Do you still buy physical books?

[shanghaichica]

No I haven’t bought a physical book for almost 15 years now. Once I went to eink I never went back.

[Gormagon]

The last book I bought was in January 2020: "Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies"
That was a little bit over 4 years ago. I guess I don't buy printed books anymore.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Gormagon

The last book I bought was in January 2020: "Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies"

Terrific book (I also read it in January 2020) and probably worth buying a paper copy for the pictures, but I bought it as an ebook just the same.

[HLS]

I think I am finally over it. I must have bought 50-100 since november. No place to put the books. Not sure why I got infatuated with physical books after so long of ebook only but im done with it. Ill only buy it if its sprayed edges or a collectors edition

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HLS

Ill only buy it if its sprayed edges or a collectors edition

I've learned those look nice in the bookstore, but I will never actually read them.

The Pengiun Clothbound Classics are very trendy right now and look good on a shelf. But I watched a video a while back complaining that they are terrible for reading. She demonstrated with a couple of different books that they are hard to lay open, the way other hardback books do. I forget the rest and am doing a poor summary. But as I watched the video I could see the points she was making were valid. At least with her copies anyway.

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I've learned those look nice in the bookstore, but I will never actually read them.

The Pengiun Clothbound Classics are very trendy right now and look good on a shelf. But I watched a video a while back complaining that they are terrible for reading. She demonstrated with a couple of different books that they are hard to lay open, the way other hardback books do. I forget the rest and am doing a poor summary. But as I watched the video I could see the points she was making were valid. At least with her copies anyway.

Reminds me of the Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics and the Borders Classics before it, of which I have a couple on my shelf. They're mostly for decoration, these days. If I really want to read them I will usually pull up a digital copy, and only pull out the physical books if I feel like looking over the Gustav Dore or William Blake illustrations.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

Reminds me of the Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Classics and the Borders Classics before it, of which I have a couple on my shelf. They're mostly for decoration, these days...

Yeah. Even if ebooks were to go away and all eink screens stopped working, I'd wind up going back to paperbacks.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yeah. Even if ebooks were to go away and all eink screens stopped working, I'd wind up going back to paperbacks.

Preach it! I hated having to buy a hard back book...as when a book I very much wanted to read was only available in hardback. It wasn't the cost...but that too. It was the size and weight.

I always carried my books with me. I read everywhere. Give me a paper back, and bonus points if it would fit in my back pocket

[Cactus Chef]

Depends on the size of the paperback. I saw a paperback version of Priory of the Orange Tree at B&N the other day:

https://etchedinstone.org/wp-content...-2-675x900.jpg

900 pages does not make for a happy paperback, methinks. You'll get, what? Maybe one complete read-through before the spine is destroyed?

I feel the same way these days practically whenever I see a great book in mass market paperback dimensions. Anything other than an airport novel feels like it's being done a disservice in that format.

[JSWolf]

I have an old hardcover that I'll be reading next month. It should be an excellent read.

Gracie: A Love Story by George Burns.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cactus Chef

900 pages does not make for a happy paperback, methinks. You'll get, what? Maybe one complete read-through before the spine is destroyed?

I dunno. My mass market paperback copy of Stephen King's It (1,100+ pages) published in 1986(?) has survived multiple readings and is still hanging in there. Same for The Stand and Shōgun and others I'm not thinking of at the moment.

Maybe because they were crafted with 'the old ways.'

[HLS]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I've learned those look nice in the bookstore, but I will never actually read them.

The Pengiun Clothbound Classics are very trendy right now and look good on a shelf. But I watched a video a while back complaining that they are terrible for reading. She demonstrated with a couple of different books that they are hard to lay open, the way other hardback books do. I forget the rest and am doing a poor summary. But as I watched the video I could see the points she was making were valid. At least with her copies anyway.

I’m sort of infatuated with spray edges lately.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I dunno. My mass market paperback copy of Stephen King's It (1,100+ pages) published in 1986(?) has survived multiple readings and is still hanging in there. Same for The Stand and Shōgun and others I'm not thinking of at the moment.

Maybe because they were crafted with 'the old ways.'

Hammer and chisel on stone tablets.

[estral]

Yes, I do! There's something about holding a physical book and turning its pages that I really enjoy. Plus, they look great on the shelf

[Karellen]

I still purchase pbooks. Not new books though. About a year ago I discovered a second hand book store not too far from where I live. It is run by the local catholic school and the place is jammed packed full of books.

I have been able to find out of print books, been able to complete pbook sets in my library, and discovered new books to read. I pop in once every few weeks. And it is unbelievably cheap. Either $3 or $4 per book. Spend $20 and I practically need a wheelbarrow to get to my car (ok slight exaggeration)