I was a very hard sell for a Kindle. I loved and still love paper books. But I allowed myself to be given one as a birthday present a few years ago. And I haven’t been sorry.
There’s no substitute for a paper book. It’s not just the feel, the heft, or the sense that it’s something genuine. It’s also easier to orient yourself in, easier to leaf through, and much easier to annotate. If I know I’m going to read a book with a pencil, which is the case especially with nonfiction, I need a hard copy.
And there’s durability. I expect real books to long outlast any electronic medium. Printed works will be around long after the power has gone out. Ancient texts are still legible; e-books will always be invisible without a special reading device.
But there’s an argument for e-books too. I have had to make quite a few dashes out the door with someone who suddenly had to go to the hospital or a clinic, and then sat waiting for long hours. What I grab as I run is my Kindle. Likewise when I’m out doing a volunteer shift where I may or may not be busy, when I’m waiting for an appointment, when I’m getting on an airplane, and when I just want something physically lightweight (and not a 600-page hardback tome) for the sake of my wrist, I prefer the e-reader.
I read about four or five paper books for every one on the Kindle. But when I just want to browse and sample, I’ve got all of Dickens, Eliot, Lovecraft, Twain, Buchan, and others large and small at my fingertips, along with several dictionaries and the Bible for reference.
When I want to read a new book, these days the first place I look is the public library. If a book is worth keeping and rereading, then I’ll purchase a copy. But I don’t need to own a passing one-time thing.
I do set a limit of $6.00, the most I will pay for an e-book that I can’t really own or sell or give away as I can a hard copy. So far I’ve gone over that amount no more than two or three times. Much of what I want to read is old stuff, usually cheap and sometimes free in electronic form. But then, I’ll often buy those old books from used-book sellers just to sustain the dignity of the work and the medium.
I’m at the stage, though, where I have to get rid of things. I still have thousands of books in my physical library. I’m reducing it gradually but with some determination and trying not to acquire more. So far this year I’ve purchased only nine physical books, and for me that is real restraint. I haven’t bought any e-books yet.
So, in sum, there’s not a single answer to your question other than “It depends.” But I do like having a choice.