Print vs. Ebook: Which Do You Use?

[Bionic Jean]

:)

[Leslie]

LauraT wrote: "I hate abridge books, audio or not!!! They're like waterd wine!!!"

I used to feel that way until I read Les Misérables. Now I can understand that a good editor/abridger can trim away some of the excess from a book and make the main story more accessible. I read a lot, and much of what I read are wordy classics, so I was willing to wade through Hugo's 1000+ pages but there were big sections (5, 10 chapters at a time) which had nothing to do with the main story. A person who doesn't normally read that type of book could easily get discouraged and give up.

So to continue with the food similes, I think some abridged books could be like having chicken breasts instead of a whole roast chicken - you lose something (the drumsticks) but you get the meatiest part without the bother of the bones.

[Bionic Jean]

What about us vegetarians then?

As for "Les Miserables" - as long as they don't start singing I'm happy.

[Charbel]

Leslie wrote: "LauraT wrote: "I hate abridge books, audio or not!!! They're like waterd wine!!!"

I used to feel that way until I read Les Misérables. Now I can understand that a good editor/abridger can trim aw..."

I understand what you are saying, though not necessarily about Hugo (I personally enjoy his little bits of additional information). Some brevity can be very handy some times, but admittedly some abridgments can be ridiculous: Abridged Shakespeare comes to mind.

[Leslie]

Charbel wrote: "I understand what you are saying, though not necessarily about Hugo (I personally enjoy his little bits of additional information). Some brevity can be very handy some times, but admittedly some abridgments can be ridiculous: Abridged Shakespeare comes to mind...."

LOL!! Abridged Shakespeare would be like removing all the meat and just leaving the bones! But seriously, you should note I specified a good abridged edition - I am sure that many bad abridged editions exist. I think that is one main reason that abridged works got the poor reputation that they currently have.

[Charbel]

Loving all the food and drinks similes. Really adds a "zest" to the discussion.

Leslie, I agree that a good abridged edition can render some excessive works more enjoyable.

[LauraT]

I love wordy books, where not all the words written are really important! I want to be cuddled by words, not only informed. I see though what you mean leslie: people who don't read can be discouraged by long books...

[Emma]

Both. I have both a kindle and iPad - and sometimes it's just easier to download a book, but I'll never stop buying real ones! I do like that Amazon sends you emails if anything your wish list goes on sale!

[Pamela]

I only read ebooks. It is more convenient. My kindle fits perfectly in my bag. If I lug around a book, I have to have another bag for it. I have to have a book mark. The small type is a strain on my eyes. The kindle classics are free and other books are so much cheaper. I love that I can checkout a library book from my home and that I am never late to return it because it automatically returns.

[LauraT]

Pam wrote: "I only read ebooks. It is more convenient. My kindle fits perfectly in my bag. If I lug around a book, I have to have another bag for it. I have to have a book mark. The small type is a strain on..."

Yes definitly ebooks are more and more convenient, in terms of costs, but also in terms of "easy going", if you see what I mean!!!

[Faye]

Print. Always print. I can only stare at a screen for so long before my eyes start to hurt, and I hate holding electronic devices in my hands. (Am I the only person who still worries about radiation?) Also, there would be no enjoyment for me in reading without the whole ambient experience - the feel of the book in my hands, the sound of the paper rustling, the smell that tells me whether the book is old or new or somewhere in between, the pleasure I feel at seeing one of my many favourite bookmarks out of the corner of my eye as I follow it down the page... reading is generally what I do to escape from the modern world (much of what I read was written before computers were even a twinkle in the mathematician's eye), so to read using a modern device? Nope, couldn't do it. My computer-related frustrations would only follow me into my one remaining technologically-untouched happy place, and I couldn't handle that.

I always have a number of books on the go at the same time, piled in a beautiful little stack in my room, so that I have a different book to read in different situations. If I'm going somewhere that I'll need to take a book, I take a light one and save the bigger ones for when I curl up on the couch and can hold them in my lap. The latter being my #1 favourite thing in the world to do, btw. What pleasure would I find in holding a little slab of metal and plastic when I'm trying to get engrossed in Dickens or The Iliad or The Count of Monte Cristo? Not a lot.

I get most of my books from the library or second-hand, so the cost of an e-reader wouldn't be worth it even if I wanted one. I only buy a book new if I intend to keep it and love it forever, which I would always do no matter what, because then I get to sit and gaze at them lovingly while sitting on my couch enjoying another new favourite. Or, if the book I'm currently reading isn't living up to my expectations, the old faithfuls in the bookcase are there to remind me that there's still excellent literature in the world, and there they sit to prove it, waiting patiently for their next new friend to join them.

Yes, I'm a little obsessive about my reading habits, haha! It's the joy of my life, what can I say. :)

[Charbel]

Faye wrote: "Print. Always print. I can only stare at a screen for so long before my eyes start to hurt, and I hate holding electronic devices in my hands. (Am I the only person who still worries about radiatio..."

You are really passionate! I know you mean about gazing at your books. When I look at my shelves I remind myself briefly of the content of each book.

[Amber]

I do both print and ebooks. ^_^

[Bionic Jean]

Faye - you clearly love the sensuousness of books (can I say that?!) Many of us resisted ebooks at first, but find when we get engrossed in a book the medium no longer matters. The words are the thing! A blind person will tell you that s/he loves books. They may read great volumes of Braille (not a nice product like a book, I assure you!) or even just listen to a book. But they will be vehement that it is still a book!

But this is not why I am posting. You are of course free to pursue your love of print books. It is the idea of radiation where I think I can maybe help:

I personally am concerned about limiting my contact with radiation (I have a brain tumour and want no extra risks, even if only theoretical.) For this reason I use no Wifi AT ALL.

The Broadband on my computer is wired, not wireless, even though this is far less convenient. I have no mobile phone, just a landline. My Kindle is 3G - but anyway I only have to switch it on if I am downloading something. So I can browse and buy my books online without Wifi, then switch on the Kindle for the few SECONDS it takes to download. (Kindles can be either Wifi or 3G.)

If you did ever decide to read ebooks, you have this alternative too. I NEVER have the wireless switched on on my Kindle when I am reading. I can't cut out all the radiation around me in the world, but at least I can control my immediate area a bit. And limiting it to a few seconds once every week or two sounds OK to me :)

[Faye]

Jean wrote: "Faye - you clearly love the sensuousness of books (can I say that?!) Many of us resisted ebooks at first, but find when we get engrossed in a book the medium no longer matters. The words are the t..."

Hi Jean,

Yeah, I won't do wireless either. I'd still be using dial-up if it hadn't quit working on me, but cable suits me just fine. I can't get over my "thing" about holding devices in my hands, though, especially anything with a touch screen. Even my (fairly old-fashioned, non-touch screen) iPod gives me the jeebs after a few minutes. Can't handle an electric toothbrush either. I wouldn't say I'm completely anti-technology, especially since I'm sitting here at my computer, but I feel as though it should know its place and not interfere with every moment of our lives. I find it nice to walk away from the computer screen after a few minutes, sit in natural light, hear no whirring, and read a book.

There's a chance that I could go blind one day myself, and at that time I'd be able to choose between Braille and audiobooks, the first of which would still give me all the ambience of reading a book, the second of which would be pleasant to relax and listen to. I don't really think that's the same as "going tech" and storing my beautiful books inside a device that could easily crash or get lost or broken or need charging at a time when that isn't possible. Yes, the house could burn down and my books be destroyed, and it's possible to lose the book you're reading (though I've never done it), but I'm sure e-readers malfunction or disappear more often than that kind of thing happens.

Nope, I'm one of the few who says they'll never go e-book and means it. If print ever dies... well, I'm not much into modern literature anyway, so you'll find me browsing antique stores until my dying day. ;)

[Bionic Jean]

Fair enough Faye - you go with how you feel! But I know that at first I assumed there would be radiation round ebooks, and now know differently, so thought I should pass it on.

Oh one last thing. Cost-wise the basic Kindle is very cheap - I think about £60 in the UK - and there are an incredible amount of free books you can download - most of the popular classics for instance. Put it this way - I know I'm ahead in what I would have spent, even though I almost always bought from library sales or charity shops.

Just another reason, but you go, girl! Love your writing style. :)

[Holly]

I think the problem I find with the whole argument over ebooks vs print books is that people believe it's either one of the other. A lot of people on Goodreads seem to go for both, with a really like.

I own both a Kindle, and a hell load of paperback books. I'd never give one up for the other. I got 3,500 books free for my Kindle, and I wouldn't have got it otherwise, and generally I only use it on holiday. Most of the time, if I own the book, or I can get it out of my school library I will read it in paperback form. Yet, if I'm broke and can't get it from the library, I will happily pick up my Kindle and read it on there.

For me, it shouldn't be a 'one or the other' decision. They both have their merits.

[LauraT]

Holly wrote: "I think the problem I find with the whole argument over ebooks vs print books is that people believe it's either one of the other. A lot of people on Goodreads seem to go for both, with a really li..."

That's the secret: BOTH!

[[deleted user]]

Another reader of both here! I do prefer reading a real book and have been choosing to do this for the last few weeks. I was missing a real book feel after lots of kindle reads I. September. Back on the kindle now as I'm going on lots of long distance trains over the next month so it's do much more convenient!

[Amaryllis]

I absolutely prefer real books, but e-books are cheaper so I read them, too. But I read e-books also because I'm traveling a lot and I can't take many books with me, would be so impractical and too heavy to carry.

[Bionic Jean]

Yep, both works for me too. If I can't get a book in Large Print I'll choose Kindle. And sometimes I have a book on the go in both formats, if the Large Print one is too bulky, but has something like a family tree or map which is hopeless on the Kindle. There again, some classics where I have to keep referring back I like to have in a printed book form.

[Leslie]

I absolutely agree with BOTH or in my case ALL THREE!! And for some classics, I actually have them in all 3 forms - paper, ebook, and audiobook! However, that is primarily due to the fact that I got 27 classics as free audiobooks if I "bought" the free Kindle book. If I have a print copy, I wouldn't choose to read that book on my Kindle unless it is one of those great big books such as The Count of Monte Cristo or Les Miserables.

[LauraT]

Leslie wrote: "I absolutely agree with BOTH or in my case ALL THREE!! And for some classics, I actually have them in all 3 forms - paper, ebook, and audiobook! However, that is primarily due to the fact that I ..."

Same here!!!

[Bionic Jean]

Me too! Audio means you really have to slow down and concentrate on the language. The only trouble is remembering names, I find, and sometimes not knowing how to spell them!

[LauraT]

Jean wrote: "Me too! Audio means you really have to slow down and concentrate on the language. The only trouble is remembering names, I find, and sometimes not knowing how to spell them!"

Names are a problem for me as well Jean!

[[deleted user]]

I find myself falling asleep with audiobooks. I used to use then to fall asleep as a child so I think it's a natural association! Luckily I don't listen in the car!

[Leslie]

Heather wrote: "I find myself falling asleep with audiobooks. I used to use then to fall asleep as a child so I think it's a natural association! Luckily I don't listen in the car!"

I find that I have to be doing something with my hands - chopping veg, washing dishes, folding laundry, weeding the garden, etc. Right now, I am knitting which is perfect for audiobook listening!

[Leslie]

Jean wrote: "Me too! Audio means you really have to slow down and concentrate on the language. The only trouble is remembering names, I find, and sometimes not knowing how to spell them!"

This is one reason that I like to have the Kindle (or paper) book as well as the audiobook - sometimes a certain section I need to look at or read along with the narration to help it stick in my mind. I am finding that I don't retain the audiobooks as well as when I read, so I am veering more to rereads and light fiction (mysteries and YA). When I listen to a classic that is new to me (such as A Portrait of the Author as a Young Man), I do a lot of reading along with the narration.

[Shirley]

Jean wrote: "Yep, both works for me too. If I can't get a book in Large Print I'll choose Kindle. And sometimes I have a book on the go in both formats, if the Large Print one is too bulky, but has something li..."

Jean, I found that when I read The Mystery of Edwin Drood on my kindle,that I needed to keep referring back as there are quite a few characters, so I would agree that for some books, it's easier to read a paper version, especially for the likes of Dickens where there are lots of characters. Paper books are so much easier to "flick back through" and for those of us who don't get lots of time for reading in large chunks (sometimes I get half an hour and that's it for the day) I do lots of "flicking back" to remind myself of where I am up to. I do read both though, and am often tempted by the free or heavily discounted books on kindle.

[Bionic Jean]

Yes I sometimes think it's the wrong way round for me, that Classics are free on Kindle! I'm averse to getting rid of my Large Print Classics, needing the "flickback" facility of an actual print book. Simpler novels are fine on the Kindle.

I've ordered a new Kindle though which seems to be easier to flip back - there's a central bit in the middle which is the current page. Will have to see if it works when it arrives in November!

[Shirley]

Jean wrote: "Yes I sometimes think it's the wrong way round for me, that Classics are free on Kindle! I'm averse to getting rid of my Large Print Classics, needing the "flickback" facility of an actual print bo..."

I'm glad it's not just me! That sounds better - I hope it works well!

[[deleted user]]

I can get confused and forget names but I find using websites like sparknotes for classics can help. You have to be a bit careful with spoilers but it's not usually a problem and with the classics I often know the story anyway. It help with understanding the story as well

[LauraT]

Leslie wrote: "I find that I have to be doing something with my hands - chopping veg, washing dishes, folding laundry, weeding the garden, etc. Right now, I am knitting which is perfect for audiobook listening! "

That's exactly what I do: drive, wash dishes or clothes, iron, walk around ... I can't knit!!!!

[Patches Braz]

I prefer Kindle

[[deleted user]]

I have a Kindle because I was given one and it is good when I don't have money for buying more books, but I prefer print above anything. Nothing can compare to holding the pages in your hand. And let's not forget the smell.

[[deleted user]]

I only read real books. I have no need for a Kindle or a Nook. Shame on those who do!

[LauraT]

Don't be so sure of yourself!!!!

[Bionic Jean]

"Shame" on us? What a reactionary statement from a Rebel Leader! ;)

Care to explain, Aaron?

[Pink]

Aaron-{{Everlast}}-Rebel Leader wrote: "I only read real books. I have no need for a Kindle or a Nook. Shame on those who do!"

Haha, trying to start heated debate Aaron?

Although I'm with you on only reading 'real books'. This month I read a couple of short stories that were available as ebooks on my iPhone, but I really missed having the paper version, so ended up buying them anyway.

[LauraT]

I agree with you Pink. Not on the use of ebooks - I read almost all ebooks now! - but on the fact that Aaron wants to pick up a fight! Shall we follow?
;)

[[deleted user]]

Haha! Gotcha! I was playing a Halloween practical joke.

Can't believe you guys bought into it. I have no problem with those who use Kindle or Nooks. You're all readers, and that's what counts with me.

Peace, and HAPPY READING.☺

[LauraT]

So peacefull already? You disappoint me Aaron!!!!

[Bionic Jean]

Ah... but I still think you are a closet reactionary Aaron...

[LauraT]

Jean wrote: "Ah... but I still think you are a closet reactionary Aaron..."
Jean and me, being almost the same age, are often the same mind!

[[deleted user]]

No, I came out of the closet decades ago, Jean. I am a full blown reactionary. Not proud of it, but we all have our not so good traits.

That being said, let's all sing Michael Rowed The Boat Ashore. :)

[Amber]

I enjoy both. I tend to go back and forth from my coby android tablet for ebooks online and through aldikio then to regular books. If I can't go to my local library, I cango online to the ebooks library and borrow them there.

[AmberZehr]

I use all 3 but i favor ebooks and print over audiobooks. I use a nook tablet reader since you can get the kindle app and get books from either place but now and then i want the feel of a good paperback in my hands :)

[Theresahpir]

I resisted ebooks at first, but then my sister got me a Kindle Touch several years ago. It does have its perks...its easy to throw in my purse so that I have a wide variety of reading material to choose from if I need it, and I can read easily in bed since I can hold the device and turn the pages with one hand, lol.

But, I'm a bibliophile at heart. I don't just enjoy reading; I actually enjoy the book itself. My compromise is that I generally tend to read ONLY free ebooks and sometimes paid books that are only available in ebook format, lol. There's a lot of great little gems that can be found for free and of course, many classics are available at no charge. There's also a lot of really, really bad books, but at no cost, they can be deleted with no regrets.

[Amber]

hey Theresa I'm the same way with free ebooks too but my library uses the overdrive software online so you can borrow ebooks online and I tend to do that through my local library's ebooks library and then read print books too that I own or borrow from the library with the free ebooks I got from feedbooks too through my aldikio ereader on my tablet too.

[Roberto]

I love print...when ebooks will have the smell of paper buy them. but until then I will read books