In any group there’s always one topic that’s taboo, something that probably shouldn’t be talked about and on Reading Addicts, that subject is Kindle versus paper. People feel so strongly about this topic from both sides, showing that we all love to read, whatever the means. We often see pros and cons for both eReading and paper reading and these generally boil down to the convenience of eReading and the smell and feel of a book.
Either way it’s the one subject where things get heated on the page, and everyone likes to have their say about how they prefer to read and why. Those with beloved Kindles defend their eReaders with the ability to enjoy the large print, read heavy books and take an entire library on holiday, while paper lovers just cannot see past the simply divine feeling of holding a real book in their hands, the rustling of the paper, the memories of a previous reread and the smell of the paper
I’ll come out and say it, I have a Kindle AND I read paper books (shock, horror!). I often download books when it’s 11:30pm at night and I haven’t got anything I fancy lined up next. You’ve seen those pictures of women looking at wardrobes full of clothes stating ‘I have nothing to wear’, well that’s often me, staring at my six-foot bookcase shouting ‘I have nothing to read’.
With feelings running high we run a simple poll in the Cwts, our Reading Group to see just how everyone reads. The results are below and as you can see, the biggest selection of all mixes eReading with reading paper books.
We only gave three options and 70 of you (including myself) voted for ‘a bit of both’, while 54 members still read exclusively from paper books, while ‘exclusively eReading’ garnered just five of the votes. It does go to show that while digital reading is becoming popular there’s still plenty of want and need for a proper paper book as for the most part even those who read digitally still read paper books too.
I leave you with these final words from a wise but silly man.
‘Lovers of print are simply confusing the plate for the food.’ ~ Douglas Adams
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You can’t put a sticker saying “Free to good home, enjoy” on a Kindle & leave it for the homeless. I do this often. Homeless folk can’t join a library nor can they afford to buy books even at charity shop prices. Who needs to be taken from the misery of real life to somewhere better/different than the homeless?
Exactly. And one of the bedt reasons to prefer the paper- book. ❤️
I love the Douglass Addams quote, thank god for his wisdom and his silliness, the combination is a great way to put things in perspective.
Helen, that is a great point, but you can still do just that and still be able to use the electronic formats available. It is sad to me that the homeless are under served in so many areas, but the denial of library cards was one I never thought about, thank you for the perspective on that.
When you say you “read paper books” the correct term is hard copy or hard copies. You read either via an e-reader or a hard copy.
I love the feel of a book, but, as stated in the article, I like carrying my library with me. Mostly, I find I read faster and better on an e-reader. There are some books I will get in hard copy form just to have, but will read them on the e-reader.