With winter on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to get snuggled up and read or listen to a book. The ultimate question: Which is better? Of course, opinions can be skewed depending on whether you like reading in the first place.
Audiobooks give a good outlet to getting the reading in while being able to complete other tasks, whereas the comfort of snuggling up on the couch with a paperback is just unmatched. I love a good paperback.
However, with finals in full swing and my having to cram books for class, sometimes audiobooks can be a helpful tool. When I need to fit three chapters in one night, sometimes a mix of both reading from the book and an audiobook can be an even better use of that tool.
To find an answer, I polled some students here at Lasell. No prompts, no scenarios, just asking: Which is better? The poll came back with 12 responses in favor of paperback and only five for audio.
The data was surprising to the effect that most folks on campus I asked in person said audiobooks were better. The most common follow-up to my question: Are we talking about reading for class or pleasure reading?
When the decision was left up to the respondent, most said they enjoy paperbacks for pleasure reading and audio for educational purposes.
Most respondents had this opinion because sometimes books for a class don’t necessarily spark that much interest in students, or even more, the book has some tough concepts to grasp, therefore making listening to the material a better alternative.
After polling students on campus, the census indicates that paperbacks are preferred and that most students would rather read a book they enjoy.
As an avid free-time reader, I would 100 percent rather read a paperback book. I like to be able to fold my books for easier reading, so paperbacks are normally something I look for in the library. Most paperbacks that I’ve read in the past tend to be lighter, shorter reads, which are the genres I like to read for the most part.
Overall, I agree with the feedback from students here at Lasell. I highly recommend a paperback and a blanket for a cold winter day here on campus.
Hardcover books can be a challenge with the book sleeve falling off, and the inflexibility of the book, and audiobooks tend to make me lose focus and be distracted by other things while listening. So the winner for me would be a good paperback.
–Dec. 8, 2025–
