IIRC with e-books you don't actually 'own' the book.

Another eBook lending scheme is rlhttps://booklending.com/rl I haven't used it and its American so not sure if it works outside of the USA (licences and all that), and it seems to be an Amazon business and heavily promotes Kindle ownership so not sure if it allows other formats - seems to work on the principle that when you buy a book for kindle from Amazon they allow one free loan of 14 days to another kindle device.

I was going to join but having read the terms & stuff its just easier for me to use Leeds City Libraries.

When you own a paper book though its harder for it to be 'stolen' by the publisher. Amazon can delete books from your kindle. It happened a few years ago, ironically to 1984 by George Orwell. There was some copyright dispute with the publisher and Amazon deleted paid for material from peoples kindles.

As I do most of my reading in the bath I much prefer good old fashioned books. I dont think you could dry out a kindle on the radiator very well after you have dropped it in the water. If push does come to shove it only costs a few quid to replace a book compared to £70 for a Kindle and you only lose the one book at a time, not half your library.

I like my washing machine, but you just can't beat the feel and smell of taking your dirty clothes down to the stream and rubbing them on a rock.

Do you then strategically place your underpants on said [irock[/i to dry using natural solar rays or do you bang them all in your tumble-dryer?