Several studies have shown that people have better comprehension and retention when reading paper books vs ebooks. They also get more absorbed in a story and follow a plot more easily. There's a lot of speculation about why, but it seems we have a connection with the physical object that affects the mental and emotional experience. That said, I love my kindle paperwhite. It's by far my most used format. I even find it easier on my eyes than most paper books. Not just font, but contrast.

@Yesica1993

10 ай бұрын

Yay! Maybe I'm not crazy, after all! I've had a love/hate relationship with ereaders through the years. I keep telling myself I am imagining that I can't retain the information as well or get as involved in the story when I read digitally. I go mentally back and forth all the time, trying to figure it out. I am the logical sort. I cannot understand the problem. It makes no sense to me, because IT'S THE EXACT SAME WORDS. It's the same thing, Brain! Get a grip! But maybe there's more to it. It helps to know that maybe it's not all nonsense on my part. Maybe. ;) All of that said, I use my Kindle in very specific ways. It's great for rereading old favorites, where I don't have to worry about concentration because I already know the story. It's wonderful reading on the go, especially with bigger books. I also do a lot of reading outside and it's fantastic to be able to read after sunset. So I do appreciate it. I also know my eyes are getting worse as I get older, so I am likely going to use it more, for the option of enlarging the font size. That's a fantastic feature for people who need it. I'm not quite there yet. But I soon will be. I think mine is finally starting to die on me. I need to look into trading it in or something. Could I live without it? Yes. Paper is still my go-to. But for convenience and ease, there's nothing like it.

You guys have such rapport, what a great chat! Some awesome deals on ebooks out there if you're diligent, and especially the big books 500+ pages that take up a lot less space on an e-reader than a shelf. But I wouldn't give up on the library book sales/thrift shops that can offer up some fantastic prices on old-school books.

Oma loves the Kindle app on her laptop &/or tablet! She & I are watching this together. She says “these two are cut from the same cloth”.

Great discussion with Erasmus, Mike, the Prize and the comments section below. I'm reckoning that thankfully there must be more than 10,941 dedicated readers on the planet as this channel alone has nearly 15,000 subscribers and Michael K Vaughan has over 17,000 subscribers - even allowing for the overlap of people who follow both channels. It's a good thing to have Booktube around, a focus to keep book conversations happening.

Stil read about 80% paper, 10% ebook, and 10% audio. This was so interesting to hear you guys discuss this.

Only physical books now and forever. It's pure nostalgia and I'm building a library. I've been carrying around War and Peace all week - t's so thick it barely fits in my laptop bag and is comically ginormous. Wonderful discussion gentlemen, thank you. (anything but audiobooks)

@stretmediq

10 ай бұрын

I agree. I just can't do ebooks but I don't think they aren't "real books" because they are. What makes a book are the words and they can be in any format from clay cuneiform tablets to papyrus scrolls to MMPs to kindles

I think my preference comes from my experience reading Where the Red Fern Grows in 5th grade. Just the smell of the book and emotional experience of it at that age set my preferences in reading. Experienced that again in college when I started reading for pleasure with Star Wars mass market paperbacks I used to get from Bookstar on Rosecrans when I went to school near there in San Diego. I remember my roommate was into Clive Cussler books. But I like hardcovers too, just can’t get into e-readers at all.

It's good to see Michael more relaxed, like his Peaky Blinders cap! I prefer tactile feel of physical books, for nonfiction, I do like Kindle.

I can't separate my nostalgia for gaudy exciting mass market paperback book covers.

@stretmediq

10 ай бұрын

That's my favorite format. I always had an MMP in my back pocket that I could read anywhere and I still have a lot of them

Book collecting vs Book reading seems to be the real subject of this conversation. X

My preference will always be an actual book but there's such an obvious value to e-readers. Especially when certain books to purchase in print are extortionate yet cheaply available in electronic form.

The Landmark histories are a good example as those maps would just not work on a kindle.

I have an inkling that there is a significant amount of readers who just don't know what an e-ink e-reader is, and think it's basically just a cut-down tablet. Purely anecdotal based on conversations I've had, but Amazon do not really do much to mitigate this view and promote the various unique benefits of their devices.

I have just started to change over to a kindle at the very beginning stages. One thing that wasn’t mentioned. A physical book you can lend to someone or give away to someone after you read it. There have been many times after I finished a book I’ve really enjoyed. I gave it to someone else to read. I won’t be leading my ereader to anyone. So were does that leave me. Either I go out and buy a physical book for that person so that they can read it or I am just simply recommending the book and that is all. To someone that doesn’t read consistently that probably won’t go far. I Also think there is something very special in being able to just give the person the book. So I remain on the fence as of right now.

I think the smartphone along with the free library audio apps, Hoopla & Libby have revolutionized reading!! I now can listen to a book while I do chores around the house and even at line at the post office or taking a walk. I have a library at my fingertips at any moment.

What a time to be alive. We're spoiled for choice. I think advances in the ereaders will come from the software front of things , how an ebook is delivered to your device. Eg. Send to kindle service and the acceptance of epub format was a big game changer for me, I immediately upgraded my paperwhite and bought a new basic model. I'm pickier with what physical books I acquire because of ereaders too (nostalgia factor). I want my kindle to be able to open an epub stored on "my" cloud storage or network drive, out of Amazon's control/reach. My son said, you're dreaming.

My preference is for reading physical books, but convenience wise and relating to my current reading environment being a full-time carer, often physical book reading isn’t optimal. So, I have been reading Kindle book versions of late. Being a full-time carer for two parents, means the television is on 17 hours a day. They won’t do anything else apart from watch television. I like to read in quiet, and the lounge room is the only room I like to read in. So I am restricted to mainly nighttime reading wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Not an ideal reading experience.

Space saving would be the main selling point. Not everyone has a manor.😂😂😂

I prefer to read a physical book. When I had to go to the airport I had books in my book bag, in my suitcase. I read on the airplane ✈️. I like to read physical books at work, at home and in bed. When I’m in a car riding with someone I’m reading a book. I read in stores, in church and outside of church.

@stretmediq

10 ай бұрын

I have a kindle but I only use it to read technical papers for work

I don't have room for very many books. I've heard from a lot of people with ADHD that audiobooks are easiest to get through. I have ADHD and fibromyalgia and audiobooks are so useful for the hours when I'm in bed exhausted during the day. I guess if there were a way to prop up a tablet/e-reader against pillows that might work. I'd rather not spend the money for one though.

I still have the 1st generation Kindle. Still sort of works. No more updates, of course, but I can’t seem to download anymore books from my library. Whatever is on it now is all I can load on to it. It’s been a long time since I charged it. I own the 1st generation B&N Nook Simple Touch, but again it’s been a long time since I charged it. I assume it still functions. I like my Kindle PaperWhite. I would rather read e-ink. Less eye strain, less eye damage. I’m beginning to find mass market books difficult to read as the print is too small, and often disappears into the gutter. EReaders can adjust the size of type as needed.

My wife still uses her 1st gen kindle with the keyboard. She can't buy anything with it but if she buys with a newer one it will show up and can be read.

I respect your opinions about e-readers and get the argument, but they're not for me. I prefer a physical book in my hands. I think it's because, along with my love for reading, I also have a collector mentality, and I need to see the books on my shelves.

I must've ingested some DMT in my pumpkin spice coffee...I swear I'm seeing Marvelous MKV sitting on a couch talking with that hipster Steve Donaghue 🤪

I have evolved to listening to mostly audiobooks. I love'em.... But I like ebooks, too. And I like printed paper books, but I just don't have the space for them anymore. I listen to audiobooks and read paper every night, and I read ebooks when I have the time.

I can't wait until they have a hologram e reader that projects the book right above your head when you're reclined at whichever font size, flips the pages, highlights whatever you tell it to etc

Never used a kindle. I don’t even know how one works. Have a kindle app on my iPad though to use with Libby. A kindle isn’t involved in some of my favorite activities: book sales, trading books with friends, and using little free libraries. Why should I shell out 💰 for something I can get for free or nearly free? I don’t buy full price books, ever. There’s no budget for that especially because I don’t collect books. I read, then donate and only keep a select few to reread.

Still using my 2nd gen kindle. A bus ride in Ethiopia gave it some cracks about ten years ago but it still does the job.

I love my Kindle, and have since the beginning. I still love to collect vintage paper books, but whenever possible I ALSO either buy an e-copy or check one out from my library. I prefer the digital reading experience. But I'll also always collect physical books.

I prefer ebooks most of the time for convenience and space but do have physical for secondhand books that are significantly cheaper than digital

The convenience of ebooks are being oversold here. Ever accidentally have the page turn on your e-reader? Ever try to highlight a word and the e-reader highlights the entire sentence? E-ink e-readers still feel overly slow and cumbersome to use in comparison to reading an actual physical book. Even just the simple act of finding a particular section in a book you've already read takes a significant more time with an e-reader.

Spill coffee on your copy of The Iliad (I did) and it's probably got to be replaced. Probably not as much of a problem on a Kindle. That said, I still prefer a hardcover or trade.

After so many years reading & owning ereaders,it still feels like an informal & cold experience.. holding a book feels natural, comfortable and jist right..ereaders no matter how much i like them & how convenient it is owning books i will never-ever be able to purchase, it still doesnt feel right reading from a piece of plastic with an electronic screen..🤷 P.S.. ive heard the argument about how much more durable ereaders are over over paperback or hardback books...i think rhat argument is wrong..ive dropped one of my kindles from a couple of feet & cracked the inner screen making the device unusable, ive also had my nook develop dead pixels that have now spread right across the screen... I dont expect these things to last forever nor do i believe they are indestructible... funny enough just like normal books..

Most of my reading is on e-ink screen. One thing I have noticed, though: I tend to use my local library for new releases I'm interested in, and, in virtually every case, the waiting lists for the titles are far shorter for the physical copy than for the e-book, so I do end up reading a few physical books per month. (At least, this is the case with the Seattle Public Library; it may be different elsewhere.)

I love mass market paperbacks, I mostly read physical books but I have a huge library of digital books for my tablet. I used to read on my kindle like crazy because it was easier but it just didn't feel as good for me. I mostly end up e-reading comics/manga if i do e-read at all

My delivery system of choice is the hardback, its friend the oversized paperback, and its lonely cousin the old little paperback. I would say 99.9% of everything I've ever read has been physical tactile aromatic books, some in various shades of aged yellows and orange with fox dappling. The other 0.01% was via a computer, a html copy, word doc, or pdf version of a book .. mostly due to Roger's Cheap Old Bookclub.

Send To Kindle isn't being supported anymore as of Nov 1st. What a shame. This video made me break out my 2021 paperwhite and download Notes From Underground onto it.

I prefer a clothbound hardcover with good paper, but I still enjoy my Kindle, trade hardcovers and paperbacks, mass market paperbacks, and audiobooks. Backlit LCD or OLED devices are a dealbreaker for me. The hard part is deciding which format to seek out for each title.

I have two Kindles, first one bought in 2011, 2nd last year, like the one you showed. The old one is still working fine, but the new one froze and stopped working the second week. But I prefer reading on my tablet. It's much faster and more versatile than the--to my mind--klunky Kindle. Also, I read books on Libby and Hoopla and Google, so it's nice to have one place for all sources. The tablet has color of course, so I can enjoy magazines on it as well. I love ebooks, but I'll never buy a dedicated eReader again. The tablet is the greatest invention since sliced bread!

For "always there" reading on the go I'm partial to phone reader apps. There are dozens but readera and librera are the best I've found (so far). I love the power of customization: physical books are great except for the fact that you can't change the font or font size... Also: Team Kobo for life!

I love my kindle! My only issue being, not every title is available. My next preference is hardback, but, I am not a format snob. If I want a particular book, I will buy whatever format I can find.,

I do not like ebooks for several reasons. I do understand why people like them, and I'm glad ebooks are around for those who like or need the format. That said, as a reading teacher, I try to keep up on research about reading, and there is more data coming out that shows how reading comprehension is not the same (as in not as accurate) as reading in physical book form. This is obviously new data and still needs a lot of analysis and further data. In the meantime, I have children read physical books if they are able. Of course audio books are also wonderful for everyone including people who are vision impaired or dyslexic. I jumped so high when that siren sounded

For long form reading my default is always paper books. I do a lot of online reading for work, and I can see the pros of e-readers. I'll gladly read on any format, but my preference is always paper. I'm a creature of habit, and I just feel more comfortable at home with the old format. Paper books are like a pair of sweatpants or comfortable old shoes...with the exception that I'll gladly take them out in public too.

I agree with Michael about the difference between reading on my Kindle and reading on a tablet. I still prefer reading on a real paper book. But! my Kindle lets me take my books on trips.

Great video and fun discussion. The older I get, the more I like my eReader Kindle. I love making the text bigger. I don't really care about owning a book. Most books I've read, I eventually got rid of. I just keep special editions and different paperbacks of my favorites for the cool art. And all those I have on my Kindle. That being Dune, Conan, Lord of the Rings, and Lovecraft. I'm not worried about my eBooks suddenly disappearing and going away completely. Even if that happens, I can just buy them again for a different eReader.

My first Kindle was also the 2nd Gen with the whacky keyboard! 🤓 I might be remembering it wrong, but I think at the time of the 2nd Gen, all Kindle books were $9.99. My, how things have changed! 💸Today I have the 11th Gen Signature Paperwhite and I love it! Also, I have the same cover as Michael! 😆 As much as I love my Kindle, I do prefer a paper book. 📚

I use both physical and e book formats. However with the price of ebooks lately I can usually find a physical book at a cheaper price. Also books that I know I want to keep I have physical copies of them.

@Yesica1993

10 ай бұрын

When ereaders first came along, I assumed the cost of ebooks would be way cheaper than physical ones. (Eventually.) But, yeah, while you can find some great deals, the price is still high, especially for new books. The used book market is often still way cheaper. I've never understood why the price is still so highm when you are eliminating all the physical aspects.

My biggest issue, right now, with an e-reader, is the challenge to effectively browse my library. With a physical, i can see them all on the shelf, pull some off to read the backs, etc. I do find, though, that if i have physical and digital that i find the digital easier on the eyes

I've still got a first gen kindle, and yes it has a keyboard. It's really lame but I got it for free. And it's the ideal device to read the Roger's el cheapo book club books.🤭 I'm ok using an e-reader but I think they work better with fiction. A book genre that still works better in physical form are technical (and/or text) books that have drawings, photos, charts etc. Books like engine manuals, carpentry, metal work, electronics, DIY, topics of that nature. The stuff that never gets discussed on booktube. 😉 Some are available in e-form but unless the device is large, it's very difficult to read them. Also the kindle price for these types of books, is often not much cheaper than the physical book.

@stretmediq

10 ай бұрын

I still have my first PC. It is a Radio Shack TRS80 Color Computer I built myself that had to be hard wired to a TV and it still works

@DDB168

10 ай бұрын

@@stretmediq 😲

I went full ebook/audio several years back when I got my Kindle Voyage. I was an early adopter, reading Star Trek novels on my Palm pilot in the early 2000's. But lately I've gotten back into paperbacks and there is just something about the tactile experience that I like. So I've started collecting again and I think this might be the most boring midlife crisis on record, lol.

When I'm reviewing a book it's not unusual for me to switch back, and forth between the paper copy, my tablet and my Kindle.

Shout out to 2nd gen Kindle with very odd keyboard and cursor movement. It was the first time we ever could rush out the door and download a book at the gate from airport WIFI. Still have one with about fifty books on it. Not a lot of space.

Ebook and physical, I love both. I have a Nook (not the latest, but recent), kindle basic, oasis, and scribe plus a house full of books. I’m an equal opportunity reader. However, I personally can’t do audiobooks because of audio processing disorder. Audiobooks are beautiful in theory, and still count as reading for those who can do it, but they’re just not for me.

Still using first generation Kindle Paperwhite.

Particularly like e readers for longer books, 600 plus pages.

@Yesica1993

10 ай бұрын

It really is helpful, especially for those of us who use public transportation! Even though I am (or used to be) an expert train rider who could balance myself on a crowded train without even holding on to the poles (EEWW!) while reading a big hardcover, holding a big shoulder bag or backpack, and sometimes even a drink, it's SO much easier with an ereader! When it comes to train travel, I don't think I could ever go back. I honestly don't know how I used to do that. It's a wonder I didn't topple to the floor or onto someone's lap. LOL!

I heard at one time kindle books are just rented from Amazon.

Text to speech from e-book. Cheaper than audiobook and takes up less storage space. T2S is mildly annoying but it becomes tolerable.

Beware the book sniffers! 😂

Physical books ....because you can't prop your door open or wipe your ass with an e-book ...

Do either of you read comic books in digital form? Wait. There's a plant?!

Who could hold up a Kindle in a room full of books? 🤔 I have said this before, a physical book can be ruined by fire, flood, war, natural disaster, or anti-book zealots. Digital books can easily be replaced. I still like all formats of books.

@Yesica1993

10 ай бұрын

Yes, but digital books can also be altered or even removed for being "problematic", all without your consent. Or even knowledge! You don't own those books. You're really just renting them. Plus, if your Kindle dies and you're broke (like me) and can't afford a new one for the foreseeable future, you've lost ALL YOUR BOOKS, at one time. The very thought of that makes me want to curl up in a ball and go cry in the corner.

@anotherbibliophilereads

10 ай бұрын

@@Yesica1993 Each format has different risks of complete loss. Who knows the true odds of any or all disasters that can wipe out a library.

00:09 stop calling me Shirley