In the modern world, where time is of the essence and convenience is everyone’s priority, does the humble book still have a place in our lives?

Whilst only halfway through September, my sister messaged me the other day with a suggestion for our father’s Christmas present. This year we shall be buying him a new e-reader as it transpires he is currently using our mother’s. As Mum passed away 12 years ago, it probably is time to upgrade the tech. This will be a perfectly well-received gift, Dad will spend Christmas Day setting it up and I have no doubt we shall be buying him a new one in another 12 years’ time.

Exactly a year ago I was considering what to buy my sister for Christmas; it ended up being book-themed. I chose one book for every month of the year, wrapped each in plain paper marked with the month of reading, and presented them to her on Christmas Day. She loved it and is still working through my offerings.

Two very different gifts, both chosen with love and care, which inadvertently draw to mind the question: Which is better? ‘Real life’, hold in your hand, turn the page books or the technology that offers immediate access to the entire back-catalogue of the written word? Or, indeed, Does it matter?

To book …

I will lay my cards on the table here – when reading for pleasure, I will only ever choose a physical book. I find them comforting, I enjoy the physicality of turning the pages, and I like easily seeing how much I have left to read (I know e-readers and audiobooks will do this but it’s not the same as watching your bookmark work its way through the pages!)

It seems, happily, that I am not alone. According to YouGov¹, 22% of Britons still read books every day (hooray!) with the majority of those readers sharing a preference for physical books (74% paperback, 53% hardback).

Books make for wonderful presents. I often buy Godchildren, nieces and nephews, and my own children books. I will succumb to a book token if practicality demands, but I cannot help but feel I’m phoning it in.

There is something exciting and hopeful about buying a new book. My house is full of books I have bought but am yet to read, and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to artfully display the new purchases I sneak into the house. We have run out of room and, yet, still they come. My goal is to store them in such a way that their positioning appears deliberate rather than being the only place left to put them. They make me happy in a way looking at a Kindle never will.

… or not to book …

The history of digital books extends further back than most people possibly realise (check out the work of Project Gutenburg) but, for the purpose of my thoughts and this article, I am thinking of e-books as those accessible via e-readers and audiobooks.

I am a fairly newly-minted member of a book club (a genuine joy which I look forward to) which has opened my eyes to the popularity of accessing the written word through alternative media. My fellow book-clubbers frequently reference listening to our chosen books en route to work, while making dinner, or whilst working whereas I’m sitting in my little old-school corner with my massive hardback, a cup of tea and biscuits.

The benefits of e-books are well documented. From almost instantaneous access to thousands of books, via accessibility (such as easily adjusting font sizes or having them read to you) and through to the convenience of portability there are clear advantages to embracing the technology available.

A June 2025 report by the UK Publishers Association² states that (within consumer publishing) audiobook revenue in 2024 increased 31% from the previous year, reaching £268 million, demonstrating a clear increase in popularity. Digital revenue saw an increase of 17% (£566 million).

Amazon enjoyed its biggest Q4 sales of Kindles in over a decade in 2024³ (although this could be attributed to the launch of a whole new range of Kindles in October 2024).

… that is the question

When I studied for my degree in the early 2000s I was surrounded by heaving business, psychology and finance text books, all of which rapidly became covered in highlighter, tagged and referenced. My teaching degree in the later 2000s led to another bookshelf full of reference books (none of which I have revisited). By the time I studied for my MBA in 2020, not a single book was purchased but everything accessed online. My son is in Week 1 of his university journey and we have sent him with a brand new iPad through which he shall access all notes, lecture slides and text books (the initial outlay in tech will arguably be cheaper than my investment in physical books 20 years ago). A greater initial financial commitment and yet far easier to carry and navigate, although I do feel he will be missing out on the feeling of panic searching through multiple pages as that assignment deadline looms.

I started writing this very clear in my mind (before any research) that physical books were the poor relation and that I was the only person keeping the physical publishing industry afloat. I am happy to find data that proves me wrong (the 2025 UK Publishers Association report records print revenue of £2 billion in 2024) although that may change as technology continues to develop.

I treasure the last thing my mother ever bought me. It isn’t special or unique, nor is it expensive or flashy. It is a Cecilia Ahern book I requested for my birthday. I will keep it forever, long after my dad has thrown away my mum’s Kindle and the one we will be gifting him this Christmas. That is the power of the physical book – it offers comfort, familiarity, escapism and a doorway into the past that you will never find elsewhere.

I hope that physical books endure but I will never judge anyone if they choose another medium. The key priority is that access to the written word endures for business, education or pleasure – we are so lucky to have been taught how to read and to have the means to access the art form, however we do so really comes down to personal preference. Let’s see what the coming years bring.

Sources

1. YouGov: Who reads and buys books in print?

2. Publishers Association: Audiobooks and fiction drove growth in 2024  – Publishers Association

3. Good e-Reader: Amazon Kindle Sales have never been stronger – Good e-Reader