NEUMANN

I have about 400 hardcovers that are displayed out in the open on shelves in my living room,I also have about 200 paperbacks that i keep in a closet stacked up in piles on the shelves,i have always looked at paperbacks as a disposible book(though i trade them in at used bookstores most the time and get more paperbacks).A hardcover is something you buy and can display over the next 20,30 or 40 years on your shelves,you simply cannot do that with a paperback.As i said before displaying paperbacks is tacky as hell,while this may be ok for a student in a dorm you really don't want to be doing this in your living room.

That being said i buy a lot of both,paperback has its use just as hardcover i just would never put paperbacks out on display at my place

Josh H

I'd never put a books shelf in a living room period. I don't like cluttered, full shelves in my living room. I keep them in the bed room now, and when I get a house I'll have a seperate study for all my books, cd/movie racks etc.

Cedar

I pretty much have switched to all paperbacks. I have two tall and one medium size bookcases in a former bedroom and with all the books I have the only way they would all fit is if I had all paperbacks.

As for how it looks, I don't think its a problem as long as your paperbacks are displayed the same as you would the hardcovers, and that the spines arn't all cracked and discolored. I have paperbacks over ten years old that still look like they did when I bought them, probably because I didn't just pile them in a closet and didn't abuse them while reading them. Some people are making out like the paperbacks are going to turn to dust in a couple years. Like anything, they will last as long as you take care of them. Keep them in a cool dry room and out of direct sunlight, stand them upright instead of laying them on their sides, and don't fold the book in half and they will look fine.

darkside

To give a different opinion, I only buy ebooks. I have a library of 300+ books and they all fit on a single CD-RW. Very neat and organized, but no nice cover art to look at.

NEUMANN

I have read books on the computer before and i did'nt like it as much as reading a regular book,guess its because you can't take your monitor to bed with you lol

jrsl76

It really depends on the type of book, what is offered and if it is a series I love. For instance, I searched out the entire Harry Potter series in hardcover, because I unexpectedly loved the books when I read the 1st in paperback. For comic collections and graphic novels, if I really like the comic and want it for the long term, I will get it in hardback if available. For comics, though many are only paperback. If it is a classic available in a cheap hardback, i.e. Barnes & Nobles editions, I will purchase those. Otherwise, if the hardback is a good deal, i.e bestsellers, I might pick it up. My preference if I am just picking up a book are the larger sized paperbacks, i.e Vintage Books, because I really don't like the mass market sized paperbacks.

jmj713

Hardcover only. Paperbacks are not real books.

cultshock

I try to get hardcover, if available. (in the case of some books I buy, like collected comics series, or film reference books, often paperback is the only option though). Little paperback books just don't look good sitting on a shelf (larger format trade paperbacks like the ones I mentioned above, look OK though).

fumanstan

I've only recently started reading again, and i prefer paperbacks. Just not worth paying double for a hard cover. I can definitely see why avid readers would prefer hardcovers though.

darkside

Thats why having a PDA is so nice. Reading on a PC is terrible.

I used to buy a lot of hardcover books, but they just take up too much room. I had to get rid of them to make room for DVDs.

eisenreich

I'm partial to hardback books, only buying paperbacks if it's a classic I don't think I would buy in hardback. As pointed out, hardbacks are more durable in the long run (most of my older paperbacks are starting to fall apart). I usually don't take my books on the go, moreoften finishing them in one or two longer sittings.

I've recently started collecting older books (pre-1900) and they are all HB or leather-bound. I always stop at yard sales and antique dealers whenever I can, hoping to find a few gems. In addition to looking good the shelves, there's just something different about older books--they have more character than a title you could pick up at Barnes & Noble.

Gusamo, going back to your second question about the collector's edition, I would definitely consider buying one if you enjoy the book. I also picked up The Hobbit and LoTR Omnibus (from SFBC) and will eventually get around to buying a respectful copy--as soon as I quit buying DVDs! ;-)

Patman

I'm amazed at how many cheap hardcovers can be had for a penny and the cost of shipping on Amazon Zshop/etc.

nightmaster

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JawsAddict
[B]I buy both, depending on the type of book. First of all, if I can find it in hardcover for 40-50 percent off, which I usually can somewhere on the internet, and now can generally find free shipping somewhere as well, then I'll definitely buy hardcover.
Particularly since now more books seem to be coming out next as trade paperbacks, which cost around $12-$14. It doesn't make sense for me to wait a year or more for a paperback version, only to find that it's $1 cheaper than the hardcover.

I've noticed this trend too and don't much care for it. A hardback just released is often discounted at 20-40 percent.....then they bring out the trade paperback and charge about the same price. Many books never make it to mass market paperback, and with the cost of books seemingly rising all the time I just shop where I can buy cheap. Many times ebay and half are just the ticket as I usually have a backlog of books waiting for me to read anyway. No way I'm paying $25-$50 for a book I know I'll find down the road for half that, almost always new.
I think it's ludicrous to pay $8 for a freakin' mass market paperback book anyway!