Books Made Me Broke discussion

Which do think is better, and why?

I greatly enjoy physical books, and will probably never change them out. BUT if/when I get an iPad or something along those lines, I'll probably buy some e-books just to check it out.

I love the smell of physical books and just looking at them on my bookshelf, excitement all around. Although when I am up and about ebooks are quite handy. I mean I could be busy and be listening to my book on my hand held device. So when it comes to comfort ebooks are better but on the other hand nothing beats the incredible feeling of holdng a physical copy of your favourite book in your hand, absorbing its' smell and amazeness.

I find that I use whichever is more convenient at the time like if I'm on vacation I can just get the ebook, but I find it hard to reread on the kindle. Regular books are absolutely firehouse and can be taken anywhere (except underwater, but that should go without saying) ebooks are easier to read at night though so....whichever is more convenient. I'll usually buy the ebook the day it comes out and if I love it or save up enough money to get it I'll buy it in physical form. I do however, get it only in physical form of I know I'm going to love the book.

Wow that was a fairly long debate :o

I have to say I like both. I work at a public library and we focus on promoting the physical book but we cant deny technology so we try to show the benefits of e-books and physical books I have a kindle and I have over 1,000 books currently on it and if I cant seem to find a book or cant afford it in the physical form I can get it on my kindle faster and cheaper. But if a series comes out or I read it on my kindle that I just fall in love with I must get it in physical form. There are advantages to both... but the physical book never runs out of battery... ;)

I personally love physical books. Nothing compares to having a bookshelf full of real, touchable books.

BUT... I do have a few e-books. I don't have an e-reader (and never intend to) and all the e-books I've ever read have been free. I'm not about to pay for something I can't actually touch. And I hate how all the actual bookstores are closing down because people are reading e-books instead of real books:(

Overall, I'd much rather have a physical book than an e-book.

I'm so glad that e-books aren't as widespread here. And they are still just as expensive as regular books (and I'm like what the fugg?). I too will read free e-books, if that is the only way I can get said books.

My opinion on e-books change daily.

Asch's Anti-Paradigm (JennTheAwesum) wrote: "I personally love physical books. Nothing compares to having a bookshelf full of real, touchable books.

BUT... I do have a few e-books. I don't have an e-reader (and never intend to) and all the ..."

I agree I don't ever pay for an e-book there are a few sites I use to find a book I want if I can buy the physical book or borrow it for my library

Physical books are superior in the long run. Let me say why:

In the short term, eBooks are much more convenient. You can't really lose them, you can carry many at once, you can "search" through them and highlight, annotate without touching a page. You can cheaply buy a text that is physically out of print. Lots of nice things there. Often eBooks are cheaper too.

But eBooks have zero value. You pay for something that is a digital file. It can be removed in some cases from your device accidentally (or otherwise). If you lose your device, you may lose the book, again depending on circumstance of your purchase. You might be able to download it again without charge. Maybe not. You cannot really trade or sell it. It will not appreciate in value over time. It cannot be lent to others or displayed on a bookshelf. It is one copy of an infinite possible in any digital edition. Good luck trying to get an author's inscription in it.

By contrast, physical books, of their very nature as finite, transient objects, do appreciate in value over time. If you're buying a quality copy, it cannot become worthless so long as it is a sought after title and so long as you keep it in top condition. Attrition will see to it that some other copies out of the finite total pressed will be lost or damaged. This renders your pristine copy more valuable. I don't only speak of investment smarts here though. Your physical book can be lent to a friend or family member, can be displayed on your bookshelf, and can be passed down generations or signed by its author. You can sign it yourself and give it as a gift. Because it is physical and subject to the entropy of the physical world like we humans are, there is a stronger connection between our culture and its value than an eBook could hope to offer. A physical book is not simply bought and read, it is experienced.

Kenneth wrote: "Physical books are superior in the long run. Let me say why:

In the short term, eBooks are much more convenient. You can't really lose them, you can carry many at once, you can "search" through th..."

I completely agree. My ebook collection that I got all for free is just a list of books I wanna buy lol

I love physical books better bc battery does not die, I love if I am reading it in public it can start a conversation wih a stranger that could end up being a friend. I love having bookmarks to buy or ones my daughter has made and them sitting on their own personal shelf.

Kenneth wrote: "Physical books are superior in the long run. Let me say why:

In the short term, eBooks are much more convenient. You can't really lose them, you can carry many at once, you can "search" through th..."

I totally agree!

Kenneth wrote: "Physical books are superior in the long run. Let me say why:

In the short term, eBooks are much more convenient. You can't really lose them, you can carry many at once, you can "search" through th..."

Nicely said. I agree.

Hi all

I much prefer ebooks, and here is why. In my country the prices for paperbacks are 4x the ebook price and the selection is very poor. Also ebooks are easier to read in the dark, you don't lose your place when you fall asleep reading, and you can't damage the spine or cover by reading it. I don't care for the smell of books so that's no loss for me. I also love being able to look up words in the dictionary. My paperwhite kindle has a backlight and still lasts 2 weeks.

I have tried to buy at used bookstores but they never have what i want and the price is similar to ebooks, plus I don't need to find somewhere to store my ebooks on the shelf. I have 130 unread books on my kindle currently and about to buy maybe 15 books this month. Imagine the size of that stack in dead tree books! One last point - I am starting to read books from Gutenberg and its great to get them totally free.

Why would you buy more books if you haven't finished reading what you've downloaded? I'm curious, not condemning.

What about online stores?

Buying books is fun, that's why. Also I get free books and I buy from storybundle et al.

Buying paper books online here means waiting days or weeks to get them plus amazon charges an arm and a leg for shipping. Book depository is good but can be very slow

Hmm. I guess it's the same here but never bothered me.
If I buy more than one, it passes Amazon's threshold and shipping is free. Takes about a week to arrive, so I buy before I finish the small pile of "currently reading".

I usually don't buy paperbacks because they're not good for durability or value.

I prefer actual books. I enjoy going into bookstores and you can't do that with ebooks.

Love them all however ebooks can be more expensive than 50cent paperbacks from the library store. I would still love to have all the faves on ebook for durability and easy access. Also the cheap paperbacks are usually a year old. However if there's ever a book I can't find, it will usually come available by the time I've read a few I already have or ones on my list from the library.

Personally, I don't care. As long as I can read what's on the page who cares? E-books are more convenient and less expensive though. I also prefer reading an e-book if I'm outside (no pages being blown around by the wind).

They both have their pros and cons. I like to be able to have lots of books in one place on my nook, in case I finish my book and don't have access to by physical bookshelf. I also love highlighting, adding notes, and looking up words without needing to keep a pencil or dictionary with you. The fact that you can search a keyword and find a note you wrote three months ago is very helpful for book reports. Plus, they are usually cheaper than real books and you don't have to drive to a bookstore or wait for them to be delivered. However, you can only lend certain Nook books, and only a limited number of times for a limited number of days. With real books, you can lend them to whoever for as long as you want, or even sell them if you need more book money. Besides, if Barnes and Noble should mess up somehow and loose everyone's books (God forbid), they would all be gone forever with no way of getting them back.

Just the thought of writing in books is so alien to me.

I used to think e-books were the way when I first got my Kobo. Then I found myself going back and forth. I'm not a fan of paying the same price for an ebook tho as you don't truly own it like you do the physical copy and it just doesn't seem right to me. If I'm gonna pay its gonna be a physical copy that I'm holding in my hands and turning pages literally. Don't need to charge a battery for the real thing either :) on the other hand sometimes the Kobo is handier and more convenient to carry around ;) so as you can see I now sit on the fence 50/50 to which is better lol

I thought i would love my Kindle when i first got it but i never find myself using it anymore. Nothing can beat actually holding a book and the accomplishment you feel when you reach the last page and shut the book. I sometimes still use my Kindle to look up books but it is something i have really considered selling at this point.

Bailey wrote: "I thought i would love my Kindle when i first got it but i never find myself using it anymore. Nothing can beat actually holding a book and the accomplishment you feel when you reach the last page ..."

Yeah I use my computer to read sometimes, but I just couldn't see using it all the time. 90% of the books I read are physical copies, and I hope that never changes.

Bailey wrote: "I thought i would love my Kindle when i first got it but i never find myself using it anymore. Nothing can beat actually holding a book and the accomplishment you feel when you reach the last page ..."

It's a shame you aren't enjoying it as much since you've spent money on it :/ It's probably great to have if you're travelling for long periods of time though!

Bailey,
If you have a library in your area, see if they have ebook lending! I wasn't reading a lot on my Nook either (I prefer cheap paperbacks to $10 ebooks) until I learned our library offered ebooks!!! And not free classics, talking new releases! Our library website has a lot of features too like ebook wish lists and ratings and hold lists for new releases etc.

I just decided after I got it that I really just need to own books. I always use to buy the book after I read it on my Kindle even if I didn't like it. so why not just buy the book in the first place?

Bailey wrote: "I just decided after I got it that I really just need to own books. I always use to buy the book after I read it on my Kindle even if I didn't like it. so why not just buy the book in the first place?"

I'm about to do that lol. I just read this great ebook and no i'm gonna buy the real book. I get how u feel.

It just needs to look pretty in my shelf. I feel like a shelf is just like proving to myself how many books I've read.

I rather have physical books. I love turning the pages and holding the book when reading it. I love shopping for books, browsing the titles and choosing the ones I want. I love the smell of new books and the crisp pages. I also love how they look on my bookshelf.

I'll go for physical books since I want to make a portion of my room as a mini library.I also like it old fashioned and sweet :-)

I hate that when I'm reading a book my tablet it will tell me it has low battery so then I have to stop reading and plug it in. It's especially annoying when it runs out of battery at school.

Give me a physical book! I have a full sensory experience when I hold a book, turn a page, read the book jacket, see the cover and sometimes hold it close to my chest. I get none of that from an electronic book..

Jaime wrote: "Give me a physical book! I have a full sensory experience when I hold a book, turn a page, read the book jacket, see the cover and sometimes hold it close to my chest. I get none of that from an ..."

So true!

Physical book. This isn't even a question!! I think publishers put something in the ink...

I have no problem with either. As long as people are reading, I could care less about what medium they use. I own a Nook and many physical books (3 bookshelves worth). And the Nook lets me get classics for free on Project Gutenberg, which is nice. Also ebooks are cheaper and save paper. I do like the fact that I can flip pages and find the exact spot I want in a real book, the smell of the book, and how the font is different, whereas on a Nook the font type is just a setting of your choice. I guess I just don't care, as long as you're reading.

I own a kindle, but rarely use it, unless I see a cheap ebook on amazon or I am travelling. There is no feel of collecting, it's not the same to read and it doesn't look as good.

I prefer a tangible book, but I use an eReader on long trips.