I* do* enjoy all the physical / psychological aspects of of print books; the heft , the feel of the paper and yes, even the smell. And let’s not forget the covers. I’ve read many books that I would not otherwise have known about simply because the cover looked interesting. All that being said, I enjoy my e-reader for when I’m away from home. Much easier to carry and easier for my failing eyes to see if the lighting is less than optimal.
*Printed newspapers *, on the other hand, provide a far superior experience than reading on-line.
I prefer reading paper book but the vast majority of books I buy are ebooks due to getting them immediately. Any more i only buy paper books when its one I know I’m going to read it multiple times and want to add it to my collection or a reference book that I’ll need to pick up and flip through on occasion.
I do love the smell and feel of books and I’m looking forward to getting out library set up again after my latest move.
Yet another advantage of printed books: You can find them for cheap or free used.
I won’t turn up my nose to an e-book, and it’s the appropriate format for some books, especially when space is limited. But there are some books that I will always have a printed copy of for as long as I live. If I’m going to curl up with The Hobbit or A Wrinkle in Time or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or any of my other old favorites, it’s going to be a book.
I love looking at our book shelves and thinking “What should I read?” I don’t really know how many books we have, but it’s enough to see one and go “Oh yeah! Forgot we had that! I’ll read that again!”
I have read books through Project Gutenberg, but I read them during lunch at work, on the bus, or other places where it was more convenient to not have the book to tear up or damage.
Yup. There aren’t as many black vs white situations in the world as some think.
Yup. I can’t get on with ereaders for some reason. I rather wish I could, it would certainly make life easier in some respects. But I much prefer books printed on paper, in part for the tactile experience.
In an ideal world, I’d be a paper reader only. Unfortunately, my vision isn’t very good anymore. Some small typefaces are almost impossible for me to read and even fairly standard text becomes tiring much sooner than it used to. When I can find appropriate, large print works then they are greatly enjoyed. In the real world, I’ll do 90% of my recreational reading on my jumbo iPad.
I don’t buy any of the either/or, either.
Of course electronic reading works, and of course I use it. And there are things available electronically that aren’t on paper.
Doesn’t stop me from claiming that paper is objectively better in many ways, but both are important.
I agree! I love my Kindle and would not want to give it up, but I love everything about a book and that includes the smell. I have a VERY hard time getting rid of books. And nope, I could never read the newspaper online.
There may well already be kids out there to whom “the smell of books” nostalgically evokes ozone
PS the sign of a well-designed book, regardless of medium, is that you read it and do not notice anything (like the type being fuzzy or too big or too small, too many or too few words on each page, etc.) For instance, a Gutenberg bible was designed not to be inferior to one produced by a scribe.
I recently moved from a house to an apartment. I put up 5 huge book shelves to hold my collection. I have since filled them and still have double digits of boxes of books with no idea where they will go so yes, yes, I like print books
No, not at all. Everyone including me thought that I would be like everyone else in this thread and never be able to give up print books. When I was given a Kindle as a gift, I still had a pile of 25 paperbacks that I had to read before I even started to use it. But once I started, I never looked back. Print books are heavier to carry, you can’t change the font size, as mentioned they get dusty and moldy and trigger allergies, it can take a while to get the one you want, and you can generally have at most one or two with you at a time if you’re out and about.
I always thought I read a lot, but my reading has increased by at least 30% since I got a Kindle (I’m now on my second). My incredible love of books is strictly for the content. When I realized that I had no interest in ever reading a print book again, I donated my collection of over 500 books to the Friends of the Public Library. I won’t even read a print book if someone gives me one as a gift - I’ll put it on my Kindle instead.
This is me. I like actual books, but I can’t read normal sized type anymore. Until I finally give in* and get glasses, I read from a screen.
*Maybe pretty soon. My wife is tired of reading menus and instructions to me and is threatening repercussions if I don’t go in and get some reading glasses.
I read more now, too. Not surprising, given how I have dozens of options with me whenever I want.
Before the kindle, I had already switched mostly over to library books and donated several thousand books. I don’t want to own books; I just want to read them.
Meh. They are better if dealing with a lot of illustrations.
I have my Kindle synched to my phone. So I always have the current book I’m reading with me. And a couple of more just waiting. I read SO much more now.
People are going to be jealous. The main branch of the county library is not 150 from my office. It’s in the same building, on the same floor. I don’t even have to go outside. But the only things I ever check out are books on CD for long road trips.
I’m from Romania and I enjoy print books. So do my fellow Romanians.
Romania ranks 13 in Internet speed (with USA on the 10th place) and 24 in smartphone penetration (USA being on the 7th place). There is a vast population in Romania that spends its time before a screen especially in urban areas. And yet, people read print books mostly. For instance, there is a private library (Bookster) that lends classic books and contemporary bestsellers to employees of hundreds of large companies as a benefit besides the salary.
