I love my Kindle. Let’s start with that. It’s light, it holds thousands of books, and is far more convenient that storing the same amount of books in my home.

But recently I’ve been struggling with sleep and my mental health. In an effort to combat this, I’ve been taking steps to reduce my exposure to screens at night. Unfortunately, a Kindle is a screen, and like other screens, it emits blue light which may affect my sleep. Therefore I’ve had to switch (at bedtime, at least) to print books.

It’s certainly been an interesting experience – I’ve discovered books in the house I’d forgotten I’d purchased, and have been enjoying my fortnightly trips to the library and local book swap shop.

But it also led me to ruminate on the differences between the two formats: which is preferable, print or eBooks?

Let’s look at some of the key differences:

Ownership: A print book is yours for as long as you wish. Technology is fickle : eBooks can be deleted, or your E-reader may become faulty and the contents lost. A print book is yours to keep.

Some of my books are precious items that hold personal significance for me (e.g. the book I bought from Barnes and Noble on 5th Avenue in New York, or the copy of Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South that was a gift from my Nan)

Kindle books don’t have the same personal significance. And although I have gifted previous Kindles to relatives, it’s unlikely that my Kindle will be passed down through the generations.

Annotation: one of my favorite personal items is my copy of Wuthering Heights. It’s battered, dog eared and full of pencil annotations. I used it when I studied Wuthering Heights for my A Level English Literature course, and throughout the book passages are underlined, and notes written in the margins. It also contains this ominous warning at the beginning of Chapter 3 – “there is a ghost scene in this chapter”.

It never fails to make me laugh.

You can annotate or highlight passages in eBooks, but it isn’t quite the same as the joy of making notes yourself, or reading another’s notes.

Simplicity: I can’t deny that the simplicity of owning a Kindle is the key appeal for me. It fits neatly into my bag, it’s small, compact and light. I can purchase a new book at the touch of a button. All those doorstop novels I enjoy don’t have to make my wrists ache any more!

I can alter the size of the text, check my progress via the percentage rating in the toolbar, and browse the Kindle store for book recommendations or to research books I think I might enjoy.

It’s easy, but like the use of any other screen, it can be addictive!

Improved Comprehension: Studies have shown that print books provide a more immersive experience. Our brains comprehend printed text differently to e-text. Physical books allow us to absorb and recall content more effectively. According to Psychology Today, turning pages creates an index in the brain, mapping what we read visually to a particular page.

Sociability: Going to a book shop or the library, asking a friend for book recommendations, or even enjoying a coffee on your commute with a book in hand – print books encourage sociability. Interacting with fellow book lovers is one of most pleasurable aspects of reading.

What’s your preference – print books or eBooks?