Kindle vs paper book

[xsquared]

Which do you prefer?
I've always preferred having a hard copy of a book, especially if it's illustrated. As swiping a screen isn't quite the same experience as leafing through pages to admire pictures.

However, I have recently downloaded the kindle app so that I can read something on my hand held device instead of lugging a 1000+ paged book around with me. I think it's revolutionised my reading habit, as I am now going through kindle book at a faster rate than I would if I was picking up a paper copy.

Definitely a kindle. Don't have to find storage for hundreds of books then!

I can't hold books for a long period of time because of MS. Kindle paperwhite is brilliant.

I love my kindle paper white (don't like the fire tablets).
I used to bring back half a suitcase full of foreign language books to the UK. It's much cheaper and more efficient to download them!

Agree that it is much easier to hold a kindle too.

I put a popsocket on mine. So I don’t even need to actually hold it!

I love real books but tend to read more on my kindle nowadays. It's just so convenient!
I still splurge occasionally on paper books but I've got to the point of being sick and tired of the neverending clutter that several bookcases attract. I don't have the space in my home to indefinitely store loads of books.

@Tableclothing

Are you trying to suggest something about my post, with the . If in doubt, why don't you just report?

And no, Amazon haven't paid me to write this. I wish!

I love real books..but kindle some amazing deals and I have 100s on mine, so kindle wins! 😊

Er, no. That wasn't what I meant at all. I was referring to the rather gushing time of my own post. Chill.

Apologies @Tableclothing. I always think the has negative connotations.

Would a kindle survive reading in a hot bath? That’s where I read most nights. I’ve always assumed it would be a hostile environment for an electronic device. But I do struggle with finding storage for books and realise a kindle is probably more environmentally friendly.

there's room for both IMO
i still like paper books, and pick up lots second hand. i also like being able to lend books out. but if you're a big reader a kindle is likely to pay for itself in terms of heavily discounted ebooks, and it's perfect for travel.

I'm a fan of the Kobo as you can use overdrive to download books from your library. I never run out of anything to read now, and can read the latest books for free.

I love love love my kindle paperwhite, I haven't read a real book in years. The backlight is much nicer than a reading light, it's easier to hold in one hand (I turn the page with my nose), and I can fill it with books and it still weighs the same!!! If I had one complaint, it's that I like to know how close I am to the end of the book whilst I'm reading it - I don't want the last page to come as a surprise. My reading habits are perhaps quite lazy now, since when I browse the kindle store I'm much more likely to buy highly rated books, so I could be missing some treasures. I used to base my choices on the covers though, so there's no right answer! I also use the Bookshelf app on my tablet for textbooks, and the overdrive app on my phone for library books.

The final straw for real books was when I took out a library book that was filled with bogies

I also used to keep a kobo for library books, but the wireless never worked properly and it was a pita moving the books onto it. I'm one of the few people I know who doesn't mind reading a book on a phone.

I find my kindle invaluable on holiday as I read very quickly and it saves taking a pile of books, but I only really use it for novels. I have loads of beautifully illustrated books and a kindle can't reproduce that. I also love proper cookery books.

No worries xsquared

I was really late to kindle and thought I would hate it, but I love my paperwhite.

I like having actual paper books for some things, but on the whole I've moved to kindle to stop having the storage problem of lots of books.

The irritating thing is when I buy a book on Kindle because I think it's more a Kindle book than one I'd want to have a physical copy of and then I love it and wish I had the copy on my bookshelf.

I love both.

The feature I love most on Kindle is the dictionary function. Highlight a word and a definition pops up, particularly helpful in my most recent factual, and weighty, purchases.

But what I don't like is the fact I can't share the books I've read. I can't pass them to friends or donate them to charity. And, with the Kindle, I'm tied to using Amazon.

There's definitely still a market for paper copies in this house.

I LOVE my kindle having been sceptical and, dare I say, even scornful before receiving one as a gift. I love books, the feel, weight, smell and versatility of them but for paperback novels I find the benefits listed by PP far outweigh any drawbacks, in fact I can’t think of any.
I share my kindle library with my sister as we like similar fiction so we can both download the same book after only paying for it the once, mind you I do most of the buying! The 99p daily deal email is worth subscribing to as it takes only seconds to view and you can get a real bargain.
If tempted by a non fiction or cookbook on sale or at a bargain price, I download them onto the kindle app on my iPad as the screen is larger and they appear in full colour. It’s great to do a screenshot of a recipe to take to food shop or to save on pc or print out a hard copy.
I also find it easier to view my entire library on the iPad as the kindle only shows maybe 6 to a page, whereas the iPad app allows you to scroll down.
I’ve also downloaded travel guidebooks then used the kindle app on my iPad and iphone to find specific pages to screenshot in colour a map with places of interest, a walking route, list of recommended restaurants, etc. etc. This is really handy!
Somebody above said she missed seeing how much of the book is left to be read, but you can do this by tapping in the left corner of the page - you can select location no., page no., time left in chapter, time left in book (after it has worked out your reading speed.
Best of all I like the kindle’s size and weight, plus the functionality to change the size and font, brightness of screen and that I never lose my place!

If I had one complaint, it's that I like to know how close I am to the end of the book whilst I'm reading it - I don't want the last page to come as a surprise

You can go into settings and set it so it tells you how far into the book you are.

Love my kindle paperwhite. And my "real" books.

I find that I read differently on it, not sure how to explain it but I speed read and don't take as much in, so I tend to only read lightweight fiction on it. For non-fiction books and books I really need to take in I much prefer paper books

I think there is some research which shows that you do read differently on kindles, they are quicker and easier to read but your brain does not retain the information in the same way. I have certainly read books on kindle that I cant remember a single thing about!

Great for holiday reads but not so good if you are reading study texts maybe.

I love my kindle. Infinite books in the palm of my hand. Plus no risk of unpleasant paper

You can setup the kindle to display how much left in chapter and in book in the corner of the screen

The love I have for my kindle is second only to that I have for my dog. A few years ago my phone was stolen whilst I was in the sea on holiday (dd was with the bag, but had covered her face with a towel). My husband was so cross but I was just relieved it wasn't my kindle! I am hard on it though - I think I'm on my fourth. The insurance is very worthwhile for me. I've just discovered that an author I like has released 3 books in a favourite series but they aren't on kindle in the U.K. It'll be very strange to read a paperback as I swear I can't remember when the last time was.