Switched from paperback to hardcover for book club picks and it changed how I mark pages

I used to always buy the paperback version of whatever we were reading for my book club. Cheaper, easier to carry around. But about six months ago I grabbed the hardcover of a 500 page novel because the paperback was sold out. First thing I noticed was the pages stayed flat when I set it down. No more creasing the spine just to keep my place. Then I started using those little sticky flags to mark quotes I wanted to bring up for discussion. Now I prefer hardcovers for any book over 300 pages. The paper quality is better too, so my highlighter doesn't bleed through. Anybody else find a format change made their reading habit different?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilymurphy1mo ago

I was totally a paperback loyalist for years because I thought hardcovers were just heavy and pretentious. But last month I picked up a hardcover of a 700 page fantasy novel for my book club and the pages actually stayed open on my lap without me having to crack the spine. That was a game changer. The sticky flags stuck better too and the paper felt thicker so my pencil marks didn't show through to the other side. Now I'm wondering if I've been missing out on better reading experiences this whole time. Did you find your highlighters work differently on the paper?

ivan5221mo ago

Honestly yeah, I was the same way - thought hardcovers were just for showing off on shelves. But the paper quality in hardcovers really is better for marking stuff up, now I get why some people swear by them.