Many of you probably know by now that I don’t read ebooks. It’s not that I don’t want to read ebooks, it’s more like it’s really complicated for me to. I don’t have an eReader and I know that you can read ebooks on the computer, but reading on the computer for a long time just hurts my eyes. The only way I can read ebooks is on my iTouch app, which makes reading ebooks uncomfortable since my iTouch screen is just so small. If I read ebooks on my iTouch, the only ebooks I read are adult romance books since they are usually shorter than a full length novel and a few new adult books that I borrowed from the library.
I’ve been reading ebooks on my iTouch for about four months and noticed this particular trend: I don’t read ebooks as carefully as I do when I read physical books. While reading ebooks, I don’t read things carefully, I don’t take any notes, and I just continue reading the book without really registering what’s going on in my brain and then analyzing it. When I read ebooks, I just read them to enjoy them and am very lenient when I read and review them.
However, when I read physical books, I pay attention to what I read and analyze every little thing as I read. I think about all the possibilities (how else can I predict all the plot twists way before they were revealed?) and read things a lot more carefully. I also take notes when I read physical books, something I can’t bring myself to do while I read ebooks. I tend to write longer and more detailed reviews when I read a physical book instead of reading an ebook.
Do you guys have this same issue when you read physical books and ebooks or is it only just me? Does reading an ebook or a physical boos make any difference to you when you write your reviews? I want to know!
In my case, ebook or physical books do not affect the way I write my reviews. But, I like reading physical books more. Why? I like to doodle on my notes and I don’t think that’s possible on an ebook. No, don’t worry, I don’t write on my books but I write on post its and stick it on whatever page. Like you reading physical books makes me speculate more on whatever’s happening, and analyze what’s happening carefully. And on top of that, falling asleep while reading physical books doesn’t hurt as much as getting your face slapped by your ereader. :p
Ella recently posted…Top Ten Tuesdays #1: Top Ten Books You’ve Read So Far This Year
Wow, you and I are on the same page today. I was just getting a post ready to talk about the same thing on my site… sort of. Anyway, I’ll change the topic to something else… putting my thinking cap back on. LOL
I have strong issues or more like views on this topic. I used to be a die hard and I mean DIE HARD fan of physical books and anti-ebooks. I just couldn’t imagine life without the look/feel/smell of an actual real live book. The sound of the pages turning, the feel of the pages under your fingers and the smell of the ink. The covers! OMG!! The embossed covers, the rubbery feeling covers, the colours. The list goes on. I’m a huge cover whore.
Anyway… all that changed when I got my Kindle. No, I take that back. I still have all of the above feelings toward physical books, but the convenience of the ereader is just something I couldn’t pass up. I have the reader itself, but I also have the app on my android and my iPod Touch. I have it on my puter too, but I’m not comfortable reading on that. When it’s late at night and hubby gets tired of me having the light on, I’ll pull out my iPod and continue reading or mostly I use it on may way to and from work and on my lunch hour. I use the Kindle most of the other times at home unless of course I’m reading a physical book, which I still do. Not as often I must say, but I do still love and collect physical books.
I guess what happens to me is that I’ll get a book on Kindle (a lot of adult romance books) and if I like them enough, I’ll get the physical books for my collection. Books that I already have in physical form that have a new books coming out in a series, I’ll get the physical one and not the Kindle. Sometimes I end up with both because the ebook comes out a lot quicker than the physical one and I have no patience to wait.
I love this topic!
Carrie recently posted…Edge Of The Enforcer, Cherise Sinclair
Oh yeah, one more thing… I don’t think it affects my reviews at all. Not that I’ve noticed anyway. I carry a notebook/journal thing with me that I jot down notes about the book I’m reading regardless of which kind… and ya gotta love those sticky notes. I’ll use them and stick them in the journal if I don’t have it on me at that moment.
Carrie recently posted…Edge Of The Enforcer, Cherise Sinclair
I am EXACTLY the same. E-reading is difficult because I don’t have an e-reader either, so it means I have to read it on my computer and it’s just a hassle really.
I also always tend to skim e-books. I just don’t pay as much attention, like you I also don’t take notes . . . something about e-books makes me feel a bit detached from the reading experience, and as such I’m not immersed in it. E-reading just isn’t for me, I guess!
Allie @ Little Birdie recently posted…Reader Shame – Guilty Pleasures and ‘Acceptable’ Books {The Birdie Musings}
One of the things I find frustrating in reading ebooks is going back to find a passage. If I’ve marked it or highlighted as I read, it’s okay. But if I didn’t and want to reference it….you can’t “flip” through an ebook like you can an actual book to find a passage. And it’s more fun to mark a passage with an actual pen or highlighter than electronically. But I do love my ereader – it’s lightweight (I just started the Heroes of Olympus series and those books are massive) and easy to tuck in my purse so I always have something to read. Great for traveling and taking several books instead of lugging a big heavy tote bag.
Cassie L. recently posted…Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
I don’t find that I write my reviews any differently if I read a physical book vs ebook, but physical books are easier to reference. If I forget someone’s name, it’s easily to flip through and find it, whereas an ebook is harder to find specific spots.
Sarah recently posted…Review: Unbearable
It’s funny because the opposite is true for me- I take more notes when reading e-books since I can just mark it up on my e-reader or computer, while on the other hand with physical books I have to either remember it or look for pen, notebook and write it down. I find it tiresome since I’m a world-class slacker. :D
Stuti recently posted…Mischievous Kiss: Love In Tokyo Ep #8
Surprisingly, the opposite is true for me. I don’t keep a notebook, because I’m not fond of taking a break from reading to write notes (esp when it’s just at that crucial moment in the story). Thankfully, Kindle makes the process a lot quicker and less of a hassle, as all I have to do is highlight something or write a quick note, which only takes a few seconds. But when I’m reading a hard copy, first I’ll have to hunt for a pen, then find a blank page, then suitably compose what I’m thinking along with a way to identify the place in the book where I thought so (so that I’ll know what it’s about when I come back to it later), and then I’ll have to go back and find my place in the book because by then you can be sure I’d have lost it. So for books that I review or am planning to, ebooks are the way to go for me.
But there is some curious charm in reading a REAL book, I’ve found. Sometimes, I don’t feel like I’ve actually read a book until I’ve felt the texture of its pages and flipped them. Until I’ve touched the cover and held it close to my face so that I can admire it all the better.
So if I know I won’t be reviewing a book (I don’t usually review many adult books on the blog), I prefer a hard copy. Also, when I’ve really loved an ebook, I usually get a hard copy to go with it, because, REASONS! =D
Fahima @ I Read, Ergo I Write recently posted…Against Against YA: No One Should Be Embarrassed About What They Read
I have a basic Kindle but only use it 3-4 times a year. It’s really hard for me to see on it and I have to turn on all the lights, plus use a clip on light (darn bad eyes sigh…). I thought about getting the new Kindle Paper, that has a built in light, but there’s no reason why I actually need an ereader, so I haven’t pursued it.
Finley Jayne recently posted…Photo-a-Day Challenge {Guilty Pleasure}
I mainly read ebooks because they’re a lot more friendly to my wallet. E-books tend to be cheaper, and it’s very convenient to download books from my local library’s Overdrive. The only physical books I’ve read this year were books for English class. I bought physical copies so I could write notes in the margins.
I tend to read faster on my tablet/Nook than when I read a physical book. I think I reader faster on digital devices because they’re easier on my eyes. The font size is larger, and I can adjust the background and font color to make it easier to read in really bright or really dark places.
Dana recently posted…Thoughts on Days of Future Past (plus my top ten dateable X-Men)
Hmm, this is really interesting! I definitely notice a change in my reading when I switch from ebooks to physical copies but not quite in the way you do. I find myself reading at a quicker speed with ebooks than with physical copies and I don’t really know why that is but it’s something that I’ve noticed! Maybe because the screen of my ereader is a lot more compact so I don’t have to move my eyes around as much? I’m thinking back now to that speed reading app. Perhaps that same idea applies here.
Annie recently posted…Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
I think it’s easier for me to read an e-book as opposed to a physical copy. I love the way I can highlight my favorite quotes and easily look them up later, whereas with a physical book I write everything down, which is more time consuming. What I typically do is read the e-book first, and then if I really love the book, I’ll buy a hard copy.
Danielle @ Love at First Page recently posted…Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
I have definitely noticed a difference in my reading when I use my Kindle. It’s almost like I’m skimming the words, but yet still mildly comprehending what’s going on. I feel like with my Kindle I don’t care as much about the story and the characters. When I read physical books…well there’s just something magical about feeling the pages in my hand. I feel like connect more if I am reading a physical book. I really look at the context.
Meredith recently posted…The Girl with All the Gifts Review
I haven’t read an ebook on my Nook for the longest time mostly because I read different. I’m skimming the words when I’m reading ebooks and I find the response rate for e-readers in general to be slower than when I flip a page in real life. Also, it’s a lot easier to find a good quote from a physical copy of a book since I know generally where it is in the book compared to finding a quote in an e-book (it’s harder to eye-ball it).
alice-jane recently posted…Insta-Books (1)
I’m the total opposite! I can read books on my iPad or iPhone and I take plenty of notes plus highlighting, and I read faster. I read The Winner’s Curse on my phone in one sitting… so weird. This is why I’m going to try your note taking method for physical books. I like reading physical books better but for review purposes I feel like I don’t take enough notes, analyze, etc.
meghann recently posted…[Top Ten Tuesday] Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
This is an interesting topic. I do prefer reading physical copies of books, but I do read my fair share of ebooks. Particularly books I get from Netgalley & Edelweiss. I don’t think I read ebooks any differently that I do physical copies, though. But, I’m not one to take notes when reading, in any format. I don’t like being taken out of the story.
Quinn @ Quinn’s Book Nook recently posted…Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
I don’t have a problem with either one. I analyze them both the same and enjoy them the same.
I always take more notes on ebooks because I don’t have to go look for pen and paper. They are right there. My thought process while reading also isn’t different. It’s only different based off the books that I’m reading. I wonder if you’re thinking about the books differently because of the type of books you are reading on your iPod. They seem like fluffy romance filled books that don’t require to much thought. Just a theory :)
Danielle recently posted…Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
I find that I’m lazier to read an ebook. Sometimes it’s fine when the book’s really good and gripping, but other times, the book’s pretty so so. And then I just get lazy to read it and finish it. It’s a habit I need to kick out. I also actually don’t mind reading on my iTouch! It’s small but it’s nice and light and portable so it’s good enough for me. But reading on an iPad or an iPad mini would be far more preferable too. Or you can always get an ereader, but if anything, I would rather go with an iPad. You can take notes on that or vent on Twitter or something.
Shannelle C. recently posted…Book Review: A World Without Princes
I have been more of an ebook reader than a physical book reader, right from the start. When it comes to reading, however, the only thing I register is the words – that’s all. I don’t even feel the format, I get that absorbed into reading. I don’t generally takes notes; however, when it comes to complicated books or when there is an exposition or I have doubts, I keep a notepad handy to jot down my thoughts. Otherwise, I generally have the same reading style for both of them. One advantage of ebook, I find, is that when I want to re-read a certain line or something, it is easier to find it as opposed to a physical book. When reading the printed word, I mostly go – nah, who is going to go back to search a line or phrase? Let it be – and then I sometimes miss out on things. Also, I don’t highlight physical books when I like a quote or something (because they are mostly from the library, and even when it comes to my own books, I hate making annotations) but have no qualms doing so in ebooks.
Ruthsic recently posted…Review: Divided
Wow, I feel exactly the same way as you, Kelly! I simply am not able to read ebooks for a long time and I tend to skim through most of them. It’s just the really good ones that grip me and leave me wanting for more. Very thoughtful post :)
Maddy @ Symphony of Words recently posted…The Panel: The beginning, the middle, or the end?
I really do agree w/ you. When it comes to physical books I turn the pages extra carefully & even go back If I feel confused. Reading ebooks make you flip through & that status bar at the bottom doesn’t help. . .makes me feel detached. Not to mention I feel paranoid that my book is going to disappear, because I don’t actually own it. I feel as if I’m borrowing & paying for a chance to read this & call this thing mine for a moment. An advantage to the ebooks are that their lendable, but all of them aren’t, haha. Too many disadvantages.
I love reading e-books. On any given day, I’m in the process of reading at least one e-book, one physical book, and usually one audiobook. Often, I HAVE to read e-books, because my ARCs are typically from NG and EW. I usually read them on my iPad or my Kindle, but I do read on my phone for short periods. (My phone is the only one that bothers my eyes after a long stretch of reading.)
Which app do you use on your iTouch? I use the Kindle app on my various devices. That app makes it easy to highlight and to make notes. However, I don’t like to type very long notes; that’s one edge physical books have, since I usually have my laptop sitting nearby, and I can start writing my thoughts right in WordPress.
Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia recently posted…Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
I think I am the opposite! For some reason, I read much faster on my Kindle. Even if the physical book is a book I am really into, I seem to go slower, I have no idea why. My theory is that on the Kindle, it tells me the percentage I’ve read, plus it gives me the estimated time left in the chapter, so it is easier to tell myself “just one more chapter, it’s only 5 minutes!” whereas looking at the actual pages is more daunting. Now, I prefer to OWN physical books, and if price is comparable, I will choose a physical book every time. But I think that is just because I love having the pretty covers on my shelves. I had resisted reading ebooks for years, and then when I finally gave in, I found I loved them too! Oh- it seems to have no difference on my reviews either. I have a little notebook by my bed that I write things in, regardless of what type of book I’m reading. This is a great topic!
Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday: Dissonance by Erica O’Rourke
That’s interesting. I don’t take notes when reading physical books, mainly because I don’t have a notepad on me and lazy to get up and find one and all that. In ebooks (well on my Kindle) I can highlight without feeling guilty and add notes to look at later.
Julie recently posted…Ignite Me Review
I read – and love – both formats, but I’ve noticed I tend to get through print books quicker than e-books, regardless of the actual length of the story.
Other than that, they’re virtually the same: I carry either the physical copy or my Nook with me, I use the highlight function or stick notes, etc. :)
Leah recently posted…Leah’s favorite reads of 2014 – PART ONE!
When I got my Kobo Glo, I was immediately hooked. I still love reading on this device and it’s so handy to bring it with me. I’ve noticed that I read a lot more books now I have my e-reader. I like to read several books at the same time, so one of them is always an e-book. I like the fact that I can take notes/markings and I can read in the dark with my special night light, which doesn’t hurt my eyes :)
BUT, I will always prefer paperbacks. There is nothing better than the feeling of paper in your hands and the sight of a filled book shelf :)
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Review 265. Lisa Ann O’Kane – Essence.
I’ve never really taken notes. If it’s a really good book, no matter the format, I get swept away. My reading is really split between kindle and print, and I don’t notice much of a difference in my habits. Reading on my phone really isn’t great though.
Anne @ Lovely Literature recently posted…Review: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
It doesn’t really make much of a difference to me when I read ebooks cuz I have a Kindle. I do find it more convent, when I read through my kindle I find myself deeply involved in the story but when I’m reading a physical copy, I become easily distracted. It doesn’t affect my opinion about the book, though, I think? HAHA
Chyna @ Lite-Rate-Ture recently posted…ARC Review: Wings by Elizabeth Richards
I personally don’t have a problem with ebooks – I read them the same as I would a physical copy. They don’t bother me at all. So when I see things like this, I find it really interesting!
It’s sad that you can’t give as detailed a review with ebooks (since so many review copies are digital now days). Though the note taking thing doesn’t apply to me – I never bother. I feel like it’s taking away some of the enjoyment. Though I can see how it would be helpful if you write up very detailed, analytical reviews.
Sometimes I wish I took notes though, or marked pages so I could find my favourite quotes again. :P
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