Debate: Physical books are superior
Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer books you can actually hold
The aesthetic and simplicity of physical books make them superior than all other reading options. (Austin Kelly)
Physical books will never go out of style. They smell good, come in different sizes, and best of all, you never have to charge them.
Who wouldn’t want an Instagram-worthy shelf filled with books organized by colour, ranging from solid black to turquoise covers? Not only that, I love the feeling of a book in my hand with the option of hardcover, paperback, or both if you’re a certified collector. There’s one way to tell if someone is a true bookworm — they have books scattered everywhere around the house, and I mean a lot of books. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Another way of reading is audiobooks, which can prove quite troublesome when you run into low battery issues or lose an Airpod on the bus, not to mention the semi-annoying voice narrators use of sudden exclamations or awkward pauses. With physical books, you can easily re-read a paragraph without having to play around with your phone every time.
Choosing audiobooks can also become pricey at times, but it’s quite easy to find hundreds of cheap books in vintage bookstores. You have the option to read at your own pace, and can visibly see how many pages are left before the end of a book. At this rate, I might as well have a book surgically attached to my body.
When it comes to travel, audiobooks may prove superior. But imagine this — you’re at the airport waiting for your 12-hour flight to board. However, due to having your earbuds plugged in while listening to an Agatha Christie novel, the device dies, and you’re now unable to listen to anything on the plane. Better yet, you miss your flight because you didn’t hear the flight being called. Now which is more superior?
Then there’s the classic book smell. Honestly, I am undecided whether I prefer a new or old book smell. New books have their crisp white pages while old books carry history through an oddly satisfying musty smell and yellow pages. If I were to describe the smell in just a few words, books have the scent of wood with just a hint of vanilla. In other words, acids and chemicals. Now, try asking someone who listens to audiobooks to smell their device.
Reading is best enjoyed when the only sounds I can hear is the voice inside my head and the crinkle of a page. Imagine floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books that make your family concerned about your social life, that’s called happiness.
Overall, reading through my ears is just not my cup of tea. Audiobooks come and go, but books stay with you forever.
