Do you prefer reading with an e-reader or reading a paper and glue book?

[Mystery Fro]

I love the feel of a book in my hands and even the smell....but last year I got a Kindle for my birthday. Let me just say it's amazing!! It's light and easy to travel with... I can take it with me to school and everywhere I go. But I think the biggest reason why I love it so much is because I can find all the books I want to read on it. Where I live we have like more than 2 million Dutch books..so English books are a little hard to find (except for classics and best sellers)....Everything that comes out new etc you have to wait a while to get it...so with the kindle I have all the books I want available to me where ever and when ever I want :) (Gosh this sounds like such a commercial)

[Deborah]

I am a confirmed book lover, but have found my nook very helpful in reading larger books w/lots of footnotes. I have a bad wrist from an old injury and this makes it easier for me to juggle and read the notes easily as well.

[Nevena]

I have a question for the people who prefer an e-reader Do you guys find that you always read from your e-reader or do you guys still sometimes read paper books?

[Mystery Fro]

Now I mostly read from an e-reader (see comment above).... But every once in a while I love to curl up on my bed with my favorite paperbacks

[Deborah]

I mostly read books but use the ereader for thick, highly annotated books. It's physically easier for me. I also use ereader for travel.

[Bri]

I agree the e-reader is convenient, especially with really big, heavy books, but I do love my books...to curl up and enjoy the experience and to put them on my shelves when I finish each one...I've always wanted a bookshelf that would cover a whole wall so I could fill it with books...e-readers could never replace them for me!

[Tracy]

Although I love books, I've been playing around with the idea of buying the b/w Nook. That way I can borrow e-books from the library and change the font when my eyes get tired. Reading on my iPod touch hurts my eyes after a while so I'm going with the ink technology.
I'll still buy paper books, but probably only half of what I do now.

[Ellen]

At the moment, I'm all wrapped up in my new toy, the Kindle. At first (Christmas time), I found it very difficult to use but now I'm better able to read it. And the prices for new books is amazing.
But I love being surrounded by "book" books!

[Sheri]

here are my upsides and downsides to kindle:
Upside-I can take a whole lot of books with me without weighing me down (with an active almost 2 yr, big plus)
Downside- Kindle DOES NOT SUPPORT library lending, so any epubs or pdf's from your library wont read on it, which is completely lame.
Upside-I can go online with the kindle and check facebook and whatnot, and if I finish my books, I can quickly buy a new one, even at 1 AM
Downside- ebooks from amazon.com cost as much or more then the book from the store, 5 bucks for a paperback version of witch and wizard for example, vs 8.99 for ebook version. if you don't buy them from amazon.com you either have to have them emailed to your kindle directly for an additional cost, or connect to your computer. Oh and if you buy an ePub you have to get calibris or some other software to convert it to a mobi file so its readable on the kindle, and sometimes the conversion process messes up.
Upside- Big space saver, and I have filled 6 or so bookshelves and my living room wont fit another bookshelf, so thats a big plus.
Downside- if my friends don't have an e-reader, how can I share with them my latest really good book?

I really wish the kindle did support the DRM (library lending embedded code) features of pdf, and that it supported the ePub files. I don't find it any harder on my eyes then a book, though I do get glare now and then.

it will never replace paper and glue softcover or hardcover books for me. I am a very tactile person and I love the touch of paper, and I love the scent of sun warmed paper and even dust coated novels.

[[deleted user]]

Definitely paper and glue. My dad has a Kindle, but the bad thing about it is that only one person can read it at a time, and all our family's books are on there. Also, it's too expensive to take to school, and I can't read in class (or at lunch and recess, or on the bus, or on a school camp or... I could go on forever)!

[Ellen]

I love my Kindle but the one thing I find I can't read on it are magazines or newspapers-I like to skip around too much & for some reason I just can't focus on the articles when reading them on the kindle. Books, on the other hand-no problem at all!

And Grace, maybe your dad should get everyone a Kindle so you can all keep reading. After all, it's the educationally smart way to go! ;)

[The.Saved.Reader]

Sheri wrote: "I have filled 6 or so bookshelves and my living room wont fit another bookshelf

Have you thought about trading books on paperback swap when you and your friends have finished reading them? I started getting way too many books, so I trade them for new ones on paperbackswap.com. I keep only my absolute favorites. Just a thought I wanted tot share.

[[deleted user]]

Nevena wrote: "I have a question for the people who prefer an e-reader Do you guys find that you always read from your e-reader or do you guys still sometimes read paper books?"

I have a nook and even though I really enjoy reading on it I will never completely give up paper books. There is just something about the feel of a book in my hand, especially one of my favorites, that appeals to me on some deeper level. Its almost, for lack of a better word, spiritual.

[Peggy]

I just got a Nook color because my son who made fin of my Nook classic, decided he would like one. My husband got his Nook and loves it, after saying he only wanted "real books". As if these words don't make a real book. I cind if the book is good I don't know or care what I'm reading it on. I just love to read.

[Shirley]

I'm late to the party but I love my Kindle. It saves me lots of space in my home not to mention that most books are cheaper. I can add comments to the book and if I need to look something up I can do a search. I like the idea of saving trees (not that I'm a big green freak) and the convenience of digital delivery. Occasionally I do read a paper and glue book. If I find a publisher that insists on listing the kindle edition for more than the paperback, then I rebel. At that point I'll buy a used book so the publisher misses out on my money completely. Like I said, I can be a rebel at times - wish it didn't cost the author though. :-)

[Kayci]

Paper and glue all the way. The main benefit for me is spatial recall, this is amplified in textbooks. After I read something, I can go back to that page and have a sense of where on that page the information was located. I don't believe an ebook could ever seriously replace that for me.

Besides, if everyone else stops reading the old paper and glue, that means there'll be more used books for me! Muwhahaha.

[Bethany]

Paper and glue, always and forever!

[Ellen]

I like both.

Like Kayci, I use spatial recall which I can't get on the Kindle. I can't imagine really using the Kindle to study.

But for many novels, although I have some difficulties with the ereader, it certainly is easier to carry around. And it's great getting all the classics for free-and much easier to read than off my pc.

I have grown to love mine (which I call Lady Grace) dearly.

For me, it's not either/or. It's both/and. I love paper and glue AND ereaders.

I like books every and any way I can get them.

[Tracy]

Well, I've had my Nook for a few months and I have to say that I really enjoy it. I was a die-hard paper and glue person until I read one book on my mom's Kindle. It's so much easier on my eyes...goodbye, super small print...I won't miss you!
I still do enjoy reading regular books and cruise the used book stores often. My shelves are loaded with to-be-reads.
If I am reading a book with a map in it (fantasy) then I will buy the reg. book. I find flipping back and forth much easier in a reg. book.
So, I love my Nook and use it about 70% of my reading now.

[Karen B.]

I love both ... Some things are just better in paper books (not paper back, definitely dislike mass paperbacks as opposed to trade paperbacks). I tend to read paper books during the day. Use my Kindle at night.
The more I am using the Kindle the more I like it. At first I was overwhelmed seeing all those book titles of things I had on there, then I started using Collections and now I don't have as many pages to go through.
If I am reading a paperbook and have to go back and look for something I tend to remember whether it was on the left or right, bottom or top of the page, can't do that with the Kindle.

Mostly I like being able to get Kindle books for free or for 99 cents.

For the person who wrote about library lending; Amazon hasn't released a date but books will be available for the Kindle before the end of this year.

[Louise]

I might change my mind in the distant future, but as of now I never ever want to read anything but real, printed books. I see the smart thing in saving space etc, but somehow the idea of pointing to a small hard disk and saying - that's my book collection - seems awful!

[Maryann]

I am not ready to give up paper books entirely, as I do love many things about a hard copy of a book. It just feels more like a book. But I have had e-readers for a long time, and there are things about them I really like, too. I bought my first e-reader when the Rocket E-Book first came out because I was the e-book reviewer for ForeWord Magazine for a time. Then I discovered the advantages of storing so many books in one device. The ease of reading in bed with an e-reader, and the ability to highlight and make notes, which helped with the reviews. More recently I got a Kindle and I really like it because it will hold many more books than the older Rocket e-reader.

[Pantelis]

I do both Kindle and paper, and feel both have their strengths and weaknesses. Kindle is great for having a library with you, and for the ease of searching, buying and reading whatever comes to mind instantly, but at the same time paper and glue is much more natural to read -- and doesn't freak you out when you take it down to the beach with you.

[Sandy]

paper and glue xx

[Soul, the Book Keeper]

to be honest i don't own a kindle but i have used it for almost a week and no doubt it is a great device, but at the same time (i wish) it will never replace the paper books.

paper books are unique( though they may seem identical )
paper books u can hold in hand and feel it's value,but with kindle u always feel kindles value not the books.

i like to have my books well maintained in a neat shelf, so when i'll turn 80 (some 60 years from now)
i can show my grand~grand children's what a real book looks and feels like.
coz by that time paper-books will be museum item.

[Maryann]

Savvas wrote: , but at the same time paper and glue is much more natural to read -- and doesn't freak you out when you take it down to the beach with you. "

Actually, I prefer taking my Kindle outside to read, especially near water and sand. That can play havoc with a paper book, but the Kindle stays dry in the cover and is easy to read in outside light.

[Pantelis]

What sort of cover do you use, Maryann?

[Maryann]

I have a fitted case that has protection for the screen. It is a lot like the Speck Fitted Kindle case listed in the Kindle Store if you search for Kindle covers and cases.

[cazdoll]

My parents bought me and e reader two years ago,and I've only used it two or three times, I much prefer a paper and glue book but the e readers are handy to have, when you can't fit a big book in your handbag :)

[Maryann]

Catherine wrote: "My parents bought me and e reader two years ago,and I've only used it two or three times, I much prefer a paper and glue book but the e readers are handy to have, when you can't fit a big book in y..."

Not to mention how many b ooks you can take on vacation. LOL

[cazdoll]

When I was on holidays in June, I brought three books and my e reader,I also bought a book in the airport and ended up reading that on holidays :)

[Maryann]

LOL, Catherine. I did a similar thing in June. I had my e-reader with me, loaded with several books to read while I was on vacation, but ended up buying a few paperbacks at the stores where I was signing books. Visitors would tell me about an author they were reading and enjoying and most of the time I would buy the book. I think we can't help ourselves when it comes to a good read.

[Torie]

PAPER!! There's something wayyy more special about real books with real pages and real ink. I love seeing the different colors, shapes, sizes; feeling the different textures of books in my hands. eBooks, on the contrary, are all the same, generally speaking. I like the variety (and the LESS STRAIN on the EYES) of real paperback or hardcover books.

[Maryann]

Torie, I wish you would tell us how you really feel. LOL I do agree that there is something special about paper books, and a well produced tome does have all those wonderful attributes. That's probably why they will not disappear for a long time, despite what some people predict. But I do want to mention that there is no eye-strain reading on a dedicated reader like a Kindle or Nook. It is not like reading on a computer.

[Leah]

Paper books definitely. I love the feel of them in my hand. I see the point of Kindles but I'm a paper and glue girl.

[Jennifer]

I just got myself a nook this week and I hoping to find some people who would like to be friends on the nook so we can lend books to each other, my email on the nook is jenlopez1283@yahoo.com, send me a request! =o

[Tai]

E-Reader all the way!!! Since I got my Nook (recently upgraded to the new Touch Nook) over a year ago I haven't brought a single paper and glue book. I am an avid reader so I read at least 3-4 books a week which can get expensive when you are reading new released only in hardcover format. Thanks to my ereader I can buy more books and I get them instantly as I am also very impatient. ;D Plus I always have my entire library with me what more could a girl wish for.

[Kevin]

I can't stand e-readers. That puts too much control in the hands of the publishers/vendors. When I'm done with a book I like to pass it on, lend it to someone, write notes in it.

Plus, the battery never dies in a paper book.

[Rebecca]

Good point about the battery - very true. I also prefer a print/paper book, but I do own a nook. It is more convenient for traveling.

[Rikki]

There's something about reading an actual book that you can't get with an e-reader. Old books for one are my all time favorite, After a while they smell amazing! New books are much the same. They smell like ink and.... well new. E-readers are handy when on the go and stuff. But you can't beat a real book in your hands, the ways your can hold, make it look loved. You can't do that to an e-reader.

[Rebecca]

Old books are FANTASTIC!!!! I collect old books and have quite a few that were published in the 1800s. I have one from 1834.

[Diana]

I prefer reading a book any time. But I would like to get an e-reader to read all the e-books I feel I'm missing out on.

[Gorfo]

So if you look at my earlier comments you'll see a strong dislike for e-readers...but now that I actually have an e-reader I have to admit there are definite pro's. I'm carrying around over a 100 books in something that's less than a lb and that is just incredibly awesome. Still I kinda love the feeling of a book fitting perfectly in my hands :)

[Tai]

I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre-Nook I always ended up buying my favorites multiple times because the words had faded on the pages because I had read the book so many times. This translates to more money to spend on new books.

[Gorfo]

Tai wrote: "I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre-Nook I always ended up buying my favor..."

Wow! You must've had them for a really long time! My books have never faded! I can see how having an e-reader would make this a lot cheaper!

[Karl]

Tai wrote: "I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre-Nook I always ended up buying my favor..."

A book printed on poor quality paper tends to fade over time. A book printed on acid-free paper will hold up for more than a lifetime. That is why books printed in the 19th century often look fresher than a book printed in the 20th century. The introduction of bleach to the papermaking process resulted in a poorer quality, but cheaper, paper.

[Gorfo]

Karl wrote: "Tai wrote: "I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre-Nook I always ended up buy..."

Wow! That's really interesting. So is it just assumed that all books have acid in them now-a-days? Or does it depend on the publishing company?

[Karl]

Gorfo wrote: "Karl wrote: "Tai wrote: "I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre-Nook I always..."

Most books have acid in the paper, and it is a big problem for libraries. Their collections are deteriorating just sitting on the shelf. If you go to an art supply store, you can find acid-free paper. The touch and feel is very different.

[Peggy]

My Nook color is never far from me. I have hundreds of paper books butI love being able to carry them all around with me and read whatever I am in the mood for.

[Gorfo]

Karl wrote: "Gorfo wrote: "Karl wrote: "Tai wrote: "I am an avid reader and I tend to go back and read my favorites often so an added perk of having my Nook is not having to buy my favorites multiple times. Pre..."

oooo cool! I think I'll do that the next time I got to the art store :)