Paper books, Kindle or audiobooks?

[East Bay Rider]

What's your preference and why?

Is listening to audiobooks reading?

How often do you read and what do you recommend?

[Easy E]

I don’t read nearly as much as o would like, mostly in waves too. Paper. I’m about half way through Kash Patel’s book right now.

Audio books are not reading.

[SearChart]

Paper books only, I read every day.
I've tried an ereader but just can't enjoy reading the same way.
Nothing beats sitting in my Eames lounge and reading a good book.

[JSol1]

Paper for me. I read a few pages every night before bed to unwind. Only Novels lately to disconnect.
My wife is strictly a Kindle reader…

[AzPaul]

I make use of all three.
Each can be my preference under certain circumstances.

[MrGoat]

I’m a paper book kinda guy. My better half on the other hand has all three and uses all three daily. She listens to audio books when she is driving or messing around in the kitchen. Paper books when hanging in the living room or sitting outside and kindle when we are in bed. I think her book goal this year is like 150 books.


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[1William]

I like them all. It just depends.

[Blansky]

I don't really like the smell of old books and never read books twice so buying books and have them take up space is not for me.

Been using Kindle books for around 15 years??? (was an early Kindle adopter) and that's my preferred way to read now.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Paper books only, I read every day.
I've tried an ereader but just can't enjoy reading the same way.
Nothing beats sitting in my Eames lounge and reading a good book.

[brandrea]

I was a newspaper guy most of my life. I love the form factor and it took me a very long time to convert to digital. Now I love it.

As for books I still prefer the old school paper versions, although I’m slowly coming around. Travel is a lot easier to bring a kindle vs 2 or 3 bulky paperbacks

[Romeojk]

I’ve just picked up reading again after a many year hiatus. I needed paper to get me back into it and light fiction was the key. I read a Jack Reacher book and it got me going during a vacation. To read a book in a week was a lot for me. I switched over to Kindle and really enjoyed it for my last book and this one I’m reading. I am downloading them from the library.

I also like the audio books with Audible. That seems better for self help books for me. My favorite is How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It’s narrated by Andrew MacMillan. I need to listen to it again, as I seem to fall back into a curmudgeon as I get older and fall back into my old ways.

I’m also started a paper book called Hawaii by James Michener. I hope I stay with it, but it is tough to read in small print yellowish pages. I got it from the library.

A long way to get to an answer of “All three” for me.

[Blansky]

I heard that people that have a commute love audio books rather than listen to banal radio commercials or worse, drive time AM radio shows.

My wife does audio books on the plane a lot as well.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I heard that people that have a commute love audio books rather than listen to banal radio commercials or worse, drive time AM radio shows.

My wife does audio books on the plane a lot as well.

Funny you mention this …

I’m semi retired, but on a recent road trip Andrea and I decided to listen to a pod cast. I got so into it, I almost forget the fuel level. If it weren’t for the warning thingy on the dash, I would’ve run it dry

[Maleg]

I prefer paper books when reading for pleasure. Holding the book and turning the pages is part of the experience. I've tried digitial, it feels a lot like reading reports at work.

Audio books aren't reading, they're radio. When you read a book you form your own impressions purely out of the words on the page and the context of your experiences in life. It's a synergy with you and the author that leads to an experience that is uniquely yours. The audio books impart the influence of the actor(s) reading the book. You lose the connection with the author.

My wife loves audio books when we're travelling. She gets motion sickness when she reads in the car or on an airplane and the audio books get her the story without the nausea.

[pickettt]

Paper until I die. Why? I'm just old school, I suppose. My son, who is growing up in this digital age, is surprisingly a die hard paper book reader too. He learned to read VERY early on, and is never without a book. I call them his emotional support books.

[Blansky]

If I read at night I have a tendency to fall asleep, and the book closes and falls on the floor. And I lose my place.

At least with a Kindle/Ipad reader you don't keep losing your place, although you do have to re-reada couple of pages back where you were fell asleep but kept reading.

[BLACKHORSE 6]

Paper for me

[Krash]

Paper.

Sort of strange since I was a technologist all of my adult life. But I never used Kindle, iPads, Audiobooks, iPhones, or anything like that when it comes to reading books.


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[Tools]

I have a Kindle and it always has a few books loaded, but I also enjoy both paperback and hardback books. I recycle the paperbacks but usually put the hardbacks in an ever-growing library and loan them out from time to time.

Audiobooks wouldn't hold my attention. I would find myself wandering then wondering how much I missed

[Jackie Daytona]

Weirdly I can’t stay focused on digital books kindle etc. Paper for me. I haven’t tried audiobooks in years so I’m not sure how well those go with me. I listen to a lot of podcasts so it may be fine.

[THC]

Old schooler here as well

[Hollie_Rollie]

All 3 channels work well. Theres room for each.


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[Calatrava r]

Paper books for me. Reading on Kindle is not good for the eyes. Best to limit overall computer screen time as best you can.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Calatrava r

Paper books for me. Reading on Kindle is not good for the eyes. Best to limit overall computer screen time as best you can.

I aways wonder about that assertion. I can read my iPad/Kindle and fall asleep just as fast as with a book.

Millions of people watch TV and electronic devices and fall asleep just fine often during the shows.

So either the "research" is wrong, or it only affects some people.

[StuartG]

I read 40-45 books a year, and 40-45 of them are digital loans from the library, via the Kindle app on an iPad.
The only alternatives were to foist them off on my friends or build another room to store them. Kindle is easier.

[Krash]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I aways wonder about that assertion. I can read my iPad/Kindle and fall asleep just as fast as with a book.

Millions of people watch TV and electronic devices and fall asleep just fine often during the shows.

So either the "research" is wrong, or it only affects some people.

You can get eye strain from reading, but that applies to paper books and newspapers, too. It usually happens to people if they’re reading something while using the wrong prescription glasses or if someone doesn’t wear glasses and they should.

I suffered from this. It’s a strange sensation. Your eyes literally hurt and all you want to do is go to sleep. But I got a new prescription and everything was fine after that.


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[East Bay Rider]

Originally Posted by Calatrava r

Paper books for me. Reading on Kindle is not good for the eyes. Best to limit overall computer screen time as best you can.

Originally Posted by Blansky

I aways wonder about that assertion. I can read my iPad/Kindle and fall asleep just as fast as with a book.

Millions of people watch TV and electronic devices and fall asleep just fine often during the shows.

So either the "research" is wrong, or it only affects some people.

I'd be interested in knowing if that applies to the Kindle Paper-white. It's not like a regular glass screen on a tablet. Low gloss, black and white only.
Overall, I do like the Kindle PW. I can make the font large enough that I can even read without my glasses sometimes. It keeps my page. I can switch from one book to another easily. It's small, thin and fits in my jacket or hoodie pocket. I can hold it one-handed and turn the pages by just touching my thumb to the side of the page. Pretty great.
But there's one thing that really bugs me about these things. I miss seeing the cover of the book. Every time I open the Kindle it goes right to the last page I was viewing. I don't see the cover with the title and author's name and it's a bit weird.

[White Collar Boy]

Audiobooks are good when you’re on the move or exhausted. Sometimes the narrator’s performance is as important as the writing itself, especially with comedy.

An e-reader sounds convenient but I don’t own an iPad or Kindle, and don’t like reading anything long on my phone. So I am a books guy; also gives purpose to carrying a Filson tote around.

[rjd1]

Audible for the commutes and plane rides -
Kindle for light fiction, fun reads -
Real books for non-fiction, historical, reference, biographies I want to keep, etc. -
All 3 have their place for me -

[rjd1]

Originally Posted by East Bay Rider

I'd be interested in knowing if that applies to the Kindle Paper-white. It's not like a regular glass screen on a tablet. Low gloss, black and white only.
Overall, I do like the Kindle PW. I can make the font large enough that I can even read without my glasses sometimes. It keeps my page. I can switch from one book to another easily. It's small, thin and fits in my jacket or hoodie pocket. I can hold it one-handed and turn the pages by just touching my thumb to the side of the page. Pretty great.
But there's one thing that really bugs me about these things. I miss seeing the cover of the book. Every time I open the Kindle it goes right to the last page I was viewing. I don't see the cover with the title and author's name and it's a bit weird.

I have the Kindle PW thanks to my daughter’s Christmas gift to me - mine is super easy on the eyes as to that question - and as to the cover, when it goes to sleep it displays the cover page. My wife’s however (mine is 12th gen, hers is 11th) does not do that. I love it for the reasons you mentioned - as opposed to hers where I ask her what is the title/author of the book she is reading and I get back in reply ”I don’t know”

Lastly I’ll add how much I love how it syncs to the app on my phone or iPad so if in a Dr office waiting, I can pull up the book on my phone, sync up where I last left it, read while waiting and then have the Kindle update accordingly.