Do you prefer paperback books or hardcover books?

tranxuan

Hardcover books are almost like a collectors item to me. I only get hardcover versions for books I really enjoy. Otherwise, for general reading, I prefer paperback.

Oh, I think about it in the same way. The hardcover books look awesome when you put it on your bookshelf but when you're lying on bed and eating snack, the soft cover is much better.

svenijacobs

Hardcover!!!

raphjd

Hardcover - absolutely over softback

I also do ebooks.

ndk04

I prefer the real thing (paperback > hardcover. simply for the reason that they're just easier to hold) to e-books. But I read too much way too much and books are just way too costly. I wouldn't be able to sustain my reading habits otherwise. So I read mostly e-books which I download for free from torrent sites. E-books are also more convenient.

Trelligan

My preferences are:

Mass-market paperback (the regular-size paperback)
Trade Paperback (the larger ones, up to the size of a hardback)
Hardback

I prefer paperbacks both because they're cheaper and easier to carry around. I always try to have a book with me to cover the boring times of life.
I once spent 2 hours at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles, a traditionally slow bureaucratic place) without a book. That will never :cry2: happen again.

I sometimes buy a hardback if it's a book I really like and will reread many times. Even better if it contains several books; collected works of Lewis Carroll, the Amber series, etc.
One bookshelf at my house is for just such books.

inkball

I prefer ebooks, they don't take up space and you can take them anywhere if you have a kindle/tablet. Another advantage is that you can grab them for free on filesharing sites if they are available. I literally have run out of space for my physical books. I ran out of shelf space so some are are stacked up to the ceiling.

Zipperface

Probably hardbacks, but I'll take anything, even some of the free stuff (say like at http://www.gutenberg.org/) that's in .txt form. I've even taken the trouble of turning some of those .txt files into actual document form (.doc and .ods) which required line by line editing. This takes a while when it's Dickens I'm a voracious reader. Apparently, when I came home from my first day at kindergarten I was totally pissed off and didn't want to go back because they were simply _not going to teach me to read that year.

Check out http://www.nifty.org/nifty/ if you haven't seen it. Essentially a huge collection of erotic stories by amateurs. Some really suck badly, but some are pretty good.

Also, audio books can be interesting. There's audio versions that you can find (used to at any rate) that are not simply read, but are done pretty much like a radio play with various actors and sound effects. You really have no idea what you've missed until you hear a good radio play. It is no wonder that earlier families would gather 'round and stare at the radio. "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was originally a radio program before it became a book. This type of radio is awesome!!_

DAVLEN

I find Paperbacks are easier to read in bed and on planes, dont have to wing the elbows too much causing discomfort for who ever is seated alongside :cheesy2:

BBanditz

Paperbacks. I mean, hardcovers are more durable, but paperbacks weigh less.

Once I get an e-reader I'm sure that'll become a competitor, but for now I'm an all-Canadian paperback.

sptrp

I prefer hardbacks, especially for new releases.
I tend to buy hardback and e-reader versions for the books I like.

For older books that might not have an electronic version I'll pick up a second-hand paperback version so my hardback can stay in nice condition on the bookshelf.

ilmodello

hardcover!

Viewangle

I like hardcover books, but they're too expensive so I just get paperback if I really like the author. Otherwise, pirate teh ebook!

justmike

Me personally its about the book I am reading rather than the format - Hardback, Softback, Kindle as long as i can read I'm happy..

agogpry

For me the inner is more important than the cover

Eridanos

I read whatever it is. Harcover, paperback, e-book, .cbr (for comics). Funny thing is, while I can read on my smartphone thanks to an Epub reader, I can't stand reading for a long time in front of my laptop.

Due to price reasons I usually buy paperbacks. The book is virtually the same and it costs less. Unless it is a special edition or has high quality images or is a special book I love…then I go for the hardcover.

bimsbims

i'm all about ebooks; it's so nice to switch on night view and read in bed with the lights out before going to sleep ^^

ffuck

I will go for paperback. In fact, I think mass paperback is even better, since its a lot smaller and lighter (plus mass paperback books get a great vintage smell after some years and as a fan of secondhand books it's one of the big pros for me). Next I would go with hardcover, which I personally don't prefer since it bothers me that I cannot flip the cover and the pages I already read back. Last I would go with ebooks, they are pretty handy and can be easily downloaded for free and they are great for textbooks and general interest books but nothing compares to the real thing when it comes to novels; you need to feel the pages in order to feel the story.

gaypraha2

I of course prefer hardcovers.. (even though it's true it's not very easy to handle in the metro for instance) but in France there is no such thing anymore, you only get cheap crappy paperback for the same price as an hardcover ( a new book that has just been released cost around 20 euros then you have to wait about 1 year and the book is re-edited in a cheap pocket format for around 8 euros).. So I have to buy books in english abroad online to get hardbacks..

rufusmc

I refer paperbacks to hardbacks, just as they are easier to use.

I definitely prefer a book to an ebook, although ebooks are good for when traveling.

jockedcub

I far prefer paperback books over hardcovers and have paid extra for that version. They're just so much easier for me to hold. Lately, I've gotten some into reading ebooks just because they're more available, but it's not the same joy as when I was an English major and would read up to 14 hours a day.