Is there a preference...i would think hardcover would be more enjoyable to read...more to hold on-to....

im a newbie so be gentle

buy hardcover whenever possible?

Hardbacks ONLY if you are a collector and intend to treat them like newborn children. Paperbacks for every other kind of reader. And as far as readability is concerned, I personally find paperbacks much easier to handle than bulky, heavy, unweildy hardbacks.

I prefer paperbacks for the portability factor.

In deference to your newbie status [], please take these links with my compliments:

• Do you buy paperback or hardcover? [merged]
• Hardcover or paperback?

paperbacks because they're cheaper.

Paperbacks because I don't feel so bad when I drop them in the tub.

Either. Hardbacks if it's something I'm really waiting for since I don't want to wait forever. Paperbacks if I'm just looking for something to read, or if I'm going to be traveling.

Cost is not that big a factor. Paperbacks tend to be around $8 nowadays. You can usually get the hardcover around $15 - 16 (although it's more for less popular books since they don't get as deeply discounted).

Hardback to sit on my shelf, paperback to read and throw around.

I like hardbacks because the words have a bit more space between them on the page and I enjoy the heft of the book, but I'll take either one.

Pretty much the only hardback I buy anymore is the latest Alex Delaware book by Jonathan Kellerman (though I'll wait a few weeks before buying it new because I've been pretty successful in finding a used copy with a week or two of its release); otherwise paperback

I prefer reading paperbacks,not as bulky and cheaper to boot.

While I prefer the feel and sturdiness of hardbacks, especially for reading in bed, paperbacks are great for their portability. Basically, I buy hardbacks of things I know I am going to want to keep and re-read often, such as Art books and classics. Everything else, I get in whatever form I find it second hand and cheap.

I let the library keep most of my books for me Also, I have really been getting into books on tape, because I can "read" them while doing housework or drawing.

It's interesting how different some books are when listened to. For instance, suspense novels, I tend to read faster in the "good" parts, because I want to find out what happens next. On tape you can only listen at the pace of the reader, and not rush ahead.

This is my favorite way to buy a lot of the time. If it's a favorite author I'll get the HC when it comes out (if there is one). I've been trying new genres & authors lately. For these it's Half-Price-Books all the way. Lot's of $1 HC's in the clearance section & most other HC's are $5-$7. PB's are half cover if not on clearance. I do try to buy new if it's an author I like as I want to support the author & see them write more books.

Hardcover, unless the price discrepancy is too great (more than few dollars). I buy most of my books through Amazon z-Shops, and I get some pretty good deals. I just bought a perfect hardcover of a book I was looking for for 1 cent. Of the last, say, 8 books I've bought, half of them have been hardcover.

Depends. If it's a book i really enjoy/love, then i'll prefer to have a nice hardback edition. For books that are just mildly interesting, i'd rather spend less money and have a book that i'm less worried about damaging.

Slightly off topic, but how long after a hardcover book is released does the paperback version come out?

6 months to never.

For most popular fiction it generally seems to be about a year, unless the HC is still selling well. For instance The Da Vinci Code came out in March of '03 in hardcover and still has no paperback.

I generally get paperbacks. They're cheaper and easier to hold to read and much more portable.

I only get hardbacks if it's something I want to read ASAP or it's one of my favorites that I know I'll read several times over the years.

I'm not a collector so I don't care about looks.

I get hardcovers if I really want the book, collectable paperbacks (exactly the same size as a hardcover, but in paperback) in books that I sorta want to read and standard paperbacks for all others and second hand books.

I'm not fussy about the size of a book, just the price. It's pretty hard to justify AUD$30 for a hardcover when I can buy it second hand for

Actually it's been out in paperback for a while in other countries, just not in North America.

I seemed to have been the last person in the US to have read that book, and after all that time I wasn't going to buy a hardback so I started looking into it. I went so far as to seriously consider importing the paperback from the UK out of spite, 'cause I was annoyed they were holding back on it for us. I wound up borrowing a copy from someone after all that, and after reading it I was glad I didn't spend any money on it all.

Oh my gawd it can take for--ever. I've been reading the new DUNE prequels and i've been waiting for "The Battle of Corrin", which came out a year or so ago. Well, the PB is finally coming out at the end of August. It doesn't help when you really want to read the book but you're like me, too cheap to plunk $25 on a hardcover when chances are you'll only read it once.

I buy both, I'm a collector as well therefore I tend to go right for the hardcovers - but sometimes get paperback as not everything has a hardcover version. If I know I'll be reading the book a lot, I'll get both versions to keep the hardcover in good condition

That is the way that I go. Otherwise, I check them out from the library.

Hardcover only if I can't wait or deeply discounted at Media Play.

I like hardcover for the durability. But I like paperback because it's cheaper.