|
|
Post by Falconer on Jun 3, 2014 11:28:52 GMT -6
Random question. In what instances do you prefer paperback over hardcover? Both for RPG books and in general.
|
|
bea
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 133 
|
Post by bea on Jun 3, 2014 11:38:37 GMT -6
I used to prefer hard cover for books that mostly spend their lives on the shelf (fiction) and paperback for books that spend a lot of time in bags I'm carrying around (rpg books and study books).
Nowadays I just want paperback. So much cheaper and lasts me long enough anyway. The only exception being Vornheim, though I can't really say why that is...
|
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Jun 3, 2014 11:41:05 GMT -6
My favorite format for a book is a mass market paperback of 200 or fewer pages. That way it can comfortably fit in my pants pocket.
|
|
|
|
Post by cadriel on Jun 3, 2014 11:42:19 GMT -6
I find that RPG books work well:
0-96 pages saddle stitched
64-244 pages perfect bound softcover
128-600 pages hardcover
If it's over 600 pages, make it two or more books. That's just painful to hold.
|
|
|
|
Post by kenmeister on Jun 3, 2014 14:16:59 GMT -6
My favorite format for a book is a mass market paperback of 200 or fewer pages. That way it can comfortably fit in my pants pocket. This. |
|
|
|
Post by cadriel on Jun 3, 2014 16:50:56 GMT -6
My favorite format for a book is a mass market paperback of 200 or fewer pages. That way it can comfortably fit in my pants pocket. I was in a bookstore earlier today, and I wager that there is very little in the science fiction & fantasy section that would fit comfortably in your pants pocket! Most older books are only available in trade paperbacks, and most newer books are well over 300 pages. Why a pants pocket as the measure, out of curiosity? Are you frequently on the go and reading a novel? |
|
|
|
Post by kenmeister on Jun 3, 2014 20:06:53 GMT -6
My favorite format for a book is a mass market paperback of 200 or fewer pages. That way it can comfortably fit in my pants pocket. I was in a bookstore earlier today, and I wager that there is very little in the science fiction & fantasy section that would fit comfortably in your pants pocket! Most older books are only available in trade paperbacks, and most newer books are well over 300 pages. Why a pants pocket as the measure, out of curiosity? Are you frequently on the go and reading a novel? Best 'pants pocket' book is Planet of the Apes. I typically sneak a paperback into my back pocket, go for a stroll at lunch, and find a shady spot to read a chapter. During the fall & winter it can be a thicker tome because I can use my coat pocket. |
|
|
|
Post by geoffrey on Jun 3, 2014 20:53:32 GMT -6
My favorite format for a book is a mass market paperback of 200 or fewer pages. That way it can comfortably fit in my pants pocket. I was in a bookstore earlier today, and I wager that there is very little in the science fiction & fantasy section that would fit comfortably in your pants pocket! Most older books are only available in trade paperbacks, and most newer books are well over 300 pages. Why a pants pocket as the measure, out of curiosity? Are you frequently on the go and reading a novel? You're right about contemporary books, and more's the pity. I have on my shelf slender mass market paperbacks authored by Leiber, Merritt, Vance, etc. Each is nice and small. They don't make 'em like they used to! I always take a book with me wherever I go. You never know when you're going to be forced to stand or sit for a solid 10 minutes or so. That time can seem interminable, or it can flash by with a book. Thus, having a small, light-weight book that can be swiftly taken out of or put into your pants pocket is a blessing. You have no idea how much reading I have gotten done while out and about and reading 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, etc. I'm reminded of the English diplomat who also always carried books with him wherever he went. He said he learned French and German in odd moments while waiting for his wife!  |
|
|
|
Post by Otto Harkaman on Jun 4, 2014 3:32:47 GMT -6
I put everything on my nook or kindle nowadays. I only have two shelfs left of old paperbacks, mainly for decoration because I like the cover or something. The kindle is great very small, will fit in my large pockets on my biking shorts.
|
|
|
|
Post by ravenheart87 on Jun 4, 2014 5:29:48 GMT -6
I really like black and white hardcover rulebooks with thick pages. I prefer sturdy rulebooks over coffee table wonders.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2014 6:26:34 GMT -6
I like books PB or HC, it doesn't matter to me. But those electronic toys, kindles and the like, the screens are way too small and until you can operate them with your thoughts alone, the ease of use will never match a book for simple reading. If you want to do a electronic search of the text or anything other than read, then give me the biggest computer monitor on the market with a fast versatile program.  |
|
|
|
Post by coffee on Jun 4, 2014 8:19:29 GMT -6
I generally prefer paperbacks. Always have done. I share Geoffrey's appreciation of the thin mass-market paperback.
For gaming books, larger paperbacks work. Unless it's bound as well as the original AD&D books, I don't need anything in hard cover; publishing in that way smacks of pretension to me. (Although, as above, see Vornheim...)
I no longer carry paperbacks in my back pocket; I now have a small backpack that I take most everywhere. If it fits in there, it's a good size.
|
|
|
|
Post by sulldawga on Jun 5, 2014 9:11:55 GMT -6
I just want something that will stay open, on the selected page, if I lie it down on a flat surface. Preferably without having to crack the spine in half.
|
|
