I’m an avid reader…like a 5-book-a-week reader.  And I’m a digital zealot. So I love my Sony e-book.   And my family likes that I no longer have books piled everywhere throughout the house.  I load it with a dozen books at a time and that gets me through a week (or two).  It’s almost always with me.  But the last two weeks it was good old paperbacks that prevailed.

Looking from the sand beach to the rock beach at Tahoe.

After less than an hour on the beach in Tahoe with my eBook I realized that it is simply not cut out for the beach.  Sand, water, kids and expensive digital devices just don’t mix.  That hour really stressed me out.  And that’s what I wanted to get away from.

I had to be cautious to make sure it didn’t get buried in the sand, lest I destroy it.  I had to make sure it didn’t get stepped on.  I couldn’t just lay it down on my towel and run out to the water to cool off for fear it would get stolen.  And I couldn’t just pick it up again until I dried off and wasn’t going to get it soaked.   And heaven forbid, what if I actually dropped it in the water…that’s a lot bigger problem than just a few soaked pages.

So, I stowed it away in my luggage and forked over the bucks for a few paperbacks … just for the peace of mind of being able to be thoughtlessly carefree in my vacation reading.

I’ve been closely watching the developments with eBooks, reading the speculation and plans regarding digital newspapers, magazines and other media and am not surprised about the continued growth in the category despite the economic downturn.  I was completely sold on my eBook and didn’t anticipate buying any more paper books.  But I have to admit I’ve rethought that.  I’ve discovered, there is still a place in my life for paper books.  And I don’t want some PDF file and a bunch of loose sheets on the beach.   I’d have them everywhere.

I don’t just read to glean information, I also read to relax and let my mind rest.  Yes, I read lots of things of value, but trash fiction is my Valium.  And I need my reading materials to work for me in whatever the situation.   So despite the cottage industries that have developed for eBook gear protection there is still a major hurdle for me to use a digital device in all situations.

Maybe they should talk to Negroponte (one laptop per child) and have the folks that designed the XO take a crack at it.  I bought one of those right after they launched a couple years ago and that little bugger seems indestructible.  Or maybe give Little Tykes  a crack at it.  If that stuff withstood my kids, it can handle anything.