this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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I’ve known for quite a while that the main reason my book backlog is growing (other than “I keep buying books”) is the same device I draw my cartoons on.

The iPad’s always ready to offer me a quick distracting endorphin hit: check my feeds! watch a BSG video! play one more of the billion Wordle clones out there!

It’s especially bad when I’m reading an e-book on it, what with notifications popping up — few of them worthy of my attention, but all of them stealing it.

Still, I have a few in my queue that I’m really excited about. I just finished Mick Napier’s Improvise. Scene from the inside out, and started Tom Blank’s The Principles of Comedy Improv. Next up in fiction is Lake of Souls, a collection of Ann Leckie’s short stories, and then Samantha Harvey’s Orbital (which I think will be my first time reading a Booker Prize-winner — don’t judge me).

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Hardback is always worth the price

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Honest question: what is the appeal?

I usually only get them incidentally, but don't notice a difference other than the book feeling harder.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)
  • They are sturdier and require less delicate handling, lest you damage a paperback's cover, or accidentally bend some of the pages
    • i always remove the paper graphic covers from HB so i just have the bare cardstock cover
    • this is handy if you need to travel with it, say on vacation, or to / from school or work
  • the spine is a lot sturdier and looser
    • with PB, the spine is just the same paper material as the cover, and it forms creases as you read
    • with PB, the spine is usually really tight, which makes it really hard to lay out the book flat
    • with hardback, the spine is separate from the cover, which lets it flex more easily, and the material that binds the pages is generally more durable to flexing over time

I should probably note, i mostly read from e-ink tablets these days

But i still prefer HB over PB if i need / have a physical copy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That's some good points. I hadn't associated a tight spine with paperback, but now that you mention it, I can see it. I hate when you have to tilt a book left and right to read into the dark inner margin (looking at you, Sarum, at over 1000 cramped pages...). Anyway, I think you've sold me.

i always remove the paper graphic covers from HB so i just have the bare cardstock cover

Yeahhh, I like that too. The paper covers annoy me, actually. So loose, and always sliding around.

Thank you for taking the time to write that out! :)