We've all heard the argument that movies trump books or books absolutely dominate over movies, yada, yada, yada. I personally argue for books. Here are just a few of the many reasons why.
1. Length
When you go watch a movie, you get 120 minutes of glorious action, romance, plot, and comedy. However, when it's over, it's over. Sure, there are sometimes sequels, but it only adds up to around two hours of your life. With books, you have entire series to keep you occupied for weeks. You can read at your pace, so you'll never get lost in the CGI effects and miss some of the dialogue or plot twists. With books, you have as much time as you want. You can read slowly and take it all in as much as you want to. And if you miss something, you can just turn back a page and read the last few paragraphs. You can also pause in reading for things like snacks, bathroom breaks, family time, and school and not miss anything, unlike movies that you see in the cinema.
2. Casting
Movies have real life flesh and blood actors to portray the characters. This is sometimes a letdown, especially if it's a movie based on a book or event, because the casting might not always be how you pictured it. Let's say you absolutely abhor Emma Stone. I don't know how anyone could, but, for the sake of argument, you do. If a new movie comes out and it features Emma Stone as the lead, it will probably ruin the movie for you. Whether it's their look, their acting, or their voice, some actors and actresses just aren't appealing to certain people. With books, you are the casting director. You can imagine the characters however you want to. Sure, the author describes them, but it still gives you plenty of room to determine what they look like or who they resemble.3. Portability
You don't need anything except a book to read. With movies, you have to have something to play it on. This isn't the case with books. All you do is keep them in your backpack, purse, or car, and take them out when you have a few minutes of downtime. It's super easy because you can literally read anywhere. Perhaps avoid taking books with you to places where they might get damaged, but the point remains. Books are like having a completely different world with you at all times.
4. Series
Most movies are standalone. While there are many movies that have sequels attached to them, a lot of people fall in love with movies that only have one film. With books, most of them have companions. And if they aren't part of a series, you can look to what else that author has written. Authors these days are writing novellas or short stories to go along with their popular books. For instance, Suzanne Young wrote a series called The Program. It became popular, so she has a sequel, as well as three companion pieces. The other nice thing about books is that you can go to Goodreads.com and find thousands of books similar to the ones you loved.
5. Price
Books are generally less expensive than movies. When you buy a book, you own it permanently. When you pay to go to a movie, you only pay for one showing. If you enjoy it, you have to pay twice as much to buy it on DVD months later when it finally comes out. With books, once they're out, they're out. Once you buy it, it's yours forever. And books cost a few dollars less than movies most of the time.
To conclude, books are just better. Invest and you won't be disappointed.
