Do you like to read ebooks? Or do you prefer paper books? I read both but I have to admit that paper books are my favorite. I think one reason I love paper books is because sometimes I get to a point in my reading where I want to turn back to check on something I read and I find it harder to do in an ebook. I must be more of a hands-on, visual sort of person because there is something about turning the pages of a book that is more satisfying to me. I like being able to see how much more I have left to read and when I am reading an ebook, even though it gives me the percentage I have read, my head just doesn’t seem to comprehend that as well.
A paper book dropped in the water, while not exactly in the same condition after its dunking, can at least be dried out and still read most of the time. An e-reader probably will not fare as well. For those of us who like to soak in the bathtub while reading a book, this means that an e-reader is not a good choice.
I do love my e-reader when I am going to an appointment or when I am traveling. I love it for the portability and also for the number of books I can take with me, especially when I am almost at the end of a book and have a lot more time left in which to read. It’s nice to have another book or two, (or a thousand or more) to choose from when that book is done, without the added weight of those same books. I am laughing as I write this because on my recent trip to England, I managed to bring home a suitcase full of paper books.
I think ebooks are wonderful for those who like to read older novels but are allergic to dust and the musty smell of an old book. This is also true of those who do not have much living space but are addicted to books.
What about you? Do you have a preference or does it not matter?
I would say I am definitely a paper book reader first, but I like having the ebook option so I can read in bed without having the light on. I was preparing for a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and found a whole stash of paperbacks I hadn’t yet read. I am starting through them now. And then, the paperbacks which didn’t sell were in a pile in my mudroom and my daughter’s grandmother came by… and found a few books SHE hadn’t read. Paperbacks allow you to read communally, sharing with each other between family members and good friends. This woman will now have to drop by with the books she has read and maybe I will give her the one I am just finishing E-books, by comparison, are a lonely way to read.
I would have to agree with you on that. You can’t share an ebook the way you can a paperback book. Just one copy of a paper book can satisfy the reading desires of an infinite number of readers just by sharing it. Usually when the book is given back or passed along, comments about the book are also shared.
Since I have never read an ebook I will definitely say my favorite is the old-fashioned hard or soft cover! I feel rich when I have books piled on my nightstand waiting to be explored. The world is at my fingertips:)
I think you can never have too many books and I am always adding new books to my to-be-read pile.
Paper books all the way! Yes, ebooks are easier when travelling, but nothing compares to the simple act of turning a page and smelling the pages of a book!
I like ebooks 🙂 Except for survival books those I want in paper!
I love big fat historical novels and family sagas, many of which, because of their length, are in small print in paperback. I’ve bought many of my old favorites in e-book format for ease in reading (or re-reading), though I must admit I still am reluctant to toss out the paper/hardcover versions! My Kindle is stuffed with a lot of great books from the 50s, 60s, and 70s….as well as classics. As I get older, I figure If I ever have to move to assisted living, I can at least take all my “book friends” with me!
So I guess I use my Kindle as sort of a storage device of favorites, but I still go to the library every couple of weeks to keep up with the new novels and current non-fiction (which are getting to be ridiculously expensive in e-book format!).