E-book Vs. Hardcover Vs. Paperback: What Do You Prefer?

Some of you may love to smell of the musty pages of a classic hardcover, fresh ink of a new paperback, the bumpy texture of a book jacket or run your finger along the crease in the spine to get a sense of nostalgia triggered by holding a book in your hands. However, avid readers can find it a bit traitorous to switch to a Kindle or other electronic reading device when faced with the collection of hardcover and paperback books lining the shelves of your living room.

E-book or Hardcover or Paperback: What do you prefer? This has been one of the trending topics among readers across the world except when you are willing to try all three versions. Yeah, why not try all and not debate on it instead let this topic rest at peace. 

In this post, I’m going to discuss about the differences between E-book, Hardcover and Paperback and hope it will help you to choose your books according to your needs. 

  

E-book 

E-book is a lighter load compared to the traditional books- be it a hardcover or a paperback. If you are one of those people who walks out of the library or bookstore with book piles up to your chin, then Kindle is a whole lot easier to carry than to haul your books with you to the beach or coffee shop. Also, you won’t regret leaving one of your books at home because it was too thick, heavy or oversized to carry with you. 

With eBook, you will never lose your place while reading a book on Kindle because no bookmarks are needed. Moreover, you can read what you want, where you want without being judged. Kindle is discreet and even has privacy settings to keep nosy family members out. You need not hide the book jacket out of embarrassment or to a controversial argument. eBooks make is easy to make your book choices on what you actually want to read instead of what you think others expect you to treat. So, break out the Superman or Spiderman comic books, without being ashamed.  

The best part of preferring eBooks over the traditional books is the built-in dictionary and the font size. When reading a traditional book, I’m often lazy to get up and find the dictionary to look up a word I don’t know. But with a Kindle, it is easy to look up the words right on your device. You can increase the font size to make it easier to read without needing to look for a large print edition or make the font size smaller to fit more words on a single page. 

Hardcover 

It is a book bound with thick protective cover with usually a paper or leather dust jacket over the main cover. The aim of the hardcover is protection and durability. These types of books are mainly for long-term use and collector’s editions. They last far longer than the paperbacks and do not get damaged easily which makes them perfect for great literary works, reference guides, etc.  

Additionally, the hardcover books have long-lasting acid-free type paper having a pH value of 7 (neutral) that makes it highly durable. Also, these papers are stitched and glued to the spine of the book. Hardcovers are prepared for commercial works, reference books, best sellers, etc. that should be long lasting. If the market value of the book in question is quite high, then publishers will print out the hardcover first before paperbacks, as it is more profitable for them as well as for the readers wanting the book to last long with no damage.

  

Paperback 

It is prepared for non-commercial works and those books which don’t get much exposure. These books have covers made of thinner paper or cardboard with glue to stick to the leaves. As the cost of production for paperback is low, so they are produced in mass and usually released after the hardcover edition is published. Often, the paperback is meant for short term reads such as for people boarding planes, trains, etc.  

There is another type of paperback edition known as trade paperback which is created with more durable paper than the mass market paperbacks.  

The best-selling writers will often have their hard cover editions released first because it is an indication that their fans will collect the book. Whereas, most new writers will start off publishing their book as a paperback.  

Wrap-Up 

It is worth nothing for both hardcover and paperbacks you need no battery to recharge your Kindle as when you are traveling or reading away from home. Also, it is easy to borrow or give your book as a gift unlike with an e-book. Last but not the least, books are quite affordable compared to a Kindle device. Also, you don’t have to worry much about dropping the book in the bathtub or spilling coffee on the pages as with an electronic device. Except in case of rare editions and other exceptions, books are cheaper to replace than a Kindle.  

Whereas, Kindle saves paper and eBooks are forever treasure that will neither be old nor get torn as with traditional books.  To all the naysayers who insist you must hold a book, turn its smooth pages and smell that clean, new paper smell, I understand you with all my heart. Why not use Kindle for travel, and read books at home. 

Whatever you choose from among these three different mediums the most important thing is reading well because “Reading is to the mind what is exercise to the body.”  

Happy reading!

Reading a Book Vs. Listening to Audiobook: Which is Better?

A love of reading shouldn’t have parameters as to what type of reading actually counts. Reading a physical book and listening to the audiobooks are two different paths leading to same destination. However, the experiences from both differ, which is why there is a long-haul debate still surrounding which is better- reading a book or listening to audiobook.

Personally, I have found immensely rewarding common ground in my reading life with reading a book in traditional way as well as with the audiobooks. It is more fun to love both ways of reading. 

In this post, I’ll discuss the debate on which is better: reading a book versus listening to audiobooks. I really hope we can transit from the long debate and end up sitting in a comfy chair where your headphones sit along with books and everyone loves each other. 

Reading a Book Vs. Audiobook 

1) Comprehension 

As both the methods differ so they create different experiences and memories in readers and listeners. However, neither is better or worse than the other. This is because different people have different choices and perspectives which is why some enjoy listening to audiobooks while others may still prefer the same old way of reading a book. There has been a fair amount of research on the subject of comprehension in reading a book versus audiobooks. 

When you read something, you are looking at symbols on the page and your brain is busy filling in all the blanks such as the scene, the sounds of the voices, the plot, the deeper meaning, the inflection, etc. Whereas in case of audiobooks, you are much likely to do a better job of trying to extract the gist of what someone meant when you are hearing them than when you are reading. This is because we can’t go back and reread something while listening to audiobooks.  

Audiobooks can be great for kids. Why? Don’t you remember we all start out by listening to stories that are read to us by our parents, teachers, librarians, etc. So, there’s no need to judge those who prefer audiobooks over the traditional books because as with reading that enhances our word-recognition ability, listening alone can expand our vocabulary as well. 

2) Emotional Response 

I’ve already mentioned in my previous post about how doctors recommend physically reading a book because that can bring a more personal experience. This is because your inner voice is responsible to create everything which is not on the page from only the words on the page. Most of us who love reading the books physically can’t even envision the story without our inner voice creating the imaginary world inside our heads.  

Listening to audiobooks can sometimes elicit a more emotional response to the content especially in case of listening to comedy show with laughter. This is because it is more of a social experience as we hear the vocal nuances, sarcasm, etc. which comes from hearing another human speak. So, next time don’t fully dismiss the idea of listening to audiobooks before first trying it yourself. 

3) Sharing 

Sharing physical books is cool with a downside that your friend might not return the book burrowed from you. Yeah, I know that feeling! Sometimes, I note down the best lines from the book I read and share it with my friends.  

Now pretty much all sharing of things take place over the social media and texting apps.  You can share the short clips of audiobooks with apps like Audible to your friends and there’s no downside to it. Sharing is indeed caring. 

4) Pronunciation 

You know when you read a book and fall in love with the main character, you scour the internet for more content and find more about the author and go through their interviews. It’s then you realize that you’ve been saying the character’s name wrong in your head the whole time.  

The same thing happens with audiobooks if only you find the perfect book with the perfect narrator. Otherwise when you know and love this character’s beautiful sounding name and go to social media to see who else is gushing over it but when you see it in print for the first time, you are more likely to shrug off like who’s that? 

5) Public Versus Private 

Audiobooks allow you to be anonymous while you are reading in public. You can listen to sci-fi, romantic, self-help, non-fiction books and the only judgement that comes would be from the older generations lamenting the fall of society to see you with headphone on in public.  

Whereas in case of reading a physical book in public, you let the world know what you are reading. This public and prominent book display could be the ticket to find your newest book friend or maybe you’ll just feel the cold and clammy eyes of judgment sticking to the back of your head. If you are like me then simply ignore the judgmental gaze of people in public and get lost in the world of the books. 

6) Multitasking 

When it comes to multitasking, audiobooks are the clear-cut winner. We can totally operate machinery, do our household chores, and commute while listening to our books. They are best when the task we are doing doesn’t need much of our attention as in while staring out of the window on the train.  

On the other hand, I don’t want to dismiss the pleasure of having a physical book with me at all times for trains, planes, waiting rooms, etc. 

Conclusion: Which is Better? 

I can’t imagine my reading life without an abundant mixture of both audiobooks and reading. So, brush away this topic to find which of the two is better. It is a personal choice for everyone. You’ll know which is better for you, as you become more versed in both the reading worlds. 

I would love to know your thoughts about reading a book versus audiobooks.