SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

There are so many options now days when it comes to reading. What is your preference?

I used to be rather against ebooks because they're not the same as a real book and all that. At some point I decided that I was just being a bit of a snob about something I don't really think is true but rather thought sounded like a cool thing to think. (I'm really not saying people who prefer paper books are snobs, just that I think I was being one without having thought it through.) I'm now a huge fan of ebooks although I still read paper books and can't walk past a second hand book store without going in.

I love that my nook is small and light and I can get comfortable with it easily. It doesn't matter what the size of the book I'm reading is, my nook is always the same size and weight. I don't have to accept whatever size text the publisher decided to use, I can make the text whatever size I find easiest to read. And I never lose my place.

The cons are that illustrations are not great, but I've never cared to learn about a world via the map but rather through the story. Childrens books are a better example of where paper books outdo ebooks. I also find there are more often typos in ebooks than paper books but they're usually tiny and very easy to understand and often easy to miss entirely.

I've never managed to get into audiobooks but then I've never tried very hard. My first attempt was a Terry Pratchett audio book and I found I had to keep replaying it because I just wasn't able to focus on it and absorb anything. I gave up on that after a while and I haven't tried another one since.

I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks.

I've never tried audiobooks. It's hard to focus and there are no Bulgarian(I'm from Bulgaria) audiobooks. It's kinda hard to understand most of the things cause English is my second language.

I prefer ebooks because i can bring a lot of "books" with me everywhere. There's another reason. In Bulgaria most of the intresting books, that i like, are not produces. So, my only way to read the books is to buy them online. I have paper books,though. I buy new paper books when i have the opportunity.

For me, the choice of paper books over ebooks is a matter of trust. I'd rather have a physical object that I need only my own hands and eyes to read. I wouldn't like to be dependent on an electronic device that could go haywire, run out of power at an inconvenient moment, or become obsolete in two years. That's not to say that I wouldn't make use of a Kindle (for instance) if somebody gave me one, but I'm not going to spend my own money on it.

Re audiobooks, I'm more or less like Penny. Not only do I find it hard to focus on them (I'm a visual learner), but I don't tend to have chunks of time where listening to something makes sense.

I'm with Margaret on the reliability of print versus ebooks.

But I also object to the fact that these electronic things are usually non-transferable, and in many cases one's "purchase" may be in effect a license, like software, rather than the kind of definite ownership you get when you buy a physical book.

AND the fact that so many publishers refuse to sell ebooks to libraries, and/or demand high prices or limited use for them, really sucks.

Audiobooks ... I'd like them okay if I had time to listen to them, I'm sure, but reading is faster.

I tend to read e-books now but I prefer paperbacks if there are lots of maps or appendices to refer to. It is a bit awkward on the kindle. There are a few authors I will buy the printed book straight off, like Terry Pratchett

Much like Penny, I avoided ebooks for a long time. Now I can't live without my Kindle, and I'm reading more e-books than paperbacks.

What really turned my mind around was when I realized how all the boxes upon boxes of physical books I either lost or gave away when I once moved across the country could still be with me if I'd had them as e-books. A library built up over 30 years was too expensive for me to ship at the time, but an e-reader and a couple of flash drives could have traveled on the plane with me. Sure, e-books weren't even around them, but now I'll never have to worry about that situation again.

I love all three types :) I love having a physical book, with all of its colour and weight, not to mention having a bookcase just bursting at the seams with all of my favourites.

BUT, I also love eBooks. (I have a kindle). I love being able to pick up a light, slim volume and cart a huge pile of books around with me anywhere I go. It's great for reading in bed (nice and light), doesn't disturb my husband (built in light), and the books on it have been kinder to my bank balance.

For the car, or walking or exercising, I love an audiobook. I've just driven seven and a half hours to visit our daughter. During that time I listened to the better part of two audiobooks. They kept me interested, and alert, and my attention nicely focused for the solo trip.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that for me it's all about the words and my imagination. Probably the most common thing I hear from people who don't like ebooks is that they prefer the feel/smell/weight of a paper book, and the thing I'd like most to say is to them is that a book is always and should always be about the words. The words make the story, the rest is just window dressing.

I only do ebooks if I catch a deal. I love audio books, but only certain books are good candidates for it.

I read both paper and ebooks. The reading experience is the same for me. Here is the deal though, im a hardcore collector of books and movies, ebooks and netflix (for movies) just dosent cut it for me. So if i stream a good movie or read a good ebook i'll make sure to obtain it in a more preferable format.

But a good thing about digital media is that you wont waste any space when you get a hold of a book so repulsively bad that you never want to see again, have a couple of those in the closet.

It depends on the book. If it's a reference book, then I definitely prefer hardback for pictures and footnotes. Kindle is terrible for footnotes. Otherwise, I find an ebook easier to read, because I can take it everywhere. Some of the those big hardback books are cumbersome to whip out and read in a line.

And if a book is by a favorite author, then I will usually buy a hardback copy for my shelves and for autographs at book events.

Since I bought a Kindle, I noticed that I read more, because books are cheaper and don't take up space.

I've had no luck with audiobooks. While I enjoy them, I find that the only place I can listen to them is in car, and I nearly got in accident because the book was so absorbing...

I only read real books because the experience for me is different for me as I am a collector of books for the various printing, prices, and espeically the cover art. Plus the physical book allows other to know what one is reading so it became more of a conversation starter to meet people who read/enjoy the same type of books that would not have been known otherwise.

My biggest problem with audiobooks is that I can read faster than the narrator plus I like to spend my time listing to Radio talk shows, which I can't get in any other format.

P.S. I do kind of have a Kindle Fire under my name, but muy mom asked me two years ago to buy it for my sister for christmas, when she thought it was cool, but she does not use it anymore.

Sabrina, i'm pretty much spot-on with you: reference books are big ol hardbacks. ebooks are my favorite, for the same reasons of portability and ease of reading, but also because my carpal tunnel means i can't really hold up a big ol hardback for long without my hands going all tingly-numb. for genre fiction readers, i think ebooks are a must just for the looking-up capabilities - one touch, and you can get a definition or a wikipedia article on any ancient celtic god or obscure principle of physics that the book casually mentions.

audiobooks, i'm with you, Kevin - i can read faster. plus, i'm too easily distracted by everything else (not a big deal at all if it's just music as background noise) to really pay attention. if i pay enough attention to focus on the audiobook, i can't get anything else done, and i might as well be reading it.

I can read faster too, but audiobooks are bonus reading time. It doesn't cut into my regular reading time. I've doubled the number of books I read this year as a result.

I strictly buy ebooks now unless it is a reference book, signed by author, or is very special to me.

Due to having very limited space for "stuff", I have been in the process of minimalizing my possessions. I no longer have the room for tons of books and bookshelves. Ebooks make it possible for me to have an ever growing collection that occupies practically no space at all.

I also pretty much read e-books as well but this is due to weaker eyesight as I get older. The backlit screen makes it much easier to read for longer periods of time and my reading volume has at least doubled since I got an e-reader. I tried an audiobook for the first time earlier this year but found it difficult to focus on and haven't tried another one yet.

I've only ever read paper books. I love the smell and feel of a book. I've never tried ebooks though. I do remember listening to audio books on long car trips with my father as a child (usually Douglas Adams), but still prefer actually sitting down to read.

I read a lot of ebooks but, if I find one I love, I'll buy it in paper. Or if my friends let me walk into a book store and stay there a while. Or if I'm trying to fill time and trawling the charity shops for books...

I switched to ebooks probably 3 years ago due to lack of space for physical books. I still take physical books out of the library but prefer ebooks because of the weight and the built in light on my kindle. I also love having all my books with me as I always start a new book as soon as I finish one. the built in dictionary and time remaining feature also are great.

This is great, thanks everyone! :)

I did forget the huge plus of having so many books at your fingertips with an ereader. It's amazing in terms of travelling. I have the glowlight feature on my nook which has been mentioned in other posts, and it means I always read in good light. Having control of the light and the text size has made reading so enjoyable for me. I also read a lot more since I got my ereader.

There was a charity book sale last weekend and I managed to find a treasure. I picked up a second printing of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for R15 which is about $1.50 US or £1 UK. It's beautiful! The illustrations are amazing. There's a portion of the text that's written in the shape of an S. You really don't get that in ebooks.

Kevin, I think the next step in ebooks is an option to show the cover of the book you're reading on the back. I agree that it's a great conversation starter when you see someone reading a book you've read and enjoyed.

I have to agree on the reference text point that Sabrina raised. There is so much information available online, but I still prefer a good text from the library over online resources. I use both of course, it would be silly not to absorb knowledge from every available source, but I prefer textbooks.

I also do like having a bookshelf of physical books. I find it's almost always one of the first places I gravitate to at a persons house.

I've never had much luck with audiobooks- even when my hearing was still good, I found that I'd get distracted by whatever I was doing, and have to go back and rewind them (back in the old books on tape days).

Now I primarily read ebooks- I love the convenience of having hundreds of books with me everywhere I go, and I find that I'm reading much more since getting an e-reader. I also like the ability to back them up in numerous places- I've lost too many books over the years to fire/flood/moving/dropping them in the bath/kid accidents etc, and it's nice knowing that when I buy a book, and back it up in a few places, it's not going anywhere. I don't have any moral qualms about stripping DRM off of books that I've paid for, so unless computers stop working (in which case I'm probably going to have bigger problems than books), my collection should be safe. And I really love being able to change the font size, rather than looking for large print copies of books I want to read. And the lower cost of ebooks rather than hardcovers is a big selling point for me.

But I still love paper books as well. We did weed our paper collection down to a few bookcases due to space limitations (and being sick of moving them), but I can't imagine not having paper books around. I'd still rather read cookbooks or reference books in paper- I read a lot of history books, and I find that trying to read footnotes can be an exercise in frustration. I like having paper books to lend to friends who don't have ereaders, and an ebook will never replace my copy of Anne of Green Gables that I got for my 7th birthday with my grandmother's inscription of "Happy Birthday! I hope that you get as much of joy out of this as I have!" I also like having them as I sat on my kindle the day after we'd gotten rid of a few thousand books, and I was very, very glad that I'd kept some. Now we always have a backup ereader as well :-)

I'm just pretty happy to live in a time where we have more options to read. When it comes right down to it I don't think that my experience of reading on an ereader is much different than on a paper book- I get just as entranced and involved with books as I ever have, and most of the time I pay more attention to the content than I do to the form.

For me the key to doing audibooks while multitasking is to pick the right kind of books. Epic Fantasy need not apply.

I tend to do lighter fare, or do re-reads of books I've already read (Harry Potter, Dark Tower, Dresden Files) that makes it easier to miss something.

I was given a Kindle as a gift over three years ago. For months it sat in a drawer because I didn't see the point of it. Then one day I got an email from Amazon about free books for Kindle. Some were classics, some were from traditional publishers, and some were indie. I downloaded a few and discovered a couple of things I did not expect. The charge on the Kindle lasts more than long enough to read a 150,000-word epic from electronic cover to electronic cover. Mine has a keypad so I can make notes, and a search function, which helps if I plan to review the book when I'm done. It also introduced me to the world of 'indie' books, which have been an unexpectedly pleasant surprise. They tend to be inexpensive as eBooks, sometimes free, and although there have been several duds, many have been wonderful. On the other hand, I feel a sense of ownership with a paper book I don't get with a digital edition, and if there are maps or illustrations, the Kindle can't match paper for clarity or ease of reference (like flipping back to the map to estimate the relative location of the heroes in an epic adventure). I also noticed that when reading a paper book, it is far easier to estimate how much is left or how long it is to the next chapter. The disadvantage is that paper books take up physical space, and although my bookshelf is ten feet long and goes from floor to ceiling, it's full. (I really need to clean it up, someday.) I tried audio-books, but the experience left me cold. Even with a good story, I don't feel the depth of experience I get with a written novel.

So, how has this changed how I read? Well, I still buy hardcover new releases from my favorite authors, but I don't buy many paperbacks anymore. I still borrow paper books from the public library (although they offer digital for some). But I now do more than half of my fiction reading on my Kindle, and most of that is indie. This is probably because when I'm looking for a new book, I check the freebies and cheap stuff first, and I often find a new indie book there that sounds interesting. Surprisingly, I've found that I enjoy the best of these more than most of the stuff I've read from traditional publishers recently.

There was a time when I thought I would never switch to ebooks and I thought they could never be as good as a real book. Then I started to get issues with eye strain(that couldn't be fixed with reading glasses) from the text not being big enough. I was also getting problems with my hands cramping up from having to hold the books open.

I discovered I had neither of these problems when reading ebooks on my computer, and eventually I got a Kindle and I was able to get back some of that "curling up with a book" feeling, though I guess it's never quite the same as a paper book.

Other advantages I really like about ebooks is that they don't really take up any physical room, and I never have to worry about that musty book smell which doesn't really agree with me. I just really love the idea of being able to take hundreds of books with me wherever I go. I also love being able to click on a word I don't know and being able to look up the definition just like that. So much easier than pulling out a huge heavy dictionary all the time.

I guess the only disadvantages I've come across with ebooks are the fact that they rely on electricity and that they are harder to skim through if looking for something in particular(especially if the ebook doesn't have chapter links set up). It can also be frustrating when there are books I want to read that just aren't available in ebook format, but I'm hoping that this is only a temporary problem.

As for audiobooks, like the OP my first attempt at them was a Terry Pratchett audiobook, and I just couldn't get into it due to difficulty focusing. My mind wanders all the time with text books as well, but it's much easier to go back a few pages and find where I was last paying attention than the try to rewind and audio track and find my place again.

Radio plays are much easier for me though, probably due to the fact that they use music and sound effects to help keep me engaged as well as using different voice actors for the different characters. I've only ever listened to radio plays for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy though, and while I thoroughly enjoyed them, it's a completely different experience than reading the books, and therefore not really a substitute.

I really only read paper books. I prefer the feedback with real physical books, I like watching my bookmark march through the pages. I like the weight of the book, the feel and smell of the paper. I like the merger of medium and content (kind of like vinyl LPs where the package was part of the whole experience, unlike CDs or mp3s).

However, I'm not a Luddite or book snob. I see the advantage of eReaders and will probably get one eventually for proofing my own books and for the rare times when it's actually easier to use a small, thin electronic device than a physical 900 page paperback (awkward).

But my real problem with eBooks is that I write. And all my writing is done, of course, on a computer looking at a screen. So when I start reading an eBook, my mind doesn't sink into the story, my mind goes instantly into editing mode. "Oh, that probably should have been put differently." "That sentence might work better if you invert its structure." "Yikes, he's used the same adverb four times in the last paragraph and a half."

It spoils my ability to focus on the story.

As for audiobooks...I can't conceive of where/when I'd listen to them. I bicycle commute to work and it's not safe to wear headphones. And when I am in the car it's usually for short grocery hauls or when my wife's with me. Neither times are good for actually getting through a book. At home? I'm generally working on my own writing or other interests (I don't even listen to music at home). So they're impractical for me.

Now...I suppose the odd thing is that so far I've only published my work as eBooks, and probably won't go the print route for a while. That would be a whole new learning curve and a reinvestment in book cover design (already my biggest expense other than time). **shrug**

I like ebooks, but I avoid the ones with DRM. Sure, it can be removed easily but this is where I draw the line; if author/publisher treat me like a potential thief, I am not interested in your work. Fortunately Project Gutenberg has a lot of good books.

Having said that, I buy physical copies of the books I really like. There is something to be said about good old book format which was used from the dawn of age - literally.

Micah wrote: "But my real problem with eBooks is that I write. And all my writing is done, of course, on a computer looking at a screen. So when I start reading an eBook, my mind doesn't sink into the story, my mind goes instantly into editing mode."

Good point, Micah. I've noticed this, too.

I'm a paper books person.

I'm not necessarily against e-books in principle, but the idea of staring at a screen just puts me off -- I do enough of that all day. I do want to give it a try sometime (and I've heard the basic Kindle tech, which isn't back-lit, doesn't give that "lights shining in your eyes" screen-reading experience), but even though I've had a hand-me-down Nook for a year or so now, I haven't actually read anything on it. Even setting it up seems like a chore. Plus, w/my paperbacks there are no licensing/formatting issues to worry about -- one of several reasons I prefer to buy my music on disc, even if I often listen to it in a compressed file format on a mobile device.

I do get jealous of folks who've made the e-book switch when it's time to pack for travel. However, I wonder how much of my memory of what I read is at least in part tied up to the physical experience of the book & pages (flipping back to that foreshadowing in the beginning or knowing that an important chapter came about 2/3 through). I wonder if switching to e-reader would change the way I think about what I've read.

Audiobooks I just can't follow. I did give those a try -- I was excited to see at the library a Jack Higgins audiobook narrated by a favorite actor of mine, Stephen Rea. But I just couldn't concentrate on the storyline or get an image in my head while listening. (Plus, Rea put on an American accent for the narrative, which probably makes market sense but wasn't much fun.)

Oh...vacation reading. I never have a trouble with real books and vacations. I generally bring one book (or 2 if I'm nearly finished my current read), but if I run out of reading material, I hunt down a local bookstore. Like at Dewey Beach, DE where we usually vactaion in September there's a great little bookstore in Rehoboth Beach and I make it a point to buy at least one or two books there every vacation. I like to patronize mom & pop shops.

When I was younger I read all the time, as much as I could. I carried whatever paperback I was reading around with me wherever I went. I amassed a large collection of books, mostly paperbacks and mostly sci-fi and fantasy. In college I had less time for pleasure reading and I never really got back to that level of reading afterwards, and the collection of books became a space problem -- many of them are gone now and yet I still wouldn't have the room to resume collecting physical books. Once I started reading less I found it harder to commit to books that didn't draw me in strongly, early on, and hand issues now make holding large hardcover books (like I generally get from the library) much less comfortable. When my wife bought me a Kindle three years ago everything changed -- I read more now than at any time since I was in high school, and I can collect all the books I want with no physical space issues. I can read 1000 page books with no hand issues and I can easily carry whatever I'm reading wherever I go, even if I'm switching back and forth between multiple books. I still occasionally read a Library copy of a book if the Kindle version is too expensive or isn't available, but I usually find myself missing certain features of the Kindle, especially the built-in dictionary (which is a fantastic e-book feature, by the way). At the same time I always enjoyed book cover art and wish Amazon would allow readers to use the covers of their books as their Kindle screen saver (I'm not interested in jail-breaking my kindle just for that). I also sometimes go online and print out larger copies of maps for certain fantasy books, among other things. And I have some concerns about the long-term availability of the books I buy, DRM issues, and of the ultimate goals/results of Amazon's business model, but as long as my purpose is to enjoy reading as much as possible, e-reader is clearly the way to go for me.

And as much as I love my Kindle Keyboard, so far the new Paperwhite seems even better -- crisper text, better contrast, faster response, and obviously the built-in light is a huge improvement. Plus I find the touch screen interface more intuitive, for the most part.

For whatever reason, audiobooks just don't appeal to me. My wife has tried a few of them and clearly the format doesn't work for me; it's more like listening to a performance than reading, for one thing, and I end up concentrating more on the 'performance' aspect than on words being read.

At this time, I am still a reader of paperbooks only.

Possibly someday I might get a e-reader of some sort. But I am concerned about the difference in formatting---I am old enough to remember VHS vs Beta and I don't wont to end up on the losing format siade

Unless things have changed--am I correct that Kindle e-readers play Kindle only? What if a favorite author is published by some other firm??

The system seems more like a lease than owning the book. I f I purchase a physical copy, it is MINE and that is important to me.

Admittedly, also a local bookstore closed two years ago and had a huge going out of business sale. I have enough books to last me for at least one more year--so why spend money on e-books now?

Kindle e-readers do support some other formats besides Kindle(mobi) ebooks such as Word, PDF and txt. However they do not support epub format ebooks which seems to be one of the most popular formats outside of Kindle.

I don't worry about ebook formats though. Calibre is a free program I use which can convert ebooks in to many different formats and it's not hard to convert ebooks into a format that Kindle can read.

As for the whole "lease" thing, I assume you are referring to DRM. I really have no qualms about stripping DRM from books that I've bought. If you pay for something it should be yours forever and you should be able read ebooks on any device you want.

Mary JL wrote: "Unless things have changed--am I correct that Kindle e-readers play Kindle only? What if a favorite author is published by some other firm??"

That scenario is highly unlikely. Kindle format makes up the lion share of eBooks sold (50% - 60%)and anyone ignoring that market is likely not to be someone the general public is aware of.

Kindle format can be read on normal PCs, iPhones, iPads, Apple computers, Android devices...just about any tablet, computer or eReader (with the approriate app). But not on the Nook or Kobo eReaders, which use ePub formats. And since B&N looks to be backing away from its eReaders, who knows how long ePubs will be around. They may go the way of the Beta Max VHS tape.

And, as already noted, you can use programs like Calibre to convert ePubs into .mobi files (Kindle), though you can't publish .mobi files created in Calibre on Amazon anymore, which was a bit annoying.

If/when I get one, I'll probably get the Kindle Paperwhite, which has been rated very good, has excellent battery life, uses LED front-lighting technology for easy reading even in bright conditions (beach?) is small but not too small, light weight, and starts at around $120...

...but I'll still usually read real books ;)

I can't do audio books. I lose my place, having one voice actor try to do multiple voices just sounds weird, and usually just throws me out of the story entirely. I did listen to a John Grisham on a road trip where I knew there would be no radio stations (and it was before iPods) and at a certain point you go "the speaker is flirting with himself" and there goes the story.

I'm firmly in the e-reader camp. I love the portability, the ability to read in bed without disturbing anyone else (I have the PaperWhite), and that I can share my books with other people on my account (my mother is on the other side of the continent and on my account with my hand-me-down Kindle). Also I get days like today where I check my email first thing at work, get the email from the library saying my book on hold is now available, download it right away and have it for my lunch break. Or the time I was on a road trip as a passenger, finished a novel, turned on the 3G on my Kindle and downloaded the next book in the series while out in the middle of nowhere. Took me all of 5 minutes and the only cost was buying the next volume (cellular service is included in the purchase price of 3G models).

The whole "can't see people's bookcovers" thing to me is a GOOD THING. Maybe I'm just anti-social but I there is a good chance that when someone approaches me about the book I'm reading it won't be a particularly edifying exchange. If you're reading something controversial (political books), that people are snobby about (romance novels), or has odd art like a swastika (Rise & Fall of the Third Reich) there is a good chance they are going to harass you. Plus, hey, reading time is limited. People still ask, usually the checkout person at the lunch or coffee places where I'm a regular "so what are you reading this week?" And hey, if I don't want to say, it's easy to lie! (On the plus side, when Kindles were really rare, Kindle readers would start talking to each other when "spotted in the wild" as it was called online.)

Speaking of someone approaching me about the book I was reading, a few months back I was reading on my Kindle on the bus and didn't glance up when a man sat down next to me. Then he began reading aloud from my Kindle screen! I was so taken aback at his rudeness. I immediately put away my Kindle and he apologized. Since then I've had a man who wanted to engage me in conversation sitting next to me that felt frustrated by the fact that I was reading. This was a print book and the covers were hidden on my lap. He asked me in a hostile tone what I was reading that could possibly be so important. I told him it was a diet book. (It really was.) Since I'm overweight that shut him up fast. So I've had bad experiences with people being nosy about my reading. People who don't use mass transit as often as I do, probably don't have these problems.

Shomeret, wow you are way nicer then I would have been to someone who thought his desire for conversation trumped all. I think my response to "what could be so important" would have been along the lines of "Who the F cares, I didn't ask you to sit there".

I would have been tempted to answer: "Believe me, anything would be more important to read than sitting here talking to you."

But I probably would have just ignored him.

Reading a book is not an invitation to a conversation. I've stopped going to some coffee shops because the same person was always wanting to talk when I was reading.

Wesley wrote: "Much like Penny, I avoided ebooks for a long time. Now I can't live without my Kindle, and I'm reading more e-books than paperbacks.

What really turned my mind around was when I realized how all the boxes upon boxes of physical books I either lost or gave away when I once moved across the country could still be with me if I'd had them as e-books. A library built up over 30 years was too expensive for me to ship at the time, but an e-reader and a couple of flash drives could have traveled on the plane with me. Sure, e-books weren't even around them, but now I'll never have to worry about that situation again."

Do you know what will happen to your ereader 30 years from now? A paper book will still be around, but I suppose technology might change so much, you'll have to buy a new digital reader and all the new digital library, because the new devices wouldn't be able to read old files.

I have a Kindle and read on it sometimes, especially those authors that only produce ebooks, but I prefer paper. When I hold a paper book, it's a book. Some books survived for hundreds of years and are still readable. When I hold a Kindle, it's an electronic gadget with files. In 50 years, it will definitely be dead.

Olga wrote: "Do you know what will happen to your ereader 30 years from now? A paper book will still be around, but I suppose technology might change so much, you'll have to buy a new digital reader and all the new digital library, because the new devices wouldn't be able to read old files.

I have a Kindle and read on it sometimes, especially those authors that only produce ebooks, but I prefer paper. When I hold a paper book, it's a book. Some books survived for hundreds of years and are still readable. When I hold a Kindle, it's an electronic gadget with files. In 50 years, it will definitely be dead. "

But in 50 years there is a decent chance I will be dead, so what do I care if my books survive me? I won't be around to read them. As far as durability of books go, what makes old editions rare is how unlikely it was for that book to survive over the years. A printing of hundreds or thousands might have 5 volumes survive centuries later. My parents have Mark Twains that have been in the family for generations. You know what happens? Those somewhat valuable early editions sit on the shelf untouched while we bought paperback versions because they were so fragile they would fall apart if touched. (Modern binding has definitely gone cheap so I expect books to fall apart even quicker.) At least with digital copies there is a good chance that a very popular format will have conversion software available for it if the Kindle file format was ever abandoned. People are still playing old Atari games on modern computers and there isn't that large a market for that, but someone took the time to make it happen.

PS If you get some weird "flagged" report on your post, that was me. I was on my iPhone and tried to hit reply but the screen is so tiny it decided I wanted to flag your post. It took me to a login screen and I exited right away, so hopefully it didn't take.

I went round and round in my head about this before I jumped on the ebook wagon. I agrea with Lara Amber. Yes, technology changes, but since ebooks are just digital files I find it highly unlikely that there won't be some kind of conversion software for any newer formats that may come. With all my books backed up and DRM free, I can convert them to whatever is necesarry to view them. There could also be some sort of legacy support on newer hardware to allow them to be viewed.

No one can tell what the future will hold, for all we know, laws could be passed to ban paper books in response to some enviromental concerns.

I still don't see why they can't include the digital copy with the physical copy. I love how you can get the audible book substantially cheaper if you purchase it with the kindle book(on a lot of books but not all). I would pay a $1 or so more for the kindle book when buying the physical.

I wish all audio books could be done like a play or narration with each character played by a different person with the author narrator. I guess that would be too expensive, and time would be a problem in adjusting to the people. Also then the audio would become more like a play.

I'm too much on business trips currently - driving around 1500 miles per week leaves a lot of time for audiobooks. For me, it doesn't matter if I missed a couple of sentences during driving - it's no rocket science, after all. And it keeps me concentrated and awake on those long hours. More than any bothersome radio or music could ever do.
Additionally, it is time that I wouldn't have for reading otherwise. But I don't listen to audiobooks when I'm able to read.

My current Paperwhite Kindle is my third one - I'm no junkie, it is just that the other two crashed in plane seats: One was damaged in the side when I raised the seat and the other I simply sat on. That is one downside: They are expensive and easy to crush for persons like me.

The original motivation to get the ebook was a 4 week long vacation in Spain. I would have to take more than 10 books with me, because buying at local stores is no option - I don't speak Spanish at all. And ordering via mail is too slow.
That way, I always have a couple of unread books with me if I unexpectantly finish with one book and have to sort out how to carry on.

Relocation doesn't matter to me - I expect to be in my home for the rest of my life. That's why I buy physical books additionally. Just to be sure to have them. Just to look at them - which you can't do with an ereader. It is a kind of personal optical and tactile relationship.
Sometimes I read physical books - some are not available in digital format or not available in the right language or edition.

Paper, definitely. I like the smell of (old/secondhand) books and flipping paper gives a unique sensation.

E-book is not reliable, it costs almost the same and you cannot trade/swap/give it as a gift. However, it does come in handy when you run out of books to read during holiday and are unable go to the book stores.

Audiobook is fine, depending on the book. would take longer to digest though.

Penny wrote: "There are so many options now days when it comes to reading. What is your preference?"

My experiences are similar, I also resisted ebooks for time and then played around with my mom's Kindle a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, so I took the plunge shortly after that. I tend to switch back and forth between print and ebooks, depending on what I'm reading and availability.

I tried audio books, but I can't get into them either, and I had the same experience as you, I just couldn't focus on the book. I may try again at some point.

Silvana wrote: "E-book is not reliable, it costs almost the same and you cannot trade/swap/give it as a gift. However, it does come in handy when you run out of books to read during holiday and are unable go to the book stores."

I think that depends on what format you were using before the switch. I bought almost all hardbacks so I'm seeing dramatic savings. Plus if you make a wish list of Kindle titles on Amazon and check it regularly you may be able to snag titles for 50% off or even $0.99 as they go on special for a day or week. If someone was picking up a lot of second hand or mass market paperbacks, then no, they might not see savings. You're correct on trading and swapping (something I never did). You can gift e-books now, it just doesn't wrap up all that pretty. (You get an email.)

I'm not sure what you mean by "not reliable"? I've never had a file fail on me or other issue.

I second the Kindle books wish list idea. I have a private wish list just for Kindle books I want to read, and since I'm online just about every day I check it near-daily. Every once in a while specific books will drop in price as much as 50% or more for no obvious reason, for anywhere from a day to a month. I track titles I know I want to read eventually and if the price drops significantly I go ahead and purchase them. This works much better for me than the Kindle daily deals and I end up saving some money versus just waiting to buy books at cost when I'm ready to read them. Plus Amazon will track how much (if any) the price for an item has decreased since you originally added the item to your wish list. I also have a separate private list for titles I come across that are available for free through the Kindle Owners Lending Library that I might want to read. These wish lists are accessible from the Kindle itself (but without easy price tracking), which is especially helpful for the lending library items.

At some point in the near(ish) future Amazon is supposed to start offering Kindle versions of select books available at greatly reduced prices (some perhaps even being free, though I won't hold my breath) to anyone who previously purchased new physical copies of those books from them. Which books and how significantly reduced the prices will likely depend on negotiations with various publishers. Most of my physical books came from in-store purchases so it won't help me much, but in general it's a good idea (and fair to the customer), as long as the added cost is minimal (@ $1?).

Oh yes, eating while reading without worry. If I splash my drink or drip some sauce on my e-reader, who cares? I can just wipe it off.

The Kindle doesn't tell you how many pages are left, but at the bottom it tells you percentage left in the book, how many minutes are left in your chapter (based on your reading speed) and how many minutes/hours are left in your book.

So agree on the vocabulary, I read a lot of classic literature and non-fiction history and science. Usually I would figure it out by context, but quite often that is not possible or will be very, very wrong. Having the dictionary feature is awesome, especially with older works where the definition meant by the author does NOT match the current one (example: ejaculate).

Lara Amber wrote: "The Kindle doesn't tell you how many pages are left, but at the bottom it tells you percentage left in the book, how many minutes are left in your chapter (based on your reading speed) and how many minutes/hours are left in your book."

Actually there is a fairly recent feature that adds page numbers to the ebooks, but I believe that it’s something in the ebook itself that tells the Kindle if there are page numbers or not. I’ve had a few recent ebooks with pages numbers, but earlier ones don’t have the feature.

Olga wrote: Do you know what will happen to your ereader 30 years from now? A paper book will still be around, but I suppose technology might change so much, you'll have to buy a new digital reader and all the new digital library, because the new devices wouldn't be able to read old files.

I have a Kindle and read on it sometimes, especially those authors that only produce ebooks, but I prefer paper. When I hold a paper book, it's a book. Some books survived for hundreds of years and are still readable. When I hold a Kindle, it's an electronic gadget with files. In 50 years, it will definitely be dead.

Fair points, but most paper books I've had wouldn't survive 50 years intact, either. Technology changes. Even physical book production changes. The Kindle is the best choice for me right now. It may well be something else later on, but like Lara Amber mentioned, electronic files can always be converted. And they're definitely less expensive to ship across country than a physical library!

Your point about how when you told a paper book, it's a book reminded me of something I realized after working in publishing for a number of years. I'd started treating books like "objects" rather than "ideas." I was noticing the binding, the paper stock, the actual printing of the cover rather than the cover art itself, you name it, before I ever got the story itself. I probably missed out on a lot of good novels that way, because I never made it past the "object" they were packaged in. The Kindle really helped get me out of that.

Then again, I still play old Atari games, too, so I may not be the norm!

John wrote: "Actually there is a fairly recent feature that adds page numbers to the ebooks..."

I've seen at least one eBook with page numbers in it and I was kind of baffled why they were there. When the reader can change the font size, page numbers become irrelavant (or at least relative). And at least in one eBook with page numbers I played around, the page numbers shown did not update when you changed the font size.

So what good is it? Unless the page numbers displayed are dynamic, they are nothing but an anachronism. They're meaningless.

However, the distance you are from the end of a chapter, I would think, would be easier to calculate in an ePub because most ePub books have one HTML (well, XML) file per chapter, whereas .mobi books often use just one HTML file for the whole book.

R.J. wrote: "In regards to a comment about the death of EPUB; not so fast. Apple uses it and they have enhanced it to be super effective in the multimedia realm."

Yeah, my commnent on ePubs shouldn't be seen as a prediction. And personally, I'd rather everyone just picked one format and went with it. MOBI files are actually just slightly modified ePubs anyway but Amazon's always got to do its own thing.

Kind of like Apple. Only Amazon tries to make things a bit easier (I can't say their kindlegen thing is particularly easy...a command line tool? Really? What century is this, again?).

Apple has about 20% of the eBook market right now. I'm not sure I want to hassle with them quite yet.