Tell us your thoughts on e-reading and win a Kobo Arc tablet, plus a signed copy of award-winning author Margaret Drabble's latest novel The Pure Gold Baby

I love my e-reader. I love the fact that I can take a virtual library away with me for the weekend and decide what I would like to read depending on my mood. I love the fact that going on holiday means I can pack a hundred virtual books into my suitcase and not be a single pound overweight at check in. I love the fact that I can hold it with one hand and flip the page with my thumb. I love the fact that I can make the printing as small or as large as I like depending on whether I am wearing my glasses or not.

BUT having said all that why is it that I have a study full of books? Real books? There is nothing like the thrill of a new hardback (or paperback) book. The beautiful cover that draws you to want to know more. The thrill of spotting the name of you favourite author, The feel of the smooth pages,the smell of the paper.

I love my e reader and I love real books too and I wouldn't be without either of them .

OH I have such mixed feelings on this. I find myself reluctantly agreeing to all the positive aspects. However, I was brought up to have a great deal of respect for books and I love the feel and smell of a book. Hopefully there will remain a healthy balance for all to enjoy as I would actually love to try a e-reader, which would be perfect for my travels.

I have a Nook e-reader which I like. However, I do also love the smell and the feel of a new book. This must stem from childhood when I would get an Enid Blyton Famous Five book as a reward or at Christmas. I also loved A Christmas Carol which I got for a prize at school. It started an interest in Charles Dickens works. E-readers are good for travelling though, very portable.

I have had e readers for years starting with a Sony reader, followed by another, one of the first touch screen ones. Next there have been three Kindles as they improved now I am on my second IPAD mini. This gives me access to all the reading platforms in one place. The Sony Reader store is shutting, by the way, and all their books transferring to Kobo.
The one advantage to the dedicated readers are their paper lite screens which work in bright sun that the IPad mini doesn't.
As readers have improved so has their storage capacity so I now carry thousands of books around with me in one small tablet. Bliss.

Margaret do you base your characters on any one you know personally or your story lines on events that you may have witnessed,I always wonder where authors do get their inspiration from.
I can just imagine being the owner of a Kobo Arc so neat and tidy and holding such a lot of vital information for everyday living,all those untidy books moved away from my bedside table and being replaced by a neat and tidy Arc Tablet bliss.

I had been looking at the Kobo Arc for my son, so would be delighted to win him one! I love my tablet, which I use mainly as an e-reader. Apart from being able to cart it about with me so that I have something to do if sitting waiting for someone, I can read it at night with the light off and no rustling of pages, so that I don't disturb DBH.

I too wondered about how Margaret keeps a plot - in her head, or does she use planning boards? I think getting my plot in a muddle and making a mistake is what would worry me most about writing a book.

I am a reluctant convert to e reading but after cleaning out my mums house
i decided to declutter my house and i hadso many books which i had read but were not good enough to reread and our local hospice befenited to the tune of over 60 books and i realised that e books dont take up carbon on production and i dont need any storage. But i still love a good read and i can aways buy any that are so hood that i want to reread them.

I have heard it said that we all have a novel in us. I would love to write one. The nearest I have got is getting a short poem published. I would like to ask Margaret how she went about writing her first book, how she formed her characters and did she get it published first time.

I would like to know how Margaret plans her books, does she have it all worked out before the opening sentence is typed or does she change it along the way? Is there a lengthy planning period and well defined original structure or the merest whiff of a tale and a lot of enthusiasm?

I love reading , however I love the smell, feel of a book, would love to win a e reader, but would still buy books. Margaret what do you prefer e reader or book? Do you have a favourite book/author ?

I don't have a problem with ereading, I like the text to speech function on my (very old and beat up) kindle, but have to say I still like reading physical books just as much as ever. I think a nice mix of both is always good.

I think reading Ebooks is great!! As much as i love a physical book i just love the convienance of having 100's of books at my fingertips!

I think that an e-book can't substitute "the real thing" BUT I personally feel that it is time for us to stop cutting our trees (or reduce it at least) so, I decided to "make the sacrifice" and to read only the e-books. It turns out, it's better especially on holidays saving yourself space in your bags by not carrying heavy books .

I suffer from rheumatoid arthritis & struggle holding a book for long & turning the pages so e-readers are perfect for me. I use a kindle but I'd love to win an e-reader fro my Mum who also suffers from arthritis & loves reading

We've retired, and for health reasons... we now spend our winters in Spain. I love reading, but got fed up with spending our holiday budget on 2nd hand paperbacks/books, as I get through quite a few during the 10 weeks we are away. Plus British TV in Spain was switched off this year, so reading became my main evening pastime. Luckily, I had filled my Kindle with several books... a lot of them downloaded from a free daily Kindle books email I signed up for. Also, best sellers and new publications are often a lot cheaper. My Kindle is so small and light, it is easy to carry in my luggage allowance (we travel light) but can hold over 1000 books (enough, for even avid bookworms like me!). Much as I love physical books, and continue to buy them... I would never go away without my lovely e-reader. Reading is such a pleasure, it doesn't really matter to me, what format I use.

I have had an e-reader for several years now and wouldn't be without it. I was surprised at how readily I took to it. I do have a leather cover on it and it almost feels like a real book. I don't have to wait to visit the shops when I have finished the current read, I just download the next. If you look carefully, there are many e-books that are free of charge or very competitively priced despite vat being chargeable on e-books. There is often the chance to download samples so you you can read a few pages before you buy.
The only occasional annoyance for me is the lack of proof-reading (although sometimes, the errors can make quite amusing reading!!)
I would like to see zero rate vat on e-books - I really don't understand why they are standard rated.
I still love to get paper books from time to time although a lack of space at home limits what I can keep. It's great to be able to pass them on to friends and family though which you can't do with e-books.

I've had a Kindle for 2 years.I like it for reading on holiday or when travelling.But I still prefer to hold a REAL book and turn the pages.Also I like seeing the covers on my bookshelves
I've read most of Margaret 's early books .Still got a hardback of 'The Witch of Exmoor' from 1996.- slightly damaged first edition with original dust cover.
It would be wonderful to have a copy of her latest book after so long.

I am still a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to e-reading. I have not yet managed to switch from physical books to the electronical variety. I love the feel of a 'real' books in my hands - however, I can see the benefits of having books stored on an e-reader. They are compact, you can store many titles without the worry of where to put them and they are great for travel which space is at a premium.

I have had an ereader for about four years and love it, especially when going on holiday. I get through many books when away from home and the ebooks are perfect, no bulky books to carry.

I love the idea of taking lots of different book on holiday with me , without the weight.

Margaret, your books have given me so much pleasure over the years - you articulate so beautifully what it is to be human. 'The Radiant Way' is one of my all-time favourites. It's seven years since you last published a novel - was the new book that long in the making, or have you simply had some time off from writing?

Like many others, I love the smell, feel, and the comfort that only a 'real' book can give. I guess that practice would improve my relationship with the ebook, but I'm not convinced!

It took me a while to try ebooks, because I didn't think I'd like them, but now I have there's no going back - I love how easy it is to hold the reader, and how you can make the writing bigger, and bring so many books about with you.

I was a bit doubtful about e-books at first, but I really love them now. So much easier than taking a pile of books on holiday (and invariably running out of things to read about three days before the end of the holiday!). I wouldnt5be without my Kindle now and would love to get my DH an ereader so that he could get into e-reading too.

I do still enjoy "real" books, but find e-books much easier, no more worrying about losing my place when my bookmark falls out!

I've had a tablet for two years and originally bought it mainly to use as an eReader. I think now that I should have just bought one without any Internet access as I never manage to concentrate on what I'm reading and become distracted by checking emails and surfing! It's great for taking on holiday though - lots more space in my suitcase!

When e-reading first became popular I was dead against it as thought it would be the death of real books, bookshops and libraries. Also, I'm sure it would not have been as enjoyable reading/sharing a book with my grandchildren if it had been an e-book. All those lovely pictures to pour over and look at again and again. Putting a bookmark in when they fell asleep and the general interaction of sharing a story. However, as my grandchildren have grown, they both have e-readers and I'm coming round (a little bit). Perhaps there is room for both.

Hello Margaret, do you have a view on e-reading?