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white_hartHow do you prefer to read books? Have you embraced ebooks or are you sticking to paper books? Or maybe audio books fit into your life better?
I still love paper books: the feel, the smell, the sense of history of second-hand books (I have a copy of Mansfield Park my grandmother gave me when she got a new match set of Austen which she'd got second or even third hand and which was originally given to someone by Sir Rowland Hill, inventor of the postage stamp). In particular, I prefer reading non-fiction in paper format and not ebook, and I like paper books for re-reading because it's much easier to find favourite scenes than it is in an ebook.
I also love my kindle, though. Without it, I would probably have had to move to a bigger house to fit all the books in by now. And there's a lot to be said for being able to carry hundreds of books with you and not having to worry about have spare books with you in case you run out of reading material, and being able to read huge epic novels without worrying about whether you can fit them in your bag. (Not that I go anywhere or carry bags any more, but one day I might do that again.) I also find that not being able to idly flick through pages when I know I should be putting the book down and going to sleep and then finding I've skimmed through the whole thing is a good thing, and recently I've also discovered that when my brain is struggling to focus and I keep losing my place so that reading a whole page of text takes ages being able to increase the font size so I only have a few words per page really helps.
I don't do audio books, though I like the idea; unfortunately I struggle too much to concentrate on audio and while I can listen to discussion podcasts while doing something with my hands that stops my brain wandering off on random tangents until I suddenly realise I haven't heard anything for the last ten minutes, I can't manage enough concentration for a story.
How about you?
I still love paper books: the feel, the smell, the sense of history of second-hand books (I have a copy of Mansfield Park my grandmother gave me when she got a new match set of Austen which she'd got second or even third hand and which was originally given to someone by Sir Rowland Hill, inventor of the postage stamp). In particular, I prefer reading non-fiction in paper format and not ebook, and I like paper books for re-reading because it's much easier to find favourite scenes than it is in an ebook.
I also love my kindle, though. Without it, I would probably have had to move to a bigger house to fit all the books in by now. And there's a lot to be said for being able to carry hundreds of books with you and not having to worry about have spare books with you in case you run out of reading material, and being able to read huge epic novels without worrying about whether you can fit them in your bag. (Not that I go anywhere or carry bags any more, but one day I might do that again.) I also find that not being able to idly flick through pages when I know I should be putting the book down and going to sleep and then finding I've skimmed through the whole thing is a good thing, and recently I've also discovered that when my brain is struggling to focus and I keep losing my place so that reading a whole page of text takes ages being able to increase the font size so I only have a few words per page really helps.
I don't do audio books, though I like the idea; unfortunately I struggle too much to concentrate on audio and while I can listen to discussion podcasts while doing something with my hands that stops my brain wandering off on random tangents until I suddenly realise I haven't heard anything for the last ten minutes, I can't manage enough concentration for a story.
How about you?
no subject
Date: 2021-01-23 07:34 pm (UTC)(And the understanding that my Views are based around what works for me, and I totally get it if you Book differently.)
I absolutely love and adore ebooks. Without ebooks, I would be out of shelf space. And house space. And just space, really. I used to really struggle with packing for long plane or train journeys, because of the number of books I can get through in a few hours. Now, it's practically impossible to run out of books. I can get several days' reading before I need to charge my eReader (usually more than a week), so even a ten hour plane journey is completely fine. I will not run out of reading material.
I like the physical books in theory more than practice. I miss the end papers of books, and getting them signed and so on, but I find it hard to hold a hardback these days (I trashed my wrists a while ago, and I have to live with my poor abused tendons and ligaments). I now tend to find it hard to remember to sort out a bookmark on those rare occasions where I've got a physical book. I do miss flicking backwards in books to remind myself of something. That's something ebooks can't quite replicate.
I like audiobooks, but only in certain specific situations, like where I can't read a book because I'd get travelsick (oh hi pendolino trains, I'm looking at you), or at night, to get me to sleep. And when walking around, though I tend to prefer audio dramas for that, because there's a bit more vocal variety.
no subject
Date: 2021-01-23 07:48 pm (UTC)I've never really got on with hardbacks, and actually one of the really good things about ebooks is being able to read books I'm excited about as soon as they're published without having to choose between buying a hardback that I'll find awkward to read and waiting for the paperback to come out. (Sometimes, I then buy the paperback later so I have a copy to re-read.)
no subject
Date: 2021-01-23 09:19 pm (UTC)Last month I sat on the other side of a pendolino train (west/eft, heading northwards) for the first time and understood clearly why they made me travelsick, when from that position, unlike the otherwise, I could really see the angle that they go at. Which was extreme! On one side, view of fells, on the other, dirt. TL:DR I take stugeron.