As an avid reader, I have consumed countless books of all forms. From hardcovers to paperbacks, and Kindle to audiobooks, I have accumulated strong opinions regarding which format is the best.
Starting with tried and true physical copies of books: I love to collect the print versions of all my favorite reads but I tend to view them more as collector items than something I actually sit down and read. The only time I tend to devour the physical copy of a book is when I am on vacation. Nothing beats sitting on the beach and reading a floppy pint-sized paperback romance or snuggling by the fire on a wintery night at a ski lodge with a nice fantasy tome.
However, day to day, I leave my physical book copies to gather dust on my shelves. As a college student, lugging around another item in my already heavy backpack is just not happening. If I were to commit to bringing a book to read in my time between classes, I would definitely opt for a small paperback as opposed to a hardcover, just to save space and weight during those long treks to class. If I am going to sit down and read for extended periods of time, I also tend towards paperbacks as they are easier to bend and flip through. I do have to note that hardcovers are useful if I need to annotate a book, but I rarely do this.
Some monstrous books are even too long to read as paperbacks. I am specifically thinking of Sarah J Maas’s Kingdom of Ash or A Court of Silver Flames which take a great deal of effort to even hold. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I actually despise those little romance books you can find at your aunt’s house. The font size is just too small and I find myself getting a headache about fifteen minutes into the read. Any book with a difficult to read or small font is not winning for me.
As far as digital copies of books, I am a proud subscriber to Kindle Unlimited. When I was younger, I had an actual Kindle that I would use to read. However, along the same lines as carrying around physical books, I am reluctant to add another device to my daily load. The Kindle is also just another device that requires charging. With the lack of charging ports in my room, this is just not feasible. However, I am a big fan of the Kindle app on my phone. The platform has a lot of popular books for free or cheap and you are able to change the font size very easily. When comparing the Kindle app to the Apple Books app, I find the Kindle app offers a greater variety. The Apple Books app does offer audiobooks which is nice. Both apps allow for book sharing, whether that be through family Apple IDs or by sharing your Kindle login.
Finally, we come to what is perhaps my favorite form of reading — audiobooks. While some do not consider listening to audiobooks as actually reading, studies show that it still activates the same brain regions as sitting down to read a book visually. I regularly use the Audible app, but have also used the Apple Books app to download my audiobooks. The Spotify app has also come out with audiobooks, however, there is a limit to the number of hours you can listen to each month. This is extremely frustrating as I have been left on a cliffhanger halfway through a novel without any hours left.
Audible is my go-to with credits for each audiobook averaging $10-12 depending on your subscription. Audible also syncs your place in the audiobook version with your place in the Kindle, so you can switch formats with ease. I personally recommend listening to audiobooks at 1.5 or 2x speed so that you can devour your literature that much faster. However, listening at any speed is a great way to increase your consumption of books while walking to class, working out, or just resting your eyes. Like the Kindle app, multiple people can also log into your audible account and make use of your purchases.
Overall, I find myself listening to audiobooks more than actually reading a book in my day-to-day life. I still view sitting down to read a book as one of the great pleasures I can afford myself when I actually have time to relax. In the end, it doesn’t really matter whether you are reaching for a physical copy, digital or audiobook. Reading in any form is a great way to escape the grind of Cornell life, especially this winter when the cold just keeps getting colder, the dark keeps getting darker and the snow keeps on coming.
Emma Robinson is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at erobinson@cornellsun.com.
