physical books vs e-books

ive always been a reader and absolutely love books; they are a great gateway into knowledge, into other worlds and even into our own minds. over the past several years, i fell in love with this wonderfully convenient new trend: the e-book. the e-book totally kicks the physical book’s butt in terms of convenience.  for one thing, i never leave home without my phone, which is where i began reading all of my books.  so while waiting for the train or even just waiting on a long line in the supermarket, i could easily pull my “book” out of my pocket and read a few paragraphs or pages.  on top of that, the e-books are cheaper, don’t get wet in the rain, and i can carry a whole library in my pocket.  what could be better?

enter in art school and my new found appreciation for design, typography, paper quality and my desire to build an actual inspiration library. oh man. i have learned to appreciate the way the pages feel, the way the book smells, the sound of the book in my hands when i turn the pages or crease the spine, the typefaces chosen on the cover.  oh man.

so now i am torn. which books do i buy to add to my physical design library and which (or do i even) buy to read on my iphone/e-reader?!

do any of you feel the same way or have a preferred method of reading?  feel free to share your thoughts and some of your current or favorite books, i’d love to hear your thoughts!  happy reading!