do you still read paper books?

[Lin2412]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I'm reading a paperback from the library now and I miss my Kobo. Well, I like the book so I might buy the ebook and read that instead.

Ingrid, a good friend of mine, loves to borrow books from the library. (She says the 'blue light' (?) from the tablet might destroy her eyes (she's resolved to this thinking already so whoever says reading via e-reader are ok will be dismissed by her). Hahaha. It's funny because last week she showed me this Statics book (for her study) and I found a lot of dog-eared pages in them. I suppose she's mostly the suspect of that. lol

[Demingy]

I have a book scanner I used to scan my textbooks when I was in school and quite a few of my recreational books. I'm used to even my reference books being in digital format. A large percentage of the books I've read the past few years are digital. A few months ago I bought a pbook that wasn't available in ebook format. It actually felt slightly odd and uncomfortable reading the pbook, I hadn't realized that I had developed habits from ebook reading that didn't work as well when reading a pbook.

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by Lin2412

Ingrid, a good friend of mine, loves to borrow books from the library. (She says the 'blue light' (?) from the tablet might destroy her eyes (she's resolved to this thinking already so whoever says reading via e-reader are ok will be dismissed by her). Hahaha. It's funny because last week she showed me this Statics book (for her study) and I found a lot of dog-eared pages in them. I suppose she's mostly the suspect of that. lol

That's funny. The light (Kobo Aura) is what I missed! Ebooks are a lot easier to read in bed than a paper book, that's for sure.

[jehane]

I'm currently reading a paperback from the library. I saw a recent release from a favourite author on the shelf. Given the choice between having it immediately or being #9 on the ebook hold list (4 copies) I borrowed it. I don't see it as being an either/or proposition, although ebook is certainly more convenient and would be my first choice. When I go back to Australia I'll be reading on paper a lot more simply because a lot of the authors I read aren't available in ebook in Australia (including some that are Antipodean...)

[BetterRed]

I prefer paper when 'reading for pleasure', and ebooks when 'reading for information'.

Some of the reasons I prefer paper for pleasure include, I can give/loan them to friends for their pleasure, leave them on bus seats or park benches for whoever's pleasure, take 2 or 3 to a secondhand/remainder bookshop and swap for something I've not read, or give them to the local library or school.

I can even tear them apart to use as kitty litter or to make paper mache

A commercial ebook can't be reused, recycled or repurposed. If its not destroyed all it can do it to consume digital space, one day we'll probably find out that's also a finite resource

BR

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I prefer paper when 'reading for pleasure', and ebooks when 'reading for information'.

Some of the reasons I prefer paper for pleasure include, I can give/loan them to friends for their pleasure, leave them on bus seats or park benches for whoever's pleasure, take 2 or 3 to a secondhand/remainder bookshop and swap for something I've not read, or give them to the local library or school.

I can even tear them apart to use as kitty litter or to make paper mache

A commercial ebook can't be reused, recycled or repurposed. If its not destroyed all it can do it to consume digital space, one day we'll probably find out that's also a finite resource

BR

I am the opposite. Reading fiction is infinitely better on an ereader. Not that I didn't love reading paper books when that was all I had.

Donating/giving/trading is good although I have spotted many a soggy paperback on a park bench.

I donate to the thrift stores etc. by rounding up any purchase to the next $5 when I shop there. Or putting money in various collection places and other ways. I actually get more of a positive feed back from that and a higher feeling of satisfaction than from giving them a bag of books.

Giving/trading with friends has only happened in rare instances for me. Most of the people I know prefer to buy their own books or don't read fiction. For the few that do, I will just lend them a reader if I trust them to return it.

I guess I am lucky in that I have always bought or borrowed from library books I wanted to read and never worried too much about what I would do with it when I was finished. I did give/lend/trade paper, but that was mostly because they were taking up space.

Helen

[BetterRed]

@speakingtohe - most of my 'reading for pleasure' is non-fiction; history & biographies, and the fiction I do read is often from obscure (in the Anglosphere that is) writers. I just did a check on recent readings, many aren't available as an ebook!

They're not the sort of books I see in my local charity shops; which are mostly Regency Romance, old Who Done Its, ghost written autobios of celebrities, wannabees, sport-persons, and their ex's...

I prefer rummaging in bookshops to browsing soul-free ebook stores; I get to smile at fellow humans, strike up conversations, and who knows where that might lead— It helps that I'm blessed with having a handful of owner operated bookshops within walking distance (two of which opened in the last decade), and more in nearby 'en vogue' locales.

I only ever left a book on a park bench once, it was gone within an hour. Maybe it was used as kitty litter... some of the paper on which books are printed today is diabolical, one could use it as blotting paper, if one's Mont Blanc had any ink

BR

[speakingtohe]

@BetterRed
Ahh. I read a lot of old whodunnits, but most are available as ebooks. And yes you are lucky to have used bookstores close by. They are rare where I live these days. There are a couple of good ones I know of but at least 2 hours away. All of the ones I used to go to are victims of high rent or believe it or not arson.

I didn't think I would like reading on an ebook reader when I got my first very expensive one, but it was love at first book. Literally a pheromone rush.

I was recently given some books by A. A. fair that are not out as ebooks and I certainly am enjoying reading them in paper but overall my experience has been mostly the opposite of yours. I have borrowed or bought ebooks by many authors who are no longer living, that I had never come across in a new or used bookstore and I used to spend a lot of time in both as well as thrift stores and even some pawn shops that carried books.

My previous post was more than a little knee jerk, which I can be at times. Sorry for that. I am happy that you are happy.

Helen

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

My previous post was more than a little knee jerk, which I can be at times. Sorry for that. I am happy that you are happy.

Helen no harm done, or offence taken, I read your post as friendly banter

BR

[Demingy]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

@BetterRed
Ahh. I read a lot of old whodunnits, but most are available as ebooks. And yes you are lucky to have used bookstores close by. They are rare where I live these days. There are a couple of good ones I know of but at least 2 hours away. All of the ones I used to go to are victims of high rent or believe it or not arson.

I didn't think I would like reading on an ebook reader when I got my first very expensive one, but it was love at first book. Literally a pheromone rush.

I was recently given some books by A. A. fair that are not out as ebooks and I certainly am enjoying reading them in paper but overall my experience has been mostly the opposite of yours. I have borrowed or bought ebooks by many authors who are no longer living, that I had never come across in a new or used bookstore and I used to spend a lot of time in both as well as thrift stores and even some pawn shops that carried books.

My previous post was more than a little knee jerk, which I can be at times. Sorry for that. I am happy that you are happy.

Helen

I think you meant endorphin rush. We also don't have any used book stores nearby. I've thought about donating most of my pbooks to a local thrift store, but for some reason can't bring myself to do so. Seems crazy considering I've changed over to ebooks almost exclusively and have waaaaay more than I could possibly read in a lifetime.

[ghostyjack]

Just spent 6 months looking for The Difference Engine by Bruce Sterling & William Gibson and not finding it, so had to bite the bullet and by the paperback.

This happens every now and again, but for the most part I'm ebook only.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Demingy

I think you meant endorphin rush.

Who knows!



I usually keep the pbooks I have. They aren't really worth enough to bother carting them to the used bookstore, I don't have nearly enough to make it seriously awkward (I was blessed to catch on to ereading relatively early) and the ones I do have tend to be favorites... so I keep them to read on Shabbos.

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, I understood that you meant paperbacks. Just curious what it was about paperbacks in particular that made you unable to read them.

Sorry for seeing things so late. It's the combination of small print and gutters that does it. I can manage for a short period but after a while the effort becomes pointless and I find something else that's easier to read.

[pidgeon92]

If I were still reading paper books, I'd get me one of these.......

http://dog-milk.com/mori-the-wire-do...%28Dog+Milk%29

[chookie2]

"We also don't have any used book stores nearby. I've thought about donating most of my pbooks to a local thrift store, but for some reason can't bring myself to do so. Seems crazy considering I've changed over to ebooks almost exclusively and have waaaaay more than I could possibly read in a lifetime."

Me neither, it is a 3 hour drive for a secondhand or good new bookashop although some thrift shops nearby surprise me sometimes with print treasures. I am trying to cull my print book library but it is hard to get rid of old friends and references I may refer to again and again. I asked my son what he would do with my books when I die and he said he will send them all to a thrift shop....gave me palpitations indeed. Some I have paid up to $400 for and some are very rare and date back to 1800s, so now I am trying to decide if selling them to someone who will appreciate them is better than dying while still owning them...decisions decisions....getting rid of some may just kill me!!