Lots of online chatter this morning following an announcement from Amazon that sales of e-books for its Kindle are now greater than sales of hardback books.
Cue a rather misleading headline in the Daily Mail saying "E-book sales outstripping real books for first time, claims Amazon". Erm, not quite. When e-books sales outstrip paperback sales it really will be a momentous day. But for hardbacks I think it's no surprise whatsoever - personally I actively avoid buying hardback fiction as I far prefer paperbacks, and a quick straw poll among chums reveals similar attitudes.
Hardbacks are good for coffee table and cookery books, for reference books, and for covetable collections of fine books such as those amassed by Folio Society members. They are a book niche.
The news inspired web culture site Mashable to set up an online poll, and I'm following the results - and comments - with interest. So far it confirms the logical reasoning that it doesn't need to be either or when it comes to e-books and real books. Sometimes it's both.
