Joan Morin is 90 years old, and to say that books have been a significant part of her life would be to commit the grossest of understatements.

“My greatest happiness is my family, of course,” she says. “But my second greatest is books. I’ve been reading for a long, long time. If I don’t have a book, I feel like I have only one arm. I feel like I’m not at home; like I’m not complete.”

She has two special reading chairs at home, does Joan Morin. One is a chair that overlooks her deck and the bird feeder that hangs there. That’s for a comfortable afternoon reading when she can watch the world in between pages.

The second is a recliner, and this chair is used specifically for reading after dinner or right before bed.

“That one makes me so comfortable at night,” she says.

Now, given that the lady is 90 years old, we weren’t even going to bother asking about whether or not she has delved into the world of ebooks. Most of the readers we’ve heard from on this topic expressed nothing but disdain for gadgets like the Kindle reader, and older folks in particular are known to be wary of that kind of technology.

But hold the phone, folks. Though Morin mainly gets her books from her local library, she surprised us by revealing that reading is such a great pleasure, she was absolutely willing to take a chance on alternative forms of it.

“I love to read a real book with pages I can turn with my hands,” Morin says, “But I did get a gift from one of my sons, who gave me a Kindle.”

Her daughter taught Morin how to use the device and she was wise enough to see the benefits straight away. She marvels still at the fact that she can select books from that same library without ever having to leave the house.

“I can get the book of my choice, if it’s available, and it will appear right on the Kindle,” she says. “My kids would just as soon I don’t take unnecessary trips to the library so this is perfect, especially in winter. I don’t have to drive anywhere.”

We say this was surprising to us and it was. By and large, the bulk of avid readers we talked to for this story prefer print books — and vehemently — over digital.

“I am an avid reader and once received the gift of a Kindle,” says Natalie Pollock, 38, of Lewiston. “I immediately returned it in exchange for paperbacks. I have not and will not enjoy reading on a screen!”

To Pollock and others like her, reading on a device completely obliterates some of the greatest parts of the reading experience. There’s a reason why recent studies show that when it comes to reading, Americans still prefer print to electronic. A 2021 survey, for instance, revealed that 68% of younger readers — 18 to 29 years old — prefer print books. According to a study by the The World Economic Forum, 45 percent of readers bought a printed book last year, compared to the 23% who bought an e-book.

“I think readers tend to be a nostalgic bunch,” said Pollock. It “brings you back to going to the library as a kid. The smell, the feel . . .”

“Books all the way!” declares Joanne Kingsley of Lewiston. “The feel and smell; the sound of the pages turning.”

Vanessa Cook, a 29-year-old from Auburn, concurs wholeheartedly. Electronic books? Blech.

“There’s something about having to charge a book in order to read doesn’t sit right with me,” she says. “With all the newer trends arising, the switch from book to digital is one trend I cannot make. . . . While having the switch to digital for some things is great, like paying bills, when it comes to books I prefer to hold a book, smell a book, and turning a real page makes a difference for me. It’s not about just reading a story, it’s about the entire experience that I enjoy, my own personal temporary escape from this ever-changing reality.”

Norm Smith, a man in his 80s from Poland? Count him in with the down-with-Kindle crowd.

“I am old fashion,” Smith says. “I want to hold a book in my hands and sometimes it feels like the words are traveling up my fingers.”

Over the course of our discussions with readers, we came across all types. Some read only print books, some prefer electronic books specifically, a few say phooey on both of them, give me audiobooks any day.

Many, though, have found some sort of compromise between the old way and the new. It is not the route taken to the story, after all, but the story itself.

Or something.

“I do all methods,” offers Reed Logan Westgate of Sanford. “I still love the feel of a book in bed (but) I adore my Kindle for travel — and I listen to audio books on my commute. There is no wrong way to dive into a book.”

WHY ARE WE WRITING ABOUT BOOKS, ANYWAY?

Dot Schmidt of Wilton was in the Saint Rose of Lima thrift store in Jay when she noticed a curious thing. The shop had collected so many books — around a thousand of them, in Schmidt’s estimation — that they were practically giving them away.

“Five hardcovers for a dollar,” Schmidt reported. “Paperbacks for something like 10 cents each.”

And as she pondered this multitude of books, she began noticing other places around her region where one could find reading material of all kinds in great abundance.

“The Wilton trash transfer station has a ‘share shack’ where people can leave things that they don’t want but that are too good to throw away,” Schmidt told us. “It’s the size of a one-car garage, and one wall is all books, and the collection is overflowing that space. The Hannaford store in Farmington has a bookshelf selling recycled books for the United Way, $1 for soft, $2 for hard. The Food City store in Farmington has a big shelf of free books, take some, leave some. There are probably more places around that I have not seen.”

What’s happening, Schmidt soon discerned, is that readers were more or less recycling their books. They were dropping off previously read volumes and then picking up new books from the various locations in and around Wilton. The result was an always-fresh selection of books that can be had for cheap.

And the result of that observation is that we got curious about what people are reading, HOW they’re reading and where they’re getting their books.

So we asked and enthusiastic readers answered.

Boy, did they answer, in great numbers and in great detail.

READERS SPEAK

“My love for reading comes from my mother, who loved reading whatever she could and who wrote for a Rumford newspaper years ago,” says Pam Kimball, a 60-something in Lewiston. “Reading is such a passion for me. I barely finish one book and the cover opens on another. There is nothing like a Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Tammy Hoag, Sandra Brown or Janet Evanovich book to get your body and soul moved to an exciting, emotional place! These authors can be frightening, puzzling, humorous, mysterious — and a lot of stories are about everyday people finding themselves in hot water or hot messes. I read every single day; a chapter here and there. . . . It is both therapeutic and educational. I try to figure out how the ending will be. I am mostly surprised and excited when the twists are thrown in. . . . Books fill my world with adventures, mysteries and answers to some of life’s predicaments.”

Kimball hasn’t made the jump to digital books and doesn’t plan to, in spite of the conveniences. She’d rather scrounge for reading material at local sources before resorting to ordering online.

“It’s been a challenge at times to find books I haven’t read,” she says, “but Goodwill and library/yard sales help; or going on Amazon to purchase used paperbacks, usually from $1.50 to $5 for good condition.”

Wendy Hutchins is a 74-year-old who lives in Andover. She has a lot to say about reading, and about the whole print vs. ebooks imbroglio that so interests us.

“Books have always been a big part of my life,” Hutchins says. “My parents and grandparents were all readers. I was read to as a child and can’t remember a time when I didn’t use the public library and read. My husband and I both read print books every day. There’s not much on television these days that interest us, so we read. We are seniors, and we prefer to read holding an actual book. We will often read the same book, one at a time, and have discussions about it. We belong to a book club here in town that meets once a month.

“My husband has never used an e-book,” Hutchins says, “but I had a Kindle given to me and I do enjoy it . However, I only use the Kindle to download and read samples of titles that have caught my attention. After reading the sample, I decide if I want to read the full book or not.”

Hutchins also happens to be the assistant director of the Andover Public Library, and a member of the both Bethel and Rumford libraries. Those libraries, like most, are on the Minerva system, which connects with the member libraries.

“So I never lack reading material,” Hutchins says. “I also buy many books for myself as well as for my great-grandchildren. Usually, I have three or more books going at any given time.”

Like others who responded to our query, Hutchins uses the immensely popular website Goodreads to track her reading statistics.

“I like it because I can look back and see what I have read, how many books I’ve read for the year, and add books to my ‘want to read’ list.”

And avid readers really do care about the statistics. Many of those who wrote us were able to tell us precisely how many books they had read — or listened to — over the course of the year.

“So far this year I have read 53 books and listened to 11 audio books,” boasts Mandy Audette, 39, of Auburn. “I never read a book digitally because I love the feeling of a physical book in my hand, and what else am I supposed to do with my bookmark? Not to mention, my eyes could use a break from the screen.

“I used to buy books but that can get expensive, so then I used to buy second hand. It still adds up. Last year I brought my son to the Lewiston Public Library and got us both a card. I would say I frequent the library maybe twice a month for new books. Usually grabbing three at a time.

I read almost any chance I can get before bed, it helps me relax. Recently my son did cross-country and while he was running in the woods, I was in my car reading. If I have the house to myself mid-afternoon, I might clean a bit but then I’m reading.”

For the record, Audette is all about mystery thrillers, although she’s not opposed to a steamy romantic comedy every now and then.

“I call them a palate cleanser from the thrillers,” Audette says.

Susan Charles? She’s 68, from Lewiston and in the any-book-is-a-good-book club, although old-school will always be her preference.

“I love all kinds of books, print, digital, or audio,” she says. “For me, though, there’s something about holding a bound book in one’s hands. There’s a satisfaction there that a digital or audio book can’t give. It’s the smell of fairly recent print on the page if the book is new. It’s the feeling of turning pages and the visual effect of taking in a creatively crafted cover of a book. I will read or listen to any book however presented, but my preference leans toward a printed bound version.”

Nikki Bryant, a 40-year-old from Minot, came over to the dark side of Kindle only after great reluctance, and not completely. Readers seem to have a distinct loyalty to print books that’s hard to overcome, and yet the conveniences of electronic books can only be ignored for so long.

“I go both ways: love my Kindle but love an actual book too. It’s acceptable not to feed the fam because my book is just too good right?” says the avid reader who clearly has her priorities in order.

“I read a lot and it took me four different trips to Best Buy before talking myself into actually purchasing a Kindle,” Bryant says. “I just love the feel and smell of an actual book, but I do love my Kindle too. Its suggestions have opened me up to authors I’ve never heard of and end up falling in love with. I’m currently reading book number 76 for this year on the Kindle and have recently purchased a few actual books as well. Honestly I just can’t get enough.”

BOOKS GALORE

In spite of so many entertainment alternatives in this strange new age — streaming movies, stunningly realistic video games, on-demand everything — it’s evident that reading is as popular as ever. If you’re not grabbing books through the air with one electronic gadget or another, you can probably find a print book just around the corner from your own home, if you look hard enough for one of the little free libraries.

And while some readers debate whether ebooks or print are better, there are those who will tell you to keep them both. There are even more convenient ways of devouring a book when time is short.

“The majority of the 53 books I’ve ‘read’ so far in 2023,” says Barbara Jabaut, 75, of Durham, “are audio books that I listen to when I am driving anywhere. I never would have time to sit and read all these I have listened to!”

Not that she’s confined to audio, mind you. Jabaut does have a Kindle and she also keeps up with news and current events online. This is a woman who takes full advantage of the technology available because in her view, one can just never read enough.

“At 75,” she says, “I hope I still have many more stories ahead.”

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