How Do you Read?

I love reading "real" books, but read them so quickly, I rarely purchase them. I also swore I'd always be a real book girl...

Then I got my iPad and my local library checks ebooks out. It's great for travel and when I finish a book on a Sunday after 5 and the library is closed. If there's a boom I want to read, I'll take it in whichever form I can.

I don't have an e-reader, and don't think I want one... I love reading- and as others have said, the smell, feel, weight of a real book is part of the whole reading experience. As a writer, I love seeing my words in print (not in books, yet), and hate to see some 'gadget' change the importance of publishing words on paper.

I have a hard time getting rid of books, but did thin out my collection recently. I had a garage sale last summer and had around 400 books for sale. Sold a few, and took the rest to a book exchange store. Now I have a lifetime supply of credits, and I'm actually using them!

I have a Nook for recreational reading. When it comes to texts for work related things, I like to have a physical book so that I can highlight and write things in it. I did that with my fun books too, but I like the convenience of being able to get a book without ordering it online or going to the store.
I always read before bed, but not in bed. Otherwise I'll read til 3 am and not sleep!

I do love my Kindle. I read a lot on the train to and from work, so it's perfect to slip into my bag. I read a lot of really thick sci fi/fantasy novels which are just impossible to carry around any other way. I also like the instant gratification. If I think of a book I want, I can have it within 30 seconds. As much as I love browsing bookshops, sometimes it's nice to have books on demand like that.
You can also get samples for free, in case you're not sure whether you will like the writing style etc.

It also saves a lot of space. It's getting quite ridiculous trying to cram so many books into my house. Shelves upon shelves. They look lovely, but not every house I've lived in has had the right sort of space for them all.

However, you can't beat the feel of a real book. So if I love a book that I have read on my Kindle, or already know I will adore it (latest book by a favourite author etc) I will buy the proper hardback edition to keep at home. If I see a book that is particularly beautiful I'll buy it too. Recently saw a gorgeous hardback vintage edition of Alice in Wonderland, which I will HAVE to own, because it's so pretty.

I love my Kindle cos I can carry so many books around and it saves space, but I also read traditional books, especially in the bath as I don't want to risk dropping the Kindle in!!

I'm a book collector, so naturally, when I began experiencing problems with my hands and fingers, reading regular books became an upsetting issue for me. My mum bought me a Kindle, and I love my Ivy to bits (that's her name...), but I do miss proper books. So, I buy in double: every book I have on the Kindle, I have a copy (or several copies, depending on cover art, editions, signed/numbered, etc) of sitting on the bookshelves. I couldn't stand not having real books that look and feel and smell like books. But, neither can I stand the pain in my fingers holding books in awkward positions, so a Kindle is a saving-grace for me. She's brilliant!

I love to read and dont care if its a book, magazine, encyclopedia, whatever. So my fiance last year for christmas bought me a nook. He said he was tired of seeing me carry so many reading materials with me wherever we go. Suitcases packed with more books then clothes when we go on weekend trips. The vehicals with books on the seats from the library and him not being able to sit sometimes. Watching me drop books from carrying to many of them and so on. Well I have to admit ITS THE BEST GIFT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN ME. For everything listed above and much more. My kids read more now because of it. The screan is awsome I have a book light for mine so I can still read at night. I can change the font size so I can read it better than some books. My friends say they like mine better then their kindle. Jim likes to play the games it has on it. I can listen to books and music if I want. I can also look up words I may not know the meanings of it has a built in dictionary. I still buy a book every once in a while and I too enjoy books in my home I have some that were my grandmas when she was young so there special to me. But for everyday reading I love it. My kids have dropped it and my dog has put it in his mouth a couple of times. Its been tossed and all sorts of things have happened to it but It still works never have had a problem with it like some horror stories Ive heard has happened. I dont go anywhere without it.

curled up in bed...I would get a kindle for books that you don't want to keep like The Bro Code, or I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. There's tons of things I'd read but I don't want on my bookshelf. But I like classics so when I do go to the bookstore, I buy what I know I'm going to keep.

I always enjoyed books, and donated or sold for credit after I was finished. However I read A LOT, and travel quite a bit. When I was sitting on a plane with my hardback on top of all my work essentials, it was pretty easy to see how convenient the kindle would be. And my employer bought it for me as a gift, so even better! It's cheaper than buying new, and sometimes cheaper than used if it is a newer release. Considering that I average at least 15 books per month (I checked), it's been great.

I would read sporadically...till I got my iPad...now I read in the car, on the couch, on the treadmill...everywhere I can spare 5 minutes...love how light the iPad is compared to a real book...and how I can read in the dark without a bright light

For what it's worth, you CAN lend your Kindle books to other kindle owners. There are a few ways to do it. One is to use the lend feature once on enabled books. The second way is to have them register to your account for a bit and send them the book.
My husband and I are on different amazon accounts, but we have sent books to each other doing this.

I read books, listen to audiobooks and have a Kindle. I love the look/feel/smell! of "real" books, but the Kindle is great for travel and when I need a new book fast and I'm not near a bookstore! I also love having access to all the literature available for free (public domain) on my Kindle. It was a gift a couple of years ago, didn't really think I'd like it, but turns out I do!!

One word at a time.

Library books, almost exclusively. I get a little uncomfortable when someone inspects my bookshelves. They're full of books other people have given me or left at my house, or books that I found for free on a neighbor's sidewalk, or books I bought for 50 cents at the library's used book sale that looked vaguely interesting... and mixed in with that are my girlfriend's new-age self-help books. It's not at all a reflection of what I like to read since most of what I read gets returned to the library.