Allison Symes's Blog - Posts Tagged "paperbacks"

Are you someone who only reads "proper" paperback books or are you a full convert to e-books?

I cross the divide. I love paperbacks, they're a great format, but I have found e-books to be brilliant too. They've also saved me a major packing dilemma for when I'm away at writing conferences or on holiday. No more worrying about how many books I can take. Thanks to the Kindle, I can take as many as I like! I only wish it could give me more reading time but devices have their limitations!

But there are certain books I can only envisage reading in paperback - Terry Pratchett's Discworld series with their wonderful covers for a start.

My main reading session is just before I sleep and I read paperbacks and from the Kindle then. I relish both! I do like the bookmark function and find that useful. I am forever losing "real" bookmarks from my paperbacks. Mind you, I often lose pens too. Hmm... doesn't sound fab from a writer, does it?

I've not really tried e-magazines yet though I suspect that will be the next big area I'll explore.

So what do you prefer? Do you think one genre works better in one format and, if so, which and why?

In the meantime, happy reading, no matter what format you're using!

I've recently picked up three lovely paperbacks which will be part of my holiday reading. Many thanks to generous friends and family for the book shop gift cards. I've finally had a chance to go and use them on:-

1. Double Cross by Ben McIntyre
2. London by Peter Ackroyd
3. View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman

I love history of all sorts (and am intrigued by the idea of having a biography of a city!). The Neil Gaiman book is a collection of his non-fiction pieces and I'm really looking forward to reading that.

As ever, my trusty Kindle will also be with me on my holidays this year. I love both ebooks and paperbacks and switching between the two formats is another joy to reading as far as I'm concerned.

Now all I need to do is catch up on my reviewing!

I've not long got back from a wonderful break in the Far North of Scotland and I caught up with a lot of reading on my Kindle during this.

However, I also treated myself to three new paperbacks just before my break and I'm really enjoying those too, having deliberated "saved" them to start reading during my break. Why choose over an ebook or a "real" book? Be greedy, have both!

Am currently reading Peter Ackroyd's Biography of London (fascinating way of showing a history of a city), Neil Gaiman's View from the Cheap Seats (a collection of his non-fiction articles), and Ben Macintyres' Double Cross. Good sized tomes all of them and a lovely read. Hope to review at a later date.

I like a good mix of things to read and am developing a real taste for well written non-fiction. Books can take you into other worlds. Sometimes the world they show you is this one but from an angle you've not considered before. For me, this is an acid test of a good read. A good read will enlighten you.

So you have limited time to read (it is ever so!) and you can choose between reading one hardback, one paperback, or pick one option from your Kindle? Which would you automatically plump for over the others?

I'd go for the paperback every time (partly because while I have some hardbacks, my paperback collection is far greater). There is still the element of the "go for the real book" here, much as I love the Kindle.

Where the Kindle does come into its own is when I'm away anywhere and the last thing I want to do is lug a lot of books along with me (unless they're by me and I'm trying to sell them of course!).

The other reason I'd go for the paperback first is I'd want the experience of the "whole book". You can't smell a Kindle's "pages" but you can do it with a paper book - and I have and will continue to do so.

I do like the smell of a book. I like the look of a well designed cover. I like the feel of a paperback in my hands. So there is the whole tactile experience going on here.

I do know I'm not the only reader/writer to feel that way so if I'm weird, I know I've got company. Very well read company, I should add!

So what would you pick then and why? Comments welcome.

Do you make a list of books for gift ideas to share with family and friends as hints for birthdays, Christmas etc? I do. There is always a list to be made!

But I also like to list traits in characters I admire and work out how I can use something similar when I create my own characters.

One of the great joys of reading from a writer’s viewpoint is you learn so much from other authors and you can use that to strengthen your own writing. You also get to see how dialogue is set out and so on.

It is vital to read a good mixture of material though from comtemporary to classic and non-fiction should be included too. The more you read, the wider the net of potential ideas.

You read a wonderful story or piece of non-fiction writing and that can inspire you to wonder well how would I have tackled this topic. What take would I have taken on it?

Of course lists lead to incredible To Be Read piles, both physically and in electronic form, but that’s a nice problem to have!

Another fun list would be to create an inventory of places connected with books you would like to visit once the lockdown is over. On my wish list here would be the British Library and Gladstone’s Library to name but two.

How about thinking of books to take with you on a retreat? My list there would have to include something by Austen, Pratchett, and Wodehouse, and naturally I would be taking the Kindle for this. (The saving in weight and luggage space would be considerable though the main thing would be to not forget to take the charger for it).

Then there’s the list of books your friends have told you about that you haven’t got around to reading yet. That too can be a formidable list.

But lists involving books are fun! Just relishing the possibility of reading all of those lovely books is wonderful. Getting to do so is even better. And now back to my TBR list I think!

For me, it is all three of course, as I’m sure it is for you.

If I did have to pick one, it would have to be the paperback. I remember the joy, when I was younger, of being able to buy two paperbacks for the price of one hardback and being the book lover that I am, this appealed a lot. (Frankly, it still does!).

I must admit I didn’t rush out to buy a Kindle when they came on to the scene but would not want to be without one now.

It is useful for whenever I’m away and features such as being able to increase font size and bookmark your place are useful. (No more worrying what books to pack either any more. I can take everything I want with me electronically!).

Having said all of that, the hardback is special. It really does feel like a “proper” book. I prefer those with jackets. There is some great artwork on those. My favourites are probably the Josh Kirby covers for Terry Pratchett’s Discworld canon.

Favourite paperback? Hmm… so hard to pick but The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey merits a mention as it is the only novel I’ve ever read which changed my mind about someone (and in this case Richard III).

The Lord of the Ring trilogy merits a special mention too (and yes it is a very heavy paperback!).

Favourite hardback? Hmm… Probably Wodehouse: A Life in Letters. A wonderful book.

Favourite ebook? Hmm… this one is tricky because I have so many wonderful novels and story collections on there amongst others but I think mention must go to Operation Zigzag by Ben Macintyre. I love history in all its forms but this combines non-fiction with a wonderful storytelling technique. Love it.

Whatever you read, I hope this strange period in our collective history might lead to more reading being done.

Now I must declare an interest in this topic. I've been published in both formats and so, naturally, I love both. Well you would, wouldn't you?

My trusty old Kindle goes with me whenever I'm away at events or holiday (not that this is happening right now!). But when I want some comfort reading, I will nearly always turn to a trusty paperback.

Flash fiction and short story collections I nearly always have on the Kindle. Most of the novels I read are in paperback.

I have a nice mixture of ebook and paperback for non-fiction books. (And yes I do take advantage of special offers on ebooks. It can and does make the difference as to whether I buy a book at all at times and this is another reason why I have no problems with book format. I also don't mind at all if my book and the anthologies my work has appeared in sell well in either format! Naturally, ideally I'd like them to do well in both!).

So however you read, enjoy.

Whatever you read, enjoy!

Aside from the obvious one of people turning down corners of books (which is even more irritating when they’ve borrowed the book from you!), what annoying book habits “get” you?

1. Feeling yourself about to nod off when you’ve been looking forward to reading all day and you’ve managed to read about two minutes’ worth of glorious prose. Yet you know if you make yourself keep reading, you will wake yourself up and then not be able to sleep properly when the time does come for lights out.

2. Not being to make up your mind about reading from your Kindle or paperback bookshelf and by the time you’ve decided, guess what? It’s lights out time again.

3. Looking for THE one book you’re longing to read, knowing you’ve got it somewhere, but can you find it when you want it to hand? Surprise, surprise - no!

4. Managing to pick up that hardback you’ve been looking forward to reading and end up dropping it on your foot. Some of these big beasties hurt when they land on your toes!

5. Having two books come out at about the same time by your favourite authors and not being able to decide which one to read first.

Of course, all of the above COULD just be me but I don’t think so!

Over to you then. Can you add to the list?

What book dilemmas, I hear you ask?

Well, there is the obvious one of which book you are going to read next from your naturally huge TBR pile.

I refuse to believe that doesn’t give you pause for thought from time to time! (I get a little annoyed with myself for doing this. I realise the half hour I spent deciding what I’ll read next could have been spent on reading!).

Then there is the dilemma of whether you’ll reduce the TBR paperback pile or the one on your Kindle.

Then there is the dilemma of whether you’ll read short stories or another novel or non-fiction.

There is no one right answer to how you answer these.

I find I read a load of things on my Kindle for a while, then switch back to paperbacks for a bit, and that’s fine with me.

I just need to stop wasting half hours every now and again making up my mind and just get on with what matters - the reading!

I could write chapter and verse on this week’s topic, appropriately enough. So where to start on why books are special to me?

My love of books and stories comes from my late mother who encouraged my love of reading and taught me to read before I started school.

Books were regularly given as presents. I would often buy books with pocket money and money gifts sent by my relatives for Christmas etc. I went to the library a lot.

Best of all, Mum had a lovely collection of books herself, which I now have. And I so wanted to have a collection of my own (which I have).

As well as being read to as a child, which is so important, I saw Mum read for pleasure herself more often than I could say. It sent the unspoken message that this was definitely an okay thing to do - and it is!

Then there are the books with particular meaning. I treasure the Bibles given to me by my late parents and the one given to me by my son.

I love The Reader’s Digest of Classic Fairytales two volume set. I spent hours reading those and loving the beautiful illustrations. I remember the shock I first had on reading The Little Mermaid in here and discovering fairytales didn’t always have happy ever after endings.

I identified with the way The Ugly Duckling felt and cheered when all did work out well in the end. (You know full well as a kid it doesn’t always work that way in life, You know it even more as an adult).

I treasure my paperback of The Lord of The Rings and my copy of Pride and Prejudice.

For me, there is absolutely nothing about a book to dislike.

I like my paperbacks, my hardbacks, my audio and ebooks. The format doesn’t matter.

The fact it is a book does!

Happy reading!