part of the fun of book shopping is looking at the cool bookcovers.
ReplyDeleteHello Vicki,
ReplyDeleteYou have provoked a lively debate here! While I love reading books and can't see myself with an electronic version, the progression is inevitable. Books were once a luxury; giant tomes handwritten on vellum. Printing made them cheaper and able to reach a wider audience. Paperbacks took that even further. Now we are into the electronic age. That has its upside too. Only yesterday I was looking at Blurb.com, which would allow me to create and print my own book - just one copy or hundreds; something I never could have dreamed of, just a few years ago. I'm sure books will remain while ever we wish to keep buying them.
Very Apropos
ReplyDeletesubject, my best friend gina has a kindle (and loves it) I love going to a book store or Library and looking through the books, and would never think of getting a kindle, but on the other hand I am still one of the hold outs for writing letters and posting cards, but also do soooo much on the internet, i suppose it is just part of the future, but I will be one of the last hold outs, just like i was when VHS changed to DVD...old fashioned Kate born in the wrong century......
I went to a reading the other night at a local independent bookstore, which had recently changed hands. The previous owner had finally failed after, I think, 80 years. The new young owner was determined to make a go of it. The reading was well attended; I have no idea how many books were sold. I think bookstores will have to start looking for other ways to stay afloat: charging for readings, hosting birthday parties, even charging people to come in and browse--whatever. We all want our local bookstores to thrive and yet we all shop Amazon....what's the answer?
ReplyDeleteNothing compares to that unique sensory delight that comes from stumbling upon a beautiful, yet previously undiscovered book in a local book store. Worrying to think of no more independant bookstores. And here I was thinking that Twitter was a sign of the end of civilisation as we know it :)
ReplyDeleteMeredith xo
I love living "with spines" as I call my book collection that meanders around the house. Like you, I have spent many wonderful hours in small book shops that can never be replaced by The Big Box Book Stores. One of my great sorrows was the closing of a used bookstore in our city. Because a university is here, there were many wonderful treasures. I plead guilty to buying another copy of Madame Bovary just for the beautiful design on the spine. I miss that accidental moment when an old treasure catches your eye. You take it down from the shelf and inside some little reminder (a shopping list, a note about the book, a family photo used as bookmark) that you and another person loved the experience of reading.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Vicki. We all must vow to support our book stores!
ReplyDelete–Lana
I prefer real books
ReplyDeleteand long live glorious book stores.......I can browse in them for hours.
Blessings
Happy Mother's day
Love Jeanne
X0X0
I saw a little old lady in her Volvo yesterday reading a book as her husband went into the post. I thought that was the sweetest thing. And that's what reading should be about. Don't your eyes start to burn if your reading on-line anyway?
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to you!
xoxo Noel
Hi Vicky,
ReplyDeleteI love going to the bookstore. We've got one in town that we frequent quite regularly. It's got old, wooden planks on the floor that creek when you walk through the store, not to mention the smell of all those books. It would be so sad not to be able to enjoy taking in all the ambience that goes with searching for just the right book.
Have a great weekend!
I cannot imagine a world without books. I surround myself with my books - they are a part of who I am. I imagine that their vast store of knowledge makes me smarter just by being in their proximity. It would be a shame to see them go the way of print media. Personally I think that books like yours and mine cannot be duplicated electronically, you need to hold it and see the pictures in a larger format. I guess I should stop buying books on Amazon and support my local bookstores.
ReplyDeleteMegastores have ruined old small bookshops here and this is really sad; now we have the world crisis and more small business are closing doors! But even so I don't think e-books will replace the good old paper in a near future. Maybe I'm just too optimistic...
ReplyDeleteI was talking to an acquaintance who is a fairly well known writer and a book reviewer for major newspapers and she believes the book is dead. Her certainty about that breaks my heart. I hope she is wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhile I love certain things about technology nothing in the world beats sitting down with a great book... A true book, nothing "e" or spit out of an Espresso machine. This saddens me too Vicki, I think this world is loosing much charm because of inventions such as these.
ReplyDeleteI support my local library as well as bookstores and will put out an encouraging word for others to do the same.
Thanks for bringing this to my awareness.
vicki, you have done a wonderful service to all the little bookstores just by writing this post...and I couldn't agree more with you! we have lost book store after book store in the San Francisco area, an area where, you would think, there would still be book buyers the old fashioned way...browsing, sitting in an overstuffed chair and perusing one's treasures, browsing some more...it's so very sad ... I too shall make the pledge to shop more often in the ONE book shop left in my little town.
ReplyDeleteX
What a thoughtful and beautifully written post. I adore independent bookshops and do my best to support them, in spite of the fact that it is not always convenient. I've been so often disappointed when I've ordered from Amazon and it turns out to be not what I had hoped for. I have very eccentric reading tastes - I'll read anything as long as it is well written and I've learned the best way to discern that is to read the first few pages. That is why I was in a small independent bookshop on Queen Street when I found your book (in spite of the fact that another blogger said it was not available in Canada). It might make me old fashioned but I prefer a book in hand to reading online.
ReplyDeleteHi Vicki,
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know that Penquin books did email me that the book was not available in Canada and that there was no Canadian rights.
If it is available in Canada I would like to make a correction to the post, but I could only go by what they told me and the fact I could not find it either. I hope this has not presented a problem.
Anyways, I did direct them to Amazon at this point but as you know am trying to obtain it for sale on website. Just to clarify.
Anyways, books aside, I hope you have a fabulous Mother's Day!
XO
It's so sad, isn't it? There is nothing like actually GOING to a bookstore, and looking through all those wonderful books. I agree with you, I too, will do better about supporting book stores. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteLidy
I prefer buying and reading my books the old-fashioned way. But papers can be saved and therefore good for the environment if book reading gets to be online or some other hi-tech way.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more relaxing to me than browsing in a bookshop or library. Even to take a few minutes makes me feel calmer. Books are like my friends. Like you, I will aim to buy more from local stores rather than Amazon to save our industry. A very worthy post!
ReplyDeleteGreat topic, I love bookshops also, and hate when a small indy bookstore can't make it in the shadows of the big box chains. The idea of Kindle appeals to me on a tech-geek level, but there is nothing like the feeling of holding a book in your hand, of being able to pass it on to someone else when you are done (because you know they will like it as much as you did), of being able to read it anywhere, anytime, no batteries required.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog and commenting on my shoe post. You're right, no need to quit, as I just bought 4 new pairs while on vacation in Phoenix!
Being an avid reader this makes me sad. I love to collect and display my book collection. And I could spend hours in the book store roaming around.
ReplyDeleteThere is a small bookstore in my little downtown and I try to buy my books there... they are more expensive... but it is charming!!! There is nothing like lounging on a chaise and reading a bound book! I did just order some books online because the price was outrageous to order it from my local bookstore... and one was YOUR book!!! Looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteBon week-end!
Fifi
Coming home from Syd. on Fri. night the Fin. Review had an article about those giants of literature, the Mills & Boon/Harlequin type novellas. Sales have increased 30% & climbing since the onset of the GFC. Something about escapism into a fantasy world in times of economic stress etc. The Publishers can't get enough new manuscripts at the moment & are screeching out for new Authors.
ReplyDeleteSo that's it Vicki - I'm off to think of a suitable pseudonym, grab a bottle of wine, try & remember what constitutes romance & start writing fast!
Millie ^_^
i've been meaning to post to say I completely identify with this. I love all bookshops- especially Hatchards! They are such safe havens and I could spend hours and hours looking at books.
ReplyDeleteI do try and buy books in bookshops but when you are watching the pennies it can be a tricky thing to pay more.
I have also had real trouble finding some titles in large bookshops but I do always feel a sense of guilt when I do an online order- as if I'm cheating on my favourite shops. I tend to love the books i get in a shop more, which is silly really but it's the process of buying them. I feel that about quite a lot of goods actually.
This are very odd times. I am not a technical sort of person, and I have resisted being a cog in that wheel - not really for any reason other than I like my life how it is at its core. Slow, simple, joyful, and handemade. My husband loves all things techie and ooos and ahhhs over the latest gadgets, and it's a place I can't follow. I'm being left behind, along with the dinosaurs, but I have no regrets. What I do have are books in hand, my own gardens, a cello, and hammock, and the sea -- and we live behind a public library. One of my favorite haunts. The library is now closing due to budget cuts and my favorite little coffee shop/bookstore is closing its doors as well. I'm truly heartbroken. There is nothing like the feel and smell of books - the sound of pages turning, that nice thud when you have read the last page ... Let's hope there are more chapters left for books and those places that keep them.
ReplyDeletexo Isa
Isa,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have made some wise choices in your life. Here's to your garden, books, and all things hand made and enjoyed for long periods of time!
Laurie Klaue
http://astory.etsy.com
I had the most amazing book shop near my city home which I tried desperately to keep open then he went and retired :(
ReplyDeleteI am a book aficionado and cannot imagine what life would be like without bookstores. The physical stores give such pleasure of walking among the hundreds of books and viewing, touching, smelling and anticipating all the new treasures waiting around every corner. Yes, I buy a lot on Amazon but I will always continue to support my bookstores and encourage others too. Vicki, I love your book and refer to it often. I stumbled upon your blog by accident and have enjoyed it so much. I love everything about France and finding you and your other blog friends is indeed "magnifique".
ReplyDeleteWhile reading blogs has become my new magazine fix, I would be heartbroken to not have a book store to waste my time in! I love browsing and flicking through the pages. Nothing can replace the joy of opening a book and reading it whenever and wherever and without having to re-charge it! I love a book that has worn pages, nothing like it.
ReplyDeleteI prefer the book in hand too! I was asked if wanted to buy one of those electronic devices..no way...I love browsing book shops, am in there for hours, we have three that I use in Oxford UK.. Borders, Waterstones, and the oldest shop..Blackwells, buy from all three...and if there were more would go there too!
ReplyDeletehi vicky!
ReplyDeleteinteresting topic. my father who died last year was a booklover. he left an immense collection of old, new and everythoing between books. since i fear we can't keep it all i contacted an expert of the finnish bibliophole society. he while examining the books said that in fact he believed in the book bonfire. he said we love too much all books, they aren't all worth it. though i have been brought up revering books i realised that he had a point. there are a lot of books i read once, for information or for fun. i could easily purhase them in "photocopies" or e books if they were cheaper. and then there are the beautiful, the collectible, the ancient, the unforgettable and the rereadable books that i would still want to have in real, in colour, with photos.
This is a crzy idea! A book in hand could not be replaced! One of my favorite things to do is grab a cup of tea and peruse the bookshelves. How sad to think of.
ReplyDeletexoxo
Judith~
NO WAY!!! Being a book aficionado there is no way I could survive without a solid book in hand. I love everything about a book store. I also have a Kindle (it was a gift..I like books better) and I do buy a lot online but lately I have been visiting my bookstores and purchasing books from them. I will do whatever it takes to keep our bookstores in business. A book is a book is a book! Yep, you might say I'm passionate about this topic!
ReplyDeleteI love browsing ina bookshop, I enjoy shopping online, i f I saw a vending machine selling the book I wanted I would very likely buy from it, for the novelty at first and then if it had what I wanted.
ReplyDeleteI like all of these methods. There is nothing stopping a bookshop owner stocking one of these things in their bookshop...and imagine being stranded at a train station with nothing to read, but then one of these machines appeared!
I am a reader, and I have my old favourites that i curl up with, but i can't honestly say that i mind this development in book buying.
To bring the process of printing so close to the buying is quite fascinating - I wish that would make the vending machine transparent so the process could be seen! That would be cool!
(Or, en francaise, cool!)
It is after all, still a book.
I do think, however, apropos of Vicki's suggestion, that the vending machine should also dispense a small coffee. What is a book to read without something hot and delicious to sip?
Actually in my library, we have a coffee machine that even dispenses Chicken Soup! haven't tried that yet, and I may even have misread the list, but there is a variety of drinks one can buy there to accompany the perusal of books there and/or study.
Curled up on a couch or lying on a bed is my favourite way to read, though. With thick warm socks or slippers.
It's the ideal. :)