Contents
This is a win-win situation, but which type of book do you prefer: hardback or paperback? If only this was the most difficult decision I ever had to make. And it is a difficult decision, but it’s the opposite of being between a rock and a hard place, picking a poison, or choosing the lesser of two evils. If you couldn’t tell, I don’t know any idioms for that, but books could never be evil.
Actually, I take that back. It’s beside the point anyway. Keep reading to see a list of reasons you might prefer one type of book format over the other.
Hardback books
- Has a beautiful book jacket design
- A pretty naked book cover design
- Protected by both a cover jacket and sturdy cover
- Less likely to get damaged pages
- Better quality paper stock that’s less likely to fade
- Sometimes features sprayed edges or deckled edges
- Not going to ruin the spine when reading
- In the US they are the first book format to become available
Paperback books
- Less expensive purchase
- Lighter to carry and easier to read on the go
- The most common type of book available in Australia (they usually come out in a larger size, then downsize once they’ve been out for a while)
- Allow you to fit more books on your bookshelves
- Don’t need to remove the jacket (or risk damaging it) when reading the book
- Easier to hold open when reading
- Cheaper to produce (thinking of self-published authors)
So that’s my list of what I like about both book types! I love all books equally, but because my bookshelf mainly consists of paperbacks, I’m going to have to say that they’re my book of choice.
I adore hardbacks too, but I reserve buying them for special books; those I know I’ll love, like my Harry Potter books, of course. I also sometimes buy them when they’re not available in any other format (which does sometimes happen, even with fiction). All of my larger and more expensive design books, and books with illustrations, usually come with thick paper stock and covers (along with a thick spine that cracks when I open it).
Hardback or paperback
What kind of reader are you (or, rather, what kind of book buyer)? Are you a hardback hoarder or a paperback protector?
This post doesn’t even go into other types of reading… but don’t worry because I have another post for that.