Do people still read printed books?

The other evening, Novel Tea Book Shop, one of our local indie book stores, hosted its Boozy Book Fair at the local brewery. 

I found out too late to get a booth, but I still went to check it out, take photos, etc. 

Answer: Despite the weather–wet–lots of people were picking up books. In fact, I had trouble finding a place to park. 

I exclusively read printed books. Those E-reader things just ain't for me.

NickD said:

I exclusively read printed books. Those E-reader things just ain't for me.

This, times a googol.  I often frequent our local public library, and often leave carrying, *gasp!* actual books!

I do, too.  But I also have an e-reader, since packing multiple books in your carry on is virtually impossible.

But it's cool to see more and more independent book stores.

Yep. Although I don't read near as much as I should. Does listening to podcasts count? 

Personally, unfortunately, I don't have much time to read for myself, but I do have a long commute, so my list of completed audio books is ever-expanding.

But I've read probably hundreds of actual books to my daughters so far. Hundreds. We're going to do Harry Potter soon (we managed our way through the first one, but little one is still too little to really follow along). We're getting the big hard-cover, illustrated ones. The rule there, is that they can't watch one of the films until they've gotten through the book.

Does it count that I read the print version Grassroots Motorsports to them?  ... OK, maybe not to them, but I read them!

Books only.

Edit:   " Answer: Despite the weather–wet–lots of people were picking up books. In fact, I had trouble finding a place to park".    That's cool!

I mostly read on an e-reader as I always have it on me and I can read at night without disturbing my wife. I do have a few print books underway right now, but I effectively have less time to read them. The book is the words, not the mechanism by which they're delivered.

The house is full of bookshelves with print books, though. Some of them are getting pretty rare because they're long out of print and the information inside isn't found on Google.

I'm not an e-reader fan, but I totally understand the appeal and convenience.

DW and I read printed books every day.  It's part of the bedtime ritual, and how we spend an hour or two every weekend morning.  I'm looking forward to retirement so I can make that morning hour every day.

We go to the library 3-4 times a month at least.

I've been an avid reader my whole life. I'm mostly Kindle-based now because of the convenience. I can read the same book on my tablet, phone, or computer, and it remembers my place whichever device I used last. Also, I can browse Amazon, pick something, and be reading it 30 seconds later.

Having said that, I do still buy some paper books. For one thing, older stuff just isn't available on e-readers. I'm reading "The Only Way to Cross", which is a history of ocean liners, on paperback because that's the only way I could find it. But I'm also reading Ron Chernow's "House of Morgan" on Kindle at the same time. But also, sometimes you want the paper copy because of illustrations or other physical features.

NickD said:

I exclusively read printed books. Those E-reader things just ain't for me.

QFT

Much of my reading has been on planes and books work better for me in that situation.

However, I have Stage 2 Fuchs Dystrophy and I can no longer manage typical print font size comfortably.

Stage 3 involves eye pain and headaches so my reading may be limited to medicine bottles and beer can labels going forward 

In my capacity as a low-tech old guy with a flip phone, Yes, I read books. BUT, I have also recently grabbed several old, obscure books off the web as PDFs because they were right there, right then – not to mention what my Dad would have called "advantageously priced."

Now I may have to buy a laptop or a tablet for easier reading than my desktop monitor. It's apparently a slippery slope....

I prefer paper but I am trying to mostly just get e-books to save space and make it harder to not "bring a book" when I'm on a trip or really any time.  

I wish I actually read more books, e or paper.

My brain seems scattered lately - focus on reading harder.....I blame the internet with a short attention span.  Here's in my que.

Books!

I read books nearly exclusively. If we're on a long drive we'll listen to an audible. Annie has an e-reader, and spends about 50% of her reading hours on that. Since we're both retired we usually spend a couple hours reading most mornings.

I've got a few books in my home office I need to read, but as an adult I find it hard to dedicate the time to it. 

My philosophy minor in college (along with Journalism degree) kind of turned me off to recreational reading and my job as a Technical Writer means I already spend 40+ hours per week dealing with reading/researching/writing. So looking at more words when I'm off the clock doesn't really get my motor revved up. 

In reply to z31maniac :

I do hear you as I also spend most of the day looking at words: writing words, editing words, making words behave.

So my recreational reading often has nothing to do with cars. I mostly read sci-fi and autobiographies. Right now I’m reading a book about photography. 

I’m enjoying the separation. 

E-reader for devouring text without pictures. I downloaded a bunch of pulp novels on an old e-ink Kindle I occasionally work through.

I tried comic books on a Kindle Fire. Being able to zoom in on each panel was kind of helpful but reading that way doesn't flow the way a comic is supposed to be consumed.

Print is better for reference materials, so much easier to flip pages than scroll on a screen.

I read all the time, usually two or three books a week.  I do prefer holding the real thing in my hands but I've also discovered the vast collection of books in electronic format that are available from my local library.  It's so convenient, and they are available in a format that is easily read on my phone, so whenever I have a few minutes I can pull it out and read a chapter or two.

Wife is flying almost every week for work. When she's not with the boss or trying to catch up with work, she's reading good old fashioned paper books.

Every flight she's had the chance to read so far, there was at least one passenger commenting "Oh, you are reading a real book" with a very perplexed expression.

David S. Wallens said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I do hear you as I also spend most of the day looking at words: writing words, editing words, making words behave.

So my recreational reading often has nothing to do with cars. I mostly read sci-fi and autobiographies. Right now I’m reading a book about photography. 

I’m enjoying the separation. 

You most certainly do!

I've currently got 3 I'd like to read, but haven't drummed up the motivation yet. 

Infinite Jest - But I've heard/read it's a TOUGH read including my ex-mentee at work (who left to go to Law School) who gave me his copy to read. 
Steven Pinker - Rationality, saw him on Bill Mahr a while back so I ordered his book. 
Dave Grohl's Autobiography - Although recent events have kind of killed the "nicest guy in rock" thing he had going. 

I can't seem to focus on e-readers so I just read regular books. I finish 12-15 a year but pick up probably twice that so I'll never finish my pile. 

I listen to a ton of audio books, but only read a small amount in comparison.  I read real physical books, I don't want to deal with the bullE36 M3 of an e-reader... most of the time.  Every time I travel though, I think about how much more convenient an e-reader would be.  A single physical book takes up a (relatively) substantial portion of my backpack.

My son(9) is a huge consumer of physical books.  ~85 so far this year.