Paper Books or Ebooks

[Jazzy24]

So which do you prefer paper books or ebooks?

I have a kindle fire and it's convenient and I like that I can carry around a whole library with me and just open it up anywhere. But at the same time I'm nostalgic and I love the smell of new books and the feel of them in your hands. I love browsing the shelves of libraries I love seeing a bunch of books around in my house and just picking one up and being able to flip to one page whenever I love physical books and I prefer them. I do read much faster on my kindle though.

So discuss the pros and cons of both ebook and paper books and tell which one you prefer.

[GaT]

I prefer real physical books, & I love to go to bookstores. I don't have an ereader, but I do read some books on my iPhone. Usually novellas or short story collections or books from indie publishers, because it's usually a lot cheaper, & I don't have to worry about storage space for the book. 

[Snow Apple]

I would love to have an ereader, but looking at my mountain of to-be-read books (most of which were free or under $1 from the library exchange/sales), I can't justify the cost. Maybe someday.

 

I love stumbling on books I never heard of and looking at the covers at bookstores and also skimming though random pages before buying so that's a plus for paper books.

[Athena]

I will always love paper books more, but I got a Kindle 3 after moving around between three countries one year. Each time I moved, I had to give up books. It pained me. When travelling or even knowing I have a long queue, I bring the Kindle. I probably read at most 25% of my annual reading on it. I don't use it often, and I don't think I'll need to replace it for a long time.

 

I don't judge people who prefer one over the other because each has their merits. I think anything that enables you to read a variety of things is good.

[Qoass]

I have a Nook and I never use it.  Hardcovers all the way.

[Etta Place]

I read both, approximately equally. I prefer to browse paper books - it's just not the same to scroll through screens and click to see more information vs. picking up a book and looking at the cover, flap and back.

 

On the other hand, I don't like to keep books, so it's convenient not to have to deal with physically getting rid of copies of books I've read. (I might still feel like it was clutter if I bought books for my Kindle, but I don't. I only use it for library books.)

[ramble]

Physical books by a huge margin. Maybe it's nostalgia or maybe I'm just old & stubborn, but a book reads better to me when I'm actually holding it in my hands. I love the feel of it & the ritual of turning pages. I learned how to balance a book & a flashlight under the covers as a kid so I could keep reading. I know it was inconvenient but I wouldn't trade those memories for an e-reader any day. If I love a book & plan on rereading it I'll even occasionally make notes in the margin, highlight or fold down the edges of favorite passages just sort of claiming it as mine. I also like that my kids are reading some of the same books that I did. Not just the stories but the actual books. It makes me dorkily happy.

[Joe]

Paper all the way. Actually, I saw a funny comment the other day. Apparently only writers buy paper books these days. I thought, oh, that's not fair. I always buy paper... then, oh, wait. Guilty, your honour. If I spent less time staring at a screen, I'd consider ebooks. But paper is probably better for my eyes.

[Darian]

I find e-books much easier on the eyes, as long as I read them on a dedicated e-reader and not a tablet. That's a very different experience, I find. I bought my first nook back when Amazon wasn't doing library books, and so have stuck with the brand. I may switch to Kindle at some point or have both.  I thought I would hate e-readers and miss paper books, but when it got too hard for me to hold paperbacks or carry hardcovers around and my eyes started having trouble tracking side-to-side, I figured I'd give them a shot. I'd barely been reading for pleasure by that time, and my nook gave me back reading. I still read the occasional paper book, but it's a slog. 

[Kris223]

Mostly a paper book reader but I like my kindle when I travel. I once ran through all the books I brought with me and the airport newsstand had a very limited selection. But I love wandering around bookstores. Shopping online just isn't the same.

[ALenore]

I read both e-books and paper books.  I actually prefer paper books, but I've been buying e-books more often lately because I've run out of bookcase space.   The paper books I bought lately I've been puting  in the space under the window seat in our living room.    (They're all used books, so I'm not worried about damaging them or anything.)  

 

Maybe someone here can help.  The only space left to put a bookcase is a shallow area behind the door in my living room.   It can only be 9 inches in depth.   All the bookcases I see for sale are 12 inches deep.  I could get one custom made, but I don't really want to spend that kind of money.   Any ideas?  

[Queena]

I love my Kindle. I read books on it. I still have my hard and soft cover books. I will read a book if I can't find the title on Kindle. 

[Pickles Aplenty]

I have a Kindle Fire, and I love it. I love the fact that I can travel with my entire library, and I love the fact that it makes me read faster; the year I got my Kindle, I ended up reading more books than ever before.  I also like the fact that e-readers don't use up a lot of paper.  I'm not really a green person, but I think that's a good thing.

 

I still like "real" books, though.  I like lending my favorite books to other people, and the Kindle makes that a little harder.  I have never liked the smell of books...I think I'm one of the few people who never really got that.

[halgia]

Ebooks, on a Kindle. If I'm unexpectedly waiting somewhere for fifteen minutes, I can read on my phone, and I can get library books from anywhere without having to drive around town to the different branches of the library to get the one I want or waiting a week for them to transfer it to my local branch. You definitely lose something in not having the physical artifact, but it's so much more convenient.

[psychoticstate]

I love physical books. There is nothing like the smell of a new book, the crisp pages, the crack of the spine.  And browsing in a brick and mortar store is miles above searching Amazon.

 

I have a Kindle Fire and an iPad and I love them when I travel but nothing beats a physical book in your hand.

[JayKay]

At one point I believed that someone would have to pry paper books from my cold, dead hands before I went digital, but after I got a tablet, things changed. There's the convenience factor. There's also that glee from scrolling through your library and realizing how much quality entertainment you have in your hand - I was the kid who would get into trouble with my mom for checking out too many library books at once. Plus they're great for travel or inconvenient wait times. I enjoy re-reading books, so it's nice to have the space to never have to say goodbye as well.

But I still buy and read paper books. There's a comfort in holding a book that I don't get from the screen. Most likely because my book won't start ringing and badger me for things. There's also no comparison to buying the written-in, worn used book of a stranger with eBooks. I love battered old used books. But practical reasons like being able to easily flip to a page and not having to charge anything are still big pros of paper.

So I like both. I do cherish my paper books more, because they can never quite be replaced if I have had them with me for years, unlike eBooks.

[Sandman87]

Why I like paper books:

 

• I can throw a book at my cat when he looks like he's getting ready to pee on the carpet without having to worry about breaking it.
• Now that I'm approaching the "get off my lawn!" stage of life, I can see the printing in a regular book more easily.
• I will never have to call tech support with a book.
• I will never have to replace a book's batteries. I will never have to recharge a book's batteries.
• It's kind of hard to show off a rare edition of an eBook in my home.
• I don't have to replace my entire library if I accidentally lose a book.
• I'd end up with ink all over the screen if I had my favorite authors sign my eBook reader.
• Books smell like knowledge; eBook readers smell like electronics.
• If I run out of tinder for the wood stove, I can start a fire more easily with book pages.
• I can talk to the staff at a book store without having to give out my email address.
• I can pay for a book with cash money instead of trusting my credit card info to the server security of total strangers.
• Nobody sells eBooks at garage sales.
• When giving gifts to children, pop-up eBooks are not an option.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Sandman87

[Joe]

I wish I could like your post more than once. Also, I once bought a book purely because of its cover. I already had another edition, I just liked this one too. It only cost a couple of dollars. Buying another ereader could get expensive.

[ALenore]

I

once bought a book purely because of its cover

 

My husband would like that, he paints book covers for a living.  I also sometimes buy books just for the cover, but I do it less now that I'm running out of bookcase space. 

[mcat]

I was completely against e-readers when they first came out. I'm a total bookworm and to me there's nothing better than picking up a big, fat book and turning to page 1 and getting started. Then I got a smartphone and the Kindle app and realized, "Hey, wait a minute! You mean I can always have a book with me everywhere I go?!" It was the most amazing thing, because I'm the kind of person who wants to read at every possible chance, whether it's during a 10-minute car ride or a 30-minute wait at the dentist.

 

I upgraded to a Kindle pretty quickly and mainly use it for travel. I used to have to bring 5 or 6 books with me to last a week's vacation so to have 100 books on one small device? Best thing ever. I also read from my Kindle every night before I go to sleep which helps me relax and is easier to do because of the backlighting, so I don't have to keep a light on like i would with a regular book.

 

I still get a thrill when I go to the library and come out with a big stack of books. I love seeing books on my bookshelves and my coffee tables. I would never want to live in a world where "real" books didn't exist. But I can't deny how much my Kindle allows me to nurture my bookworminess and I would never give that up.

[Qoass]

 

I like lending my favorite books to other people, and the Kindle makes that a little harder.

That's why I still use (and share) DVDs too.

 

As for having something to read anywhere I go, that's when I like magazines.

Edited November 7, 2014 by Qoass

[GaT]

Also, I once bought a book purely because of its cover.

 

This is how I ended up reading The Selection trilogy, I couldn't resist the cover of the first book with the beautiful gown :-)

[Mountainair]

My book shelves are full so I stopped buying books and besides, in my house buying diapers replaced buying books. Also, I haven't had an author I really enjoyed consistently enough to actually purchase the books. My husband is a war book reader so besides that and some of the classics that is what our shelves consist of. The library has become my best friend :)

When iTunes has good free books available I download them but I hate reading in bed with my iPad. I do like that I can change the font size, theme and don't really need a light on to read but it's impossible for me to get comfy in bed with the iPad. Other than that, like I said, my money goes to diapers now and not $12.00 (or more) books that I will read in 2 days and need a new one. I also hate that reading a book sucks all the juice out of my iPad and I find myself concentrating less on the book and switching constantly between PTV, Facebook, Words with Friends and my book.

Paper all the way!

[Ceindreadh]

I do love my i-pad and have scores of book on both i-tunes and the kindle app.  That said, there's something about browsing through a bookstore and picking up books at random. 

From a practical point of view, while I can store a hell of a lot more books on my tablet, I still wouldn't feel comfortable opening it up in public while waiting for a bus/train or commuting.  At least with a paper books, somebody grabs it, it's just a book and usually replaceable.  Whereas if I take a tablet out in public, I feel it's just a matter of time before somebody tries to lift it from me. 

[Hybridcookie]

I prefer paper books. I love buying cheap books from charity shops and library sales.

 

Weirdly, I also find it easier to concentrate when reading a physical book, I get distracted easier with an ebook, especially if the book isn't very good

Edited November 7, 2014 by Hybridcookie

[VanillaBear85]

I love the library system in my area. Many of the books are in an ebook format, which makes my late-night reading binges easier to handle. The ease and convenience of ebooks is wonderful for me. I have an ipad mini and several (old, but working) laptop and computer devices at my disposal with the Kindle app. The sheer number of books on my device make me happy and traveling much easier.

 

Again, I love the library system in my area. The main branch is absolutely stunning and I have spent hours at a time looking through their vast catalog, and continue to do that once a week when I am in the city for uni. I always find at least one book (and DVDs) each time I go to a library and much of that is when I find a book that catches my eye, I pick a random spot and start reading to see if it holds my interest.

 

When adding to my personal book library, I will always buy a physical book and not an ebook. I simply like looking at books and ebooks do not give me that type of satisfaction since I don't feel like I 'own' them.

[AuntiePam]

Didn't think I'd take to e-books until one of my kids gave me a Kindle for Christmas -- an early one, with the keyboard at the bottom, no back light.  At the time, I didn't have wi-fi in the house, so I still didn't take to e-books -- downloading was a hassle. 

 

Then another kid gave me a Fire, so it was worth getting wi-fi so I could use the video feature.  How is it that I figured out how to install wi-fi on my own but couldn't download to a reader?  Lord only knows.

 

Now I read in bed on the first Kindle -- it's so lightweight.  I use the other Kindle for games and video.

 

I still buy paper books, because most of my reading is older books, and they're cheap.  I won't pay $10 for an e-book, or even $5.

 

I read freebie classics on the Kindle, and occasionally I'll buy an e-book if I know the paper book will be too heavy to hold comfortably.  I have e-book and paper book versions of the Song of Ice and Fire books, for example. 

[ApathyMonger]

I'm still firmly paper books. I occasionally download short ebooks to my tablet if they're not going to be available in print, but I find it much harder to get the motivation to read them.

[NewDigs]

 

Maybe someone here can help.  The only space left to put a bookcase is a shallow area behind the door in my living room.   It can only be 9 inches in depth.   All the bookcases I see for sale are 12 inches deep.  I could get one custom made, but I don't really want to spend that kind of money.   Any ideas?

I wish I had an easier possible solution, but, I usually find my narrow bookcases in antique and thrift stores. The ones I find are good solid wood but, because of their 8" depth, they usually don't stand very tall and are normally 22" to 24" wide. The tallest one I have found is 48" while most top out at 36".

I like each/both/all-of-the-above reading options. I do like the Kindle's x-ray and search features. I sometimes have a, Now who is this?, moment while reading densely populated mysteries and generational sagas and I don't miss paging back and forth to find that missing brain cell.

I will, however, always prefer real deal paper for my reading pleasure. I love the feel, the smell, the weight, the artwork, and just about everything about a book. I even like that someone took the time to explain a font to me! Gimme!

[VanillaBear85]

Another reason I like the Kindle app is the dictionary capability built into it. Just being able to press down or tap on a word and receiving the definition is a great feature for me. Also, it is great for concealing guilty pleasure readings.. 

 

I still love the feel of a book in my hands and turning pages. Thankfully I have excellent access to both. 

[heebiejeebie]

Maybe someone here can help.  The only space left to put a bookcase is a shallow area behind the door in my living room.   It can only be 9 inches in depth.   All the bookcases I see for sale are 12 inches deep.  I could get one custom made, but I don't really want to spend that kind of money.   Any ideas?  

 

 

Try wooden boxes.  That is what I used in college.  I found some cheap unfinished wooden boxes and stacked them up to form shelves.   I think it was IKEA that I found them.  Keep in mind that a sturdy plain flat fronted drawer is also a box.  Another college fix it was going to the local Home Depot (or Lowes or any large good local hardware/lumber store) and get nice boards that they will cut for you to length.  Then go buy yourself some bricks (Home Depot has some nice landscaping "brick" assortments.  Build the shelves yourself.  If you go this route, use more bricks then you might immediately assume you will need.  I found with a little time and effort in sanding the boards and matching the bricks I had a shelf system people actually thought was really nice looking.  I paid very little in the end compared to even the cheap particle board units.  If you live in a more seasonal area you might find it hard to find the bricks now holiday season is stampeding our way.

 

As other(s) mention, I do find that books I borrow on my Kindle I have a much lower threshold for tolerating. 

 

And though I prefer 'real' books in hard/paper, I do find myself buying books I covet in ebook and then buy it in hardcover.  For series I collect brand new,  in books that I just want to have a copy of (I think I was Smaug in another life when it comes to books), I hunt down good copies or even wait to snag it in remainder. 

 

I do love the fact that in a highly anticipated book, at 12:00:01 I have had Amazon deftly slip it into my eagerly waiting Kindle like some good old fashioned straight porno.

 

I do wish electronic rights would be resolved as it is part of the reason prices continue to be artificially high by publishers and authors are still getting stiffed.  It is completely the reason why it bugs me to no end as to having to have a British Kindle so I can download titles I can't get here in the US.

[Kromm]

I'll go against the trend here and champion eBooks.  And it's not a function of age--I'm old. 

 

There are plenty of issues with how eBooks are sold and distributed.  The idea of no longer owning a book, but basically just renting the right to use it, kind of repulses me.  But none of that is inherent TO eBooks--just to the business model that's been build around them.  

 

Around that issue, the actual use of them is superior for me.  Visually they're just as clear as paper, or better.  Convenience-wise they're a thousand times better.  

 

I still own paper books.  I just don't BUY them anymore. Some areas I think are safe. Young children's books (the illustrated ones) in my opinion will always be better on paper.  Art books.  Coffee table books.  

 

I'm also a fan of paper magazines over eMagazines.

 

The old classics I think also have their place as dual citizens of both worlds.  Better luxury paper editions of the great works and the cheap paperbacks can go away and eBooks can take up that slack.

[Qoass]

 

I still own paper books.  I just don't BUY them anymore. Some areas I think are safe. Young children's books (the illustrated ones) in my opinion will always be better on paper.  Art books.  Coffee table books.

 

I think that's one of the reasons why I don't use my Nook much:  I'm a huge reader but not much of a book buyer.  I know I can use my Nook to check books out of the library but so far I've not felt the yen to learn how.  I enjoy visiting my local library and its staff in person so doing things the old-fashioned way works for me.  The only books I buy (not counting what-the-heck-it's-a-dollar purchases of used stuff) are things I know I'll use again and again such as reference, poetry and cookbooks.  I just cannot imagine propping my e-reader up in my kitchen and trying to follow a recipe onscreen.  I'd spill something on it and poof:  instant paperweight.

[Sandman87]

Maybe someone here can help.  The only space left to put a bookcase is a shallow area behind the door in my living room.   It can only be 9 inches in depth.   All the bookcases I see for sale are 12 inches deep.  I could get one custom made, but I don't really want to spend that kind of money.   Any ideas?  

 

Multimedia shelves or racks might do it for you. A lot of them are less than 9 inches deep and tall enough for paperbacks.

An example at Amazon.

 

 

Another thing you might look into is those bathroom standing shelves that are designed to go over a toilet. I've got one of those (about 8 inches deep) in our kitchen, and use the big space at the bottom to store a set of folding trays.

A fairly nice example at Amazon.

[ALenore]

Multimedia shelves or racks might do it for you. A lot of them are less than 9 inches deep and tall enough for paperbacks

 

Hey thanks.  We actually have quite a few of these we bought years ago, but I didn't remember what they were called. I didn't realize they were still available.   I tried to search for them at Amazon, but I didn't think of "multimedia shelves" so nothing came up in my search. 

[galax-arena]

Paper books, but ebooks are definitely a lot more convenient for the following reasons:

 

1. Less clutter. I recently had to move and ended up having to get rid of approx. 75% of my hardcopy book stock. I mostly only kept the books that didn't have ebook versions.

 

2. My Kindle is perfect for reading embarrassing stuff in public. Now I can read fanfic on my morning commute to work and no one's the wiser.

 

3. Ebooks are less irritating to my hands. I have this ~thing where I can't touch paper after washing my hands because my skin feels too dry - not tight, just... dry - and the feel of paper is intolerable.

 

4. I'm not into monogamy when it comes to reading; I jump from book to book and will often read a chapter from one book and then a chapter from another book, and then a couple of chapters from a third book, etc. My Kindle makes jumping from book to book easier.

 

5. Reading in the dark is easier.

 

I prefer physical books because:

 

1. I'm a shallow bitch and I prefer the aesthetics of physical books. Kindle fonts are so ugly. And yes, I've tried incorporating a font package, but it's not the saaaaame. And, you know, book covers.

 

2. Unless I'm reading a book for the first time, I never read something straight through. I like jumping from page to page. Physical books make that easier.

 

3. I like how a physical book feels in my hand. Especially library hardcovers with that crinkly mylar covering.

[Etta Place]

I think that's one of the reasons why I don't use my Nook much:  I'm a huge reader but not much of a book buyer.  I know I can use my Nook to check books out of the library but so far I've not felt the yen to learn how.  I enjoy visiting my local library and its staff in person so doing things the old-fashioned way works for me.  The only books I buy (not counting what-the-heck-it's-a-dollar purchases of used stuff) are things I know I'll use again and again such as reference, poetry and cookbooks.  I just cannot imagine propping my e-reader up in my kitchen and trying to follow a recipe onscreen.  I'd spill something on it and poof:  instant paperweight.

I like using my Kindle to check out books from the library because the books I get that way are never food- or other mystery-stained and don't otherwise feel dirty.

 

And for me, our local branch of the library is on the campus of a high school, with only half its floor space for the general public, and about 40% of that (small) area is large-print books and children's. So it's inter-library loans for physical books, which leaves me browsing online anyway.

[GaT]

2. My Kindle is perfect for reading embarrassing stuff in public. Now I can read fanfic on my morning commute to work and no one's the wiser.

 

 

 

 

 

I read an article somewhere that said that ebooks were the reason that romance novels have jumped so much in popularity. Apparently women are buying lots more of them for just this reason.

[nicepebbles]

I prefer paper. There's just something about holding the book. So I still buy books and will continue to do so books that I want. I don't have an eReader but I read on my phone. It's convenient. I read mostly articles and fan fic. After a while reading for too long on it hurts my eyes. Same thing happens if I read too much on the computer. That's another reason why I prefer paper.

[Kromm]

I prefer paper. There's just something about holding the book. So I still buy books and will continue to do so books that I want. I don't have an eReader but I read on my phone. It's convenient. I read mostly articles and fan fic. After a while reading for too long on it hurts my eyes. Same thing happens if I read too much on the computer. That's another reason why I prefer paper.

I'd say that's not a fair basis for comparison.  Phones have horrible screens (even the good ones don't have the right KIND of screens because they inherently cause eyestrain because they don't have adequate black and white contrast, and the excess light they emit is also harmful to your eyes). Computer screens are often even worse.

 

Current eReader screens are actually EASIER on the eyes than actual paper supposedly, and about a million times so more than phone screens or computer screens. Note the exception to this is something like the Kindle Fire, which is basically just a color tablet in disguise.  But the NORMAL Kindle especially (and most other major models) use a method of display which basically works the same way as ink on paper.  The current "Paperwhite" models actually have better contrast than physical ink on physical paper.

 

So don't judge a book by it's cover... err... I mean eReaders by comparing them to eBooks on devices not really meant for them.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Kromm

[galax-arena]

I read an article somewhere that said that ebooks were the reason that romance novels have jumped so much in popularity. Apparently women are buying lots more of them for just this reason.

It just makes it so much easier to read bondage zombie pirate porn, ya know? 

[bubbls]

I really thought I'd prefer paper books, but once I got my Kindle (the original one) I use it all the time and prefer it. We do have a big collection of paper books that we lug around with us on every move. I guess my thinking is if it's a book I adore I want a "real" book rather than a digital version. For instance, I reread Bill Bryon's "A Walk in the Woods" each year so I have that in paper on my shelf. I don't know why I think this way. 

[OakGoblinFly]

As someone with small hands and carpal tunnel injuries I found holding book (especially those 1000 page mega-novels by Brandon Sanderson) uncomfortable and at times painful to hold.  I switched to a dedicated e-ink e-Reader (original flavor Kindle) many, many years ago and I am glad that I did.  I find holding the Kindle (especially since I up-graded to the newer model) more comfortable - and since I commute to work, I like the convenience of being having 100s of books in my briefcase and available for reading (great for traveling too).  Like others have mentioned, I like the ability to break out the Kindle and grab a few minutes reading when waiting on line at the store, doctor's office, or airport arrival gate.  While I like the idea of the Fire (especially since Marvel opened the comic vault) I don't think I'd ever use one for my primary e-reading source as I find reading on a back lit LCD screen uncomfortable on my eyes - I prefer the e-ink technology found in the Kindle (and some Nooks).

 

I do love physical books and I have bookcases full of wonderful hardcover, leather back, and/or limited editions - those are mostly for display.  The majority of reading is done on my Kindle but I find that I prefer to read anthologies in physical form.

Edited November 28, 2014 by OakGoblinFly

[nodorothyparker]

I fought getting an e-reader for a long term because in my mind I was a book purist and was absolutely sure I would hate it.  But then I joined a book club where most members had one and realized how much easier it was to borrow or acquire.  I ended up liking my Kindle a lot more than I thought I would, mostly for the ease of getting something quickly or being able to slip it in my bag to always have books with me.  I also like the instant dictionary.  I still buy a lot of physical books though because in my head they'll always be the real deal.

 

What I've most noticed is how having a Kindle has changed my buying habits. If I start reading a particular author or series on Kindle and really like it, I'll end up buying it all in physical copies for my library.  I read a lot of e-books that I probably wouldn't chance if I had to first commit to having them on my book shelves.  If I like it very much at all, I'm going to end up buying a physical copy because I'm one to read and reread just sections of books, not always in linear order and sometimes more than one at a time, and I find I have a hard time doing that on my Kindle.

[AuntiePam]

While some e-books have formatting issues, so do paper books, especially the small paperbacks.  I've had some that were hard to read because the type was too close to the inside margin.  Cracking the spine doesn't always solve that problem. 

 

Also, it's nice to be able to dink around with the font size. 

[galax-arena]

The other day I was reading a YA book featuring GLBT themes, and it made me think about how the rise of ebooks has allowed some minority groups to find more representation. You have a lot of smaller publishers focusing more on ebooks because (I’m assuming) there’s less overhead, and a some of these publishers are more specialized in what they’re looking for (e.g. POC protagonists, gay fiction, etc.).

 

And if you’re, say, a questioning teen in perhaps not the most open-minded town, I can see how the discretion afforded by an ereader could allow you to seek out reading material without worrying as much about “outing” yourself to family and friends. That’s definitely not a bad thing.

[nicepebbles]

Kromm, I never thought about it like that. My husband has a Nook, not sure which version. I haven't tried since I have so many paper books to read right now and no time.

[partofme]

These days I read almost exclusively EPUB books on my ipad.

 

I only read books from the NYPL, I never buy books.  I find ebooks to be soooo much easier than real books.  I don't have to worry about getting to the library before they close to pick up or return books.  I never have to worry about late fees.  The book will just disappear off my ipad after 21 days if I don't return it before hand.  And I get to keep the ebooks for 21 days, If I got a real book out of the library I only get it for 14 days.  I can check books out day or night, weekends and even when I am out of town without any hassle as long as I am on wifi.  I love the simplicity of it.   And my ipad is easier to lug around than real books, though I never read on my commute to work, I find the ipad and real books both too heavy to carry to work on a daily basis.

 

I will occasionally get a real book out of the library if it's one of my favorite authors and the library hasn't gotten the ebook version in yet, but it's been months since I've had to do that.  And I've won a couple of real books on goodreads.

[glowlights]

There's just something about reading a screen that makes me zone out. I can't even do basic browsing online without multiple tabs to jump back and forth to.

 

But a real book? I can settle in for hours. Plus there's a joy in opening the pages for the first time. I love to see a big "to read" pile on my shelf, as well as the spines of the ones I've already read lined up in rows - they're like old friends, and like old friends I can return to them again and again. And if I don't enjoy one? Well, then I have something to donate to the local library or thrift shop.

 

I do prefer trade paper over hard cover, though, simply because I like to take books with me and the soft cover is easier (and often lighter) to slip in my bag.

[OakGoblinFly]

Kromm, I never thought about it like that. My husband has a Nook, not sure which version. I haven't tried since I have so many paper books to read right now and no time.

 

 

Whether you go with a Kindle, Nook, or some other eReader take a look at the ones wit e-ink technology -- those are the ones that most closely resemble print.