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.

Always paper books unless free downloads, mind you we are running out of space as my 11 yr old dd loves books ( charity shops, boot sales and presents from relatives )
Nothing like the feel of real books, a good friend just bought me a book and had it inscribed by the author.

I prefer paper books for the feel of the read but I read more on my kindle for the convenience factor. My kindle goes with me everywhere in my handbag if you do that with a book it soon spoils, also it is cheaper to keep books on kindle as there are so many free e-books where as the library want their books back!

Both have their merits. Ereaders only trump books when reading in bed at night and when portability is an issue.

Wow both are best - the joy of not packing lots of heavy books in your suitcase & the ability to buy a new book any time of the day or night - brilliant
BUT what about the feeling of opening a brand new book - flicking over the virgin pages + the joy of remembering what you are reading by justicking up the book - something that seems to disappear from my brain when I read a book on my kindle
SO I am on the fence - good be me both

E reader definitely. Tidier, cheaper and for a prodigious reader like me much kinder to my poor old back on the commute to work.

I use both. E-reader for long, epic fantasy fiction (the kind that comes in several volumes and actually feels as if you are caught in a wheel of time) and the old-fashioned medium for other things. E readers don't always allow for proper referencing so are not always good for academic work.

Really hard to beat the feel and smell and design of a certain kind of book.

For me my kindle has actually got me back in to reading after a few years of only reading on holiday. I used to take 10 books on holiday and then be looking for more but that was the only time I read. Now I have a kindle in my handbag and read even at lunch time.

I have two kindles, an original black and white 3 G version which I still use when reading in bright sunlight on holiday and a kindle fire which is the one in my bag. The charge is better on the original one.

I have read books by many authors that I probably wouldn't have come across had I not had a kindle. I admit a lot were free downloads but if I like an author I would tend to search for other books that they had published and download them to read as well.

I don't know! I love proper books BUT I find it easier to reach for and read on my Kindle.

I like buying a new paper book and flipping through the fresh, crisp pages and I like finding my place or turning back easily if I fe I need to re-read a page or 2.

I tend to reach for my Kindle Paperwhite because I don't need to muck about with a light, I have lots of books at my finger tips and I find it easier to hold in bed too.

I guess, for me both have their positives and drawbacks so I can't call it either way.

I love hard copy books, but you can't beat the Kobo when on holiday.Much lighter and I can carry loads of books at once. Fantasic!

I like both books and ebooks. I like the convenience of my kindle or kobo that I can slip into my handbag and take out with me for the day but I still need to have visible books around me, on my bookshelves.

It might just be me, but I read a book, and then the next thing I read will probably be on ereader, and then a book again. I don't like sticking purely to one format. And I like to throw audiobooks into the mix too :)

I still prefer paperbacks as I love the feel of a book. I also borrow a lot of books from the library.

E-reader.

Love my kindle.

I love the strories, getting immersed in an imaginary world. A real book or an ebook it makes no difference. I'm not all about the feel, the smell, the whatever of actual books, I'm just there for the story.

I get the story just as well from an ebook as a paper book but with a kindle I can get the book now, I can access samples so if I don't like it I haven't paid out anything, there's lots of free books, I can sit sloth like for hours with only blinking showing I'm alive as there's no page turning to be done, no readers thumb from trying to hold a big book open one handed, I like big fantasy novels which weigh as much as a baby and now I don't have to find suitable positions to read comfortably in.

I still buy children's books and cookbooks in paper as they are definitely better than their kindle versions.

I have tried reading on a kindle but decided you cannot beat a real book with real pages! and then there is the bonus of being able to pass the good ones on to friends and family!

Paperback all the way! There is nothing quite like the feel of a book, the excitement of turning the pages and the smell of the paper. Also it's so much more satisfying when choosing a book to read looking along their spines on your bookshelf.

Depends on the when and where basically. I wouldn't get my tablet to the beach (getting the sand out of every nook and cranny is so tiresome) and at the same time I wouldn't know where to hold on, while reading a brick of a book, once your typical London bus driver decides to frenzy-break. On the other hand, when driving my car to go to work, an audiobook feels always cosier than the radio :) Making the most out of every situation and taking advantage of all technologies available, there is still no comparison to a nice paperback while lying on a hammock with nothing troubling you, other than the hero's mishaps.

I like both but I think an e-reader has the edge because of it's portability of lots of books at once, although I'm not sure I would feel the same if I had to look at a screen as part of my job.

I see being able to pass on books as a downside of paper books.

If it's good I want it back and no-one ever looks after them properly.

Now I can reccommed books knowing I won't have to give up my copy to the dirty page folding, spine breaking, heavy smoking fiends in my life.

I'd give up my phone before my Kindle. Heck, I'd give up my children before my Kindle. Top reasons e-readers rock:

1. Another ex-English teacher here and I second the poster above who likes the privacy factor. Reading is so personal; I love being able to flip between classics and total smut while waiting for kids at the school gates without anyone knowing.
2. Also, there's something about the smooth flow of words on the screen that has helped me get through weighty Victorian novels far faster than I ever did before e-readers.
3. You cannot read a big, floppy paperback whilst getting a gel manicure! To the person who complained about too few words per page: you can adjust that! I set margins thin, line spacing narrow and type small so I can turn pages as infrequently as possible when I'm getting my nails done.
4. Your books are with you everywhere so you can read in sips, not just gulps. Ergo, you read more (which leads to a happier, more meaningful inner life).
5. You can buy the next book by an author as soon as you finish the current one so I tend to read an author's full catalogue in sequence - makes reading feel like a cohesive project, not just flitting from book to book at random.
6. Reading same books at the same time as the rest of the family if Kindles are linked to same account, sort of like Victorians who would have read aloud together or passed around installments of library books.
7. Love the instant dictionary function. Very useful with obscure or archaic words that I wouldn't normally bother looking up. Also, DCs don't always believe my off-the-cuff definitions are correct so it's nice to be able to prove that I'm right.
8. I don't do huge amounts of international travel but I'm grateful to have my Kindle for queue at post office, daily commute, supervising/ignoring children at playgrounds etc. I could go on...
9. Being able to search texts. Margaret Atwood even buys e-versions of her own books because it's easier to find the passages in them than the hard copies!

You think being a 20 year old who has grown up as the digital generation I'd be more inclined to choose ebooks over a hard copy. But I still believe there is nothing like being able to physically turn the pages. Plus I find with an actual book you engage with it more and I enjoy the content more. Although I see the advantages of ebooks, e.g. when it's hard to get access to copies (especially when doing research for uni) but for general reading and enjoyment I'd choose paperback!

I am a big fan of real books but also love my Kindle. I tend to alternate between one and the other depending on what I'm reading, any bargains or freebies or where I'm reading.

I do share my real books and receive many in return. I have also lent out my Kindle on occasion.

I take my Kindle on holiday though, there's nothing worse than running out of reading material.

I was always very anti-ereaders until my daughter bought a cut price Nook and after a couple of months, decided she'd rather have a Kindle. I bought the Nook from her and absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong, I love a "proper" book. There's nothing quite like the shiny, waxy cover of a new paperback, the rustle of the crisp pages, the smell of print on paper or the look of an unbent spine. That said, with the Nook I can refresh my library at the touch of a button, borrow books from the library for free...without leaving the comfort of my chair, take a virtual pile of books on holiday with me without incurring any real weight in my luggage and pop a book in my handbag without it being too heavy to carry round. I'm still a book lover but I love my Nook too!

I prefer actual books. I'm a library regular. A brand new book is a treat for me. I love the smell of fresh print.

I've borrowed a Kindle for working away and although it was convenient (and a novelty) I think I just missed turning actual pages. I like the feeling of a book and I like looking at where my bookmark is within the whole book every evening when I'm about to fall asleep.
I like writing notes if there's something I don't understand - a word, some plotting or want to check a fact. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that I can't get with an e reader as it's an old habit that won't die! I always keep a pencil with my books and my bookmark is paper.

A well written book is far more important the the medium itself!

I love paperback books and I have a great selection at home. Some I've read already and others are pending to read soon.

I also love my Kindle and I think it is great for taking on my commute to work and on holiday as it holds so many books I don't have to think long and hard about which ones to take with me on a trip.

I think both mediums can co-exist together, but if I had to choose one I think I'd go for my Kindle books as they take very little space and I have them all available wherever I go. I can also purchase books online and have them available to read in an instant.

I like both: e books all the way for cheap paperback crime novels or romance novels that I read once, also for books that are free in that format or amazing deals (e.g. classic novels). I travel a lot and I read very quickly so it is a godsend to know I have a whole library in my hand-luggage when I go away.

However I love books too and if an edition is beautiful or if I want to read a book again and again I'll get a hard copy. Actually e books are a good way of testing that, and I'll happily buy a hard copy of something I have on kindle if I like it enough.

I love reading trashy novels on an e-reader but I want my cookery, sewing, and general reference books in a lovely hard back copy to flick through, add bookmarks to and turn down pages etc.

Plus, you get sone amazing bargains in local charity shops.