Mass-market paperback, trade paperback, or some form of hardcover?
Personally, I prefer trade paperbacks to any other format. Mass-markets are almost always printed on the cheapest paper available, with the cheapest ink. I’m not hating on them - mass-market paperbacks make books available to, well, the mass of consumers, and I’d never hate on that - but I prefer not to get ink-smudges on my hands, and I prefer larger pages. Hardcovers look and feel nice, but can be somewhat awkward to carry.
Trade paperbacks, though, combine the best of both worlds: large enough pages to not be comfortable, decent-quality ink and paper most of the time, but often slender enough to fit in a large pocket. And they’re not as pricey as hardcovers, so you don’t feel as bad about spilling things on them.
Trade paperback (not that I’ve bought more tahn a couple paper books in the last three years, but before the Kindle Era I would generally spend the extra money to get a trade paperback if it was available and it would be a rare book I was willing to buy new in hardcover).
I prefer hardcovers. They’re the most durable, the easiest for me to read, and they look best on my shelves. Only problem is, they won’t always fit in my purse.
I do like trade paperbacks, because at least you can usually read them without breaking the spine. I *hate *breaking the spine on a shiny new paperback! But sometimes you can’t read them comfortably without doing that.
Aesthetically and vicerally, I vastly prefer hardcover; for practicality I prefer paperbacks: they’re less expensive and easier to find. I’ve only had one mass-market paperbood that I took an active dislike to because of the way it looked (bright, white pages and harsh black ink), so I’m generally fine with mass-market paperbacks, though trades would be my preference.
I prefer reading trade paperbacks, but most of the dead-tree books I buy are used so I have to take what I get. Hardcovers are too heavy for my ancient metacarpals and most of the stuff I like doesn’t come out in mass-market paperback.
Due to space considerations, I like best hardbacks that pack the most words possible into their size.
Like for example, Library of America, Complete novels by Dashiell Hammett
or small books, like this one: Don Quixote (hardback, but paperpack size)
Or like Barnes and Noble’s “Collector’s Library” series which are also approximately paperback size, but hardback.
On the other hand, some books are improved when accompanied by a large number of illustrations. For example, I have a special illustrated edition of Seabiscuit and the extra photos really make the story more exciting.
But for some books, I would be happy (again for space considerations) getting them in eBook format. e.g. getting the complete detective novels of Agatha Christie, or Rex Stout, or Georges Simenon as eBooks: that would be a cool addition to my library.
Hardbacks are lovely, but pricey and huge/heavy, so I’ll typically go for trade paperbacks. I like their paper quality, the binding, and the larger size.
Hardcover for the durability. If I’m going to add a book to my library, it’s because I love it and want it around awhile. I even buy my children’s chapter books in hardback when I can. My children are re-readers (some of them to the extreme) and by the time they’ve all read a book multiple times, even the hardback is looking a bit ragged. Book three of Harry Potter is looking more than a little over loved.
For price, I like trade paperbacks. They hold up to rereading well and are priced so I don’t mind buying them new once in a while.
When I was a kid (60s -70s), I could get paperbacks from the library that had been checked out scores of times and they were still in readable condition. Now, unless I buy the slightly pricier trade PBs, I can’t even finish the book myself with bits falling out of it. Grrr.
Even tho I have e-books for my tablet and laptop, I still like holding a plain ol’ simple paperback when by the pool.
It depends what it is. If it’s a book I want to keep and read again or a non-fiction book to which I will refer over and over, I’ll buy a hardcover book.
If it’s a novel which I will read only once, generally I’ll buy a paperback. Small, cheap and easy to give away.
For prose, mass-market paperbacks. For comics, trade paperbacks.
Hate hardcovers. Hard to hold open, especially if the book is thick. Awkward to carry, even with a backpack. Due to the expense and rigidity, they’re worrisome to handle - I fear I’ll damage them with any real abuse (paperbacks will get damaged, too. But they won’t be damaged if they’re bent a bit, and they’re not as expensive, thus it’s not so scary to damage them).