I adore real life books, but I read at night whilst my partner sleeps. The backlit ereader is an absolute delight.
I also disagree with calling audio books "reading".
I'm not saying is is a worse way to experience the content of the book, and I enjoy it myself, but it is a fundamentally different experience based on different senses and different mechanisms.
Ereaders definitely. I hate audiobooks because they take so long to read, I prefer listening to music when travelling. And physical books take up so much physical space, besides ebooks' added benefits such as customisable brightness for reading in the dark, remembering the page, highlighting and copying/defining/searching for text, and more.
I love the thought of paper books, but the functionality of my eReader is just too great. I can carry my books with me in one tiny little thing, it's got a light built in and doesn't weigh too much. Also saves so much shelf space.
I used to love physical books, but I just can't do them anymore. It's eBooks all the way - on my phone, namely.
I love to read so much and the ability to have my book on me at all times is irresistible. Going to the bathroom? Waiting at the doctor's office? A few minutes break at work? Snuggling in bed at night and I don't want to turn on a light and disturb my partner?
I've tried a few times to read physical books in the last few years, and having gotten addicted to the pleasure of reading whenever the hell I want, I just can't anymore.
Audiobooks are great for long car drives, but I rarely do those, so they're a very occasional treat for me.
Ebook these days.
I borrow digital copies from my library. If I really love a book, and I know I'll re-read it, then Ill by a hard copy.
Audiobooks, I listen while I’m working. I like paper books too, it’s lovely to sink into the pages. I don’t like reading stuff on a screen because I was born too soon.
Ereaders. They're light, have adjustable font size, can hold an extensive catalogue of books and have less distractions, in comparison to using a tablet with an ereader app on it.
Moreover, they allow me to escape international shipping fees which have really risen over the years.
On the other hand, nothing compares to the smell of a book and the sensation of holding one in your hand. I wish I could had hardcopies of some my ebooks for times when I want to get away from tech.
I was a strong e-reader user for a few years around 2012, but have gone back to paper books. I like the feel of them and also like having books as physical objects in my big book shelfs in my living room. It's a bit of the decoration and signaling aspect of it too. Yet from pure practicality the e-reader was way more convenient.
As a dyslexic, audio books are awesome.
Me reading in the dark without having to hold the crease of a book, reading on my side with my ebook: yeah I think I can pick a favorite
Paper books always. I have a second-gen kindle and I hate it. The reading experience is so inferior and I hate having to charge the stupid thing.
I need an E-reader that smells like a paper book!
I've never listened to an audiobook, but I'm about tied on physical vs E-reader books finished.
I love ereaders. I can pull them out at any time, I can take thousands of books with me at any time, I can read at night without issue, if I drop my reader in the pool it’s not such a big deal. If I drop my book case in the pool it’s all damaged and everyone is giving me weird looks for bringing a book case to the pool.
I prefer books but I use my ereader a lot. I also have a habit of printing a lot and I have a laser printer, when comparing it to hot digital storage the price can't be beat if you get a good brand with refillable toner carts. Both the ereader data and internet is too ephemeral and I save the things I want to save in binders.
Paper books in the evening, audio books on my commute each day.
E-reader because being able to set the font and brightness so I don't get eye fatigue.
E-Reader. I had a Kindle I never really used, until pandemic. It was great to sometime reading again, to “go to the library” without leaving the house
I just tried an audiobook for the first time and it was not a good experience. Or maybe it’s just YouTube not being a good experience. Too many ads, it doesn’t want to keep track of what you read or where you were in it, nor does there seem to be a way to go back
I prefer a paper book but love my e-reader for travel. Packing several books into my carryon bag sucks.
My favorite is paper. I love the smell of old books, but also, I download a ton too because it is easier to carry them around this way.
As someone with hearing issues (I lose speaking tones completely) I prefer books. Nothing better than curling up with a good book and hiding from the world for a while.
Ebooks. I love how I can carry my entire book library on my phone with me everywhere I go. And read books on my phone anytime, anywhere. Also do enjoy audiobooks. Though they tend to take up lot of space, compared to ebooks.
My preference has changed over time.
Originally I went through stacks of books. Even when ereaders came out I didn't like them. I built two massive floor to ceiling bookcases to hold them all. It's full with most shelves doubled up.
Then I started traveling all over the globe and I couldn't pack enough books for two weeks and 20+ flights. So I got an ereader and eventually transitioned to a tablet. Last I counted I have around 10,000 e-books.
Recently audiobooks have been my go-to. I drive a lot for work now so I listen to them on my trucks speaker system. When I am home I am always doing something else like cooking dishes, yardwork, etc. I have gotten use to listening to a book through my earbuds as I do other things. In the evening I often relax and listen to a book while playing a video game. I will go through 20-30 audiobooks per month.
E-readers are too convenient, especially with how quickly I go through books.
Audiobooks. Sounds strange, but I actually haven't got 3 or 4 hours to read a book. Even half an hour a day is a stretch. When I was in my 20s i'd lay down with a bucket of graphic novels and books and didn't stand up, only for snacks and toilet. Can't do that anymore. When I lay down and begin to read I'm sleeping after 10 minutes. Guess I'm a bit busy in my 40s.
Can I be a little bit of a shit and say none?
It's not that I don't like books or am proud of not reading - it's that my ADHD makes books damn near impossible unless I'm fully gripped immediately, and then I will hyperfixate and read the book in it's entirety in one day (ask me about the bender that was the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series). And one would think audiobooks would be the solution, but man they just bore me hahaha.
Radio plays (or podcasts in the same style) and deep dives into history, however? That's the spot.
Paper for sure. For a novel, I just find an E-reader too impersonal. A paper book is much more cosy.
Also, if the book's ending sucks, I can throw it across the room. I did that when I read Crichton's Sphere.
I also can't do audiobooks. My attention just drifts too much and I miss important things. I do listen to radio dramatizations though. The BBC does lots of them and many are on the Internet Archive.
Audiobooks. The quality varies and has peaked with Stephen Fry's Harry Potter reading, but being able to read a book while working is great. Paper books are just a waste of space and resources.
Paper
All of them, but if I had an order.
E-Books for series I like and for day to day reading
Audiobooks for series which I want read to me
And Physical Book for series I adore and want the complete physical set.
I spend a lot of time driving, audiobooks are the way to go
Ebooks. I like to listen to music while reading and Morgan Freeman doesn't narrate enough of my preferred texts.
Ereaders, because I can get classic works for free from public archives.
I can't read book on my phone or tablet so I need paper books but I like audio books when I can't read and just want to listen
My tech dream. Imagine a blank book. Pages look, smell, and feel like paper. Insert a disc into the cover, and text appears on the pages. You can change the text as many times as you want.
Niche item, I know, but I can dream.
My preference is Hardback > Paperback > Ebook as a last resort.
Ever since moving abroad, it's been e-readers for me. Couldn't haul my book collection around, and didn't feel like buying it all again.
Whichever one lets you read the most, which for me can change
I apologize if I haven't seen it in another comment, but there is a category missing (sort of, let me quickly explain).
I like reading books from my phone with a dark theme (inverted colors). It's not exactly an e-reader, though it is electronic.
I don't claim it's the best way, it's just very convenient because of (former Reddit)/(now Lemmy) addiction to using my phone to read about cool stuff.
It's particularly handy before sleeping or when commuting
Edit: added last sentence
E-books and e-readers all the way! All my teenage years I was reading on a e-reader.
I broke mine couple of months ago and I will probably buy an replacement with my next paycheck.
Osmosis
Love paper books, but audiobooks have converted me. I love being able to do chores and listen to a story
Paper, outdoors.
I want the physical book for the shelf but I read the ebook on my smartphone. Way more convenient for me.
I prefer paper but I’m happy to have my kobo while traveling!
ebooks first. i'll text-to-speech it most of the times but the text being there helps so i can attach my annotations. if the book is brilliant, i'll buy a physical copy and install it in my growing library. this year though, i got a little risky and bought my first quarter of the year TBR all paper books. EXPENSIVE!
i like all three. do i have to pick?
I prefer paper books but listen to more audiobooks because commute time is down time already.
I read ebooks because they're more portable, I can read them on my phone instead of doing the old social media counterpoint all day. I have signed up for several digital library cards with fake addresses so I can access more books, lol, and I also buy ebooks with survey money, so all the free books! I read about 10 books a week.
Audiobooks allow me to stoll through the park while drinking coffee and listening to the story. Or for fantastic visualization, driving across the country with an audiobook offers little visual distraction. Basically they let me do mundane but necessary things while "reading".
Paper, but I love the convenience of e-books on my phone; I'm never without a book.
Edit: And since my phone is waterproof, I can read in the bath, or while washing dishes!
I fuckin hate reading. Audio books all the way.
Never had an e-reader, usually I read physical books or on a regular screen, so I guess, paper books?
- Audiobooks
- Paper (with nightlight)
- Ebook
I'd prefer paper, but having moved so many times I just can't bring myself to own hardcopies unless I know someone who would like the book. So it's E-reader unless driving, then audiobook.
ebook on my phone from random website
I have an executive function disorder, so while reading my mind likes to work on things that are not related to what I'm reading.
So books/eReaders don't really work for me, it's just far too difficult to actually get through something. So I stick to audio books.
Though, audio books tend to put me to sleep.
Paper. I don't fuck with pdfs and audio books are a crime against nature
