Why is it that we love books so much? Is it the solid feel of them in our hands? The cover art? The new-book smell? The old-book smell? Is it being able to tell how far we’ve read into the book (and how much is left) without even looking? Is it that they can be read anywhere, without batteries or technology of any kind? Is it that our eyes get tired from screen reading in a way that they don’t from reading ink on paper? Is it that we can continue to read our printed book on an airplane during those times when digital devices must be turned off? Is it that we actually own printed books (not just the right to read them), and can put them on a bookshelf when we’ve read them, or lend them or swap them?
For us, it’s all of those things! And we’re clearly not alone: publishers are again reporting a significant fall in ebook sales, while the sales of print books continue to rise, for the second year in a row.
We have nothing against ebooks — we think any kind of reading is great! We know that ebooks have their conveniences (for example, they’re lightweight to pack for travel, and the ability to enlarge the font can be useful for visually impaired readers). But we’re glad they haven’t replaced the real thing. Because we love the real thing so much. Don’t you?
We bet you do! In fact, we’re inviting you to tell us the one main reason why you love print books … if you do, you’ll have a chance to win a free book! The book is a brand-new hardcover of a very heavily wishlisted book — the New York Times Bestseller Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll.
Luckiest Girl Alive
by
Jessica Knoll
ISBN 9781476789637, Hardcover
A young woman is determined to create the perfect life — husband, home, and career—until a violent incident from her past threatens to unravel everything and expose her most shocking secret of all. A riveting debut novel that reads like Prep meets Gone Girl, described by Reese Witherspoon as “one of those reads you just can’t put down!” This book currently has over 400 active wishes in the club.
Make a comment below before noon ET on Friday, May 27, 2016, and that will enter you into the random drawing to receive the book. NB: Contest open to PaperBackSwap members only (join here!).
Here are a few comments from some of our members to get you thinking:
“There are too many awesome bookmarks out there to never use them! I have some really old ones passed down from family members that make me smile every time I see them. You don’t get to use those bookmarks with ebooks!” ~ Jill H.
“It’s very nice to be able to pass a book around the family before I swap it.” ~ Rick M. (RickMatt)
“I really prefer to hold a physical book, and the feel of the pages as I am turning them.” ~ Diane G. (icesk8tr)
“I like the feel of a real book 📚. I find them easier to read and not as hard on my eyes 👀 as an e reader.” ~ Angela H. (Halti4)
Tags: Book Suggestions, Contests, PBS Market
Physical books bring me such happiness. They’re like trophies to me. “See that book, I just read that! Me, I did that!”
Physical books bring me such happiness. They’re like trophies to me. “See that book, I just read that! Me, I did that!” And book cases are my trophy cases where I present my prizes!
Because I spend so much time on my computer or iPad working, it really feels much more like a break to me when I can switch to reading a real book. Changing my mindset from work to fun and relaxation with the feel of the book in my hands is a tactile mental connection. I only read hard backs too, no paperbacks for me. Love the elegance of the hardback!
I love the page by page turning, I can read an author that I like and I have to have all of their books. So much so that I had a wall unit built that is already over flowing. I love to go to the thrift shops and search for my beloved authors. I moved to Florida in 1993, but I go home to visit my best friend in Virginia every year. I normally drive, but one year I decided to fly. Guess What! Hit the Thrift shop there too. I had so many book that I brought back I had to borrow a backpack from my friend. My pore shoulders hurt so bad dragging my extra bags around at the lay over transfer. Won’t do that again, got to drive so I can bring more books home!
What is better than turning a page to see what is going to happen next or flipping back to re-read a section. That’s the beauty of reading a real book.
I like being able to highlight my favorite passages and easily find them again, just by knowing about which section of the book they were in. Or fanning the pages for a quick look back or forward. You just can’t do that on Kindle.
Besides the fact that I love the feel of a book in my hands, what would I do with all those great bookmarks I’ve collected from travels over the years if I succumbed to e-readers? I love pairing the perfect bookmark with each book I read. It isn’t random : )
Books are my escape from the stresses of being a mom. It’s so much easier to flip back to reread parts of the book when I’m reading an actual book.
I love physical books for all the reasons mentioned above. I own over 7,000 books and spend lots of time reading them and organizing them. Last year I read 264 books and hope to read that many this year. I also love to collect all my favorite authors and all the books in their series. I have e-books on my i-pad but never really read them because I love the physical book so much better. I take a book with me everywhere I go and read every chance I can. Books take you away to different places you may not be able to travel to. I love meeting other book readers online and sharing favorite books. I participate in online group reads with people from around the world where we discuss a book three times a month. Books will ever be a part of my life – they are my “Calgon, take me away” substitute.
I love books. The digital is nice easy but the feel of a real boo is the. Est. if I want to turn back just to refresh a name or plot you just can’t beT a real book. I have them all over the house it adds warmth a flash of romance or excitement when I read a title as I go about my daily tasks. No e- book can. Limpets in that area. More the better
I love books! The way they crinkle when you turn the pages.
I love the fact that you can learn things. go places at least in your mind where other wise
you could not go. Nothing will ever take the place of a real book for me-ever!!
Books are a way to express ourselves. I love books because it takes you to someone else’s life, it transports a person to another dimension. A person can dream, imagine, be encourage by a book. What can I say, I love reading, so is my daughter!
I like way books feel, especially hardbacks, but love paperbacks for trips because of the size and lightweight properties. And I can swap with the site, friends and family!
Thanks
Evie
I love books best for several reasons: book shelves lived with hardbacks adds so much to your home; you get enough of staring at a computer screen at work all day; I love the feel of a book in my hands; it’s far easier if you want to go back and search for info in a real book.
I learned to read and fell in love with books when I was five years old. I will turn 78 this month and I always have a book on hand to read.
I have always loved the way new books smell. When I was in elementary school, we could order paperback Scholastic books which cost about a dollar each. When the books arrived, I would actually salivate at the scent of the fresh ink and paper, and this is long before I ever heard of Pavlov’s dogs! Do they make a perfume named Eau de livre? I would buy it!
I doubt if I am entering this in time to win, but I want to make a comment just the same. Because I love books. The main reason I guess is that when I hold one I enter a new world. I am not just visiting until the batteries die as on my nook. I can go to sleep, carry them in my purse or a bag. Go back and read easily and I love book markers. The real kind. I have a whole wall full of books but I keep buying and acquiring them. If I didn’t enjoy them so much, I would think it was a disease. When I die I want this on my tombstone “Too many books, so little time”.
Why I have always loved P-Books ( Physical Books ) and always will :
There are so many reasons , however, the most important one to me is the eternal connection to the magical land of Childhhood. From the first remembrance of my mom and dad reading to me in bed at night the stage was forever set. My imagination exploded. Then when I learned to read on my own my imagination exploded. The journey to discover and visit so many exotic worlds and meet so many interesting characters had begun. Riding my bike to the library as a kid in rain, snow, sun , sleet or hail every week was one of the most exciting times of my life. The library was my second home. And then there was the thrill once every few months in grammar school when the teacher passed out the colorful Scholastic Book forms and I would et about $8 to spend on 3 or 4 books of my choice. The two or three week wait for those books to arrive at school seemed like an eternity but the day they arrived was magical. There is nothing like a brand new book. That was 40 years ago and the thrill of getting a real book to hold, smell, and sometimes just stare and wonder at is still there. It will always be there. For me, the journey started and will end with reading REAL books. Plus, what are you going to do when the electricity goes out ?
I love building my library! I have hundreds of books, of which I’m “saving” for retirement. I cannot wait to read, read, read when I retire! Reading a physical book, to me is much more rewarding than an e-book. you can see how far you’ve read in the book, how much more you have before the end, being able to actually “turn” the pages. All very rewarding for me. I don’t believe I’ll ever own an e-reader – I prefer the “real” thing! Reading is my escape, my refuge and my “stay-cation.” Without books, I would be totally lost.