E-Book or physical book? They each have the benefits and downfalls. I have a Kindle, but I still love physical books. For me, a world with both is best.

I read fast and always have. For example, during a recent 22 day hospital stay, I underwent one surgery and one procedure.  I had family visiting 4 of those 22 days. That gave me 16 days where I had nothing to do but read. And read I did. I finished  12 books during that hospital stay. That’s nearly a book a day. If I had tried to bring enough physical books to occupy my time, I would have needed a separate suitcase just for books. Instead, I made sure my Kindle was full of waiting books so I would never be without something to read.

Sometimes, though, you just need to hold a book in order to get the full experience. That moment when you open a new book and you can smell the words floating off the page. My family thinks I’m strange when I say that there isn’t much that compares to that new book smell, but it’s true. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a new book.

Another benefit of physical books is putting them on a bookshelf and getting to see all those spines looking back at you. All those books that you’ve read and have yet to read, just sitting there, looking beautiful, and waiting. And if you’re like me and have slight OCD tendencies, the organizational properties are a joy in themselves.

In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. I just happen to like both, but either format means you are reading. That’s the important part. Whether you read form a physical book or from an e-book, the important thing is to just read.

So, which format do you prefer?