Ebooks or paperbacks? I, without a doubt, have a preference but there is science and history behind both options. 

Paperback books have been part of our world since ancient times, with their first appearance in the Tang Dynasty, 618 CE, and written pieces of history have been passed down throughout hundreds of generations. Being able to handle these literary pieces allows us to feel unique sensations, stimulating our five senses to work together, smelling the preserved history,  hearing the crackle of the binding and flipping through the pages, and traveling back hundreds of years through imagination. To me, the sensation of touching conserved history is beyond comparison to reading through a small bright screen. 

Paperback books allow readers to have a better sensory experience and encourage the wonders of imagination. By flipping each page, the reader gets a close insight into the story and creates a sense of curiosity. According to Charles Spence, an Oxford researcher, the versatility of our sensory nervous system permits our brain to go through the motions of writing when reading, even if the hands are empty and make it easier to form a coherent mental map of the text, facilitating the memorization of the text. 

There is also another advantage of paperbacks: you can write in them. For the (crazy) people out there who like to annotate, highlight and bookmark their books, paperbacks are the way to go. Even though some Ebook versions allow for annotations, nothing can top the feeling of sitting down with a pen in hand and marking off your favorite quotes. 

But with the digitalization of the world, ebooks are more versatile and might be a cheaper alternative. According to statistics, new hardcover bestsellers sell for an average price of $19.30 while their eBook counterparts sell for around $15. In that sense, ebooks are more accessible to people and are easily transported, not to mention they can store thousands of books in a tiny place instead of dozens of shelves. 

With the advanced technology we now have, ebooks appeal to the senses in a different way. Some types of Ebooks, such as the  EPUB, which is free to use, offer color images, SVG graphics, interactive elements, and full video which allows readers to hear different sounds while reading and get further inserted into the story and the setting. 

Some people might also argue that Ebooks make it more accessible for people with vision problems to read; since they allow the reader to configure font size and make it bold. Some Ebooks even offer a “book narration” option, where an audio plays while reading, with narrators who make the book more exciting and entertaining! 

However, as a book aficionado and an avid reader, paperbacks easily win this competition. To me, there is no better feeling than going to the bookstore, picking out books, then smelling the smell of your new books, and adding one more book to your bookshelf. But, everyone is entitled to their opinion (mine is just better). As long as you’re reading, you’re valid!