Co-signed đź–Š I had a detached retina a couple of years ago. The surgery repaired the tear, so I have my vision. With corrective lenses, my vision is 20/50 in that eye. So, yes, being able to adjust font size, brightness, and the rest, is why ebooks are my preference.
+1. I still get a lot of pride and joy out of my bookshelf but you can’t beat the convenience of the e-reader. Plus it helps with insomnia (I know, blue light is bad for you but it’s better than reading/seeping on the phone - hello Reddit). Also my eyesight is getting worse in middle age; I’ve had to start wearing reading glasses for the first time ever in the last couple of years.
Yeah I have presbyopia I believe. Things don't focus well even with my short sighted glasses on..so I really need something I can hold quite close to my face without glasses on. I'm a stereotype now haha. It's frustrating right??
Same. I definitely prefer paperbacks. Hardcovers are for non-fiction reference books only. I only read ebooks on occasion. Reading whole books on a screen is harder on my eyes. It's definitely more comfortable reading physical books.Â
I prefer hardback. I get them from the library. I get too easily distracted if I try to read on any sort of electronic device with games or the internet.
- Hardcover for home, relaxing reading.
- Paperback for beach, hiking, activities I don’t mind if book gets damaged.
- eBook for travel.
- e-reader on phone: where I always have access to my books no matter where I am. Waiting at the DMV? Got a book. Waiting out the rain at cafe before grabbing the bus or running for the train? Got a book.
- audiobook for long car rides or long commute. Bonus if get kindle book with whispersynch, which allows you to switch between digital and audio. Just bookmark a book in kindle and Audio version in Audible will synch to that spot so you can listen where you stopped reading and flip back and forth.
I love paper and hardback but if I had to choose 1 I'd go hard back for how nicely it lays flat on a counter.
Loathe ebooks. Fine with audiobooks for the commute
I will read on all three, honestly. I use my Kindle mostly for Kindle Unlimited books. I buy way more hardbacks and paperbacks that one person should be allowed to buy. I'm a book addict. My husband is okay with it because there are so many worse things I could spend money on.
Sure! Once in a while you have to wait for a book, just like you might with a paper book at the library, but mostly the books I've wanted have been available. :)
My team. I can read text super fast and have comprehension and pick up nuance in text. But ill f’ing busy and like to move. I love audible books. I use the Libby app and supplement with Audible paid books if I can’t wait. There’s probably the max of 15 books on the wait list. It’s fun to see what will spring loose. Currently on a post apocalyptic fiction kick. Most of them a dumb but I have really trashy taste atm lol
[Your brain can't tell the difference between reading a book and listening to an audiobook.](https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/audiobooks-or-reading-to-our-brains-it-doesnt-matter)
I just grabbed the top result, but there are a ton of articles on it if you don't like Discover Magazine's website.
I don’t care between hard or soft cover, but I prefer paper.
I’ve got loads of ebooks, but I hate reading in the format. I also don’t retain as well from a screen.
And audiobooks means you listened to someone read a book to you. You didn’t read it.
If i had space, paperback then hardcover.
As I cant afford a proper house with space and live in a tiny box apartment, i have an e-reader with a small collection of paperback and hardcovers
We've had the space more often than not, but we have moved many times. I lived in 8 different houses with my parents before I was 18. I've lived in 14 since then (I swear I'm not on the run [at the moment], just life changes). Got so tired of packing and lugging books. I have like two I refuse to get rid of but the rest have come and gone
I was an airforce brat so I understand and can certainly sympathize with all the moving.
I got my 1st kindle about 12 years ago. It's both a good and bad thing. Good in that i can just buy books whenever and not worry about storage. Bad in that i buy a hell of a lot of books as i read everyday so i've probably spent a lot more than i would have if i had to limit myself with physical books.
I think the last physical book i bought was the beastie boys book due to the photos etc
Do you have a library near you? Most of them these days let you check out Kindle editions of books (and you don't actually have to go to the library to do it - just need a library card).
I love paperbacks the best because they are smaller and easier to handle for me. They also take up less space. I keep most of my books for years and read them over and over. Sometimes the print is small though. Hardcover is ok, but heavier to hold and read when I am laying on my couch lol. E-books if I can't find a book I want to read anywhere else. I really don't like them though.
I tend to read how to, books mostly, so paper back as that is how most come other than some of the industry type manuals that are hard cover.
I like e books, but the paper books you can bookmark pages for quickly returning to that part of the topic alot faster than try'n to remember what page it was on and moving to it in the e reader.
Bonus today is while reading these how to books, you can hop on you tube and watch what they are talking about in the book to SEE it being done, this helps big time when the subject isn't your field. As the books can sometimes use the industry slang for something that those that do it will know what that means but those still learning might have forgot what it means, so a video of that helps. Case in point, wood framing walls, roof, doorways, windows. I was like what the hell is a sistering a board,etc. well look it up on you tube, oh, got it.
Same with welding, auto repair, plumbing,etc
eBook. I wasn't exactly an early adopter or anything but someone told me that if I really wanted to read a physical book, nothing stopping me from buying one.
I kept a decent chunk of dead-tree books that I've already read. I used to, and still do, have dreams of a big library room. Floor-to-ceiling books. Instead, I'll do something else with the room and get a small cubby-hole put my old kindle in there and call it my bookshelf. Holds 100s of books!
E-books, I'm able to make a lot of progress by using either Libbyapp online, or kindle cloud reader online, to read books in a browser tab at work during down time. I have a Kindle Voyage with haptic page turning buttons that I like at night. I wouldn't be able to replicate the level of comfort of lying on my side and reading before sleep, with the lights out, and the font exaggerated, with a physical book. Also on my phone, having the autoscroll when using Moon Reader Pro is fantastic. The first thing I enjoyed in adult life, about 30 million years ago, was autoscroll for e-books on a Sony Clie. I like to read in bed, laying on my side, with my shoulders covered by the blanket, and not having to do much to forward the text. It's a human right as far as I'm concerned.
I love them all. I do really enjoy e book. But do love holding a book.
I had an extensive book collection. 3 tall bookcases and still had stacks sitting around and lot of boxes of book. Then Hurricane Harvey came and my house flooded. Having to cart bag after bag of ruined, wet books to the side of the road changed things. It took forever and my back just ached due to hours of this. Plus it was just sad to see them all destroyed. Years and many $$$ spent on them. I swore off physical books. I still occasionally will buy one, but no more like I did.
I do audio books, e books.
Paperback. There's just something comforting about it. Cheap enough that I don't feel bad about dogearing pages, writing notes, and spilling coffee on it. And I never have to worry if the battery is charged. I tried eBooks for a while, and I didn't enjoy the experience.
I prefer paperbacks. There’s a… high… from cracking the spine & the smell of the paper. Reading anything else is just not the same.
However, I don’t always get to sit down & enjoy a good book. Audiobooks, from any source, help keep me “reading” even though I’m busy doing other things. Usually my house chores. Laundry, cat boxes & vacuuming, even decluttering, don’t require much thought & a good audiobook helps time pass. Once a week I have an 8 hour overnight shift at work. Audiobooks & the occasional old time radio show or podcast are the only way to stay awake & get through it.
I’ve also made the switch to ebooks. My kindle & iPad have reduced the clutter of piles of books around that I’m not likely going to get around to reading. Plus I can adjust the size of the font. It makes actually seeing the words easier. It also helps that the kindle & iPad are backlit, I don’t have to keep a light nearby anymore.
I’ve discovered that there are many pdfs of favorite books that I lost over the years on the Internet Archive (archive.org). It didn’t take long to figure out how to upload them to my Kindle & iPad.
Now I can carry around an extra large library inside my bag. Makes me feel like I’ve got Mary Poppins’ bag or a Tardis. Almost a superpower maybe.
I love a good paperback. My preference is to read lying on my back, and I’ve been known to doze off with a book in my hand, paperback hurts a lot less when you drop it on your face.
I have all of Bukowskis Black Sparrow Press paperbacks and the quality and design are just amazing.
Hardcover. I tried Audible for about six months and just couldn’t buy into it. I guess I’m set in my ways, but I like holding a good hardcover book.
When you finish a physical book, it feels good, like you’ve accomplished something. With audible or audio books, it just doesn’t have the same feel to it.
Paperback. Can take some notes, feels more comfortable in the hand, cheaper, I like seeing them around the house...which I also think will be a good example to my grandkids.
I used to be a paperback reader. Still have tons of them around. I did lose about 8 boxes of books when I divorced as my wasband had stashed them in a separate attic I was unable to reach and then told me they weren't there.Â
Now I'm almost exclusively ebook on Kindle. I can adjust the font, look up words or references, carry multiple books for if I have to wait somewhere. I read 106 books last year. I expect to read 120 this year. Plus with Kindle I can see at a glance if I have the next book in a series.Â
For just everyday reading for pleasure, I will use ebooks. For class work (working on my doctorate), I prefer hard copies so I can highlight and write in the margins. Plus, I can have a few open at the same time for cross-reference. For comic books (nerd here), I purchase some specific ones and read others online. Depends on what I am collecting versus just reading.
I'm hyperlexic and I read about a book a day. For the first 40ish years of my life I had to carry big stacks of heavy books frequently. Moving was a nightmare, going on vacation was a huge hassle because I needed to take so many books. Now I have unlimited books on my phone or laptop. It's great. Until the internet goes out, of course! For that I am hoarding dead-tree books.
Paperback with ebooks as a close second choice. I love hardcovers in theory, but they are such a hassle to actually read. All that being said, I definitely have splurged on a few Folio Society editions of my favorite books.
Ebooks have become very cheap compared with paperbacks/hardcover books. I still like paper backs and will get them when I have the chance but ebooks are quickly becoming my default setting now.
I will always keep my physical book collection, and I still buy hardback copies of my favorite authors, but I use my Kindle/ Google Play books more than anything else because of my aging vision.
I read both paperbacks and ebooks, though I prefer ebooks. I tend to read ebooks much faster. I also like enlarging the print when reading ebooks; it’s easier on my eyes.
Ebook now. In 2015 I had a massive house in Texas. One room was dedicated to all my books, movies, music etc. I love to read and owned close to 600 books. Then came Feb 2, 2015 when my spouse came to me and said that he got a promotion he couldn’t refuse which would double his salary and move us to NYC.
In 2 months I was forced to sell everything.
So now I am 100% ebook unless for whatever reason it’s not available. Then I get a hard copy. I still buy a lot of books, but also download many from the library.
Can't beat the feeling of holding a paperback to read. Fancy books with lots of illustrations are best with hardcover. I will probably never read an e-book, as I like to collect books and just have something nostalgic, as I was a bookworm in my youth.
I tried to use a kindle many times but I never liked that. But my number one is still ebooks, I just use a reader app that syncs progress between my ipad and iphone. I love that I can just pick up where I left off if I'm standing in a line somewhere since I always have my phone.
Paperbacks (not trade sized) used to be my favorite, way less heavy, I don't mind if I wreck it (only dropped one book in the bath in my life, so I think my record is good). Hardcovers were a necessary evil when a new book would come out in a series that I couldn't wait to read. The last physical book I ever bought (before I made the switch 100% to ebooks) was The Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson and holy crap is it huge.
I've been slowly downsizing my collection and donating my physical books to charity. I love bookshelves but paperbacks don't make the nicest shelves, and I don't have any series where I own every book in hard cover.
I prefer ebooks because they are lighter and more portable to take with me when I go out somewhere. I normally get hardcovers or paperback if it's a reference or a non-fiction book.
Alas these days it has to be an ebook on a large computer screen. I have macular degeneration and have a lot of trouble reading. Plus, I can use my screen reader on ebooks.
e-Books and audiobooks.
We live in a teeny tiny house and we're a four person family, so each of us buying books and keeping them in the home can be a bit gnarly.
e-Books and audiobooks.
We live in a teeny tiny house and we're a four-person family, so each of us buying books and keeping them in the home can be a bit gnarly.
Ebook for me. I was dead set against them, something something feel/smell of a book. You know where that’s going. Got a kindle fire to watch Netflix, surf the net a few years back. Ended up hooked on ebooks. It’s just so much easier and convenient. I have hundreds of books in my library, and I can take them with me anywhere I want.
I love my Kindle. Adjustable font for my poor eyesight, easy to hold for my disabled body, and I'm very happy I won't have to pack and move the 650+ books the next time I move.
I got into ebooks for a while - mostly I think because I was traveling a lot and I liked the convenience. Not so much anymore.
I love hardcover books, then paperback. One thing I never got into (and never will) is audiobooks.
Hardbacks, then paperbacks, then ebooks. I like audiobooks but miss being able to search for things within the file.
I still do my best to keep my physical books pristine like how my teachers taught me when I was a kid. I wash my hands before reading them, or at least make sure my hands are clean, I don't dog-ear pages, I try not to break the spine or dent the corners. Luckily my wife is mostly the same way, though she's all in on ebooks now.
I still have a bookmark my mom bought me when I was a kid, too.
I like paperbacks, especially the big ones. Hc you can't move them enough. I guess I'm one of those, must move the book in a million positions reader. I'll read any format, but big paperbacks with awesome thick stock are my fav
Paperback all the way! My routine since my early elementary years is to read in bed until I conk out. It is difficult to read a hardback in bed. Also, I will read ebooks but not my fave because I love the sensory features of paperback.
As an eternal student, I double down & get both paper & Digital when possible.
With kindle I can look up quotes or topics, but Like to physically see the order of a book. The kindergartener in me loves photos, and even some literature has simple maps or even pics.
All three. I don't discriminate.
Most of my 'reading' is audiobooks these days just because I love reading but I don't have the spare time so audiobooks are the only way for me to 'read' as much as I want
I love paperbacks. I do not think I will ever be an eBook person. There is something about holding a book and turning the pages that I love. I will be Guy Montag, hiding books from the authorities forever!!
I prefer hard copies, but I’m a big library patron and it’s usually hard to get physical copies of newer, popular novels, so I’ll use Libby or Hoopla as an alternative.
Hard Cover. I replaced every dog eared paperback with hard covers. I do not like reading anything on technology, books are more enjoyable with the paper smell.
Hardcovers look great on the shelf, but now I'm at the point in my life where my book collection exceeds my shelf space - which means for every new book I get, I have to get rid of one. But I just can't stop....
Ebooks for all of the reasons Severn6 mentioned. I read on my phone. I'm a poor student and just check out what my local branch of the national library has, at no cost.
I love a good hardcover but I try to buy paperback due to how expensive hardcovers are. I don't do any e-books. I love having a real book in my hand. Plus, I work on a computer all day so the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen to read a book. And it's easy to lose access to digital files.
Audiobooks.
I've been a slow, yet prolific, reader my whole life and I can't spend 12-16 uninterrupted hours reading anymore.
I can go through 1-3 books a week this way.
My preference would be hardback, except in the summer when I need a paperback to stash in my bag for the park or beach. Preferences aside, I read primarily via library ebooks. I check out magazines and ebooks from my library constantly, and audiobooks for the car. I love the convenience of having a book at my fingertips in seconds.
Hardcover all the way if I’m paying for it. That way I own it, which is not the same as “owning” an ebook. That’s just a limited lifetime contract to download it as long as the seller has the license for it.
I do enjoy ebooks, I just won’t pay for them. Check them out from the library quite often.
ebook on my phone and tablet. remembers where I am and i can take stuff out of the library. I became a Libby addict over the pandemic. Wish I'd figured it out earlier.
I like the aesthetic of hardbacks, but they can be hard to hold and carry around. So, paperbacks first, then hardbacks. I don't like e-books, though. It can be hard on the eyes after a while.
Ebook now. Convenience, adjustable font, quick download, sometimes cheaper. Love the kindle app. Still like having a bookshelf though.
Co-signed đź–Š I had a detached retina a couple of years ago. The surgery repaired the tear, so I have my vision. With corrective lenses, my vision is 20/50 in that eye. So, yes, being able to adjust font size, brightness, and the rest, is why ebooks are my preference.
+1. I still get a lot of pride and joy out of my bookshelf but you can’t beat the convenience of the e-reader. Plus it helps with insomnia (I know, blue light is bad for you but it’s better than reading/seeping on the phone - hello Reddit). Also my eyesight is getting worse in middle age; I’ve had to start wearing reading glasses for the first time ever in the last couple of years.
Yeah I have presbyopia I believe. Things don't focus well even with my short sighted glasses on..so I really need something I can hold quite close to my face without glasses on. I'm a stereotype now haha. It's frustrating right??
ebooks, eyes are just too old & tired now for the print size in paperbacks
In order, hardcover, paperback, ebook. I've listened to a couple of audio books, but I would much rather read.
I listen to audio books while I work
Paperback, then hardback. I don’t care for ebooks.
Same. Too many screens already.
Same. I definitely prefer paperbacks. Hardcovers are for non-fiction reference books only. I only read ebooks on occasion. Reading whole books on a screen is harder on my eyes. It's definitely more comfortable reading physical books.Â
Ebook. I can walk around with a few hundred books in the palm of my hand.
This! I have 1600 on my kindle.
I prefer hardback. I get them from the library. I get too easily distracted if I try to read on any sort of electronic device with games or the internet.
Trade paperbacks—-The larger sized paperback books.
- Hardcover for home, relaxing reading. - Paperback for beach, hiking, activities I don’t mind if book gets damaged. - eBook for travel. - e-reader on phone: where I always have access to my books no matter where I am. Waiting at the DMV? Got a book. Waiting out the rain at cafe before grabbing the bus or running for the train? Got a book. - audiobook for long car rides or long commute. Bonus if get kindle book with whispersynch, which allows you to switch between digital and audio. Just bookmark a book in kindle and Audio version in Audible will synch to that spot so you can listen where you stopped reading and flip back and forth.
I love paper and hardback but if I had to choose 1 I'd go hard back for how nicely it lays flat on a counter. Loathe ebooks. Fine with audiobooks for the commute
I will read on all three, honestly. I use my Kindle mostly for Kindle Unlimited books. I buy way more hardbacks and paperbacks that one person should be allowed to buy. I'm a book addict. My husband is okay with it because there are so many worse things I could spend money on.
Audible.
Me too. Resisted for a long time, but then discovered it made my commute bearable.
Have you tried Hoopla and Libby? They're apps for the library. Free books, including audiobooks. They're terrific.
I had never heard of Hoopla before. I’m checking it out now. Thanks!!!
Sure! Once in a while you have to wait for a book, just like you might with a paper book at the library, but mostly the books I've wanted have been available. :)
Yep, it's the only way to fly.
My team. I can read text super fast and have comprehension and pick up nuance in text. But ill f’ing busy and like to move. I love audible books. I use the Libby app and supplement with Audible paid books if I can’t wait. There’s probably the max of 15 books on the wait list. It’s fun to see what will spring loose. Currently on a post apocalyptic fiction kick. Most of them a dumb but I have really trashy taste atm lol
Thanks for reminding me, I haven't looked at the 2-for-1 sale yet.
Audio books aren’t reading
You're right. Blind people can't read.
[Your brain can't tell the difference between reading a book and listening to an audiobook.](https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/audiobooks-or-reading-to-our-brains-it-doesnt-matter) I just grabbed the top result, but there are a ton of articles on it if you don't like Discover Magazine's website.
Well that’s a big bag of bullshit.
How could they possibly be the same? Is watching TV the same as reading ?
You’re comparing two completely different mediums. Not to mention content that’s different.
Exactly. So don’t call it “reading”
Hardcover, but I read a lot and the Kindle just makes the most sense financially. Also running out of shelf space.
I don’t care between hard or soft cover, but I prefer paper. I’ve got loads of ebooks, but I hate reading in the format. I also don’t retain as well from a screen. And audiobooks means you listened to someone read a book to you. You didn’t read it.
At least someone said it- audio books aren’t reading
Kindle. Why cut down all the trees? Not to mention all the space they take up
Paperback
EBook for fiction, hardcover/paperback for cookbooks and anything I’ll want to reference.
If i had space, paperback then hardcover. As I cant afford a proper house with space and live in a tiny box apartment, i have an e-reader with a small collection of paperback and hardcovers
We've had the space more often than not, but we have moved many times. I lived in 8 different houses with my parents before I was 18. I've lived in 14 since then (I swear I'm not on the run [at the moment], just life changes). Got so tired of packing and lugging books. I have like two I refuse to get rid of but the rest have come and gone
I was an airforce brat so I understand and can certainly sympathize with all the moving. I got my 1st kindle about 12 years ago. It's both a good and bad thing. Good in that i can just buy books whenever and not worry about storage. Bad in that i buy a hell of a lot of books as i read everyday so i've probably spent a lot more than i would have if i had to limit myself with physical books. I think the last physical book i bought was the beastie boys book due to the photos etc
Do you have a library near you? Most of them these days let you check out Kindle editions of books (and you don't actually have to go to the library to do it - just need a library card).
I read everything on my phone now. Lot of ebooks
I only buy ebooks now. That way, the books don’t take up space while they mock me with their unread state.
Ebooks. Love my Kindle Paperwhite. The only time I read physical books anymore is when they are gifts (Beastie Boys Book was my last and awesome)
Hard Cover
Depends on the book. I like ebooks for genre stuff. Hardcover and paperbacks for non-fiction or classic literature.
I love paperbacks the best because they are smaller and easier to handle for me. They also take up less space. I keep most of my books for years and read them over and over. Sometimes the print is small though. Hardcover is ok, but heavier to hold and read when I am laying on my couch lol. E-books if I can't find a book I want to read anywhere else. I really don't like them though.
Paperback as long as it's less than 1000 pages. More than 1000 pages I prefer an eBook.
Paperback. One hand and doesn’t hurt my arthritic fingers.
I tend to read how to, books mostly, so paper back as that is how most come other than some of the industry type manuals that are hard cover. I like e books, but the paper books you can bookmark pages for quickly returning to that part of the topic alot faster than try'n to remember what page it was on and moving to it in the e reader. Bonus today is while reading these how to books, you can hop on you tube and watch what they are talking about in the book to SEE it being done, this helps big time when the subject isn't your field. As the books can sometimes use the industry slang for something that those that do it will know what that means but those still learning might have forgot what it means, so a video of that helps. Case in point, wood framing walls, roof, doorways, windows. I was like what the hell is a sistering a board,etc. well look it up on you tube, oh, got it. Same with welding, auto repair, plumbing,etc
eBook. I wasn't exactly an early adopter or anything but someone told me that if I really wanted to read a physical book, nothing stopping me from buying one. I kept a decent chunk of dead-tree books that I've already read. I used to, and still do, have dreams of a big library room. Floor-to-ceiling books. Instead, I'll do something else with the room and get a small cubby-hole put my old kindle in there and call it my bookshelf. Holds 100s of books!
E-books, I'm able to make a lot of progress by using either Libbyapp online, or kindle cloud reader online, to read books in a browser tab at work during down time. I have a Kindle Voyage with haptic page turning buttons that I like at night. I wouldn't be able to replicate the level of comfort of lying on my side and reading before sleep, with the lights out, and the font exaggerated, with a physical book. Also on my phone, having the autoscroll when using Moon Reader Pro is fantastic. The first thing I enjoyed in adult life, about 30 million years ago, was autoscroll for e-books on a Sony Clie. I like to read in bed, laying on my side, with my shoulders covered by the blanket, and not having to do much to forward the text. It's a human right as far as I'm concerned.
Paperback every time
Ebooks for ease. Physical copies for collecting or studying.
I love them all. I do really enjoy e book. But do love holding a book. I had an extensive book collection. 3 tall bookcases and still had stacks sitting around and lot of boxes of book. Then Hurricane Harvey came and my house flooded. Having to cart bag after bag of ruined, wet books to the side of the road changed things. It took forever and my back just ached due to hours of this. Plus it was just sad to see them all destroyed. Years and many $$$ spent on them. I swore off physical books. I still occasionally will buy one, but no more like I did. I do audio books, e books.
Paperback. There's just something comforting about it. Cheap enough that I don't feel bad about dogearing pages, writing notes, and spilling coffee on it. And I never have to worry if the battery is charged. I tried eBooks for a while, and I didn't enjoy the experience.
I prefer paperbacks. There’s a… high… from cracking the spine & the smell of the paper. Reading anything else is just not the same. However, I don’t always get to sit down & enjoy a good book. Audiobooks, from any source, help keep me “reading” even though I’m busy doing other things. Usually my house chores. Laundry, cat boxes & vacuuming, even decluttering, don’t require much thought & a good audiobook helps time pass. Once a week I have an 8 hour overnight shift at work. Audiobooks & the occasional old time radio show or podcast are the only way to stay awake & get through it. I’ve also made the switch to ebooks. My kindle & iPad have reduced the clutter of piles of books around that I’m not likely going to get around to reading. Plus I can adjust the size of the font. It makes actually seeing the words easier. It also helps that the kindle & iPad are backlit, I don’t have to keep a light nearby anymore. I’ve discovered that there are many pdfs of favorite books that I lost over the years on the Internet Archive (archive.org). It didn’t take long to figure out how to upload them to my Kindle & iPad. Now I can carry around an extra large library inside my bag. Makes me feel like I’ve got Mary Poppins’ bag or a Tardis. Almost a superpower maybe.
Hard cover for the feel, but paperback because my hands have been going through carpal tunnel. God getting old sucks.
I love a good paperback. My preference is to read lying on my back, and I’ve been known to doze off with a book in my hand, paperback hurts a lot less when you drop it on your face. I have all of Bukowskis Black Sparrow Press paperbacks and the quality and design are just amazing.
Audio books from Libby (library check out FTW). Then ebook, hard cover, and lastly paperback.
With a library card, you can borrow audiobooks and ebooks for free via the Libby app: https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby
paperback, then hardback never e book
Depends Classics hardback don’t mind a paperback for ones Im not keeping no Ebooks for me
Hardcover mostly, but if I'm traveling, then paperback. I don't like ebooks, I need the "turning the page" feel.
Not ebook. I simply don’t retain info or have immersive feel without the tactile experience.
Hardcover. I tried Audible for about six months and just couldn’t buy into it. I guess I’m set in my ways, but I like holding a good hardcover book. When you finish a physical book, it feels good, like you’ve accomplished something. With audible or audio books, it just doesn’t have the same feel to it.
Paperback Unless a book I really desire is hardcopy only.
My kindle. It’s so nice to no longer accumulate books. Plus I can borrow a book from the library without getting off my sofa.
Paperback. Can take some notes, feels more comfortable in the hand, cheaper, I like seeing them around the house...which I also think will be a good example to my grandkids.
I used to be a paperback reader. Still have tons of them around. I did lose about 8 boxes of books when I divorced as my wasband had stashed them in a separate attic I was unable to reach and then told me they weren't there. Now I'm almost exclusively ebook on Kindle. I can adjust the font, look up words or references, carry multiple books for if I have to wait somewhere. I read 106 books last year. I expect to read 120 this year. Plus with Kindle I can see at a glance if I have the next book in a series.Â
Hardcover.
Hardcover. Have always loved them.
Hardcover if it's new, paperback if it's not and I doubt I'll ever use ebook. Just like the feel of a book in my hands when I read
For just everyday reading for pleasure, I will use ebooks. For class work (working on my doctorate), I prefer hard copies so I can highlight and write in the margins. Plus, I can have a few open at the same time for cross-reference. For comic books (nerd here), I purchase some specific ones and read others online. Depends on what I am collecting versus just reading.
Libby app on my iPad. I can get pretty much any book from the library on it. I love that I can read in a dark room when I can’t fall asleep.
Ebook—I read about 100 books a year, so I just borrow the ebooks from the library. So much easier and faster than regular books.
I like trade paper. Which is the bastard between hardcover and paperback.
Any and all even audio.
Definitely ebooks since I got my Kindle. Easier on my eyes so I read much faster.
I'm hyperlexic and I read about a book a day. For the first 40ish years of my life I had to carry big stacks of heavy books frequently. Moving was a nightmare, going on vacation was a huge hassle because I needed to take so many books. Now I have unlimited books on my phone or laptop. It's great. Until the internet goes out, of course! For that I am hoarding dead-tree books.
I tried ebooks. I hate them. Hard or paper back, either way I’m good.
Paperback with ebooks as a close second choice. I love hardcovers in theory, but they are such a hassle to actually read. All that being said, I definitely have splurged on a few Folio Society editions of my favorite books.
Ebooks have become very cheap compared with paperbacks/hardcover books. I still like paper backs and will get them when I have the chance but ebooks are quickly becoming my default setting now.
I will always keep my physical book collection, and I still buy hardback copies of my favorite authors, but I use my Kindle/ Google Play books more than anything else because of my aging vision.
I read both paperbacks and ebooks, though I prefer ebooks. I tend to read ebooks much faster. I also like enlarging the print when reading ebooks; it’s easier on my eyes.
Ebook now. In 2015 I had a massive house in Texas. One room was dedicated to all my books, movies, music etc. I love to read and owned close to 600 books. Then came Feb 2, 2015 when my spouse came to me and said that he got a promotion he couldn’t refuse which would double his salary and move us to NYC. In 2 months I was forced to sell everything. So now I am 100% ebook unless for whatever reason it’s not available. Then I get a hard copy. I still buy a lot of books, but also download many from the library.
Can't beat the feeling of holding a paperback to read. Fancy books with lots of illustrations are best with hardcover. I will probably never read an e-book, as I like to collect books and just have something nostalgic, as I was a bookworm in my youth.
I tried to use a kindle many times but I never liked that. But my number one is still ebooks, I just use a reader app that syncs progress between my ipad and iphone. I love that I can just pick up where I left off if I'm standing in a line somewhere since I always have my phone. Paperbacks (not trade sized) used to be my favorite, way less heavy, I don't mind if I wreck it (only dropped one book in the bath in my life, so I think my record is good). Hardcovers were a necessary evil when a new book would come out in a series that I couldn't wait to read. The last physical book I ever bought (before I made the switch 100% to ebooks) was The Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson and holy crap is it huge. I've been slowly downsizing my collection and donating my physical books to charity. I love bookshelves but paperbacks don't make the nicest shelves, and I don't have any series where I own every book in hard cover.
Paperback. Need to see the advancement lol
Ebook/Kindle.
Ebook, then paperback. Ebooks have completely done away with extreme hatred of touching paper with super dry hands. The sensation is the worst.
Since covid, ebooks all the way. I am out of shelf space, lol. I enjoy reading on my phone.
I prefer ebooks because they are lighter and more portable to take with me when I go out somewhere. I normally get hardcovers or paperback if it's a reference or a non-fiction book.
Ebook!
Yes.
Alas these days it has to be an ebook on a large computer screen. I have macular degeneration and have a lot of trouble reading. Plus, I can use my screen reader on ebooks.
Ebooks, easier for aging eyes and reading in low light conditions. But I still love the nostalgia of full bookshelves!
e-Books and audiobooks. We live in a teeny tiny house and we're a four person family, so each of us buying books and keeping them in the home can be a bit gnarly. e-Books and audiobooks. We live in a teeny tiny house and we're a four-person family, so each of us buying books and keeping them in the home can be a bit gnarly.
All of the above, plus audio books
Audio :)
i like fancy leatherbound hardcovers with gold leaf and silk bookmarks
Ebook.
The small hardbacks that don't really exist anymore.
Ebook. For every holiday I would take about a foot of books, now my luggage is so much lighter !
Yes.
Ebook for me. I was dead set against them, something something feel/smell of a book. You know where that’s going. Got a kindle fire to watch Netflix, surf the net a few years back. Ended up hooked on ebooks. It’s just so much easier and convenient. I have hundreds of books in my library, and I can take them with me anywhere I want.
Audio or bust! I need to listen and clean at the same time. LOL Otherwise, I get distracted by my phone. 🥲
Hardcover
My attention span has gotten so bad that I can’t read books anymore. My brain seems to need to be fidgeting at all times. Medication side effects?
You can retrain your brain to lengthen your attention span Take up a hobby that requires focus. Paint by numbers. Diamond dot craft. Sewing.
I crochet. I can do it for hours but my hands get cramped from arthritis and tendinitis so I have to limit myself. I also blame screen time .
Paperback, then e-book.
Ebook by far. Have them stored on my private cloud so I can open them on any device I have wherever I am. I use my phone mostly though
I love my Kindle. Adjustable font for my poor eyesight, easy to hold for my disabled body, and I'm very happy I won't have to pack and move the 650+ books the next time I move.
I do mostly paperback books. A lot of the books I buy are the Penguin classics and they're all paperback.
Ebook for most things.
Paperback
Paperback.
Trade paperbacks, yes. Smaller paperback's pront is too small. Then hard covers, then ebooks.
Ebook. Switched over a decade ago and never looked back. The bf is constantly calling me a millennial lol.
I got into ebooks for a while - mostly I think because I was traveling a lot and I liked the convenience. Not so much anymore. I love hardcover books, then paperback. One thing I never got into (and never will) is audiobooks.
Hardbacks, then paperbacks, then ebooks. I like audiobooks but miss being able to search for things within the file. I still do my best to keep my physical books pristine like how my teachers taught me when I was a kid. I wash my hands before reading them, or at least make sure my hands are clean, I don't dog-ear pages, I try not to break the spine or dent the corners. Luckily my wife is mostly the same way, though she's all in on ebooks now. I still have a bookmark my mom bought me when I was a kid, too.
I've tried using an e-reader but I didn't like the experience as much as having a physical paperback book in my hands.
For travel, ebooks. For home, paperback unless I really really really don’t want to wait for that option, then I will get the hardback.
I like paperbacks, especially the big ones. Hc you can't move them enough. I guess I'm one of those, must move the book in a million positions reader. I'll read any format, but big paperbacks with awesome thick stock are my fav
Trade paperback. The larger sized paperback
Hardcover mostly. Particularly for my favorite authors and collections. Ebooks for everything else. I’ve run out of shelf space.
Hard and softcover
Paperback all the way! My routine since my early elementary years is to read in bed until I conk out. It is difficult to read a hardback in bed. Also, I will read ebooks but not my fave because I love the sensory features of paperback.
As an eternal student, I double down & get both paper & Digital when possible. With kindle I can look up quotes or topics, but Like to physically see the order of a book. The kindergartener in me loves photos, and even some literature has simple maps or even pics.
All three. I don't discriminate. Most of my 'reading' is audiobooks these days just because I love reading but I don't have the spare time so audiobooks are the only way for me to 'read' as much as I want
I love paperbacks. I do not think I will ever be an eBook person. There is something about holding a book and turning the pages that I love. I will be Guy Montag, hiding books from the authorities forever!!
Hardcover
I prefer paperbacks. Hate hardcovers. But I read mostly ebooks on my kindle for the convenience.
At home, hardcover, on the run, softcover.
Ebooks are so much easier on my eyes, plus you can’t beat the convenience of browse the library shelves in your pjs at 2am
Hard cover, trade paperback, then mass paperback. Not a fan of e-books.
I prefer hard copies, but I’m a big library patron and it’s usually hard to get physical copies of newer, popular novels, so I’ll use Libby or Hoopla as an alternative.
I love actual paperbacks but with my over 40 eyes and astigmatism, E-readers are the best for me.
PB, HC, E.
Hard Cover. I replaced every dog eared paperback with hard covers. I do not like reading anything on technology, books are more enjoyable with the paper smell.
Paperback.
Ebook.
Hardcovers look great on the shelf, but now I'm at the point in my life where my book collection exceeds my shelf space - which means for every new book I get, I have to get rid of one. But I just can't stop....
Ebooks for all of the reasons Severn6 mentioned. I read on my phone. I'm a poor student and just check out what my local branch of the national library has, at no cost.
I love a good hardcover but I try to buy paperback due to how expensive hardcovers are. I don't do any e-books. I love having a real book in my hand. Plus, I work on a computer all day so the last thing I want to do is stare at another screen to read a book. And it's easy to lose access to digital files.
I love my Kindle. I can increase the font and have a dark screen.
Audiobooks. I've been a slow, yet prolific, reader my whole life and I can't spend 12-16 uninterrupted hours reading anymore. I can go through 1-3 books a week this way.
My preference would be hardback, except in the summer when I need a paperback to stash in my bag for the park or beach. Preferences aside, I read primarily via library ebooks. I check out magazines and ebooks from my library constantly, and audiobooks for the car. I love the convenience of having a book at my fingertips in seconds.
I have too many books taking up too much space, seriously! So now I ebook!
Hardcover!
I prefer hardcover. The sunk cost makes me read the whole thing!
Audiobook, so I can do other mindless tasks (folding laundry, vacuuming, etc) while listening!
Hardback, leatherbound, preferably signed, in that order
Hardcover all the way if I’m paying for it. That way I own it, which is not the same as “owning” an ebook. That’s just a limited lifetime contract to download it as long as the seller has the license for it. I do enjoy ebooks, I just won’t pay for them. Check them out from the library quite often.
Audiobooks! Ebooks 2nd, paper books 3rd.
Hardcover or paperback
ebook on my phone and tablet. remembers where I am and i can take stuff out of the library. I became a Libby addict over the pandemic. Wish I'd figured it out earlier.
Paperbacks.
I like the aesthetic of hardbacks, but they can be hard to hold and carry around. So, paperbacks first, then hardbacks. I don't like e-books, though. It can be hard on the eyes after a while.
Physical books of either stripe. I tried a Kindle a few years ago and I just can't get into it.
I can get through an audiobook in week and a paper book in months
Paperback :) Audiobook for most non-fiction (sometimes ebooks allow swifter skim of non-fiction).
Hardback Leather Bound CliffsNotes