Format Wars: eBooks vs Paperbacks
Being the book addict that I am, I often come across problems that normal non-addicted people don’t seem to have. Today I’m going to look at a subject that divides many a book lover: what’s your preferred reading format: eBook or Paperback?
Okay, not being very technically savvy I spent a long time preferring good old fashioned paperbacks. Then about a year and a half ago I got a Kindle. I was undecided for the first six months or so. I still liked getting hard copies of my favourite author’s books – they look so pretty on my over-flowing book shelves! Then I started to get used to the one-click ordering system and that’s when I was swayed – I could have the latest releases from my favourite authors instantly, no waiting! I was in love. But is this a bad romance or true blue devotion? I decided to figure it out….
eBooks
The Highs
Instant Gratification – The ability to obtain the books you want to read instantly at the click of a button. No more waiting. The postman’s knock no longer sets your heart a flutter and you no longer feel the need to race to the book shop on your lunch-break or days off.
Low Cost – eBooks are generally so much cheaper than physical copies. There are often free deals and cheap offers too so it’s easy to find books that cost less than paperbacks. Even if you factor in the cost of the device in the first year, if you read more than say 12 books a year you are still probably going to be much better off with a Kindle than buying paperbacks.
Anonymity – No-one has any idea what you’re reading. It could be Shakespeare or it could be monster porn (or anything in between, I’m not telling you those are your only options LOL). There’s no judgement from strangers when you read in public – unless they are somewhat creepy and attempt to read over your shoulder on the bus ride home that is.
Light Weight – I find the Kindle lighter and easier to carry around than a paperback. I have a cover on it to prevent damage but it’s still thin enough to fit into even a small handbag.
The Lows
Compulsive Downloading – You develop a compulsive disorder for downloading everything that is available for free. Your Kindle quickly fills up with books and you don’t remember what any of the books are supposed to be about. The unending list of titles give virtually no clues to what the books are about and they linger on your device, unread for days, weeks, months.
Removing books – Occasionally, no matter how carefully you chose a book, one will come along that does something to make you angry. The fun of chucking said book in the recycling bin in an enraged fashion no longer applies. It’s really not as satisfying when you just have to click a button to remove the offending book from your device.
Reading Series – It’s much easier to end up reading books in the wrong order when they’re on a device. Unless you know what order they are in or there’s a clue in the title, you may well wind up doing what I’ve managed to do several times now – reading series books in the wrong order. It’s not always totally obvious by reading the book and it can spoil surprises big time.
Batteries – They run out. I usually only have to charge mine once a week and I get about 10-15 hours out of it so that’s not bad but it totally sucks if you forget to charge it and it runs out right when you have a long train journey ahead.
Paperbacks
The Highs
That New Book Smell – book addicts know what I’m talking about. There’s nothing quite like it.
Adding to your Collection – I’ve been a bit of a collector (or hoarder as my husband would put it) ever since I was a kid and that obsession has always included books; used to be the likes of Nancy Drew and Point Horror and now it’s mostly urban fantasy books. I love having a complete collection and it kind of annoys me that some of my series runs are now incomplete because I got the Kindle version for quickness or cheapness.
Special Books – I can’t say I have a lot of them myself but special edition books and copies signed by the author are never going to be replaced by eBooks and I wouldn’t want them to be. As a collector I appreciate the need for these things and the excitement that getting them can bring.
Treasured Memories – I have many a pleasant memory of being lost in a good book over the years and I tend to associate those memories with physical books. I have two thoroughly battered Stephen King short story collections that I read over and over again when I was about 12-14. They really got me into the horror genre and I’ll always remember the thrill of discovering this awesome writer who captured my imagination so well with his words.
The Lows
Stiff thumbs – If you’re reading for any length of time finger pains are par for the course!
Book hoarding - The truth is physical books take up space. If you read a lot like I do you’re quickly going to find yourself calling your spare room (or another random room/s in your house) ’the book cupboard’ because they are pretty much all you can see when you open the door. Physical books can and will take over your house, given the opportunity.
Awful covers – That amazing book you’ve been waiting for comes out and has a hideous or inappropriate cover that you’re embarrassed to be seen with. I used to hate reading Kim Harrison books in public because Rachel was made to look like a whore on the cover and I just knew random strangers on the train were assuming I was reading erotica.
Wear & Tear – I hate it when I mangle a book because I’ve been carrying it around in my bag. Unfortunately I mostly read on the commute to work so a lot of my books have wear and tear not relating to reading them over and over again. Hardbacks tend to last better but are a lot more awkward to read, and carry.
My Conclusions
It’s all a matter of what you’re used to. When all I read was paperbacks those were what I loved and there are still nostalgic reasons for wanting to read in this format. When I stopped reading paperbacks and switched to Kindle, I grew to love this more and these days when a book I want doesn’t come in a Kindle version it is highly likely to sit on a shelf gathering dust for months before I actually bother to read it, no matter how much I love the author or series. I’m definitely a Kindle fan now and I can see this love affair going the distance!
So, do you agree? Or do you have a brilliant argument that will overturn mine in an instant?
What reasons do you have for preferring one format over the other?
Don’t be shy to comment!
Okay, not being very technically savvy I spent a long time preferring good old fashioned paperbacks. Then about a year and a half ago I got a Kindle. I was undecided for the first six months or so. I still liked getting hard copies of my favourite author’s books – they look so pretty on my over-flowing book shelves! Then I started to get used to the one-click ordering system and that’s when I was swayed – I could have the latest releases from my favourite authors instantly, no waiting! I was in love. But is this a bad romance or true blue devotion? I decided to figure it out….
eBooks
The Highs
Instant Gratification – The ability to obtain the books you want to read instantly at the click of a button. No more waiting. The postman’s knock no longer sets your heart a flutter and you no longer feel the need to race to the book shop on your lunch-break or days off.
Low Cost – eBooks are generally so much cheaper than physical copies. There are often free deals and cheap offers too so it’s easy to find books that cost less than paperbacks. Even if you factor in the cost of the device in the first year, if you read more than say 12 books a year you are still probably going to be much better off with a Kindle than buying paperbacks.
Anonymity – No-one has any idea what you’re reading. It could be Shakespeare or it could be monster porn (or anything in between, I’m not telling you those are your only options LOL). There’s no judgement from strangers when you read in public – unless they are somewhat creepy and attempt to read over your shoulder on the bus ride home that is.
Light Weight – I find the Kindle lighter and easier to carry around than a paperback. I have a cover on it to prevent damage but it’s still thin enough to fit into even a small handbag.
The Lows
Compulsive Downloading – You develop a compulsive disorder for downloading everything that is available for free. Your Kindle quickly fills up with books and you don’t remember what any of the books are supposed to be about. The unending list of titles give virtually no clues to what the books are about and they linger on your device, unread for days, weeks, months.
Removing books – Occasionally, no matter how carefully you chose a book, one will come along that does something to make you angry. The fun of chucking said book in the recycling bin in an enraged fashion no longer applies. It’s really not as satisfying when you just have to click a button to remove the offending book from your device.
Reading Series – It’s much easier to end up reading books in the wrong order when they’re on a device. Unless you know what order they are in or there’s a clue in the title, you may well wind up doing what I’ve managed to do several times now – reading series books in the wrong order. It’s not always totally obvious by reading the book and it can spoil surprises big time.
Batteries – They run out. I usually only have to charge mine once a week and I get about 10-15 hours out of it so that’s not bad but it totally sucks if you forget to charge it and it runs out right when you have a long train journey ahead.
Paperbacks
The Highs
That New Book Smell – book addicts know what I’m talking about. There’s nothing quite like it.
Adding to your Collection – I’ve been a bit of a collector (or hoarder as my husband would put it) ever since I was a kid and that obsession has always included books; used to be the likes of Nancy Drew and Point Horror and now it’s mostly urban fantasy books. I love having a complete collection and it kind of annoys me that some of my series runs are now incomplete because I got the Kindle version for quickness or cheapness.
Special Books – I can’t say I have a lot of them myself but special edition books and copies signed by the author are never going to be replaced by eBooks and I wouldn’t want them to be. As a collector I appreciate the need for these things and the excitement that getting them can bring.
Treasured Memories – I have many a pleasant memory of being lost in a good book over the years and I tend to associate those memories with physical books. I have two thoroughly battered Stephen King short story collections that I read over and over again when I was about 12-14. They really got me into the horror genre and I’ll always remember the thrill of discovering this awesome writer who captured my imagination so well with his words.
The Lows
Stiff thumbs – If you’re reading for any length of time finger pains are par for the course!
Book hoarding - The truth is physical books take up space. If you read a lot like I do you’re quickly going to find yourself calling your spare room (or another random room/s in your house) ’the book cupboard’ because they are pretty much all you can see when you open the door. Physical books can and will take over your house, given the opportunity.
Awful covers – That amazing book you’ve been waiting for comes out and has a hideous or inappropriate cover that you’re embarrassed to be seen with. I used to hate reading Kim Harrison books in public because Rachel was made to look like a whore on the cover and I just knew random strangers on the train were assuming I was reading erotica.
Wear & Tear – I hate it when I mangle a book because I’ve been carrying it around in my bag. Unfortunately I mostly read on the commute to work so a lot of my books have wear and tear not relating to reading them over and over again. Hardbacks tend to last better but are a lot more awkward to read, and carry.
My Conclusions
It’s all a matter of what you’re used to. When all I read was paperbacks those were what I loved and there are still nostalgic reasons for wanting to read in this format. When I stopped reading paperbacks and switched to Kindle, I grew to love this more and these days when a book I want doesn’t come in a Kindle version it is highly likely to sit on a shelf gathering dust for months before I actually bother to read it, no matter how much I love the author or series. I’m definitely a Kindle fan now and I can see this love affair going the distance!
So, do you agree? Or do you have a brilliant argument that will overturn mine in an instant?
What reasons do you have for preferring one format over the other?
Don’t be shy to comment!
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