The Hardback vs Paperback debate is one that is talked about a lot. It's probably talked about too much, but I've wanted to do a discussion on it for a while now. I like being able to give my opinion on it, but to also see what everyone else thinks.
I prefer paperbacks.
Shock horror! It seems like such a silly thing to do a discussion about, but it's a decision that a lot of people take seriously. Most people have a preference, because one or the other works for them better. Paperbacks will win for me every time. Not because I don't like hardbacks, but paperbacks are just easier for me. That's not to say I don't like hardbacks, I love them. They're just so pretty!
Now, I'm going to discuss why and in handy list form!
1. They're cheaper.
I could probably stop after that reason really. Why would I want to pay more for something if I don't have to. The only difference between my hardbacks and paperbacks are their size and how sturdy they are. The contents are the same. I'm getting the exact same story, I'm just paying less for it. It always hurts me to have to pay out more for the hardback because the publishers won't release the paperback for another six months or so.
You want me to pay more for something I can get a lot cheaper in paperback...
2. They take up less space on my shelf.
This doesn't seem to be the case with US paperbacks, they're HUGE! Why are the paperbacks so massive? I like the standard size you get because then you're books are all the same height. Yes, I hate when my books are different heights because I'm that OCD. But the size issue is a big deal when it comes to hardbacks. They don't fit upright on all of my shelves. They take up much needed space. When you've got almost 700 books you need all the space you can get. If every book I owned was a hardback then I'm pretty sure my shelves would have collapsed by now.
3. Easier to read.
This may not be the case for a lot of people, but I find hardbacks difficult to read. They're just so big and heavy. And the words seem so spread out across the page. I'm used to it all being squidged inside a tiny paperback. And also, if you didn't know, I'm only 5ft and 0.1 of an inch tall (that 0.1 inch matters!), and my hands are the size of a small childs. They don't do well with hardbacks! I am tempted to share a picture of my tiny baby hands trying to hold a hardback so you can understand my suffering.
4. They're smaller and weigh less.
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| The pain is real. |
This is vitally important to me. I usually always have a book on me. That means it needs to fit into my bag and not weigh a ton. As I've said, I'm really tiny and I have the upper body strength of a toddler. I don't want to be carrying around a heavy hardback in my bag all day. And, what's more, it wouldn't really fit in my bag either. I need a nice small paperback.
I prefer paperbacks because they are easier for me to read. I have tiny baby hands and hardbacks just feel way too big when I'm holding them. I also take a book to work with me everyday, so I don't like having to lug around a huge, heavy hardback. There are many reasons why I love hardbacks, mostly just how pretty they are to look at. I mostly think about how much space hardbacks would take up. I'm going to have to move eventually and I can't even imagine how much hassle that would be if all 650 of my books were hardbacks.
What do you prefer, hardbacks or paperbacks? Do you think about space when you decide on what to buy? What do you own more of?
