Audiobooks, e-Books, Paper, etc.?
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I think all formats complete one another. I do most of my reading on an e-reader because it’s practical. I live in a developing country where it’s so difficult to get books I want unless I pay a lot in shipping and taxes. I am so grateful for e-books for allowing me to access books I otherwise wouldn’t dream of reading
Nice, thick, heavy hardcover, thick, textured pages, no jacket.
eBooks for sure.
Don’t get me wrong - absolutely nothing beats the feeling of paper. But if I have my Kindle, I read everyday. If I need to worry about carrying and taking care of a physical book… I read sometimes.
I’m also spoiled by having quick dictionary access, saving quotes, etc.
If it’s a very special book I’ll buy the physical edition though, just for having it on my shelf.
@kadu @ArmoredCavalry To be honest, the main thing that bothers me about eBooks is that it doesn’t support my local bookstore. I tend to buy eBooks from Amazon because it is convenient (yes, I know there are other options, but I admit to laziness here). Local, independent bookstores are a precious resource and I will be mad at myself when they are gone. I will look at the hundreds of books on my Kindle and feel guilty.
That’s a really good point, I love any visit to local bookstores (especially when visiting new areas). I should really get into the habit of making some form of purchase whenever I visit one. If nothing else, just to help keep them afloat!
@ArmoredCavalry Amen!
Once they are gone, they aren’t coming back. My best friend works in our local bookstore and I rarely need a book right away…but I’m embarrassed to say that I give into the temptation of convenience far too often and order from Amazon. That bookstore has been there all my life and it would be a big loss to the community if it went away.
I started buying my e-books on the Kobo store for this reason as I don’t want to support Amazon. Kobo books have the added benefit of making it easy to strip the DRM. You can see a guide here: https://github.com/subdavis/kobo-book-downloader
No argument here, but you can in fact support local bookstores with Kobo ebooks. https://www.kobo.com/indie
e-books. I listen to podcasts while I do chores though. Usually about History.
The Kindle is just so much more convenient - I can carry some 1500 page fantasy book in my hand and it weighs very little as well.
I read more books as audiobooks than other medium, but I enjoy and interact with ebooks/paper more thoroughly. Audiobooks have the convenience factor of being able to read while doing other things, which I love. Ebooks take the win over paper mainly because our local library has an amazing digital library!
Ebooks. Kindle has a nice display showing how much is left in the chapter. It has a warm light back light, and i can take multiple books with me on a trip (i have some unfinished books).
I can put down the kindle without losing the page, or having to bookmark it. And i can sideload the books for free.
Physical books are tempting too as i can get them free at a library and very cheap second hand, but i know i would still prefer to read it on kindle where i can choose the font size I like.
It depends. I’m studying for my medical exams and paper books are the way to go. I typically smash through audiobooks while driving.
I only read e-books anymore. However; when I find something I love I buy the hardback to have on hand to loan to friends and family that wouldn’t want to buy before reading.
I started listening to audiobooks for my commute, and that’s mostly what I stick to these days. The right narrator can make all the difference though!
And the wrong narrator just makes a great read a slog and a half.
I usually read on my Kobo (epub format) but I like buying pretty paper editions (hardcover or not) to show them off in my room!
I want to like audiobooks, but there are two me-problems holding me back:
- I feel like a lot of eBooks are distributed at a very low bitrate. Somewhere around 64kbps I think is pretty common, which I know is enough for voice-only, but to me I think most sound pretty bad.
- I cannot stop my brain from wandering off and doing other things…
So I tend to prefer reading with my eyes instead of my ears, with a preference towards eBooks due to form factor and the ability to change fonts, font size, margins, etc. if I don’t like the publisher’s choices. Though from time to time, I’ll get a book from the library, a second hand store, or will buy one I really liked which I read digitally. I also have a much easier time choosing a book to read from the library or a second-hand store, probably since there are relatively fewer choices, and having a physical thing to pick up.
eBooks because the device is lighter and I can read in the dark room while my wife & 1year old daughter sleep in the same room.
I prefer physical books for the most part but I have a hard time justifying their cost when I own an ereader.
I like listening to audiobooks when I’m out and about but I find I’ll occasionally miss the odd sentence when I get distracted or forget to pause when I take my headphones off which leads to me skipping around trying to find where I was at.
For many years it’s been ebook mainly because of limited space and aging eyes.
But strangely I just picked up a trade paperback at Barnes & Noble that I’m liking reading very much, not just for the story but for the tactile nature of it. I’ve read my whole life and never thought I’d ever trim my library. But having kids and getting older abused me of that notion. 🙂
I’m still going to use my Kindle for most books, but it’s been nice to have a physical book again.
I enjoy paperbacks sometimes but the convenience of ebooks wins me over. I also read in other languages so having easy dictionary or translation lookup is fantastic.
