Ebook or Paper book?

[Deleted]

So, I'm starting to get back into reading again.  My eyes were going bad for a couple years and I didn't realize it and got out of the habit and now that I'm used to wearing reading glasses and can see again, I've got a whole list of books I want to read.  Time is the big factor. 

But, anyhow.  I've been shopping on Amazon and find that I tend to rather pay the extra few bucks for the paper version.  I don't know why.  It makes no sense.  I don't like clutter, I'm obsessive about saving money and it seems silly to pay more for the same information.  Plus with my Kindle I can carry hundreds of books around with me all the time.  I think I'm just stuck in old school land and need to quit killing trees. 

Which do you prefer?

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

I've been preferring checking stuff out of the library instead of purchasing.  They do have ebook versions and Kindles for loan, though.  I love real, old-fashioned books, but I'm too much against adding carp to my life right now. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I like both. It depends on my mood. I own a NOOK and despite constantly reading reviews saying "it's just like reading a paper version" I don't find it to be so. After a certain amount of e-books I need a break and I turn back to paper versions.

I LOVE my NOOK for the library. I can sit at home and check out a book, then it disappears when it's due.

Our library doesn't have every book available electronically so I still check out plenty of paper versions as well.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 9:54:19 GMT -5 Rocky Mtn Saver said:

I've been preferring checking stuff out of the library instead of purchasing.  They do have ebook versions and Kindles for loan, though.  I love real, old-fashioned books, but I'm too much against adding carp to my life right now. 

Yeah, that's my first choice, but I filled my Amazon cart and searched for every one of them in our library and they didn't have a single one. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

If I buy books I tend to purchase them for my NOOK nowadays. I like having tons of books contained in one little electronic device. Last paper books I purchased were the Hunger Games.

[steph08]

I was into e-books for a good while, but then moved back to paper/hardbacks.  If it is a series or a book that I think I might want to keep around and read again, I buy it in paper/hardback.

Of course, I also only use the Kindle app on my iPad - so after staring at a computer screen all day at work, sometimes I don't really want to stare at one when reading too.

One of the local churches also has a big book sale every fall, so I get two tote bags full of paperback books.

[wvugurl26]

For me it depends on what type of book I'm reading. Light, fluffy fun I generally get on my Kindle. The more serious things I do better reading in a paper version. It's less of an issue now but in past years I could find paperbacks cheaper than the Kindle version of the book.

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

Apr 10, 2014 9:56:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Apr 10, 2014 9:54:19 GMT -5 Rocky Mtn Saver said:

I've been preferring checking stuff out of the library instead of purchasing.  They do have ebook versions and Kindles for loan, though.  I love real, old-fashioned books, but I'm too much against adding carp to my life right now. 

Yeah, that's my first choice, but I filled my Amazon cart and searched for every one of them in our library and they didn't have a single one. 

We have a fantastic library connectivity system here in CO.  Our library is connected to most of the other libraries in CO and WY, and you can have books delivered from any library that has your item.  It's all free.  My local library has a good variety, but I regularly get lots of things from the network libraries.  Whoever came up with this system is a genius! 

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 9:56:54 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I like both. It depends on my mood. I own a NOOK and despite constantly reading reviews saying "it's just like reading a paper version" I don't find it to be so. After a certain amount of e-books I need a break and I turn back to paper versions.

I LOVE my NOOK for the library. I can sit at home and check out a book, then it disappears when it's due.

Our library doesn't have every book available electronically so I still check out plenty of paper versions as well.

I wish when you bought the paper version you got the digital with it.  I have a lot harder time just browsing through an ebook. 

[wyouser]

No questions, no dilemma here for me.......always the paper book!

[busymom]

I can't speak for everyone, but for me personally a "real" book is easier on my eyes.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 9:59:51 GMT -5 Rocky Mtn Saver said:

Apr 10, 2014 9:56:56 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Yeah, that's my first choice, but I filled my Amazon cart and searched for every one of them in our library and they didn't have a single one. 

We have a fantastic library connectivity system here in CO.  Our library is connected to most of the other libraries in CO and WY, and you can have books delivered from any library that has your item.  It's all free.  My local library has a good variety, but I regularly get lots of things from the network libraries.  Whoever came up with this system is a genius! 

Ours does that too.  Only it's mainly just SE Minnesota system I think.  They're great for fiction stuff, but they don't seem to have a lot for newer non-fiction. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

It depends on the author for me.  Terry Pratchett and Jenny Cruise are the ones I buy in print.  Charlotte MacLeod, I'm discovered I'm good with the Kindle version.  So as my copies of her books fall apart, I'm replacing them that way. 

New stuff, eh, depends on my mood and time of day - I may put off buying something until I can get to the store or library.  Or I may download it to read right away. 

[Chocolate Lover]

I do both, but if I can only find it in paperback at the library, I'm looking for the ebook, my eyes hate me if I read that tiny print in a paperback. I can adjust the font size on the Kindle to as big as I want  I check the library first for a book I want to borrow, then the ebooks through my library (less ebooks than paper ones still), then Amazon. I do love checking Amazon for the FREE Kindle books, I've discovered some interesting stuff and only one horrible book that way. 

[justme]

I have the cheapest Kindle you can get, but it's the one that looks closest to paper - no glare, can read outside, etc. I haven't cracked a real book since I got it like 18 months ago. I also haven't bought a book in that time thanks to my library's awesome ebook collection. Though, to be honest, I hadn't managed to finish a real book for a couple years before I bought the Kindle.

[sarcasticgirl]

ebook for me.  my carpel tunnel is killer and holding a book just doesn't work for me. i can set my tablet (where i use the kindle app) on my lap, or prop it up on my bag while on the train. Also, i read a LOT of books... and i have so many but no place to put them. i need to find somewhere to donate them. 
I do buy the actual book when it comes to my favorites. I have several signed copies by some of my favorite authors. 

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 10:47:20 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

I hated reading from the Kindle at first, but I've gotten used to it -as long as it's easy fiction stuff. I love being able to order the book from Amazon and having it downloaded onto my Kindle instantly, without having to leave the house. But for nonfiction or heavy material, I really need the book.

I think this is where I'm at.  Fiction I'm ok with a Kindle but just not used to it.  Non-fiction or reference I read differently (not always front to back for one thing) and I can assimilate the information better if physically have it in my hand. 

[michelyn8]

I still prefer a "real" book to an electronic book simply because I look at a computer screen nearly 40 hours a week at work and then whatever time I choose to spend on the laptop or playing with my phone when not at work.  My vision has been weakening the past year and a half and I think it has a lot to do with all the time I spend playing on my phone to be honest.  Can't prove its the cause since a lot of my family started having vision issues in their 40's too.

That said, I've been considering purchasing a tablet so I can purchase e-books and maybe read more than I do now.  I know it would be more convenient (size, storage, and easier to download than make a trip to the store or wait for an order to be delivered) but I'm still undecided.  My daughter loves her Kindle and was a "purist" like me for a long time before she got it.  Maybe I'll borrow hers for a weekend to see how I like it and then decide.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I have an iPad, so it's not the best for reading as it's heavy but I have. I took it to Mexico with me earlier this year, but it was impossible to read in the sun so I used paperbacks. Fortunately, I had thrown a few in my luggage and there was a book swap at the pool. I think by the time I left, I had gone through their entire collection of English paperbacks, most were German.

I am thinking about getting a Kindle to be able to read in the sun.

[sheilaincali]

I was doing the 50/50 thing with my first kindle.  But this past Christmas we upgraded all three of us to the Kindle Fire HD and we haven't purchased a single physical book since then. I've come to prefer the Ebook version. It's a decluttering thing. We got rid of nearly 400 books last year and have ourselves set to one bookcase per person. So the Ebooks fill the need for a book without adding more physical books to the house.

It was a struggled to convince the Boy to switch to his kindle because he is a purist and only liked paper books. Now he's come to embrace the kindle.

sarcasticgirl- Many public libraries have a "friends of the library" type program. Volunteers mostly that get their funding through the sale of used books. That's where I have always donated my books.

[quince]

I prefer paper books, but the only time I get to read is when I'm nursing my kid to sleep, so I buy/borrow e-books.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 10:58:45 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

I still prefer a "real" book to an electronic book simply because I look at a computer screen nearly 40 hours a week at work and then whatever time I choose to spend on the laptop or playing with my phone when not at work.  My vision has been weakening the past year and a half and I think it has a lot to do with all the time I spend playing on my phone to be honest.  Can't prove its the cause since a lot of my family started having vision issues in their 40's too.

That said, I've been considering purchasing a tablet so I can purchase e-books and maybe read more than I do now.  I know it would be more convenient (size, storage, and easier to download than make a trip to the store or wait for an order to be delivered) but I'm still undecided.  My daughter loves her Kindle and was a "purist" like me for a long time before she got it.  Maybe I'll borrow hers for a weekend to see how I like it and then decide.

I've had a Kindle for a couple years, but still I order a book and opt for the paper copy.  I think part of it is the price difference is so little.  I ordered that Codependent No More that everyone was telling me to get and it was less than 50 cents savings going with the Kindle version.  I just feel like I'm getting "more" with the book.  I don't know why. 

[wvugurl26]

Apr 10, 2014 11:03:53 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Apr 10, 2014 10:58:45 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

I still prefer a "real" book to an electronic book simply because I look at a computer screen nearly 40 hours a week at work and then whatever time I choose to spend on the laptop or playing with my phone when not at work.  My vision has been weakening the past year and a half and I think it has a lot to do with all the time I spend playing on my phone to be honest.  Can't prove its the cause since a lot of my family started having vision issues in their 40's too.

That said, I've been considering purchasing a tablet so I can purchase e-books and maybe read more than I do now.  I know it would be more convenient (size, storage, and easier to download than make a trip to the store or wait for an order to be delivered) but I'm still undecided.  My daughter loves her Kindle and was a "purist" like me for a long time before she got it.  Maybe I'll borrow hers for a weekend to see how I like it and then decide.

I've had a Kindle for a couple years, but still I order a book and opt for the paper copy.  I think part of it is the price difference is so little.  I ordered that Codependent No More that everyone was telling me to get and it was less than 50 cents savings going with the Kindle version.  I just feel like I'm getting "more" with the book.  I don't know why. 

Something like that I'd probably get the real version. I've been trying to read The Hobbit and I'd be screwed if it were on my Kindle. I'm really struggling with Wicked on my Kindle. Easy fiction though I have no problem with reading on my Kindle. For me though my attention kind of drifts when I'm reading on the Kindle. It is nice to not have to lug books around. I also get real versions sometimes so I can share with friends. I have a ton of books on my Kindle that I can't lend to anyone per manufacturer restrictions.

I have the Kindle Fire HD, the smaller screen one.

[Phoenix84]

When I "read" it's usually audiobooks.  So, I prefer neither.

To me, it's the suprior way of doing things.  You don't need to use your eyes at all.  You can listen to your MP3 player or whatever just about anywhere, going on a walk, driving, grocery shopping, doing the dishes or laundry.  So if you're limited on time, it's a good way to get your "reading" in.  Plus you get the advantages of a e-book by being able to carry around a hundred books in your pocket.

[Deleted]

My 11 year old is a voracious reader.  He has the Inheritance Cycle series on his Kindle and has read them all numerous times but the last time we were at the library he checked the first book of the series out.  I asked him why since he already has them on his Kindle and he said "Sometimes I just like to have a book, it's a different experience". 

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

Apr 10, 2014 11:27:12 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

When I "read" it's usually audiobooks.  So, I prefer neither.

To me, it's the superior way of doing things.  You don't need to use your eyes at all.  You can listen to your MP3 player or whatever just about anywhere, going on a walk, driving, grocery shopping, doing the dishes or laundry.  So if you're limited on time, it's a good way to get your "reading" in.  Plus you get the advantages of a e-book by being able to carry around a hundred books in your pocket.

I've gotten into audiobooks lately too.  I tried it while reading the Maze Runner, and I found having it read aloud really helped with some of the quirky lingo and differentiating the boys better. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I'm really struggling with Wicked on my Kindle.

Wicked is a struggle no matter how you read it.

[bean29]

I have an original Nook - so I have had it for 4-5 years.  That one wasn't working real well, so I went to Target and replaced it with an inexpensive Kindle.  I should have bought a more expensive model.  I hated the kindle so much that when the Kindle (sorry) NOOK with Glo-light came out a few years ago, I demanded they buy me that gift (told the family no other gift was acceptable).  The reviews said to buy the warranty so I told DH to put the warranty on it.  New Nook stopped charging this week so they are sending me a new one.

My "New" Nook is obsolete they have refreshed the look.  I love the weight of my Nook.  I looked at the color versions, but they are heavier and when you are reading a novel, who cares about color (It is only color on the book cover).

I like that I can just drop it in my bag and it is light and compact.  I never buy books anymore - they cause clutter so even if the physical book is a dollar or two cheaper I resist the ugre to go there.

I have donated and donated my physical books.  I keep deciding I can get rid of more and more.  I think I only have one box of books left.  I also got rid of a lot of kids books.  I have one bookshelf left that is holding favorites and refrence books etc.  A friend visited recently with small kids and I was looking for a Franklin book and I gave them all away.  .  Oh well, If I ever have gradchildren, I will just buy some books at that point.

I need to visit my local library and see if I can borrow books for my Nook.  In the past their selection was very poor.

Like Chocolate said My Font is adjusted.  I also like the back light with the Nook, I find I can read smaller letters, and have less eye strain if the backlight is on.

[lynnerself]

I loved my old simple Kindle. I tend to read several books at once, so it was easy to take them all with me. I like the fact that I could increase the font size and not always have to use my reading glasses.  But my Kindle died, weird lines across the screen.

Does anyone know if I can get my books again on a new Kindle?  They were never archived.

Paper books I use only at the beach or pool were I worry about the Kindle being stolen.

[Deleted]

Apr 10, 2014 12:14:40 GMT -5 lynnerself said:

I loved my old simple Kindle. I tend to read several books at once, so it was easy to take them all with me. I like the fact that I could increase the font size and not always have to use my reading glasses.  But my Kindle died, weird lines across the screen.

Does anyone know if I can get my books again on a new Kindle?  They were never archived.

Paper books I use only at the beach or pool were I worry about the Kindle being stolen.

Aren't they all stored in the Amazon Cloud?  Every one I've ever bought is in there.