Are hardback books things of 'great beauty' or a dying art?

Are hardback books things of 'great beauty' or a dying art?9 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJasmine Ketibuah-Foley,West of EnglandandDavid Smith,GloucestershireGetty ImagesWhat team are you rooting for – paperback or hardback?For hundreds of years, hardbacks have been published as the first edition of a book. They have been hailed by some as things of "great beauty" that help to keep the publishing industry alive financially. However, others believe the hardback has had its day and should be scrapped.Earlier this month, newspaper columnist Larry Ryan declared hardbacks should be ditched."The simple fact is that hardbacks are too expensive," he said, arguing that, when you know a cheaper version of the book will arrive in a matter of months, it is easy to postpone purchasing it. "Yet this seems like an unnecessary pause for everyone involved," he wrote. "Given how difficult it is for any piece of culture, let alone books, to get more than fleeting attention, it seems baffling that publishers first offer up the least accessible version."So how about you? When did you last buy a hardback and what was it – a cookbook, a coffee table book or fiction? Maybe you do all your reading on a Kindle or tablet.More from the WestWheelbarrows and woolsacks - quirky West eventsWest Country heat warning as temperatures soarIn pictures: Love Saves The Day and T20 victoriesOne man who has handled a lot of books is Christopher Moss, a book-lover who turned his passion into a lifelong mission. He runs Moss Books in Cheltenham, which has more than 30,000 used books in stock."With fiction here, most people buy paperbacks, the only market for hardback fiction is first editions," he said. "Hardback fiction is a hard sell, maybe it's easier to read a paperback on a deck chair or something."I'd say hardbacks recently have become more popular. One of the reasons, I think, is that people might read on a...