Of course the old books are all pretty to look at. I can't afford to own such books though. I have one bookshelf left in my place. On it are the books that are out of print and there are no ebook version, but I can't really read them. Yellow and small print. But I keep them as I am attached to those stories. I also still have my Stephen King hardcover collection. The only fiction books I bought in hard cover. And of course my cookbooks are there also.
But right now I am struggling to read a paperback new release from the library. And by struggling, I don't mean the story, I mean struggling to hold the book open. I swear its like a workout and my hands and wrists are really hurting. It takes so much strength to keep it open so I can read all the way inside the spine. Ugh. And because it takes both of my hands to keep it open to read, I can't pet my cat. Rule of the house "Cat not happy, nobody happy.
So for me fiction books are the story. And its the same story on my Kindle than in the paper version. Just that I can read the kindle version so much easier and comfortable.
I am from a small town in Bavaria. We have a very famous library in a Basilika church. Those books are awe inspiring to look at. You can't touch though. They are so old and of course historical. Objects. But not to read. Like statues. Untouchable.
I spend 5 years just looking at books before I got my first Kindle in 2008. I haven't looked back since. I went on to read almost 200 books in 2009.