Let's Talk: E-Books vs. Real Books

Friday, June 22, 2012




Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!
Question: Do you prefer real books or those on your e-reader, and why?

This is a debate that I have in my head quite often, and I'll be the first person to say that I'm not really sure there is a real answer because there are two vastly different sides here. I own a Barnes & Noble Nook. His name is Dexter. He has an orange case and way too many books loaded within his little memory chip...or whatever it is that makes him tick. I don't know technology. So, sue me.

Dexter (my Nook, in case you aren't following) is great. He's convenient, portable and I never really have to worry if I'm forgetting a book I need to review, so long as my Nook is in my purse. That, in and of itself, is a huge pro. There's also the convenience of Netgalley, which is absolutely awesome. ARCs cost a lot of money, so having the opportunity to read a lot of titles I might otherwise have to wait until their release is another massive pro. Most of all though, it's nice to be able to carry my Nook to the pool, to the beach or anywhere else I might need to go and not have to worry about ruining the pretty cover. Unless I'm a clumsy fool and drop it, that is.

On the other hand, there's a beautiful familiarity in real, tangible books. I'll fight anyone who tells me there is something more wonderful than walking into a beautiful old library with hundreds of titles and that rich old-book smell. I know. I'm a geek. I also love walking into my house and knowing I can go to any shelf, pick up a book and get lost in the pages. I don't have quite the same affinity with books on my e-reader.

So, frankly, I don't know if one is really better than the other, per se, but I certainly have a favourite. If I could only read real books or those on my e-reader for the rest of my life, I would choose the real books. Hands-down.

28 comments:

  1. Agreed! Great post! I own a nook too and find it really handy but there's nothing like flipping through pages. :)

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  2. I pretty much agree completely with everything you said here, Melissa! I also have a Nook and an iPad, and I use them a LOT for reading. It's awesome to be able to get digital galleys, and check out books from the library at three in the morning, and shop all the great e-book sales! I love my e-reading devices, but if I had to pick between the two, physical books would still win out. 

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  3. I know people will probably debate the paper vs ink until the end of time but personally I don't see why it has to be one or the other. They both have their benefits. I love eBooks because (1) I live in a small apartment and I have very little space for new books, (2) I have so many options while traveling and I don't have to worried about being weighed down, (3) no long lines or shipping fees to get new books. I could go on and on.

    This doesn't mean I love 'real books' any less. I love the smell, the touch, flipping pages, the colorful covers. Authors can sign real books...wouldn't work so much for an eBook ;)

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  4. Maybe I'm the only one but i prefer eCopies over physical copies!I loove my Kindle and iPad! No need to bend the spine, easy to hold with one hand, I love my eReaders and whenever I have the chance I read an eCopy - In fact if I don't manage to read an ARC I got until it comes out I go and buy the eCopy. Yes I'm like that:))

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  5. I love both kinds of books because, as you've so neatly pointed out, each serves a different purpose and fills a different gap in my life.

    HOWEVER.

    If I did have to choose someday, I would always go with paper, tangible books. Nothing beats the joy and the novelty of turning pages or petting a hardback cover.

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  6. I love the convenience of ebooks. It's nice to be able to read while standing in lines or in the car without carrying a physical book. But physical books are comfortable. And it's easier to flip through them.

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  7. Although I read on my IPad a lot more than real books, I prefer real ones. I absolutely agree about the whole bookstore thing, there's something so special about going there, as opposed to just buying books from the Internet. However, the bookstore I go to is not very close to my house, and I don't have enough time to go there as I would like, that's why I got the IPad, I figured a book is a book whether digital or real. Some of my favorite books are on my IPad, but I definitely prefer real books. Great post!

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  8. I too have a NOOK, and like you, I completely understand the benefits of e-books. But I pick real book every day. Hands down. :)

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  9. I have a Kindle and I have been debating this question since I got it. There are so many pro's and con's to both. With my kindle I can take instant notes and look up words right there without ever having to pick up a pen or dictionary. It is extremely convenient at the gym because I'm not constantly loosing my page. books are cheaper and like you said there is the huge pro of Netgalley. On the other hand I am so worried about taking it anywhere because if it gets broken or stolen then I will loose a rediculous amount of books and waste a ton of money. When  finish a book that I know I will never read again I can't just take it to a used bookstore for someone else to enjoy and to earn some credit towards a new book, I'm just stuck with a book that I wasn't a fan of in the first place. 
    I LOVE actual books. I have always had a fascination with the beautiful covers and the pages within. I don't feel the same pull towards or love for my Kindle books. If something happens to my books I can replace it fairly easily. I love to look at my over-full bookcase and know that I also have an overflowing closet of books to look at and pick from. I love being able to loan my books out to whoever I want and for however long I want to. I enjoy taking huge stacks of read books to the used book store to turn in for credit towards more books. Most of all I love the feel and the smell of real books. I have to pick the real book over the e-book for the simple reason of that that is where my love lies.

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  10. Yes!!!! I love that you LOVE actual books, too! There's something about the feel and smell of them that just totally holds the trump card :)

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  11. YAY! I'm glad we're on the same page with this one ;)

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  12. I'm with you. I love my NOOK, and I have a ton of e-books, but those real books...they just always win out for me! :)

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  13. They definitely are easier! I think there's a beautiful familiarity in regular books though - a comfort, just like you said :)

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  14. That seems to be a common thread with most people today - if we had to pick one or the other, it seems paper would ultimately win ;)

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  15. YAY! LIBRARIES! There is nothing better than that. I'm in agreement with you though, there's just something about real books that makes them better. 

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  16. I still love the actual books best. The covers are pretty, you can page through them and page back (yes, I know you can do this on the ereader but it's just not the same). That being said, I do really like my Kindle. It makes life easier, you know? No packing 20lbs worth of books for vacation or realizing you've finished and now have nothing else to read (ha--does that happen?).

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  17. I picked real books. I also like the feel of a book (especially the smell!) I find it's a different to read a book on my Kobo than to read a real book. Maybe with more use, I'll get used to ereaders. Till then, I'm sticking with my library books. :p

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  18. I like both! I like that e-books have made so many books more affordable. But I still love cracking open a paper book, lying on the couch and reading. I don't buy that many paper books anymore -- usually get them through the library.

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  19. maybe its just my weirdness, but it seems like I retain things better when I read real books. Ipad has so many potential distractions, but with paper I can turn off the world and really get lost in a story. Which, now that i think about it, is basically the reason I read in the first place...

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  20. I love e-books and "real" books equally. I love the convenience of the Nook. I love having hundreds of books at my finger tips at any given moment. I love being able to purchase and download a book on a whim and in a matter of a minute or two (although, my pocket book doesn't really appreciate this). I love being able to download library books without having to worry about late fees.

    But who doesn't love "real" books? Their beautiful covers! The scent unique to books. The way it feels so natural in your hands when you're curled up with it on the couch or in bed. The way the ink sometimes smudges into the margins. There is something so comforting and nostalgic about a real book.

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  21. When the Kindle first came out, my main problem was worrying if I'd strain my eyes from the screen. But then I found out that it doesn't strain at all, but I still preferred reading real books. Why I want a Kindle or Nook now is because like you said, the convience and being able to read ARC's electronically. I'm getting into Netgalley and other sites that provide e-galleys a lot more and I wind up having to read them on my comnputer, which ends up straining my eyes. So I say that's the only reason I'd want to read an e-book. Other than that, I'll always love and prefer "real" books. :)

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  22. I love that you named your nook Dexter :)

    My thoughts are similar to yours - I love the feel and smell of real printed books, but I love how my Kindle gives me options when it comes to reading. I change stories on a whim and I love being able to take all my Netgalley ARC's with me wherever I go. 

    I'm a bit more fond of printed books, though. I love the weight of them, plus it's a bit difficult to go to a book signing with only a Kindle versus an actual book ;)

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  23. I have an e-reader but honestly I have never read a book on it. I just bought it so I could get tickets to the early screening of The Hunger Games....

    But yeah I LOVE real books. E-readers are convenient for travel and stuff like that but I have a hard time concentrating if I reading on them. I'll always pick a real book hands down but I do like that E-Readers have opened up reading to a whole new demographic. I know several people that have told me they didn't read at all until they got their E-Reader so that's really cool. :)

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  24. Oh man, this IS a hard question! I love the convenience and size of my Kindle, but there is nothing better than a tangible book that I can physically hold. I don't think I'll ever be able to say I like one over the other - as long as I can read it some way, I'm happy :)

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  25. I love eBooks but there is nothing as charming as a real book.

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  26. I love my Kindle.  I was an early adopter and I've never looked back.  Its helped me read so many more books than I ever used to read because its convenient and always there.  As for real books, though I love them dearly they are heavy, expensive and hard to tote around.

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  27. This is a really tough question! I love my Kindle (Her name is Kiki! Glad I'm not the only one who names their e- reader) and I love reading on it, but physical books will always be my favourite. I love looking at the covers, feeling the pages and the smell of books. :D
    So physical books any day. :)

    I'm a new GFC follower:)

    Kyra
    www.blogofabookaholic.blogspot.com

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