A lot of people tend to ask me which format
I recommend, which is dumb, because everybody has a personal preference. Just
because I like mermaids more than unicorns doesn’t mean that unicorns aren’t
badass, right? Right. And all formats have their benefits! I’m not about to
tell anybody that they must only ever read hardback books, because they’ll run
out of money for food and then they’ll literally have to live on words alone.
(This is a serious issue. Guys, please don’t ever eat your books. Contrary to
popular belief, eating a page out of The
5th Wave won’t help you survive the apocalypse.)
But because I love being an opinionated
reader, I’ll share my thoughts on all three formats without necessarily
choosing the best one. That way I can’t be blamed for ruining somebody’s life.
eBooks
Ebooks are the best technological invention
of the decade (other than e-readers, obviously, and also those reading lights
you can clip onto your glasses). Do you frequently find yourself seeking
intellectual stimulation whilst aimlessly scrolling through your cellphone in
public? Look no further than an ebook! You can read it on your phone! You can
read it on your tablet, iPad, iPod, Kindle! Even your watch! (All right that
one’s a lie, but one day…) Seriously, ebooks are awesome. They’re cheap,
immediate and image-friendly – no more worries about appearing “nerdy” or
“weird” in public because you’re hauling around a suitcase filled with all your
favourite books, because now you can keep them all in the wondrous digital
cloud!
Downside
of owning only e-books: When we have a solar flare and all our technology gets wiped out, you
won’t be able to read ever again. Sorry. I’m
sure as hell not sharing my precious few paperbacks when you’re bored and
looking for a way to escape from the reality of a dystopian world through
contemporary YA fiction. (Ha. That’s so ironic it’s almost an awesome concept. Someone write a book, quickly.)
Audio Books
Up until recently, I flat out refused to
listen to audio books. “I’m a reader,”
I would argue, “not a listener.”
Well, clearly I was missing out. The beauty of an audio book is simple: they
are perfect for multitasking purposes. You can paint your nails, cook dinner,
play rugby, type up an essay, sleep, eat dinner with your family, sit in a
lecture, or even read another book,
all whilst listening to your audio book. That’s not to say that you should – playing rugby while you listen
to a romance novel doesn’t sound all that safe. Imagine if you started crying during the match because your
favourite character died? You’d probably be given a red card.
Also, audio books are awesome if you’ve
always wanted to live inside the
story. You can pretend that the voice is narrating your own story – you can become the protagonist. Sure, you might
get yourself sent to an asylum, but you’re Celaena Sardothien, now. You’ll find
a way out, right?
Downside
of owning only audio books: I’m not going to lie, sometimes the voices get annoying. Not only
because you’re literally hearing strange voices
in your head for eight hours at a time or more, but also because sometimes
those voices get annoying. I mean that in the least offensive way possible.
Sometimes, I’ll be listening to a book, and the woman reading it will have an
amazing accent. Then instead of focusing on the story, I’ll start trying to
figure out where she’s from, and how I can get her accent (South African
accents suck. We sound like we’ve swallowed ducks that are stuck in our throats
and are speaking in unison with us. I’m always trying to give myself a
nonchalant British accent, and failing miserably, but audio books are helping
me learn).
Paperbacks and Hardbacks
I know this sounds terrible, but I’m
incredibly vain when it comes to purchasing books. As in, I am perfectly
willing to spend an absolute fortune on a paperback or hardback book just so that I can admire how beautiful
it looks on my bookshelf. Other bloggers have pointed out that physical copies
also just look way better in their booklr and bookstagram photos, and I say I
have to agree. Trying to arrange a cellphone in an aesthetic position next to a
bunch of flowers just doesn’t give the same vibe as a pretty paperback covered
in autumn leaves or whatever. Then there’s that irreproducible feeling of
getting books in the mail, especially after you’ve been anticipating their
arrival for months. And the way a
paperback smells, even when it’s old and dusty and falling to pieces. And the
way you can pile them around you to make an impenetrable fort of literature.
Downside
of owning only physical books: People can ask to borrow them, and then you have to come to terms
with the prospect of somebody breaking
the spine, or dogearing the pages.
Or worse, they don’t give it back, and
then it’s lost forever. These are the things that keep me up at night.
What do you think? Do you prefer listening
to books or reading them? And is it better to keep a physical copy just in case
the apocalypse wipes out your e-reader, or are ebooks just more convenient?
