Whether it be a mystical fantasy world full of extraordinary creatures, the vast, lonely surface of Mars, or even a mundane townhouse in Pittsburgh, the view is always best experienced from within the pages of a book.

There is something indescribably magical about opening an amazing book. Simple details like that new book smell or the unique way the characters come to life across the pages make books much more exciting, plus those things can’t be experienced in a movie theater.

Movies, even well-done ones, share ideas from someone else’s vivid imagination, leaving little room for viewer participation. Books, however, give the reader only a small portion of the world and character descriptions, allowing them to use their imagination and dream up a setting all their own.

By the end of a novel, readers often feel a great connection toward the characters in it. While many of the characters aren’t even real people, it feels more like someone is losing a friend than checking a book off their “to read” list. This deep emotional connection with many of the characters is something rarely found in films due to less detail over a much shorter time period.

Movies, whether they are adaptations of books or not, are well-known for leaving out key details crucial to the plot. Obviously, movies cannot be as long as a 600-page book and, therefore, cannot contain the same degree of details and events as one. With that being said, films often leave out major details or scenes that would really help explain certain plot points and shifts throughout the story. It is possible for books to do the same thing. However, it is a more common complaint in films.

The actual action of reading and completing a book also gives the reader a sense of accomplishment that cannot be found when watching a film. Besides the extremely upsetting portion of finishing a novel in which the reader realizes it’s actually over, it provides a true sense of achievement. If you are someone that wants to feel productive and accomplished, finding a book at the library or bookstore is the best choice.

As movies can be viewed almost anywhere provided someone has internet access or data, people no longer have to take this into account when deciding whether to read a book or watch a film. However, if someone’s ever on an airplane without internet access or in a black hole in space, a book is definitely the way to go.