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

500 replies

RachelMumsnet · 20/04/2015 15:06

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.

OP posts:
postitnotes · 20/04/2015 18:12

e-books here! At the moment, anyway. I have 2 babies and love the ease of reading on my phone without having to have a light on.

textfan · 20/04/2015 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GetHappy · 20/04/2015 18:19

I tend to use my kindle as more convenient for travel use but I still buy paper/hardback books as well. I still like to keep up with collections of various authors I previously brought. When i can I try to visit the library but with my long working hours and the times that they are open they don't all that much any more, damn council cuts!!

The one thing I find I love more about my kindle is that I get to spend a lot of time browsing then I would manage to get my if I was visiting a book store or library.

domesticslattern · 20/04/2015 18:21

I love a paper book because every time I pick up my kindle fire a small child appears asking to play games on it.

FactoidFan · 20/04/2015 18:22

I am definitely a paper book lady. You can't take an e-reader or iPad into the bath & reading a book electronically makes it seem more disposable. I have 400+ books & it's lovely. Essentially I hav got my own library!

chrystabelle · 20/04/2015 18:22

I like physical books: paperbacks in bed or bath, and hardback for those keep-for-ever classics. I want to be able to write in the margins and for those coming after me to chuckle or puzzle over what they might find. I don't mind the odd coffee-ring Brew or evidence of a blob of wayward mayo, but when immersed in my book-world I really don't want to be reminded of my physicality by seeing my prints plastered over a device, or catch sight of myself (or anyone else) unawares in a screen at a moment of dramatic intensity.

k8vincent · 20/04/2015 18:22

I also switch between my Kindle and a paper book. There is nothing quite like the smell of a new book, but at least with my Kindle I don't keep getting huffs and puffs about my light being on too long.

We do get a lot of books out from the library - especially for book group.

Gecko73 · 20/04/2015 18:30

Kindle! It stops me from reading the ending and checking to see if characters are still in the book!!! ?? I know u can do that on the kindle but it's a hassle so I've also learnt patience Grinxx

libra101 · 20/04/2015 18:34

I use the kindle app on my mini iPad, and much prefer using this to paperbacks.

Books can be obtained freely or really cheap, they take up no room, and you never lose the pay you're up to!

Using the mini iPad means that I can easily keep up to date with emails, etc. while reading.

nannyt · 20/04/2015 18:35

Love reading a proper book. It's nice to flick through the pages and maybe reread some of it.i get a lot of mine from charity shops or friends pass them on. I do have some downloaded on my iPad but always seem to read the paper ones first.

fish88 · 20/04/2015 18:36

I feel a traitor for saying this but... E-reader wins hands down. Plus points are the ability to read one handed whilst breastfeeding the baby, having access to new books in seconds and being able to take enough reading for a 2 week holiday without going over the suitcase weight limit. Grin

supastar1501 · 20/04/2015 18:37

I love a paper book & am really proud to say that I have passed this love on to my 5 year old Daughter. There is nothing better than climbing into her bed on an evening and reading a bedtime story together.

VeryVeryDarkGrey · 20/04/2015 18:40

I love my kindle, i have just upgraded to a kindle voyage which is lovely. Read myself to sleep last night and woke up lying on it....couldn't do that with a paper book (well i shouldn't have done it with my kindle but thats by the by!). If i read a fantastic book i will buy the paper copy but i reread Game of Thrones recently, half on paper and half on kindle and i couldnt wait to get back to my kindle. You can instantly find out what words mean, you have a beautiful slim machine that fits neatly in your bag, you can prop it up to read while you're eating without the pages flapping about everywhere and closing.

Sure paper books are lovely and all but for me i constantly have books on the go so its just so convenient. I also read a lot of YA fiction and books from my childhood so it also means nobody can see what im reading!

Lokisglowstickofdestiny · 20/04/2015 18:41

I do love my 3G kindle which enables me to download a book anywhere and the practicality of having hundreds of books stored in a thin, light device.However I do still have real tree books although not as many as I used to. There are some books I will only re-read in real tree format, my beautiful hardback edition on Lord of the Rings, for example, even though it kills my wrists.
I do worry about a zombie apocalypse, no electricity, no kindle and my hefty old hardbacks will be much more useful for beating zombies to death with!

marilynmonroe · 20/04/2015 18:45

Without doubt it has to be a paperback or hardback. There is nothing more exciting than going into a book shop and touching books. Looking at the cover (and trying not to judge it), flicking through it to look at the text (or any other surprises like pictures!) and finally looking at the back and reading the synopsis.

Whilst reading it's lovely to mark you place and see how much you have read or how much you have left to read.

I love that my house is filled with books. We have colour co-ordinated our book spines so now it's an added feature to our living room and gets noticed every time someone enters!

To me my books are like friends, we have spent so much time together, generally having a great time so it's always nice to see them staring back me! And they are never going to run out of batteries are they?

Then there is the smell of books....

As well as exciting your senses, books can also be an added feature to your home, you wouldn't get that with an e-reader would you?

love from
a very passionate reader!

Mkechance · 20/04/2015 18:46

I like to read both. I love my kindle! I read so much more because it is so easy to buy them and you can get some really cheap deals. It is also brilliant for going away, especially if you have to share a room with your children. I got the paperwhite for this reason. No more trying to read and hold a torch at the same time!

However, I still enjoy the feel and smell of the real thing. I am not sure I would want to live without proper books and there is something really nice about placing your bookmark in ready for next time. I used to love bookmarks when I was a child.

A bit of everything is the spice of life!

GranAnn42 · 20/04/2015 18:47

Me? I'll always prefers real book.I like to feel the pages turning and of course use a handmade, personalised bookmark.

FernieB · 20/04/2015 18:47

I'm a paper book fan, and then only paperbacks. I mainly read in bed and hardbacks just aren't as easy to manage. I love the feel of a book and that I can easily flick through the pages. If I read a book that I know a friend will like, I can pass it on to them if it's a paper copy.

I do have an e-reader and did once download a book, but I've only managed about 4 pages as I just didn't enjoy reading from a screen (it feels like work). I can see the attraction if you're going away and want to take a lot of books with you, but I think I'd rather take fewer clothes and fit more books in my suitcase.

toptomatoes · 20/04/2015 18:53

If I had to choose, I would choose paper books, mostly because I like to read in the bath and I like to flick back to earlier passages, which is a lot easier to do with a paper copy. I also find it easier to choose a book when looking at a tangible object. I can get 5 books for a pound at a local charity shop and can't buy any decent e-books for that, it would only be cheaper if I were to buy new books, which I never do.

Having said all that, I do have a kindle and think it is good for holidays and travel and I found it kept me awake while doing night feeds so I'd really like to have both but I read paper books far more often than I use my kindle now the night feeds are over.

angie95 · 20/04/2015 18:53

I do have a kindle,but prefer books,paper backs or hardback, as there's nothing worse,than getting to a really good part, and the kindle running out of battery.."real"books don't do that...

Jonquilly · 20/04/2015 18:53

I love paper books, the smell of them, the feel of them (especially these new "suede" effect dust wrappers, which I keep stroking!) and the sound of the pages turning. I enjoy the photos or sketches, pictures and fonts. I like flipping back to check up on something, giving myself a chapter as a treat after doing chores, and seeing the volume on my bookshelves.
I do have a kindle (momentarily lost somewhere in the house) which I have used and downloaded mostly free books to, and I know that a kindle is very useful for taking lots of books away from home at once. I read bits of books on my tablet and have been introduced to new writers this way. The actual paper copy always wins though, and I can return to it again and again like an old friend, always there to hold when needed.

glenka · 20/04/2015 18:54

It has to be books for me. I like the pleasure of going shopping in a bookshop.

janeyf1 · 20/04/2015 18:54

I prefer books - I am old-fashioned!

MyFirstMyLastMyEverythingBagel · 20/04/2015 18:57

Hmm, tough one really ... I have a kindle and was s total convert, but recently now have no wifi at home so have started back on paper print books - and I must say I'm preferring the real deal! Now starting to obsessively rebuilt my book collection with the aim of turning my hallway into a libary - floor to ceiling shelves of books and a comfy chair!

JMD42 · 20/04/2015 18:57

I like ebooks in bed or when travelling because they are easier to hold than a large book and with an ereader I can take dozens of books on holiday with me. But at home on the sofa with a nice cup of tea or in the bath, I like to hold a book or in the case of the bath, keep drying the pages. So I like the old and the new. And I still love mooching around in a bookshop, the online store is just not the same.