I was organizing my books on my bedroom book shelf to make room for the latest addition when I got to thinking about the difference between hardback and paperback. It seems more and more of the "classics" are only available in paperback, with the occasional exception.Personally, I wish all my books were in hardback... actually, let me revise that statement: I wish all my classics were in hardback. (One exception to the hardback rule are novels like Agatha Christie... some how they are just better in paperback, in my opinion.)
However, I am not always able to obtain hardback copies. Because they are either not available or what copies are available are just too expensive.
What about you? What category do you fall under?
1. I always buy hardback, no matter the cost. It's a crime to own/read/print a book in anything less than a traditional binding.
2. I never buy hardback, paperback is so much cheaper and easier to read.
3. I buy certain books in hardback and others in paperback, it depends on the book, but I don't have a preference.
4. I buy certain books in hardback and others in paperback, it depends on the book, but I try to buy hardback when possible.
5. None of the above. (Please expound.)
According to this little survey I would fall into category #4. Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
4 comments:
You know, it really depends on the book and my intentions for it. If it's a book I think I'll be bookcrossing, I tend to buy paperback (though I've bookcrossed plenty of hardbacks). My favorite binding for books I intend to keep is a library binding. After my first copy of Speak fell to pieces, I ventured by a library binding booth at an NCTE convention and mused allowed that I'd love to get Speak in that binding--and the guy at the booth took theirs down and gave it to me. Sometimes powells.com offers library bindings. So, I suppose I'm somewhere between #3 & #4.
I buy both. Some new books I think only come out in paperback or trade paperback. Others do come out in a hardback edition first, then are eventually reprinted in paperback. Like Jena, I get a lot of library-bound books. I shop library book sales often, and my current local library discards books and offers them free to whoever wants them. Ex-library books are sturdier.
Hardback books are great for reading while doing something else (like knitting), and paperbacks are good for travel reading.
I guess I would fall under #3. There are some books that I really want to have in hardback. These would include certain books like classics or those that I re-read every so often and wouldn't dream of giving away. Sometimes my choice has to do with price. For instance, if I can buy that Janet Evanovich in hardback for $5.99 on the remains table versus $7.99 for a paperback, then I'll take the cheaper hardback even though I would normally buy a book such as this in mass market paperback since I'll just read it then give it away.
I am a #3. Some books I get in paper because I know others will want to borrow and if I don't get a paper book back, I am not as sad. When I travel I like paper also. I enjoy your blog.
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