madteaparty Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I'm about to do this. I can't explain why exactly. I like the convenience and optionality but I also like the tangible experience, and also being committed to one book. I realized I was ready for the switch when I paid more for a book than its kindle version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both ebooks and physical books - probably 50/50 mix. I could never give up reading physical books entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 When I got a Kindle I didn't stop reading physical books. I have a lot of books at home and the library is full of them too. I just switch back and forth, depending on what I'm reading, convenience, and cost. I've never thought about reading exclusively one way or another! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Sorry, not me. I've had my Kindle for a little over 3 years, and I actively avoid reading paper copies of books. If I can't get a book on Kindle, I re-evaluate how badly I want to read it. Most of the time the book loses. Only occasionally do I want to read something and can't find an ebook copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both. I admit, I prefer my Kindle, but I often get books from the library, or buy them used. If I can get it on the Kindle from the library, I do. If I'm going to buy a book, I buy the Kindle version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianna Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I do both but I like just like real books better :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both. I just went through about a dozen paperbacks after months of using the Kindle exclusively. I have no problem switching back and forth. I'll admit I prefer my Kindle though. I like larger font and a ready-at-hand dictionary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both. When I buy or check out books, I pick what I think will be the best version. Sometimes I get it wrong, but it goes in both directions. I have Kindle books that I wish I owned in physical form, and I have some physical books that I wish I owned for the Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I never thought I had to choose one or the other. I read ebooks and real books and listen to audiobooks too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I do both. I have a lot of problems with Amazon's business practices and wish I could lose the kindle altogether but that doesn't seem practical for a renter with extremely bad eyesight in a society that is more likely to use the phrase "book hoarder" than "collector" or "bibliophile". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Sorry, not me. I've had my Kindle for a little over 3 years, and I actively avoid reading paper copies of books. If I can't get a book on Kindle, I re-evaluate how badly I want to read it. Most of the time the book loses. Only occasionally do I want to read something and can't find an ebook copy. DS had a physical copy of a book I'd been wanting to read, so I picked it up a few months ago. It was the first physical book I'd read in three or four years. And I was really surprised at how clunky and unwieldy it seemed, how much I missed being able to adjust the font and the ease of hitting the page turn button versus having to lift my whole hand to turn a page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 If I can't get a book on Kindle, I re-evaluate how badly I want to read it. Most of the time the book loses. Only occasionally do I want to read something and can't find an ebook copy. Ha. I was so very excited the other day to look up a book I wanted and find out it was not available on Kindle. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both. Now that I've had my Kindle for a couple years, I don't really have a preference either way. I usually just go with whichever option is cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I'm a newish kindle PW user and have read ebooks exclusively for the past couple of months until this past week. I enjoyed the experience of this week's actual book for various tangible, sensory and perhaps romantic reasons--the smell, the sound of the page turning, the little stains and blots on the page from previous readers suggesting other lives lived. However my older eyes prefer an adjustable font rather than reading glasses and a built-in light. A dictionary at a touch and the ability to carry around a library that weighs very little consolidates things nicely when one's basket is full with thermoses, water bottles, lunches, knitting and the like. I'm still new enough to the PW that I imagine there will be things that come up where I find one form is preferred over the other. For example, I've got 'The Well Educated Mind' on kindle and I'm actually wishing I had bought in hard copy so I could more easily flip back and forth between sections though reading it as an ebook is forcing me to stay focused on the path at hand, a good thing. Though it is too early for me to tell this does have me wondering if non-fiction might lend itself better to a physical book form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diann Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read both. I prefer my Kindle because it is so portable and can be read in any lighting. However, I get most of my books from the library and not all are available as an ebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I read the newspaper daily on my kindle but read books on the kindle only when I have no books at home/library does not have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I prefer physical books, myself. Although my Kindle is full of the free public domain books and I enjoy reading those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 DS had a physical copy of a book I'd been wanting to read, so I picked it up a few months ago. It was the first physical book I'd read in three or four years. And I was really surprised at how clunky and unwieldy it seemed, how much I missed being able to adjust the font and the ease of hitting the page turn button versus having to lift my whole hand to turn a page. Do you ever find yourself wanting to touch a word in a physical book to get the definition? I caught myself doing that a few times. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 I like physical books for reference type things but for general reading I am loving my Kindle paperwhite with the nightlight. So light and easy to take multiple books with me. Ihave my daily Bible reading on there as well which is really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Do you ever find yourself wanting to touch a word in a physical book to get the definition? I caught myself doing that a few times. ;) I'm so pleased to find out I'm not the only one who has done that. And not just wanting...actually touching and wondering for just a moment why it isn't giving me a definition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 Do you ever find yourself wanting to touch a word in a physical book to get the definition? I caught myself doing that a few times. ;) I also like the highlight feature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'm a newish kindle PW user and have read ebooks exclusively for the past couple of months until this past week. I enjoyed the experience of this week's actual book for various tangible, sensory and perhaps romantic reasons--the smell, the sound of the page turning, the little stains and blots on the page from previous readers suggesting other lives lived. However my older eyes prefer an adjustable font rather than reading glasses and a built-in light. A dictionary at a touch and the ability to carry around a library that weighs very little consolidates things nicely when one's basket is full with thermoses, water bottles, lunches, knitting and the like. I'm still new enough to the PW that I imagine there will be things that come up where I find one form is preferred over the other. For example, I've got 'The Well Educated Mind' on kindle and I'm actually wishing I had bought in hard copy so I could more easily flip back and forth between sections though reading it as an ebook is forcing me to stay focused on the path at hand, a good thing. Though it is too early for me to tell this does have me wondering if non-fiction might lend itself better to a physical book form. I prefer non fiction in physical form because I like to underline things and write notes, which isn't something I do with fiction. Also I don't like being tied to electronics at all times. Ebooks have their usefulness, but when it comes to nonfiction, I just have to be able to get my hands on the book. I've been marking up my Well Educated Mind copy as I read the books SWB highlighted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3girls Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Love my kindle! I prefer teacher's manuals in print, but that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'm so pleased to find out I'm not the only one who has done that. And not just wanting...actually touching and wondering for just a moment why it isn't giving me a definition. Ha! I do this too! I never stopped reading books after I got my kindle - I mix and match and tend to have books going both on the kindle and in paper form at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'm so pleased to find out I'm not the only one who has done that. And not just wanting...actually touching and wondering for just a moment why it isn't giving me a definition. I've caught myself tapping on a paper book to turn the page and being puzzled that it "is all frozen up" and also trying to turn a physical page on the Kindle. ds has a Nook ST for public domain books, but it is problematic too for all the usual easily googleable reasons that I don't have time or energy to rehash here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 someone gifted me a Kindle about 2years ago. I tried, but I just didn't like it. I like knowing where I am in a book and having that frame of reference. I also like the ease of flipping back to a spot I want to reference something earlier in the book. I like the tangible experience of holding a book and flipping around. I still have the Kindle and I may use it from time to time, but it is not my preferred way to read. To keep the book amount down in the house I do try to borrow my books from the library as much as possible... I also do Paper Back Swap. When I do buy I try to get them used for cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Agreeing with others who say they use both. Why not? I love books, but like the Kindle for free books. I get library books, or the occasional free book that catches my eye on Amazon. One thing that's been a crushing disappointment in the "free" category is the lack of selection of books in Amazon Prime. So much garbage that they probably can't sell anyway. :thumbdown: Other than free books - Rarely, when I need to purchase a book, I'll purchase it on the kindle because it's cheaper than the physical book, and not something I want to physically own. (My dc have used it for some required school reading). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Yes, I have. I started using a Nook when the original came out. I never used it exclusively, but as much as I could. I upgraded my nook twice. I always knew I liked paper better, but the e reader had a lot of perks. Especially when reading a 1,400 page novel. But I finally said I was done. I tried to love it, I really did. But I'm a paper person. I still have a nook, but I couldn't tell you the last time I read on it. I almost felt for a while like I couldn't make that decision because my MIL is the one that always bought them for me as Christmas gifts. So I didn't want her gift going to waste. This last Christmas DH suggested a new nook as an idea for her since my current one is now two years old. I told him no, I don't want a new one. It felt wonderful! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Me. Three kindles died. One a year. I got totally sick of it. Also, the books I buy? I want. I used to only buy kindle books that I just didn't want to physically own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I generally prefer my Kindle, but I use paper books, too. I definitely prefer real books for school. I have never thought of it as either/or. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I've gone back and forth between reading ebooks and physical books for more than a decade now. Between my Kindle, the fact that I carry my cellphone anywhere, and my new ability to borrow ebooks from the library, I'm using them more and more, but I still read physical books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Do you ever find yourself wanting to touch a word in a physical book to get the definition? I caught myself doing that a few times. ;) Guilty! I read both, but I very much prefer ebooks. I love love love the dictionary, and since I like to read classics and period dramas, I love having Google a few swipes away on my iPad I still prefer paper for books that I want to flip through, like cook books or reference books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I use both, but it's 80/20 in the favor of physical books. I always have some I'm working through on the iPad kindle app (I don't ever use my Kindle anymore...passed it to the kids), but I finish books faster on paper. Ebooks are a pale, lifeless substitution for the sensuality of a hard cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I use both: the Kindle (and Kindle app) is best for more complex reading material where I want to highlight or make notes, or look up words . For everyday fiction I read physical books, mostly from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoughCollie Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I read both. If I can get a book at the library, I borrow it because it is free. If it is a nonfiction book I plan to use as a reference or study, I get the physical book. Otherwise, I am a big fan of free or cheap ($2 or less) Kindle books. I have discovered many good authors that I would not have known about if I didn't have a Kindle. Also, I can read the Kindle in bed after the lights are out without disturbing DH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chava_Raizel Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I read both. I really love my kindle, and how light it is and all of it's shiny features. But I still very much love physical books. I love that I can easily flip through a physical book, look ahead to see how long a chapter is, read the last line of the book before I start (a weird reading habit that I cannot really do as easily with an e-book), and the book smell of course. I also find that I really don't like reading aloud to my children from an e-book. I can't say exactly why, but it just doesn't feel right. Also - I really like owning lots of books and being able to see them. Having hundreds of books on a kindle is great, but I can't "see" all of those books and I often forget I even have them. I've been known to purchase a physical book only to later realize I already had bought it as an e-book. :001_rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhanaBee Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I've had my Kindle for about 3 years now. Last year I made the decision that fiction books would go on the Kindle, non-fiction have to be in physical form. DH can deal with NF books on his iPad w/o a problem but it drives me crazy trying to search on a Kindle for that one passage that I can find easily in a physical book. But for fiction, I love not having the huge paperbacks to deal with *coughOutlanderseriescough* so unless I can get it *much* cheaper in physical form, on the Kindle it goes! My youngest loves her Kindle, but has requested certain favorite books also in physical form. "For when the Zombie Apocalypse comes and my Kindle doesn't work any more...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Do you ever find yourself wanting to touch a word in a physical book to get the definition? I caught myself doing that a few times. ;) Yeah, but I do that with dd's laptop, too-- forgetting that it's not touchscreen. Aargh, why can't physical objects read my mind and do what I want them to do without any effort from me! Why am I not a Sith Lord who can manipulate things via the Force? Seriously, though, I read both. Charts, graphs and illustrations tend to be crappy on the Kindle, often not appearing on the correct page. Footnotes can sometimes be dicey, although they've gotten better. And with an ebook, I can't make a quick decision whether or not to read to the end of this chapter before I turn out the light because I can't riffle through the pages as quickly to find the end of the particular segment. OTOH, I really miss the search feature when I read physical books -- looking up individual words and having all occurrences listed. But if I can't remember a particular word to enter into the search, then an ebook is a quagmire for looking up something I didn't realize I should've tagged. I tend to have a very strong physical memory of "where things are" in physical books when I'm looking for a segment -- I can picture which side of the page, and the approximate location in the book, so I can usually flip back to things later when I realize they were important little nuggets. Most non-fiction is better as a physical book. For me, so is actual literature. Twaddle fiction is okay on the Kindle. I'll admit that when I hear that people mostly read on the Kindle, I assume they mostly read fluff, because that's what I read on it. I always have several things loaded on the Kindle, and take it wherever I go, BUT I usually have a library book or two, too, and/or other books (usually nonfiction) I'm working through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I prefer non fiction in physical form because I like to underline things and write notes, which isn't something I do with fiction. Also I don't like being tied to electronics at all times. Ebooks have their usefulness, but when it comes to nonfiction, I just have to be able to get my hands on the book. I've been marking up my Well Educated Mind copy as I read the books SWB highlighted. I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to purchase a hard copy of TWEM for this reason. I've had my Kindle for about 3 years now. Last year I made the decision that fiction books would go on the Kindle, non-fiction have to be in physical form. DH can deal with NF books on his iPad w/o a problem but it drives me crazy trying to search on a Kindle for that one passage that I can find easily in a physical book. But for fiction, I love not having the huge paperbacks to deal with *coughOutlanderseriescough* so unless I can get it *much* cheaper in physical form, on the Kindle it goes! My youngest loves her Kindle, but has requested certain favorite books also in physical form. "For when the Zombie Apocalypse comes and my Kindle doesn't work any more...." This is a nice compromise, designating one genre for the Kindle and one for actual books. Best of both worlds and so far my experience supports the distinction. Lol at your daughter's comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'll admit that when I hear that people mostly read on the Kindle, I assume they mostly read fluff, because that's what I read on it. I'm currently reading Les Miserables on my Kindle.That would be quite a hefty book to carry around, but on the Kindle it's very light so I can take it everywhere with me. :) I'm also reading Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. I've read more classics since I got a Kindle than I've read since I left school. I also read a lot of current literary fiction. I occasionally read fluff, but not often. Please don't make assumptions. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I'm currently reading Les Miserables on my Kindle.That would be quite a hefty book to carry around, but on the Kindle it's very light so I can take it everywhere with me. :) I'm also reading Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. I've read more classics since I got a Kindle than I've read since I left school. I also read a lot of current literary fiction. I occasionally read fluff, but not often. Please don't make assumptions. :) :iagree: I wish I'd had my Kindle when I was reading Les Miserables! I do a lot of reading while waiting for my kids, and I didn't enjoy carrying that book around. Now I have The Count of Monte Cristo on the Kindle among other things. I also own hard copies of both books. I also have a full set of hardcopy Dickens novels but have downloaded some of those to the Kindle too. Never know when the mood for a little Dickens might strike - what if I'm on vacation? :svengo: This is an interesting thread. Until I got my own, I was a bit sneery toward Kindle (and other ereader) users. Now I just see it as a useful tool. I do buy a hard copy of books I think are important; I don't consider electronic to = permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I recently borrowed my mother-in-law's Kindle DX and read around 15 books on it, but decided what I really wanted at this point was an e-reader. I ended up with a Nook HD+ which is meeting my needs quite well at this point (cheaper for the size, etc than a Kindle Fire). The ereader was too single purpose for me and I prefer reading physical books. Personally, I found the overall experience less pleasurable, and it was irritating to have to push the button to turn a page :001_smile: . It's a totally different experience for me and I form a very different sense-memory of things I've read on the Kindle vs the same type of book and same author in physical format. I'm the kind of person who recalls things in a book by their physical location in relation to the corners of the page, how far I am in the book, etc--very physical memory--and I realized that I don't really remember the books I read on the kindle as fully as the ones I read in hard copy. I still read things online and via the kindle app on my Nook, but I don't plan to get a dedicated e-reader until I have a compelling physical need for one over print books---need to be able to increase the font, or the weight of a book is too much, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kidlets4me Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I read both but a lot more Kindle versus physical book. If I'm going to buy a book I almost always pick Kindle. The only physical books I still read I either already own or I get from the library. My library has been adding a bunch more ebooks and those are the best of both worlds. Instant gratification and free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgiana Daniels Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 The only books I'll read on my Nook are total brain candy that I don't envision my children wanting to read someday. Any book that is of real value to me, I buy in physical form so it can be passed on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 We do a nice mix of both, about 50-50. Since we use Onenote for a bulk of our classes, I can link articles or books to her assignments on Onenote, and she can then just access the link and read from her PC, highlight sections for note-taking, and then do the assignment on her Onenote page. DD has two history spines right now: History of US and The Awakening of Europe (Yesterdays Classics). DD accesses AOE using Kindle PC. From there, she can make notes and highlight directly in the book in order to do her narrations. We read the physical book and discuss HOUS together, sitting on the couch. When something noteworthy pops up, we have a yellow highlighter ready (since we plan to keep the books). We both like that time together, snuggling on the couch with a good book in our hands, perusing the pictures and reading the sidebars. So basically, we like both, but try to even it out between the two so we don't get burnt out on technology. Sometimes it's just more fun to have a book in your hands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I tend to buy fluff books on Kindle. Things that aren't terribly important to me if I lose them. I get hard copies of books that are things I'll want to loan out to friends or keep in my library. I definitely could never give up paper books, there's just something magical about them that the Kindle doesn't quite touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I love my Kindle and could never give it up. Lately though I've been reading more on my iPad Kindle app than my Kindle, simply because I have an old Kinde that doesn't have a touch screen (I like the touch option), and it's easier to carry just one device around. I do still read physical books, but I realized the other day when I actually touched a word IN THE PAPER BOOK to get the definition. D'oh! I told James Bond, and he cracked up. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I read both ebooks and physical books - probably 50/50 mix. I could never give up reading physical books entirely. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Can't you do both? As much as I love my Kindle, I'm not married to it - reading physical books doesn't mean I'm cheating on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I do both, why can't you do both? I generally pick whatever's cheapest and go with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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