Hardcover, Paperback, or EBook?

[Anna Richenda]

That's right, the really important questions. lol.

I've never been an ebook person. Too impersonal! I want to occasionally be so wrapped up in a book that I'm holding on so tight I smear the ink on the page!! (Anyone use and like Kindle? How does it hold up in the so-good-I-smeared-the-ink category?)

It used to be that hardcovers were the coveted format. But they are so spendy! And, as has been noted here (I forget by whom, sorry!), they take up a lot of room on the bookshelf. Still, they feel great: solemn, serious, and substantial.

Still, the messier paperback is great just because it is messier. You can rumple the pages and the corners get dinged. That proves it's been loved and well read, right? And a trade paperback still looks serious. Though Mass Market paperbacks are awesome for the 'fun' you imagine having while reading them, like when they get smeared with sunscreen because you are reading on the beach. lol.

--Can you tell reading is a partly tactile experience for me?! lol.

I'm guessing everyone has their preference.

Care to share?

[Anna Richenda]

iPod touch? The screen is small on that, right? I heard the big thing with the kindle is the "look of paper" in the image. Hm. I think I'd like the Kindle for some stuff, but if I'm not buying Hardcovers because they're spendy, I'm really not going to afford the kindle. Plus, what would I do in a house with no books on the shelves? I wouldn't trust the data not to corrode or something. I like to keep my books forever.

[CurvyJones]

It about covers the entirety of the screen itself. I got used to it. The thing about the Kindle is that it's not back lit, which is supposed to be better on your eyes but... I can't see it! I'm also not spending $400 on one. I bought the iTouch for music and the applications-- found the Kindle app by chance and tried it out. I also have eReader and Stanza, but prefer the Kindle by far.

I have boxes and boxes and boxes of books I've read through twenty times, now, so I still buy books. I like the feel of paper and the heft of a good sized book in my hands. For convenience and reading on the go, I love having a few unreads in my Touch so I can read wherever I am without having to drag a book everywhere go.

[Jennie Atnip]

Hardcover is my fave. Paperback is ksy, but with 5 kids they never last. I don't do e books.

[Anna Richenda]

In my dream scenario I can afford a hardcover to last forever and a paperback to make like the Velveteen Rabbit. lol.

[AnimeGirl]

I don't mind the format really...

I usually prefer paperbacks, because they are smaller and lighter... but I'm not against a good bargain hard cover.

As for e-books, I've been reading them for a while, and sure your eyes can get tired but I spend a lot of time reading on the computer anyway, so I don't mind.

[Karoline]

I like paperback because it's easier to carry. Hardcovers are ok but I leave the jacket at home. I'm really picky and like having my books all nice and neat, the spine not bent too much yeah..etc etc. I'm really anal about the conditions of my books.

I don't like e-books. I like to smell the pages of a book :P

[Anna Richenda]

Oh, yeah. The smell!

And I agree about book jackets. I like how pretty they look and so I want to keep them on the book. Trouble is they tend to flap and fray, and then they don't look so fancy anymore. (And for what I spend on a hardback, I want it to look fancy, lol!) A fuss.

[EllaPress]

Totally! The smell of an old book is great!
My friends and family look funny at me when I'm smelling my books! lol

[Karoline]

LOL you should see me with new ones, I just put my nose and take whiff :P kinda like huffing except smelling books isn't harmful

[Barbara Desmond]

I prefer reading books so I doubt that I'd ever get a Kindle not to mention the whole not having money part. I take full advantage of the library. My preference would be paperbacks because they are just easier to handle while read walking and aren't awkward when I want to read in bed. I tend to buy paperbacks since they are cheaper but most of the time I get books from the library and only get a book if I already know that it's one that I want to read agains so I mostly have series. I woudl imagine that an ebook would also be harder on the eyes since you're reading a screen. I want to hold the actual book that I'm reading. It seems kind of cold and impersonal if that makes any sense which it might not since I have the power of confusion.

http://melancholymusings.com

[Jessica]

Great question! I prefer paperback myself. While I like Hardcover and the way it looks on my bookshelf, they are sometimes uncomfortable to hold. Also, when my husband falls asleep too close to me while I'm up late reading, I sometimes (accidently, I might add) drop the book on his head. Even though it wakes him up, he usually has no recollection of getting hit (hmmm). I have only read one book on my computer (because it wasn't available anywhere else). I didn't mind so much because I was desperate to read that book. But I do not care for ebooks, they give me a headache.

I have never used a kindle but I have thought about purchasing one because I like the idea of carrying around a library of books in such a tiny thing (however, I haven't justified the cost yet). The thing is, I'm not sure how much I would enjoy reading my books on there. Also, what happens when I'm done? I'm sure I can't just give the copy away to someone who might enjoy it.

[Anna Richenda]

Oh yes. Accidentally, lol.

And yes! The problem of not being able to pass a good book along. Or, for myself, buy it used.