And, it’s time for the great debate: which is better, paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook? To settle this dispute, I decided that asking some of the smartest people on Earth would suffice: teenagers. 

Over the course of the past month, I surveyed people on the Harker campus, both faculty and students, to get their opinions on which format is best. The results may (or may not) surprise you. 

The consensus? Paperback books.

 While polling, I asked a few people why they chose paperback:

“It’s practical. Hardcover is too heavy and I like physical books more than ebook or audiobook.”

“Paperback is cheaper than hardcover.” 

I also asked people what class they were in. Which produces the data:

• Seniors chose paperback with 80% of the vote.
• Juniors chose ebook with 50% of the vote.
• Sophomores were split 50/50 with paperback and hardcover.
• Frosh chose paperback with 75% of the vote.
• Faculty chose ebook with a close 60% of the vote. 

So, why did so many people choose paperback or ebook? There are many factors to consider, including portability, price, basic preference, and availability. 

Paperback is lighter than hardcover and slightly more portable. Additionally, many preferred physical books for the pure experience of it.  

Ebooks are obviously much more portable than any physical book, but you miss out on the experience of reading physical books. For some, however, that isn’t a factor in their reading pleasure, and so they read their ebooks with satisfaction. 

The lowest ranking was audiobooks, unsurprisingly. Unfortunately, audiobooks have yet to be regarded as “real” books by many avid readers and bookworms. Audiobooks are easily accessible to those with vision impairments and who struggle reading, making it a decently inclusive format compared to the others. Of course, not many people at Harker tend to read more than textbooks, and those who pretty much exclusively read audiobooks may only use that for English and history readings. 

In conclusion, read how you want, because any sort of reading is good reading. Yes, even if it’s fanfiction or a supplemental history reading.

-Anoushka C. ’26