E-books vs Paperbacks and hardcovers

[W]

Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to reading, i enjoy both a physical book and e-book. With an e-book, you get it immediately and you can start reading, on the other hand, a physical book to hold is awesome as you turn the pages.Which do you prefer? Found this funny blog about e-books. http://bookriot.com/2012/11/16/e-read...

[Elizabeth]

I think that e-books make it easier for people to read on the go, and it makes books more accessible for people to get a hold of. So I think it's a wonderful thing since it helps those of us on the go a lot the opportunity to read whenever, and wherever we want. However, you can't beat a classic paperback/hardcover. That fresh book smell, the feel of the paper in your hands, the satisfaction of turning page after page; you seriously can't beat that.

[Christina]

As a Librarian, this is an ever-present question. From what I have watched, Older Adults and Children like e-books the most. An Older Adult can make the font larger, while a child enjoys the hands on and interactive aspect.

I like physical books, I find extensive reading on the screen gives me eye strain and head ache. However, I prefer e-books for comic books.

As a last note, I think it is important to have both options, but man do old books (yes decay) smell good.

[Hannah]

I have recently been brought a kindle fire and love it however nothing beats the feel or smell of a book

[Angel]

I got my Nook a few years ago when Borders was going out of business. I love it. Having said that, I still have plenty of paperback and hardbacks (usually gifts or my most favorite books) I've seen people who have such strong feelings about this one way or the other- personally I don't think it matters HOW you read as long as you read!

[Autumn]

I love my kindle, mainly for the convenience. I can read it anywhere because it is always on my phone. I have at my fingertips access to over 250 books. But, with that said, I love a physical hardcopy of a book. I love the way they feel in my hand, the feeling of turning the page, holding my finger in place and turning the book on its side to see how far I am from the end. Above all, I love that book smell. I love them both, for different reasons, but I will still always purchase hardcopies when I can. Especially if it is a book series that I love, I want to own them all.

[Shana]

I am old fashioned but I see most everyone who has responded is in that hardback/softback (physical) books are preference. I appreciate ebooks and their accessibility especially when traveling or going to the doctor's office or appts etc and needing something to pass the time while waiting however I get headaches if I read to long from them. So, if needed I travel with ebooks on my droid but otherwise you see me with a physical book in my hand. Yes, I even take one to work to read on breaks and lunch. :-)

[dyanne]

I love my kindle, it is lightweight and has a light so I can read at night without waking anyone up! However, nothing beats that sastisfying rustle of an actual paper page turning and the SMELL of books, paperback or hardcover, is the best smell in the world. So, although I love new technology and the fact that I can read hundreds of books with a touch of a finger, nothing beats the old-fashioned delight of reading a physical book.

[MJ]

I love my Kindle. And I still love paper books. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, I've found that I simply don't have enough room for all of the books that I've bought in my life. A lot of them get donated these days, or given away to friends. BUT! I do have a little thing I do. Whenever I go on trips, I always try to find a book store, or a library that let's you buy used books. When I buy a book like that, I never let it go, even if I didn't like it. It holds all the memories of that trip. :) It's a small thing, but it does mean I still get to enjoy the weight and feel of a physical book.
Still love the Kindle's instant gratification, though, lol!

[Tracey]

I use both e-books and paperbacks. E-books are great reading on the go, and the overdrive library is great for books where I don't think I'll want a physical copy. I do like to get paperbacks of books I enjoy though.

[Mariel]

I can really understand why people enjoy e-books on a reader. But I write and work on a computer so much, I just can't bear spending my stolen moments of pleasure reading on a screen. I want to hold a real book in my hands and flip those pages. I love to run a hot bath and read before bed. And, well, we all know electronics and water just don't mix very well! Yes, space is a problem with real books. My husband and I just downsized and had to get rid of two rooms filled with books (our private library). It was sad and I miss them already, but at least the public library reaped the benefit.

[Katie]

As like many of you, I just love books and enjoy them in print and on Kindle or tablet. All have their advantages and disadvantages.

I like that I can adjust print size on my Kindle but it's so special to be able to share physical books with friends.

[Anna]

I like physical books, preferably paperbacks. Sometimes hardcovers are so hard to read (like the This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl hardcover) but if they're easy enough to read (like the The Fault in Our Stars hardcover) I even may prefer them to paperbacks. But no e-books. I hate e-books.

[Jim]

I read traditional books - paperback and hardcover - exclusively; usually borrowed from the local library.

I only buy a book if it is part of a series or if I'm certain that I will read it more than once.

[[deleted user]]

No offense intended, I totally prefer traditional books to ebooks.

[Aiysic]

Paperback vs. hardcover = paperback. I read while lying on my bed. It's kind of annoying to hold something so heavy while I'm lying on my side.

But because I'm super lazy, I prefer e-books out of all three. It's convenient, it doesn't take up a lot of space and your bookmarks don't ruin your book. I honestly don't understand why a lot of people prefer tradition over convenience. Let's embrace technology, people! hehe

[Ash]

I much prefer paperbacks and hardcovers to e-books. Because e-books are more accessible and often cheaper to purchase, I've gotten into the habit of borrowing e-books, reading them, and then buying the paperback/hardcover version to add to my library if I happen to enjoy the book.

[Kat]

I like books with paperback but ebooks are cheaper so I kinda stick with it :(

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl]

I've gotten addicted to e-books recently due to the ease of getting them, no waiting, and their lower cost.

[Amelina]

I like them all. I mainly read the classics on my Kobo, and also, like Chase, use the overdrive library quite often. I'll never give up paperbacks and hardcovers though.

[Matty]

I much prefer paperbacks. I love the artwork and it's often the thing that gets me interested in a book. I fear that e-books will lose this. Hardbacks are too big to hold and read! I do see one obvious advantage of ebooks though (even though I don't have an e-reader). My bookshelf is very nearly full, and I don't really have space in my house for another one!! I've already got two lines of books on some shelves...

[Airi]

I perfer paperbacks because when I do get hardback the cover sleeve bother me when I'm reading for some reason.

[[deleted user]]

@Airi

Same here, that's why I take off the cover sleeve whenever I can. Phew! I'm SO glad I'm not the only one!

[Airi]

@Sarah
I always end up misplacing the cover sleeve tho so I rather stick with paperback XD

[𝕁𝕒𝕕𝕖 (_𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕤𝕙_𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕣_)]

I love all 3, my e-reader is more convenient for when i want to read at university because it's so light and doesn't take much space. But i prefer the feel of a book in my hands.