Recent or Old Books?

[Bluecobia]

I definitely go for both. I read new books all the time but I also like the classics. Most people don't know how good some of the older authors were. I have some Tom Swift Sr books from back in the early 1900''s where he is inventing things like electric cars and houses on wheel's. Wild thoughts at the time. Fun to go back and see what they were thinking.

[Rebecca Henderson]

I honestly don't think I have a preference here. I think reader newer books helps me keep track of what is going on in the world and what popular topics are, but there is much to be learned from older books. There are differences in style between older books and newer, but sometimes learning about the history of books lends new light to the craft of writing. For instance, as society changes, so do norms; the contents of a book can also change. Where earlier authors might have glossed over certain events or spoke about them euphemistically, modern-day authors might go into more detail. Either way, I love books!

[Donnavila Marie01]

For me, a good book has nothing to do with its date of publication. There are new books which are excellent and there are old books which are still relatable.

[Anirudh Badri]

For me, a good book has nothing to do with its date of publication. There are new books which are excellent and there are old books which are still relatable.

Exactly. When I read I am far more concerned with the quality of the book than the time of publication. That said, there are a lot more books that are recently published that are easily relatable to us. That is because books have context and books that draw heavily on the context of a time gone by are harder to relate to than books set today.

[Alice Heritage]

I like both when it comes to fiction. In the case of non-fiction, caution is important because the information in old books may be out of date.

[Manang Muyang]

I like both when it comes to fiction. In the case of non-fiction, caution is important because the information in old books may be out of date.

I have to agree with ButterscotchCherrie. Information in old books may be obsolete, erroneous, or even dangerous.

[Kalin Adi]

I do not mind reading one or the other as long as the story is captivating and singular. I have a collection of books at home, both old and recent ones.

[Donnavila Marie01]

I like both when it comes to fiction. In the case of non-fiction, caution is important because the information in old books may be out of date.

I agree but there are non-fiction books which are still considered acceptable and will not be considered outdated even if they are old like history books and philosophy books.

[Athena Moon]

It depends on the genre and the way of the world that author has, not on the year of publication, but of course different times might influence the language of the books, still I love both - old and new. Bulgakov or Murakami relate to me despite being century apart.

[DDunstock]

Both! I like being "up" on what is newly released, but sometimes old classics help get me centered.

[Athena Moon]

I like both when it comes to fiction. In the case of non-fiction, caution is important because the information in old books may be out of date.

You are right on the button! Fiction will always be great despite the times it is written in.

[barb429]

I enjoy both. Although I love the classics, and there are some books that I will read at least once a year, I do like to read more recent publications too.

[Miche Sora]

It depends on the book. I just picked up a book of Edgar Allan Poe's writings, and I can't wait to read it! I'm also reading a couple of books that have been published in the last couple of years.

[kmcpartland]

I don't think it's so much the age as the theme or genre. A classic example would be all the versions of Cinderella, story or movie format. The age changes but the content of the story remains very much the same. Look at any movie that has ever been redone, you definitely have your favorites but they maintain certain similarities that allow them to be enjoyed by new and old viewers. I think the same with books. A story about a knight 30 years ago will have similarities to one written this last year. Look at the key components of a hero's journey and you'll see my meaning.

[Scerakor]

Over the last few years I have been reading a lot of classics. That being said, this was definitely to the detriment of discovering a lot of new content coming out on a daily basis. Over the last few months I have almost exclusively been reading stuff that is new and have loved the respite. I think a balance is required.