One additional bonus to the tactile experience of reading a physical book is that I remember it better. For me I often have an association with where on the page something is, which side, and how deep or not into the book that item was. I've not taken any major dives into audio books but digital works best for me when it's short like a blog or article.
Thank you for your balanced comments. So often commentators either love e-books or hate them, when the reality is they are good in certain circumstances. I have two instances when I bless the advent of e-books. 1. going on holiday. I no longer have to worry about what my travelling companions are reading, so I can read their books and not run out of books. 2. My grandmother had a limited range of large print books she could buy, and now they are all large print.
I do love audio books, and they mean I do actually do some housework.
But non-fiction is best read in a physical book. I do agree than non-screen time is great, and I have got over my aversion to writing in books. But hard backs are just too large and bulky for me.
Does anyone else also feel the need to write, rather than type, study notes? It gets to my brain more efficiently.
"they are good in certain circumstances" → exactly! When we were on vacation earlier this month I brought my Kindle instead of my 700-page bulky copy of Dune. :) On an airplane with kids, the Kindle was *crucial.*
I agree. I live in London and occasionally see people reading huge books on the underground. Though it is understandable when they are just a few pages from the end. But then they have to lug the book, that they have finished, around all day! I used to almost dislocate my shoulder carrying books when I was younger.
There's actually research to prove this! When we type, every letter feels the same to our brain. When we hand write, every letter is its own construction. I was constantly encouraging my college students to take notes by hand because of this--but that's a hard sell.
Aug 29, 2023·edited Aug 29, 2023Liked by Jeremy Anderberg
I have been taking history courses (auditing) at the local university since retiring. I hand write my notes on paper in class, which others find archaic. When I get home, I then type them into a Word document that I file in the course folder on my desktop. Works for me as I remember the notes better this way.
I'm also the only person in the class who takes selective notes. If it isn't of interest to me, I don't worry about it. Having not to worry about grades makes the class much more enjoyable.
I also greatly prefer physical books though I do sometimes read on my Kindle and rarely an audiobook.
I did this too. I do wonder if the new tablets that let you write, and then converts it into typed text, work. I remember better looking at my written notes, but it is so handy to be able to search through text.
Totally agree on the pleasures only found in a physical book. I too enjoy audiobooks but only for plot driven fiction and with a good narrator- Julia Whalen is one of my favorites. And I also agree that my kindle is very convenient when traveling or obtaining the ebook from the library faster than the physical book.
I'm in the opposite boat on non-fic — way more of my listening is in the non-fic realm. In fiction, zoning out for a sentence or two could spell doom, but that's not generally the case with non-fic.
I do better listening to non-fiction on audio, for the same reason that Jeremy mentioned but that's largely because I'm listening for "entertainment," and not because I'm deeply studying the topic. It becomes like one really long podcast, but with easy stopping points along the way.
I was just thinking about this last night when I finished reading Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies. I listened to 90% of this book on audio and then it was auto-returned (a real downside, for me, of audiobooks! I'd rather pay the library fine and finish!) and I had to finish with a hardcover I found. I was sorry then that I'd listened to it on audio because what was not apparent when listening was Groff's important use of brackets in parts of the second half of the novel, which really changed the way I read and understood it. I also noticed that, as I flipped through the book to try to find the place where I should begin, I had missed entire chunks on audio. I'm sure I was distracted, while I was listening, by something else.
Unlike most others who've commented so far, I prefer listening to non-fiction on audio for this reason--and the reason you mentioned above, Jeremy. I can't be as attentive to the language itself--the art of the novel--when I'm listening and I can't linger. That doesn't bother me so much with non-fiction, from which I'm often just trying to learn something. The writer still has to be attentive to expression, but in a lot of non-fiction, that's not the point. Likewise, fiction that's written to gallop along rather than dwell on language as an art is a good choice for audio. Fates and Furies, it turns out, was not that kind of novel!
Ah, what an interesting experience with Fates and Furies! Funny that you would have never known otherwise...
And I hear ya about non-fic. I've done a couple novels on audio, but the majority for me is non-fiction. But that's where I then miss photos, end notes, etc. that often add a lot to the total experience.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts - I only read physical books - I must hold a book in my hand, feel the paper as I flip the page, etc. I’ve tried ebooks and it doesn’t lead to a pleasurable reading experience for me; I haven’t tried an audio book, guessing it wouldn’t be a way to consume books for me, either. Your spreadsheet is very helpful! I found a typo...check the title “A Visit from the GOON Squad” (not GOOD Squad). Happy reading!
What a great project, Jeremy. Reading through the Pulitzer list has got to be like reading through the first draft of history. Since I got turned on to audio and Kindle, I have made a rule for myself that I only use ebook/audio for fiction. I, like you, think you miss too much of the experience in NF on a screen or listening.
Congrats on your first unofficial Pulitzer read! Agreed about physical books - I love them too much. As such an avid reader I often toy with getting a kindle, but I haven’t been able to bite the bullet yet. Too much satisfaction in a real book!
You can’t really know the pleasure of a kindle until you try it. I say go for it and see if it works for you! I love that I can link it with my goodreads account, which then saves my notes and highlights. Even if I check out a library ebook, I can mark it up, return it, and still access notes and highlights on goodreads. It’s the best.
I hear your points Kyle, with such a strong vote of confidence maybe I will try it! Any format that lets me consumes books at an ever faster rate is attractive to me!
I agree for the most part, but I have to speak up for the special alchemy that can happen when a great performer reads the right work of fiction — Rob Inglis reading The Lord of the Rings or Ian McKellan reading The Odyssey. For me, those can create an even stronger experience than reading the book to myself, akin to the difference between seeing a play rather than reading it on the page.
Im wondering if anyone has had this kind of experience. I had to read a lot of Shakespeare in my early college days and the best experience was watching Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet while reading along. A little different track than audio books but having the play unfold visually both on screen and in print was immensely helpful in being able to understand what was going on.
I often find myself picking up paper books of past listens when perusing at bookstores - great review of charts and pictures.
Found a prime example of when audio trumps written - just started listening to Only Plane in the Sky (an oral Hx🙃). Pretty intense story as 911 approaches 🇺🇸
I feel the same! There is nothing quite like the experience of reading a physical book. That said, I’ve really been enjoying the Kindle Paperwhite’s ability to highlight and organize my notes for later use. I have a big reading project coming up and while Kindle’s system isn’t perfect (the emailed copy of your notes comes as a PDF and XLS file), it is helpful. At present, I’m trying a combination of reading in the physical copy and marking up my digital copy.
Hi Mary, if you have a goodreads account you can link it to your kindle and then access all your notes and highlights on goodreads. Even after you return a library ebook, they will be there. Might work for you for this project!
I'm a special kind of pervert who likes to listen to the audiobook *while* reading the physical book (or ebook). Thanks to my library, I can accomplish this with most books without becoming destitute.
This is a sample size of N=1 but I've found listening to the audiobook while reading focuses my attention and limits how easily my mind can wander (I'm doing 3 other things while writing this comment, so this is important for me). I also have the option of "reading" the book while doing yard- or house-work which is great for non-fic (unless I'm trying to study or deep-dive a particular topic) and fiction where I'm invested in the story (as opposed to the story + the wordcraft).
Only drawbacks are I need to pause the audiobook if I'm taking notes (Libby's bookmark feature is great for marking points to re-listen to), and obviously if I'm borrowing both the ebook and audiobook simultaneously, I have to work it so that they are both available at the same time. That's not easy, but it creates pockets in my TBR to go sideways and read something else while waiting.
One additional bonus to the tactile experience of reading a physical book is that I remember it better. For me I often have an association with where on the page something is, which side, and how deep or not into the book that item was. I've not taken any major dives into audio books but digital works best for me when it's short like a blog or article.
Definitely true for me too!
Thank you for your balanced comments. So often commentators either love e-books or hate them, when the reality is they are good in certain circumstances. I have two instances when I bless the advent of e-books. 1. going on holiday. I no longer have to worry about what my travelling companions are reading, so I can read their books and not run out of books. 2. My grandmother had a limited range of large print books she could buy, and now they are all large print.
I do love audio books, and they mean I do actually do some housework.
But non-fiction is best read in a physical book. I do agree than non-screen time is great, and I have got over my aversion to writing in books. But hard backs are just too large and bulky for me.
Does anyone else also feel the need to write, rather than type, study notes? It gets to my brain more efficiently.
"they are good in certain circumstances" → exactly! When we were on vacation earlier this month I brought my Kindle instead of my 700-page bulky copy of Dune. :) On an airplane with kids, the Kindle was *crucial.*
I agree. I live in London and occasionally see people reading huge books on the underground. Though it is understandable when they are just a few pages from the end. But then they have to lug the book, that they have finished, around all day! I used to almost dislocate my shoulder carrying books when I was younger.
There's actually research to prove this! When we type, every letter feels the same to our brain. When we hand write, every letter is its own construction. I was constantly encouraging my college students to take notes by hand because of this--but that's a hard sell.
That makes total sense.
I have been taking history courses (auditing) at the local university since retiring. I hand write my notes on paper in class, which others find archaic. When I get home, I then type them into a Word document that I file in the course folder on my desktop. Works for me as I remember the notes better this way.
I'm also the only person in the class who takes selective notes. If it isn't of interest to me, I don't worry about it. Having not to worry about grades makes the class much more enjoyable.
I also greatly prefer physical books though I do sometimes read on my Kindle and rarely an audiobook.
Great strategy! My wife did this through college and always had *much* better grades than me. :)
I did this too. I do wonder if the new tablets that let you write, and then converts it into typed text, work. I remember better looking at my written notes, but it is so handy to be able to search through text.
Totally agree on the pleasures only found in a physical book. I too enjoy audiobooks but only for plot driven fiction and with a good narrator- Julia Whalen is one of my favorites. And I also agree that my kindle is very convenient when traveling or obtaining the ebook from the library faster than the physical book.
Yeah, plot-driven fiction is totally fine on audio. I enjoy thrillers — Nelson DeMille lately. :)
Such an amazing undertaking. I listen to a lot of audiobooks BUT I’ve discovered I can’t listen to non-fiction. Happy reading.
Thanks Kim!
I'm in the opposite boat on non-fic — way more of my listening is in the non-fic realm. In fiction, zoning out for a sentence or two could spell doom, but that's not generally the case with non-fic.
I do better listening to non-fiction on audio, for the same reason that Jeremy mentioned but that's largely because I'm listening for "entertainment," and not because I'm deeply studying the topic. It becomes like one really long podcast, but with easy stopping points along the way.
I was just thinking about this last night when I finished reading Lauren Groff's Fates and Furies. I listened to 90% of this book on audio and then it was auto-returned (a real downside, for me, of audiobooks! I'd rather pay the library fine and finish!) and I had to finish with a hardcover I found. I was sorry then that I'd listened to it on audio because what was not apparent when listening was Groff's important use of brackets in parts of the second half of the novel, which really changed the way I read and understood it. I also noticed that, as I flipped through the book to try to find the place where I should begin, I had missed entire chunks on audio. I'm sure I was distracted, while I was listening, by something else.
Unlike most others who've commented so far, I prefer listening to non-fiction on audio for this reason--and the reason you mentioned above, Jeremy. I can't be as attentive to the language itself--the art of the novel--when I'm listening and I can't linger. That doesn't bother me so much with non-fiction, from which I'm often just trying to learn something. The writer still has to be attentive to expression, but in a lot of non-fiction, that's not the point. Likewise, fiction that's written to gallop along rather than dwell on language as an art is a good choice for audio. Fates and Furies, it turns out, was not that kind of novel!
Ah, what an interesting experience with Fates and Furies! Funny that you would have never known otherwise...
And I hear ya about non-fic. I've done a couple novels on audio, but the majority for me is non-fiction. But that's where I then miss photos, end notes, etc. that often add a lot to the total experience.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts - I only read physical books - I must hold a book in my hand, feel the paper as I flip the page, etc. I’ve tried ebooks and it doesn’t lead to a pleasurable reading experience for me; I haven’t tried an audio book, guessing it wouldn’t be a way to consume books for me, either. Your spreadsheet is very helpful! I found a typo...check the title “A Visit from the GOON Squad” (not GOOD Squad). Happy reading!
Those other formats just aren't quite the same, are they?
(Got that typo fixed; thanks for pointing it out!)
What a great project, Jeremy. Reading through the Pulitzer list has got to be like reading through the first draft of history. Since I got turned on to audio and Kindle, I have made a rule for myself that I only use ebook/audio for fiction. I, like you, think you miss too much of the experience in NF on a screen or listening.
"Reading through the Pulitzer list has got to be like reading through the first draft of history." → That's certainly my hope. Thanks David!
Congrats on your first unofficial Pulitzer read! Agreed about physical books - I love them too much. As such an avid reader I often toy with getting a kindle, but I haven’t been able to bite the bullet yet. Too much satisfaction in a real book!
I hear ya. Especially as technology speeds up more and more, I find myself craving paper more and more.
You can’t really know the pleasure of a kindle until you try it. I say go for it and see if it works for you! I love that I can link it with my goodreads account, which then saves my notes and highlights. Even if I check out a library ebook, I can mark it up, return it, and still access notes and highlights on goodreads. It’s the best.
I hear your points Kyle, with such a strong vote of confidence maybe I will try it! Any format that lets me consumes books at an ever faster rate is attractive to me!
I agree for the most part, but I have to speak up for the special alchemy that can happen when a great performer reads the right work of fiction — Rob Inglis reading The Lord of the Rings or Ian McKellan reading The Odyssey. For me, those can create an even stronger experience than reading the book to myself, akin to the difference between seeing a play rather than reading it on the page.
Finishing an ebook always feels so anti-climactic. “Whelp, you’re done! Move along!”
I wonder why. Sometimes i feel like, the more technology we adopt, the further away we get from our true self.
Im wondering if anyone has had this kind of experience. I had to read a lot of Shakespeare in my early college days and the best experience was watching Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet while reading along. A little different track than audio books but having the play unfold visually both on screen and in print was immensely helpful in being able to understand what was going on.
I often find myself picking up paper books of past listens when perusing at bookstores - great review of charts and pictures.
Found a prime example of when audio trumps written - just started listening to Only Plane in the Sky (an oral Hx🙃). Pretty intense story as 911 approaches 🇺🇸
I feel the same! There is nothing quite like the experience of reading a physical book. That said, I’ve really been enjoying the Kindle Paperwhite’s ability to highlight and organize my notes for later use. I have a big reading project coming up and while Kindle’s system isn’t perfect (the emailed copy of your notes comes as a PDF and XLS file), it is helpful. At present, I’m trying a combination of reading in the physical copy and marking up my digital copy.
Hi Mary, if you have a goodreads account you can link it to your kindle and then access all your notes and highlights on goodreads. Even after you return a library ebook, they will be there. Might work for you for this project!
Hello and thank you! I had no idea. Sounds like a good time to start using my goodreads account! :)
I'm a special kind of pervert who likes to listen to the audiobook *while* reading the physical book (or ebook). Thanks to my library, I can accomplish this with most books without becoming destitute.
This is a sample size of N=1 but I've found listening to the audiobook while reading focuses my attention and limits how easily my mind can wander (I'm doing 3 other things while writing this comment, so this is important for me). I also have the option of "reading" the book while doing yard- or house-work which is great for non-fic (unless I'm trying to study or deep-dive a particular topic) and fiction where I'm invested in the story (as opposed to the story + the wordcraft).
Only drawbacks are I need to pause the audiobook if I'm taking notes (Libby's bookmark feature is great for marking points to re-listen to), and obviously if I'm borrowing both the ebook and audiobook simultaneously, I have to work it so that they are both available at the same time. That's not easy, but it creates pockets in my TBR to go sideways and read something else while waiting.