By 
If you told me this time last year that ebooks would soon comprise 90% of my reading, I probably would have grabbed the nearest paperback, hugged it protectively, and told you you were gravely mistaken. It’s not that I didn’t like my Kindle, but I couldn’t imagine purposefully and habitually forgoing the experience of reading a physical book.
I used to be a library book-paperback person through and through (by the way, paperbacks > hardcovers), but 2020 forced me to dust off my e-reader. Now I don’t know what I would do without it.
I was inspired to write a post like this a while ago by The Reading Addict’s Let’s Talk Ebooks discussion, which got me thinking a lot about why I switched from preferring physical books to preferring ebooks. Without further ado, here are 5 reasons why you should give ebooks a try– although nothing can truly replace the sentimental beauty of a physical book.
1) Ebooks are more comfortable to read
Starting with the most practical reason why ebooks are superior to physical books: it is way easier to hold an e-reader than it is to hold a physical book. Before you call me shallow, think about it: to hold and turn the pages of a physical book, you have to use two hands– and hardcovers can really be a pain. With ebooks, all you need to do is tap the screen.
2) You can find books more easily
This reason is the most relevant right now, when we still can’t leave the house where I live, but ebooks are often much easier to get than physical books. Many libraries use apps like Libby or Overdrive, which you can use to borrow ebooks and then read them on either your Kindle or your phone. It’s easier to get ebooks than to get physical books these days in a literal sense, because you don’t need to go out to the library, but it can also be easier to acquire popular books or new releases because fewer people request ebooks. So overall it’s a win-win situation.
3) You can quickly look up words while reading
This is by far the biggest pro to ebooks for me because I have a weird affinity for learning new words and sporadically putting them into my writing. My vocabulary improves exponentially more when I read ebooks than when I read physical books because it’s so much easier to press on a word and view the definition than to grab a dictionary or look it up on the Internet (I’m a little bit lazy). Also, the Kindle that I have saves a list of the words I look up and even has a flashcard component which you can use to review and quiz yourself.
4) You can take notes and highlight sections
Okay, maybe THIS one is the number one most important reason that I prefer ebooks. It is so helpful to be able to highlight and take notes on sections of books. You can of course highlight and take notes on physical books, but, again, it’s more difficult. (Also, I usually read library books, and I don’t want to lose my library card)
And I love that Goodreads syncs your Kindle notes with your account! I often rely on my Kindle notes and highlights when I’m writing book reviews, and there’ll always be a record of the thoughts I had while reading the book if I ever want to look back or remember what a book was like. Not to mention how much it helps me retain information when I read nonfiction!
5) You can change the font/page formatting to your heart’s content
I’m not super picky about fonts and font sizes (except for the horrible font and font size that WordPress has inexplicably chosen for the editor today. Did I accidentally change a setting, or is this the new automatic font? I may need to start editing my posts on Google Docs instead)
–Back to ebooks. This is another somewhat vapid reason to prefer ebooks, but it’s fun to play around with the fonts and font sizes, and you’ll never need to read a book with an ugly font.
Do you prefer ebooks or physical books? Why? Do you agree with any of the reasons I have listed here? Feel free to leave a comment.
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Frappes and Fiction 
I think I prefer reading physical books…but I always have an ebook that I’m reading on my phone. I found my top three favorite books of all time by checking out free ebooks, and then it convinces me to get physical copies. I 100% agree with your reason about highlighting sections. I feel so uncomfortable highlighting sections in my physical copy of books, but I go absolutely crazy when it comes to ebooks.
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yes, it’s so easy to highlight on ebooks. I have been getting progressively more fond of ebooks, but I still do miss physical books as well. Thanks for the comment!
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One of the main advantages to me is the weight of the book does not change, no matter how big a book you are reading.
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that’s a good point I hadn’t even considered!
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This is such a cool post!! ❤️ There’s something about physical books, but I totally agree with everything you’ve said!! I’m starting to like ebooks more and more.
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they definitely grow on you!
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One more reason is that it lays flat without you needing to hold it in place. It’s especially handy when you’re eating or lying down, where you’d just like to be able to hold like you’re holding a wine glass instead of trying to keep it pried open with all your fingers.
I still love real books though, but I’ll only buy them when I see a great offer in the secondhand books group in Facebook.
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yes, I agree that makes them more convenient to read
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I totally agree with your reasons but I personally like all forms of reading I don’t really have a favorite.
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My opinion changes like every 2 months, right now I prefer ebooks because I can read them in the dark, it’s easier to hold them (all the reasons you summed up), but then at times I really prefer physical books! Right now I prefer ebooks but it also makes me feel guilty because I have a lot of physical books laying around 🙈
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I agree; they are both good in different ways
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paperbacks are better than hardbacks for sure! I mostly use my kindle now it’s just alot easier. Feel like it makes bookstagram harder tho hahah!
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that’s a good point. And yes, paperbacks are way better
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I’m old fashioned at heart, really – there’s something about the weight of a book in my hands and the ever-moving placement of a bookmark. I’m also more of a buy the book kind of person, so I LOVE watching my hardcovers/paperbacks lined up on a shelf (kind of like my nirvana lol)
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that’s true, I love my bookshelves
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I prefer physical books but I do agree that they are easier to read!
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Yes, it’s hard to pick one format
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Not going to lie, I think physical books are far superior to ebooks, but I quite enjoyed reading your thoughts about them. 🙂
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thanks for reading!
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I think I prefer physical books, just because there’s… sort of PROOF that I’ve read it. However now because of lockdown, I’ve been reading more ebooks. It’s certainly useful, but I think I will always prefer physical books!
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physical books are pretty great!
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They are!
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I would love to have actual books but.. Honestly(and sadly)? It’s just cheaper to read ebooks. With how much I’ve read this year alone.. the price for physical copies would be outrageous!
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that is very true!
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If I ever win the lottery though.. ebooks are out. 😂
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true
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I have found a person who prefers ebooks just like me!! I always feel kinda weird about it because everyone seems to feel the opposite, so it feels so nice to not be alone on that 😅
all the reasons you listed are exactly why i like ebooks better!
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yeah it seems to be a really unpopular opinion and I didn’t even start to prefer ebooks until the pandemic because I’d never really had a reason to use my Kindle every day. I’m glad you agree with my reasons, haha
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I agree! As an older person, the ability to enlarge the font makes reading so much easier!
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Well I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who doesn’t hate ebooks!
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There are sooo many more reasons to prefer e-books, and I wanna list some out here:-
Physical books can be spoilt easily- they’re paper, after all, and u can’t really read them while eating without dirtying them.
E-Books can be read in the dark, tap to turn pages, are lightweight, and way more convenient to read.
You can increase font size-! No more peering at small print.
E-books could potentially have live animation and graphics instead of the pictures in physical books if needed, although that might take away the point of books, which is to imagine the scenes and story yourself.
They are so much easier to carry around
If blue light and radiation are a problem, you can always turn them off on your device.
Hello? They’re cheaper! And it’s way easier to get your hands on them than physical books.
They don’t take up space. However it may be nice to have a physical collection, they get dusty.
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Oh, and E-books are also more environmentally friendly! No adhesive, costly ink. They leave much less of a carbon impact than physical copies.
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