Paperback or E-Reader? Join the great debate to win £100 of books or e-books

[RachelMumsnet]

Are paper books old news? These days there are more e-readers and literary apps than you can shake a USB stick at. We want to know if you've eschewed paper for digital, or if you reckon a well-thumbed paperback beats technology hands down. Join the discussion to let us know which medium you prefer and why, and you'll be entered into a draw to win £100 bundle of books OR £100 e-book bestsellers courtesy of Bloomsbury.

I have a foot in both camps . And probably splinters in my bum!
I love the organic feel of books, the smell as well as the look and feel. I like having books on my shelves too. But I also like the features of e books, bookmarking, looking up refererences etc and have found that I feel less travel sick reading an ebook on the train than a paperback as I can move the text and not my eyes.

Agree wth canker it would be great to have ebooks of all the books I already own.

I use both, but I don't find Kindle books necessarily that cheap. I only really buy them when they are on a special offer eg £1. I buy books for myself and my kids in charity shops for 20p-£1, and also kids ones from Book People and similar where you can get some cheap deals. I never buy books full price so the Kindle ones don't seem cheap.

However it irritates my husband as I have too many books, and my kids rooms would certainly be tidier if everything was on their tablets.

The other disadvantage I find of my Kindle as it has a hard case to protect it from the kids, is it's quite heavy when I fall asleep reading and drop it on my face!

Paperbacks, I like to hold a proper book in my hands :)

Up until a year ago, I'd have said paperback. However, after getting a Kindle Paperwhite I am now a convert to e-readers!

They're so light and easy to hold and it was great being able to bf my DD without disturbing her by turning pages etc.

One thing that put me off e-readers for a long time was that I often like to flick back through books to remind myself of who characters are etc. I didn't think it was possible on an e-reader, but on the Paperwhite it's actually easier as you just hold down on the name of the character and it brings up previous mentions of them to jog your memory. It's also easy to flick back to remind yourself of things that happened without losing your place. These might be features of newer kindles, however.

I've bought a waterproof case so I can read mine in the bath, though I spend ages putting it in every day which is a bit of a pain.

The light on the Paperwhite is great. I have bad eyesight and it makes it so much easier for me to read. The battery life is also great - it lasts for absolutely ages so I don't even need to take my charger with me anywhere (other than a two week holiday) as I know it'll last.

After being adamant that I preferred paperbacks and would never convert to e-readers I now find the prospect of reading a paperback quite unappealing. I had a shelf of books waiting to be read but I've given them away and re-bought on kindle. The paper didn't seem very nice compared to my kindle screen.

I have freed up so much space in the house by giving away my fiction books (I've kept the non fiction ones) and rebuying the ones I love on Kindle.

The children will carry on having proper books though, as I don't think electronic books are the same for children.

" I don't find Kindle books necessarily that cheap"

How so? Kindle copy of a book is always cheaper than its paperback.

Not when, as that poster is, you are buying them from a charity shop.

if you own a paper copy you should get a digital one free.

I thght someone posted further down that Amazon are looking at this possibility.

Regarding pricing, I always used to buy my paperbacks in the supermarket, at two for £7 (for new books out in paperback). I have also found that many of the the books on my kindle wishlist (that are out in paperback) are more expensive than that. At the moment I have a couple that are priced at £6.99 on kindle but I could get them in paperback for £3.50.

However, prices do drop on kindle once books have been out for a while. Actually, they go up and down frequently, so I use ereaderiq to track prices and buy them when they drop to a price I'm happy with. Luckily, I'm happy to wait, especially as I can't pass them on to family afterwards.

I'm a bit torn...but for the sheer joy and luxury of a new book - it has to be a 'real' one. The texture of the pages, the crisp edges that show that I am the first to venture into the world held between these covers, the new book smell...bliss!

From a boringly prosaic view I do see the benefits of ebooks, (being able to store so many on one device is a real temptation for me), but the cost (compared to supermarkets, 2nd hand etc) I still find prohibitive for the books I want to read.

Audiobooks have been a relatively new discovery for me - housework is now far less likely to be dodged!

I like that I can use an e-reader anywhere, especially in the dark while bf my DD to sleep. I prefer paperback books for their feel and enjoyment factor, but e-readers are just so much more user friendly. If I'm reading a chapter book, then I would definitely choose an e-reader. However if it's something like a picture book or a cookbook then it has to be on paper.

Please excuse the random typing after as my DD wants to help me type. my/.;hyhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyymbnbnbnbnbn

Both have their merits but for ease of access the E-reader wins every time for me. I do miss the joy of looking at book covers, though, and the smell and feel of a new book can never be replaced by its electronic other.

Love having an e-reader especially on holiday because it means you can carry a library of books with you x

I love paper over ebooks as I love the feel and smell of the paper - I also love to literally get my head stuck in a book and am always worried with an ereader I would drop it in the bath or down the loo

I love both but do tend to prefer actual paperbacks to ebooks at the moment even if they do take up a lot more space!

paperbacks- so I dont worry about losing them and can pass them onto friends

100% books ??
Can't beat the smell and feel of a brand new book - you can see how much you've read, how much there's left..... Love seeing books in the book shop all neatly in rows (sad I know!!)

I tend to buy ebooks because they are better priced. I don't love them as much as a good paperback but I have a serious addiction and buying ebooks means I get more

Depends where I am! If I'm at home in the garden, in bed or in the sunroom, I prefer an actual book, if Im going on holiday I take my Kindle as I wouldn't have the space in my suitcase to take the books I intend to read, plus they're a bit heavy!

i prefer books just holding them in my hands but i use e books more its a space issue just havnt got the room to store hundreds of books.

I love a normal book! Have enough screen time in other ways; work, TV, phone so it feels good to have proper words in front of me!
Plus buy a lot of books at charity shop so cheap and can get passed on

Paperback for bed time, Kindle much, much easier for crowded London commutes. I also like paperback for the beach/pool on holiday as they are less likely to suffer irreparable breakdown if they get wet!

Paperbacks all the way! I love browsing round car boot sales and charity shops and coming home with a good paperback or 2 to read (and when I've read them I take them back to the charity shop so they can make some more money on them!)

I love the look and feel of 'real' books, picture a huge pile of them, new and shiny and colourful, each one full of potential and and an escape to another world - about them sends a shiver of excitement down me, just as it did when I was a child and a new book was a rare thing, which had to be saved up for with scant pocket-money. I remember the absolute thrill of coming home with a brand-new Puffin edition of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the Narnian ship on the cover, inscribing my name in it with a new felt-tip - one of the best moments of my childhood.

I love to see the spines of many beloved books lined up along all the bookshelves in my home, each one a little memory just waiting for its time to be reread.

However, I'm slightly coming round to an e-reader now - for the obvious reason of having a whole library in my bag at any time. And I never liked the way you have to force a lovely new paperback to open up wide so it stays open, propped up on knees or in front of your supper, with the dangers of cracking its spine and ruining it.

I also like the free sample downloads to 'try before you buy'.

Room for both I think, though perhaps the days of 'real' books is numbered.

I prefer kindle for everyday use, such as travelling to work, but on holiday i like a book

Love them both. I like how I can synch my books on my kindle, phone, and iPad.