I like a book. I like the look, feel and smell of it. But everyone’s been raving about the Kindle for ages – and now the NOOK’s just come out as well – so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And to decide which one was better – NOOK or Kindle?

Let’s start with the price – most people will. Your basic Kindle costs £69, the NOOK £99. They share a lot of features; both have Wi-Fi so you can download books easily and super-fast, both offer free sample downloads so you can browse a book before you buy it. Both have ‘e-ink’ display, so it feels like you are reading a paper page rather than a screen. Both allow you to change font size, highlight passages and make notes as you read. And both open on the page you were last reading when you switch on.

So why does the NOOK cost more? Well, it’s got some nice extras. Like the GlowLight facility which can be adjusted for brightness so you can read in dim light or the dark. It has a longer battery time, two months compared to Kindle’s one, though if you constantly use GlowLight you’ll reduce battery life to one month. It also has a touch screen, which means you can turn pages by swiping the screen, tapping it or pressing a button at the side. With Kindle your only option is to press the side button – however, this is a lot easier to use than on the NOOK, which needs a firm touch.

Both allow you to download books, magazines and newspapers – Kindle through the Amazon website with over one million titles to choose from, NOOK through US bookshop Barnes & Noble, with 2.5 million titles on offer. You can download free books on each, like Pride and Prejudice, and – a little extra feature – Kindle has a lending library which lets you borrow books.

They both offer cheaper book prices than the high street – I bought the new JK Rowling, ‘The Casual Vacancy’, for £11.99 on Kindle the week it was published. At the time the cheapest bookshop price was £15. And I certainly wouldn’t have been lugging this brick-sized tome around in my bag – having it on the Kindle made it a joy to read (no propping up a heavy hardback in bed) and carry easily. The only thing I didn’t find it good for was travel guides – too hard scrolling back and forward through screens to find the one bit of vital info I needed – but again it was brilliant not to have to carry a heavy book in my bag.

And in the end, this is what it came down to for me – how easy were they to use and to carry? The Kindle is marginally lighter than the Nook – only by about 25g (yes, I weighed them) but it all counts in your handbag. It’s also a little bit neater; because even though the measurements of both are similar, the NOOK has a wider frame around its screen, making it a bit cumbersome. And the Kindle is cheaper. Okay, so the Nook has some extra features and touch screen controls, but if I wanted extra features and more flashiness, I’d probably spend a little bit more (£129 to be precise!) and go for the Kindle Fire with its colour touch screen and access to films, TV shows, songs and apps, as well as books and magazines.

For basic reading the Kindle does the job fine.

Kindle Wi-Fi 6" E Ink Display, £69
NOOK® Simple Touch GlowLight™ eReader, £99

Why don't you ... make a Kindle cover