The book-marked experience!

Of late, there have been many discussions around a shift in book reading trend from paper books towards electronic media. The ease and comfort of carrying electronic media around with us is a definite plus, yet, it differs largely on experience front when compared with paper books. For one, the reader is deprived of the smell of unread book when reading from a soft copy.

There's another thing which I got reminded of when I picked up a partially read book and discovered a bookmark inside. No, I do not mean the bookmark in the web browser, to which we are more accustomed to nowdays. I am talking about the real thing, the tangible bookmark which in this case was encrusted with dried rose petals and leaves.Sometimes, a sophisticated luxury item is not able to please as much as something trivial like a bookmark.

The shift towards electronic media seems inevitable. Yet, we may be leaving behind the joy of gifting bookmarks to friends, with beautiful friendship quotes inscribed on them, or metallic gold plated bookmarks gifted on special days. These bookmarks elevate book-reading experience just by their presence in a book, and sighting them in a book at a later time is delightful,  like receiving a surprise bonus.