Paper vs. Digital: Which do you prefer?

[Kat]

We're all readers but there are so many ways to do what we do. Do you prefer a physical book or would you choose an e-reader over paper pages any day?

[Meg]

I most definitely prefer paper. I have a Kindle Fire, and have only ever read one book off of it. I am 110% OCD when it comes to my books and who I lend them too. If I buy a book I have to find the one in the best shape and keep it in pristine condition. I never get books from the library either. But, using an e-reader takes away all this fun! I like having a hard copy to feel my progress as I read and smell the book. I don't know if I would read as much as I do if I only read off of an e-reader.

[Taylor]

I prefer having a physical copy as well. I don't own a kindle and I don't really enjoy having to read on my phone because after a while I start to get a headache due to the bright screen and small font. I like having a physical copy because I enjoy actually being able to hold the book and see how far through it I am. I also like physical copies for my bookshelf.

[Kat]

I do prefer physical paper books as well. There is just something special about holding a book, flipping the pages and that booky papery smell.

But I can't knock the Kindle though. I like the fact that I can carry 100 books with me in one small tablet, which is great for mobility, especially long plane/car rides. And I do like the fact that since the Kindle is made for reading, it doesn't have that brightness issue you have to deal with in phones or other tablets and it has that non-reflective screen thing going on.

I usually would get my paper books for second-hand stores, like Goodwill, and only actually buy new copies if I've already read it and loved it. But where I've moved now, there are no Goodwills or places to buy used (or new, for that matter) books, so I've turned to the internet and I'll usually will try to find a free .epub download of a book to try it out before deciding to buy it online and have it shipped to me.

So, I'm about 60/40 on the issue. But I still love flipping the pages most of all.

[Luciana]

I also prefer the old-fashioned way of reading. Nothing can ever convey the way the paper feels in your hands and the smell of books!
However, I mostly read on my Kindle. For me it isn't only a matter of how practical they are, but also due to my preference for reading in English in a non English-speaking country where books cost a fortune! So I got a Kindle and now they are much more accessible, so much that I hardly ever read in my own language anymore (which is awesome for practicing any language you are learning or don't have much opportunity to use otherwise).

I did resist the Kindle for a long time...like Taylor said, I had tried reading on my phone and tablet and it just didn't feel right! The Kindle, however, I liked much better, due to the size, and the brightness, and the portability. I still read all my comic books and graphic novels on paper, though. I find they don't translate well to e-readers!