Paper books or e-books?

[Spinningtop77]

E-books are fine occasionally if you want to read on the tube but nothing beats snuggling down with a good book, turning each crisp new page in anticipation of what will happen next. I never tire of holding a book in my hands or the pleasure of scanning a book shelf to choose the next title to read.

[Redglitter]

Completely disagree. I wouldn't go back to books now I have my kindle there's just no advantage a book has over it - I've never been a book sniffer so the whole 'nothing smells like a book' has never swayed me

[SycamoreMum]

Oh I love a good paper book especially the classics. Love the smell and the feel of pages. I remember I spent a whole summer in my mums garden as a teen reading her old Virginia Andrew Dollanganger And Casteele series.

However I love my kindle for travelling light. I have tons of urban books I would fly through on long bus journeys home in the winter months after work. But if I had to choose it would be paper

[Tortoiseonthehalfshell]

Oh, here we go. Oh I just love the smell of books, oh the crisp new pages, goodness I am such a REAL reader. Why, sometimes I just spend a whole day in a bookshop huffing the spines of the classics! Which is not at all annoying to the people who run the shop!

It's just a delivery mechanism for a story. Surely, the point of reading is to lose yourself in the story, not stop every page to think about the fact that you're handling dead wood? As long as it's a real e-reader, i.e., e-ink, not backlit, it's an excellent medium. The only drawback of e readers that I can see is that people no longer walk into one's house to be Terribly Impressed with how much literature one owns.

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

The answer is surely both?

I read my kindle, library books, second hand books from charity shops and wherever else I happen to find them. Occasionally a lovely brand new book (usually a present)

I'm currently reading The Goldfinch on kindle and it's no less a page turner in e-ink. I live in a small house, I couldn't possibly give house room to all the books I want to read.

[Glastokitty]

Both. Although for convenience and ease of use the e reader is better. Books are heavy and cumbersome.

[IvoryMadonna]

Books.

1. I like browsing in charity shops and getting a bargain while contributing to a good cause at the same time. I usually pass the book on after reading it, to a friend if I think they might enjoy it or to the charity book shelf in our local pub.
   

1. I don't like being reliant on technology to read. Books don't have batteries that run out, and they don't much mind being dropped.

[MiddleAgeMiddleEngland]

I like the low-tech aspect of a real book. There's nothing to go wrong.

I am interested in different editions, different bindings, and the whole 'art' side of publishing and bookselling. I'm interested in the history of publishing and bookselling. I'm also mildly obsessive about typesetting.

I like the smell of books, the look of them, the feel of being surrounded by them on shelves. This can be in our house, in other people's houses, or in a bookshop or library.

However, I can see that for simply carrying the words around, an e-reader is ideal. Not that I think I'll ever have one of my own.

The reading world will never agree on this, it's a well-rehearsed argument.

[LadyGlen]

I love my Kindle and wouldn't be without it but I read a lot of non-fiction too and prefer actual books for anything with footnotes, maps, etc.

Nothing much to do with being a 'REAL' reader and more to do with easy referencing and actually being able to see the maps and diagrams.

Also, one night I was reading a detective novel and had got to the big reveal when 'battery low' flashed up and a few minutes later the flipping thing shut down on me. I had to wait until the next morning to find out whodunnit. I know I should have checked and put it to charge but I admit to having ranted a bit about how that doesn't happen with 'proper' books.

[IndridCold]

The Kindle is great as it has halved the amount of luggage I need to take on holiday, but I still much prefer books.

I often want to flick back in a book to check something that happened earlier, and I just can't do that on the Kindle. When I read the first Game of Thrones book on holiday it was a nightmare as I had no idea who all the characters were. I didn't discover the extensive list of characters at the end until I had finished the book!

[Wheels79]

I like both. I like having lots of books on my kindle so I can choose whatever takes my fancy.
I think I must like physical books more though because if they are a similar price I always choose paper over an ebook.