The question of what is the best way to enjoy your literature has been on my mind a lot lately. Most authors fantasize about one day getting that beautiful hardcover copy of their book with great illustrations and perhaps even some “gold-leaf” edging on the paper if you’re really lucky. Hardcover books are of course beautiful and look great on a book shelf. But I’ve always been fondest of paperbacks.
Paperbacks are a bit easier to open and read and you don’t feel as bad when the spine of a paperback gets bent unlike that expensive hardcover. My favorite type of book (format) is the nice thick pocketsize paperbacks that I can keep in my back pocket and pull out to read at a moments notice. Whenever we go out I like to keep a book with me for those times when I might have a few minutes waiting in the car so I can pick up where I left off.
Many readers are using digital readers and tablets now to maximize their library, while minimizing the cost. Digital books are selling rapidly since they came out but traditional mediums are far from being outdated. I personally have only read a few books on a tablet, and I prefer traditional paper. But the appeal of digital to be able to clear up the space on my book shelf is very appealing. But the main issue I have with digital is I lose that tactile sense of coming to the end of a book. I get such a surge of reading pleasure when I can feel the last few chapters getting thinner and thinner as I near the end of a story. Digital just doesn’t capture that feeling the same way.
Lastly, are audiobooks. I love audiobooks. I am a very slow reader and I also am a chronic procrastinator, so it often takes me a long time to get through a book. I was first exposed to audiobooks when I was a kid and my dad and I would go on long road trips to go hunting or when we would drive from Indiana to Atlanta to go see the Falcons play. We listened to the biography of Ben Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein. The list goes on. We also listened to fiction, but I can’t remember those at all. Audiobooks are a great way to absorb stories while still being busy. I listen to them in the car and at work everyday to make up for my slow reading. This is not the best way to “study” a story though. When I am reading a physical book I get to look at the story structure not just in terms of the story arc, but in the actual construction of the sentences and paragraphs. A physical book allows me to study the form and function of line breaks and dialogue structure that my favorite authors are using.
Overall, I don’t think it matters how you read. As long as you are enjoying the story in whatever way is most convenient for you.
Rhett Bruer 