I made the switch to an e-reader three years ago and I want to report honestly on what I gained and lost. What I gained: the ability to carry 400 books on a plane without a checked bag, adjustable font size for reading at night without disturbing anyone, instant dictionary lookups that I use constantly, and highlights that sync to a place I can actually find them. What I lost: the specific pleasure of a beautiful physical object, the ability to see at a glance where I am in a book without checking a percentage, and — this is real — the spatial memory that helps me recall where on a page something happened.

I kept physical books for a while, buying both editions of things I loved. I've mostly stopped that. The practical advantages of e-ink are too large and I've adapted to the losses. But I don't think anyone who prefers physical books is being sentimental. There are genuine things the physical object does that screens don't replicate.