"The best texts I look at often come to me from people I know — friends, colleagues, students — or don’t know: the recs at the bookshop or from somebody on a metro who is laughing or crying while reading something."
If you live in Japan, just forget it. The Japanese have a weird sense of privacy. For instance, many will put a photo of their cat or dog or a bunch of flowers on their FB page, anything but their face.
As for reading in public, they hide the book cover under a wraparound sheet of paper provided by the bookstore so other people can't see what they are reading. What's wrong with these people?
I guess e-readers are super convenient then! Most people on the metro in HK are reading on devices (when I lived there at least). But are not private in the way you mention. It is more international and people live closer together, which I think changes things. I think Hongkongers have a real openness to the world and then a sharing of it which makes the recent infringements by the Chinese government even harder to take. Thanks so much for your thoughts! I have only visited Japan and find it a fascinating country.
I don't use kindle and tablets, and still don't own a smartphone, but I have nothing against them per se.
The sad thing I've noticed in Japan is that while, 20-30 years ago, lots of people read on trains and the subway (papers, magazines, books, comics, etc.) now most of them only play games or check SNSs.
Great post, Kathleen! Oh, how I miss our local Blockbusters...my youngest child still has their membership card as they refused to part with their memories of Saturday afternoon visits to the video store. I am also trying to buy books as ethically as possible and will try the bookshop.org you suggest, though I tend to borrow most books from my local community library, the most wonderful of resources. Having just finished an MA at my local university, I have also discovered that they allow alumni to use their libraries for research and hold many great journals, hooray! : )
So happy you're also able to access as an alumna! And how cool about your child's membership card. There really is something about the tactile quality of the card, videos, and the shop that make the experience more memorable, perhaps framed through these elements. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)
"The best texts I look at often come to me from people I know — friends, colleagues, students — or don’t know: the recs at the bookshop or from somebody on a metro who is laughing or crying while reading something."
If you live in Japan, just forget it. The Japanese have a weird sense of privacy. For instance, many will put a photo of their cat or dog or a bunch of flowers on their FB page, anything but their face.
As for reading in public, they hide the book cover under a wraparound sheet of paper provided by the bookstore so other people can't see what they are reading. What's wrong with these people?
I wonder if in Hong Kong they do the same.
I guess e-readers are super convenient then! Most people on the metro in HK are reading on devices (when I lived there at least). But are not private in the way you mention. It is more international and people live closer together, which I think changes things. I think Hongkongers have a real openness to the world and then a sharing of it which makes the recent infringements by the Chinese government even harder to take. Thanks so much for your thoughts! I have only visited Japan and find it a fascinating country.
I don't use kindle and tablets, and still don't own a smartphone, but I have nothing against them per se.
The sad thing I've noticed in Japan is that while, 20-30 years ago, lots of people read on trains and the subway (papers, magazines, books, comics, etc.) now most of them only play games or check SNSs.
Great post, Kathleen! Oh, how I miss our local Blockbusters...my youngest child still has their membership card as they refused to part with their memories of Saturday afternoon visits to the video store. I am also trying to buy books as ethically as possible and will try the bookshop.org you suggest, though I tend to borrow most books from my local community library, the most wonderful of resources. Having just finished an MA at my local university, I have also discovered that they allow alumni to use their libraries for research and hold many great journals, hooray! : )
So happy you're also able to access as an alumna! And how cool about your child's membership card. There really is something about the tactile quality of the card, videos, and the shop that make the experience more memorable, perhaps framed through these elements. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)