It used to be so simple. Hardback or paperback. Own or borrow or library copy. Not so easy anymore. Next week a book group I coordinate will be discussing The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (Sourcebooks Landmark). A friend asked to borrow a paper copy, which I used to have. It had long since been loaned out and then replaced with an ebook before another discussion in January (see post) since my “real” copy had never made it back home and the library continues to have a substantial waiting list .
I take great pleasure in matching up readers with books. With all the formats available: print, audio (subscription, cd, and Playaway), ebooks (web, e-reader) and more, there is so much to consider. Will I/the reader need to easily refer back to keep track of characters or plot lines? Am I/she comfortable using the bookmark feature in most e-readers? Will I/he have the 15 hours to listen and focus on the audiobook and be able to then discuss it in a group? Does it matter if the book is 500 pages and 3 pounds or whether a charger is needed?
My “active” reading list of the moment gave rise to these questions. This morning
I finished listening to Us by David Nicholls (Harper), a very British title brought to life by David Haig. It took me more than a month to make it through 2/3 of the book, 15 minutes at a time, at home or on the road. Haig’s wonderful portrayal of the narrator kept the story alive in my head until momentum and snow gave me the push to finish. Listening to a British voice telling the story brought the novel to life far more than reading would have.
Last winter another book group took on Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. The entire book charted Harold’s self-discovery on the journey to Queenie Henessey’s bedside. While seeing Queenie was the objective, the reader learned little about the woman herself. Joyce’s latest, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (Random House), was published this week. I am reading the e-book and hope to review it by early next week. Neither a prequel nor a sequel, this novel speaks of life’s choices and unrequited love. 
Queenie’s “voice” grabbed me immediately. Having electronic access to titles provides instant gratification, though I was lucky to get an advance copy. It’s hard to beat the portability of e-readers but at times there is a disconnect between the the medium used to tell a story, in this case a letter, and the delivery vehicle.
My hardback title of the moment is The Hilltop by Assaf Gavron (Scribner). 
Seeing the parched landscape on the cover draws me back to read it. I do like having the cast of characters and an annotated layout of the settlement easily visible as I read. Paper is definitely an advantage as I navigate the story.
So do let me know what are you reading and tell me HOW are you reading as well.
by 
I just finished A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. I enjoyed it but found parts, ideas, concepts that I would appreciate more by discussing with others. Very creative and intriguing format–not just two competing narratives, but one in real time, another a diary and old letters. I recommend this. And, as always for me, I read it in hard cover.
I have a copy of A Tale for the Time Being in my to-be-read pile. A childhood friend is a big Ozeki fan. I think talking about it over a cup or coffee would be just the thing.