For me, I either like my books to look brand new or totally tattered and ruined and well-loved, no in-between

on the shelf, i definitely prefer hardcovers however in terms of reading it, i prefer the floppy US paperback bc it just stays right open for me to read, if that makes sense!

Used books. Best way to collect hardcovers.

Another advantage of paperbacks is that they're easier to read in bed.

I love paperbacks, how they look doesn't bother me. I think well used or damaged books look great. And to me they're so easy to read. I like to read lying down.

I love hard cover because it makes me feel I’m secretly a wizard or witchcraft witch I’m not I just like the feeling

Your hardbacks are that cheap?! For me the hardbacks are around 20-25 and paperbacks are around 10-15 -.-

Hardback. All the way. My parents say I have expensive taste...

If I had a choice I'd have all hardback because I don't like sitting a paperback down and the cover pops up and won't sit flat. But hardbacks are so expensive for no reason.

Dude, if I could get hardbacks for 15 I would never buy paper backs ever again haha in Australia a paperback can be between $16 and $25. Hardbacks can be up to $35 and it makes me so sad

In Portugal books are so expensive that we dont even think about this things, honestly

I prefer hardcovers because of the prettiness factor (usually) of the end papers and under the dust jacket but mainly I prefer them because they are harder to damage. When I put a hardcover in my bag I don't have to worry about bending the cover or things of that nature as much as with a paper back. One thing that affects my choice too is if it is a book I am sure I will love and want right away I will buy it in hardcover. If it is a book I am unsure of and it is in paperback I will go for the less costly paperback version. I am also swayed a bit in series, and try to keep them all in the same format but I don't repurchase books to make heights match or to have full sets in one format or another (my only exceptions are good cover changes and special editions of favorites).

Here in Brazil even paperback books in english are expensive. :(

I prefer hardbacks, but I live in the Czech Republic, so the English sections of bookstores are quite small, and apart from not having many books to choose from, you don't really get the option of hardback at all. About 90% of the books are paperback, and those are expensive enough. I don't fancy spending the equivalent of $30 on one book, so I'm unfortunately usually forced to get paperbacks, but I do prefer hardbacks since they're prettier and more durable.

That's why I love Russian editions: we have ALMOST everything in hardcover and for a good price (for comparison I can buy 2 hardcover books for 10 dollars). We also have these nice paperback editions of classics and some contemporaries for 1-1,5$.

In indonesia hardback is so rare and if i buy 1 hardback book i could buy 2 paperback books

you know, I wish we could embrace the difference in our books - my bookshelf is full of all different sizes of books and then I see all these perfect bookshelves on youtube... then I realized, we all have different reading journeys, and being a reader of sci fi and adult fantasy, I can't get entirely away from the mass market scourge.... but I like to think my shelves have character.... :) It's ok if your shelves aren't "perfect". :) I sure love your new ones, tho - have you done a video about the new ones? Those white ones are newish, right?

The only reason don't buy hardback books is the prize. my parents are not big fans on spending money on one hardback book where I can get 5 paper bag books. ya 5 paperback books! but I love shopping In amazon cause I get paperback, audio, hardback and ebook

I love being surprised at what's going to be under the dust jacket!!! I love hardcover when I'm reading in my bed because I can rest the edge on my bed without worrying about bending the cover! Also if I try and travel with paperback they're way more likely to get damaged!

Yeah, I think the lower cost and the reduced weight are about the only thing paperbacks have going for them. They are so much more easily damaged than hardbacks, and the inconsistent heights can be really annoying, especially when books in the SAME SERIES are different heights. One of my Infernal Devices books (I think Clockwork Prince??) is slightly taller than the rest, and it throws off my whole Cassandra Clare alignment. Why would publishers do that!? To force anal people like me to buy the more expensive hardback editions? Well it didn't work! I still bought the paperbacks, and now I'm just frustrated every time I look at my bookshelf. Are you happy, publishers? I hope you're happy. Also, hardbacks with dust jackets basically have built-in bookmarks. You can just use the flap to mark your page instead of buying a real bookmark or just using the paper receipt like a peasant ^_^

Thank you so much for your discussion, now I know which to buy! If you were asking 'what were you about to buy?' I was planning on buying a Finnish grammar book, 'cause I'd like to learn that beautiful language, and I haven't found it in stores, so I went to amazon and found two options which are Paperback and Hardcover. Thanks again!💕

For me, I sometimes want hardcover and sometimes want softcover. For example, if I have the beginning of a series, I will want to continue getting the books in the same format. Also, my hardcover books have five different heights and my softcovers have about a dozen different heights, so height doesn't really bother me.

My general rule with paperback/hardback is if i'm not sure i'll love it i'll get it in paper but if i wanna keep it forever and i know i'll love it, fancy hardbacks all the way! PS, OH POOP!

It doesn't really matter to me. Usually it's just what's available at the bookstore or on book outlet, but I will buy it in hardback if I see it in a video and the under-the-dust jacket is really pretty.

Love the new background! I think we have the same bookcase😛

I personally prefer hardcovers but they are so expensive here in the Philippines (even during sales)! You even have to order the hardcover editions most of the time because bookstores mostly carry paperbacks.

cant believe i listened to this dude for 6 straight minutes. subscribed--only bc he's so fricking organized. broke my record

i love both. my main thing is keeping a series the same! its so annoying when my series covers don't match or aren't the same height!

thanks for the review Ben! I wasn't so sure about the differences.

I would love to hear your pros and cons on Physical books, audio books, and ebooks. When do you prefer purchasing the book in ebook format and when not to. Things like that.

I buy books in whatever versions they're available, so I mostly have paperback books, and to make room for more books (I don't have much space) I stack them vertically on their back. So it's kind of hard to reach the bottom books (they're usually the ones I like less). My makeshift shelf is kind of messy with all the different thickness and sizes my books are in, although it is not apparent in the stacks, I'm always worried because my older books are turning a bit yellow, but it can't be helped, I live in a humid area

Where did you get your copy of Hexed? I was going to get it while I was at my local book store, but it's just plain black underneath, and I would LOVE to own one like you have!

Excellent way of differentiation between both type of books.

Thanks for the information!

American books always come out in hardcover first. Once they've been on the shelf for a while do they print paperback options

Are your Vampire Academy books hardcover? And if they are, where did you buy them? I've been looking for the books in hardcover everywhere but they only offer library binding. Please let me know and thank you in advance!

One of the main pros I find with Paperbacks is that I just find it so much easier to curl up in bed with a paperback.

All of the books on my shelf are paperback. I (usually) buy all my books in store, and I find that there's always paperbacks everywhere but seldom any hardback copies. Also with the expense thing as well, I'm fifteen and love reading so its not really easy to just buy hardbacks for £15 +/- but I find it much more practical to buy paperbacks for only £7/8. The cons of them though, is how easily they can bend and get damaged like you were saying. I always bring the book I'm reading to school with me and near enough every time, the cover has been bent by jotters or worksheets have dented pages. Also lending books is a big thing for me. I lended my The Fault In Our Stars copy to about 4 or 5 people last year and the cover is bent, the spine is broken, pages are folded, parts of it are dented and damaged its terrible. But I love this video! Thanks for putting it up!

Tyyyy :) This was such a useful video

In malaysia, it's kinda rare to see hardbacks, unless if you order online. But hardbacks are like double the price or paperbacks over here. Once in a while, I like to indulge myself in a hardback because it feels so good to hold.

When i open a paperback and read maybe a few pages and then close it again, the cover just stays up a bit. Is this normal or are there ways to prevent it?

i like how hardbound books look in my bookshelf but it takes up too much space haha so i prefer to buy paperbacks instead just so I can save some space and put more books in. also i am the same that it is easier to bring a paperback on the go since it is smaller and lighter. i never mind broken spines as long as the pages are not falling off. i like the look of old books though coz it means it is well loved but that's just me haha 😁

Omg I love the book Sick! I read it in a day or two and fell in love with the characters

I prefer hardbacks but pretty much all of my books are paperbacks because the price range of a paperback (where I live) is about $15-20 and hardbacks range from about $25-30. Also, when I walk into the few bookshops that are left where I live, they are stocked with pretty much only paperbacks.

"It's very stressful" Lol! I am the same way with the different sized paperbacks!

The infernal devices and COHF have pictures on the dust jacket itself and you don't get that with a paperback. I usually wait for the paperback but sometimes O just can't wait that long for it to come out so I get the hard back book anyway. I'm waiting for the one to come out in paperback because I have the first two in paperback and I have already read so I'm not going to buy and $17 book if I can wait for it even tho I really want it! But I really like hardback book especially if there bigger because if you have a big paperback book it's hard to keep it open but if it's smaller then I like paperbacks.

Lots of people say that they think it's stupid trying to read a book carefully so that you don't break the spine, but it's useful because if you hate the book then you can sell it on in the best condition possible so you get more money for it = more money for buying new books! :)

that was so funny! i love you and your videos, please never stop making videos! :D i totally agree with you, although i dont mind when books arent the same height, i think it actually looks nicer and more interesting when they differ in height. :) lots of love from germany

I mostly buy paperbacks as they are cheaper ,but I like bigger/thicker books to be hardback as they keep their structure but the dust jackets annoy me so I take them off while reading & I quite like all the different heights as I arrange by books in series & height order 📚

I love reading paperbacks....I don't know if I'm the only one on this. I especially love it when they're old :3 It gives you the "ahh, so this is how you read" feeling... I'm not making any sense, I'm sorry. .-. Hardcovers are nice, but they're hard to read because they're heavy and it shouldn't be a workout to read:P I only like buying them when it comes to my favorite books ('cause they look nice).

I can't find that edition of Half Bad anywhere... I love the design on the pages with the phases of the moon. I want it. I need it. Must have. ;_;

i wanna know how to take care of paper back books cause most of my books get crumpled or folded

I like hard cover better because paper backs always want to fold over and close on you while reading and if you want to stop it from doing that by creasing the page then you ruin the page and the spine potentially. Hardcovers just stay open not to mention like he said they are way nicer design wise. And the difference in weight between a paperback and hard cover is almost nothing lol I’d still rather carry around 5 hardcovers than 5 paperbacks

Guys I have a book called Qaddafi's green book, unauthorized edition with qaddafi's photo on front of ot, I got it for around $5, I saw used ones on amazon sale for $350-$800. I don't get it why it's so expensive? Can someone please explain? Thanks

Whether I get hardcover or paperback depends on the books. I have two rules: If I got the first book in hardcover, then I will get the rest of the series in hardcover, same with paperback. Also, if a book exceeds 600 pages, I get hardcover.

I was in the book store and even though the book I was looking at was paperback the size is for hard back..and when I lok at the other shelf of the same book..iwas looking for the paperback is shorter:( I it supposed to be shorter if paperback?

How about the book's font size? Better in hardcover? or just fairly the same with paperback?

Paperbacks aren't my favorite because when you open it the cover flap keeps popping up and that is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Same for me Ben! I just can't bring myself to buy the hardback version if the paperback version is sitting right there. Unless it is the next book in the series to come out and I really want to read it and don't want to wait 8 months for the paperback version lol:p -Heather

I always go for paperback for the price, I feel like you could get two paperbacks for the price of a hardback. Especially if you go to Amazon. Another reason, dust jackets annoy me so much when I read! Haha I always have to take them off and then I can't remember where I put them. Hahaha.

When I'm really in love with the look of the cover, like with Snow Like Ashes, I want the hardback, but when the cover is just okay, I buy a paperback. I also attend to buy a lot of contemporary books in paperback and series in hardback. When a series is in hardback it just looks so much nicer :)

i really liked your video. Very apt information. A very peculiar style you have of speaking and your gestures while talking were enthralling to watch as a video. There is one thing, how come paperbacks come in different cover designs? It it not a norm that a paperback covers always remains same no matter from where one buys.

When i'm reading hardback books the dust jacket always seems to fall off or slip.

I find hardback books harder to read with, due to the hardback cover and I can never position myself right with it compared to paperback. Also its hard to find the hardback here in Australia, and more expansive.

Oh the stress on how the bookshelf looks, and worrying about breaking the spine, relatable af, but I still love paperback :')

I am a hardcover fan bcz they look nice, feel nice & i just love them & when i can’t afford them...i read on my kindle!

Your new shelves!!! 😍😍 so pretty!!!

I live in Germany and the English version of a book is usually cheaper than the translated one. And the e-book version is even cheaper so I read my books on an e-reader first and then I go buy the hardback book to put in my shelve. But I don't buy all the books I read. Still there is this problem of a book only being published in paperback...

OMG OMG Do I see The Circle and Fire on your shelf?? By Sara Bergmark Elfgren and Mats Strandberg? Did you like them? Did you read the last book in the series too? Love from Sweden :-)

well i don't know which one would be better hardcover or floppy paperbacks because the spines never get all messed up and break and you can set them down all the way and the spine like i said wont get messed up

It seems to me that the book publishing industry has stopped publishing mass market paperback versions of non-fiction books and only continues to publish romance novels in mass market paperback. Does anyone know what was the last mass market paperback book published about a non-fiction topic and what year it was published? My best guess is that the last mass market paperback book on a non-fiction topic was probably published during the early to mid-1990's.

My books are mostly in paperback, but I do get hardcovers whenever I have a chance (and especially when my parent/sibling is paying)

I like paperback when I'm reading, but hardcovers to collect. So I'll usually borrow the paperback from the library and buy hard cover later or buy paperback and then find the hardcovers at used book stores or thrift shops for a lot cheaper than if I were to buy the hardcover new. Sometimes, the hardcovers are only a few dollars more than the paperback so in that case i would buy the hardcover new.

I agree 110%.Paper backs are easier to carry, but Hardcovers are just spectacular! Whenever i go to a book store, I'm always stuck between the two options. The hardcover, paperback, specail editions. Its so overwhelming.

Although I do own lots of hardback books I prefer paperback books. This is because paperbacks are lighter, more portable, have gorgeous covers and are cheaper to buy :) Only get hardback books from a free bookshop in Stratford or when they are in a poundshop and I really want to read them

I buy mostly paperbacks because I just can't justify the cost of hardbacks, however if a hardback book is particularly beautiful or the paperback copy is particularly ugly I will buy the hardback cover instead. The biggest example of this I think is the Ruby Red series by Kerstin Gier. The paperback copies of those while about £5 on amazon instead of the £12 harbacks, are absolutely hideous so I have the entire trilogy in hardback. The biggest turn offs for me about paperback copies are, like you said: that they're not all the same size and that it's very easy to damage them. Quite honestly I just want my shelves to look pretty.

I love how hes so serious about keeping the books all looking good and "healthy" im exacly the same

I prefer hardbacks. I get super paranoid reading paperbacks because they get easily damaged and don't last as long as hardbacks. Though I hate the price of hardbacks, they last longer, are pretty, fun to touch and not easily damageable.

I'm not that of a book fan like I don't go so extreme of collecting books, just read them once but not twice. So for me paperback is the way I go and plus it's something I can carry in my backpack and read wherever I feel bored. Plus hardcover books are extremely expensive or at least the ones that I have checked at Barnes and noble are like 50-200 dollars so I'm good, a paperback book is like 10-30 bucks and offers the same content which is the main reason why one buys a book

My boyfriend and I had a discussion about this - he prefers hardbacks and I prefer paperbacks. While I agree that hardbacks have prettier designs and look better on the shelf, they are a lot more expensive, and I personally like when books look old and used. I also find hardbacks sort of annoying because they are so much heavier and my arms get tired while reading. Another thing about the hardbacks is the front. It's such a fuss to take it off every time you read and especially taking it back on, and if you don't take it off then the whole book just slips out of your hands while reading. I do own a couple of books in hardback and I often take off the front to discover a hideos cover underneath. One single book do I own where I like how it looks without the front. When it comes to paperbacks I don't mind a broken spine, I actually like when it shows how much I've read a book. They're lighter, they're cheaper, and they really don't look bad on the shelf either.

I have always preferred paperbacks. Holding a light book when reading is so much easier to read and your arms don't get tired, also they are cheaper which means that you can buy more books!! As for the height problem, you can organize bookshelves based on that and problem solved. Herdbacks indeed look superb on the shelf and yes the covers are sometimes better, but the only reason I would buy one is if there's no paperback format of the book I want or because the paperback cover is not of my liking (yeah I do buy books based on the cover most of the time). ^_^

Hard Covers can be used for encyclopedias and more.

I buy my books based on the cover (Have the beautiful white editions of mistborn even though they're paperbacks because the hardcover is not as stunning to look at) and if there's height problems with one of the editions and one not, I will buy the matched one (Take TMI, for example, I have them in harback because they all match in hight were as in the paperback edition, they do not) If a series is as beautiful in both hardback and paperback and I've never had any books from that author before, I will most likely buy paperback. If I DO have books from an author before and want to buy more of their books, I would try to match with the editions the books I already have of theirs that I own! It all gets even more complicated but to me, it makes sense and my shelves look beautiful! :)

is talon good, I'm thinking or reading it

Hardcover's are durable but they are expensive. I buy them if they are on sale, I have coupons or they are in beautiful editions. Or if I feel like it's shelfworthy. I like paperbacks too. I think paperback covers nowadays are getting prettier and prettier. And of course, mass markets are way cheaper and practical. Ah~ nostalgia. I buy them once in a while. Broken spines in mass markets are beautiful.

I think in Australia we get even less books published in hardback than in the UK, I only own about 3 in my book collection

Greetings from New Mexico (U.S.) Benjaminoftomes, - love that name - Yours is a very hyper vid! Still, I very much enjoyed your enthusiasm. I have subscribed. Blessings, pierre

I like the feel and look of paperback books

I've always bought and received paperbacks. It is same in Australia that a lot of the books don't come out in hardcover and it is a real hunt to find the hardback addition. I maybe because I am accustomed to paperbacks, but I do prefer them. They are lighter, more portable and cheaper. If there are different additions of the paperback cover, I will research to find the 'prettiest' one or the one that matches with others from the same author (if it's a stand alone). For example, all of my John Green books are all similar designs. The different sizes do bother me but your shelf can still look organised and appealing. I try to embrace the chaos. However, I did just buy the Darkest Minds in hardback because those additions are just beautiful, and I cant stop staring.

Ahhhh! I couldn't agree more! I almost said the same things as you did, when is made this video!

I'm actually starting to notice that the price of Paperback books or nearing to the price of a Hardback. I think I paid £8 for a PB book the other day, when the HB was only £11

i cover my paperbacks eith plastic cover so they look good and not easily bent.

It all depends where you buy your books from I was in Sainsburys the other day they have all of the Harry Potter books with the brand new covers their selling them for £3.99 each.

I don't have a preference. I do have more paperbacks. I just like my series to match. Sometimes I find it cheaper to get the hardcover compared to the paperback. Sometimes I fall in love with a hardcover or paperback solely based on the cover, dust jacket or what's under the dust jacket. It all depends. When I go to a store though I always buy paper back unless I get amazing deal for the hardcover. Cost is a huge factor. I just order the classic splinter edition of Emma (and the rest of them) there all paperback but so beautiful :)

i prefer paperbacks! i usually read on the train, so like you said they're heaps lighter. also, i may get shunned immensely for this, but i enjoy underlining certain sentences in my books, and i don't mind if my book gets a little bit creasy! ALSO PRICE.

So in your opinion which would you choose ?

And you can use the cover on a hardback as a page saver.

I normal buy hardback when I know I want this book to last longer than just having it on my shelves after Reading it once. For eksampel fairy tales that i love and want to pass to my furter Kids, or colections of other books that I love. I buy it hardback because I know it would be worth it in a long run. Paper back however is great to purshues if I only wants to read books only because of pure curiosity and that I'm sure I won't miss it even it gets loss in my shelves. Does that make sense? 😅

I think for me it honestly depends, is it just me or do I prefer hard backs for fantasy and thriller/historical but prefer paper back for contemporary? Other than that it is just determined by how thick the book is, like for thicker books I think the spine is just so much more easier to damage (cause of the weight and amount of bending) so I prefer hard backs to keep them in good condition. BUT THEY’RE MORE EXPENSIVE UGHHH

Ok im not too huge a book nerd but theres a thing about paperbacks that drive me insane. After a good read, its so bent, it wont stay closed and ughhhh that drives me insane. Like, the pages are sticking up.