Printed Books vs Digital Reads: How to Feed the Soul this Fall/Winter

Written by Aman Dhami.

Winter in the UAE has its own quiet charm. It isn’t the kind that calls for fireplaces or snow-tipped roofs, but rather the soft kind, like a late summer’s evening in London when the sun lingers, and everything feels touched by gold. The air becomes forgiving, the sun becomes blurred, and suddenly, everyone is outside again, whether their walking, running or gathering, the city exhales.

For those of us who arrived here from elsewhere, this season feels almost symbolic. Fall and winter in the UAE will always be my cosy season. There’s a certain joy in pulling out a jumper – even if it is a light one – and pretending, for a moment, that it’s truly winter. It brings with it a nostalgia, a sense of home.

Some choose to fill these months with desert adventures or beach brunches, but I’ve always been drawn to the quieter rituals, the small acts that make the day feel whole. After work, I take a long walk. It’s my way of emptying the mind, of finding stillness in motion. I watch families wander, joggers pass, the world slowing down as the light fades. When I return home, I take a cool shower, pour a cup of tea, and reach for a book from my shelf. That, for me, is luxury – not the loud kind, but the silent, grounding kind that meets you in your own space.

As a writer, the comfort of a physical book feels almost sacred. Perhaps it’s the tactile connection, the weight of the spine, the texture of the paper, the faint scent of ink, and time. It’s something digital reading can never quite replicate. Though I understand the practicality of e-books, efficient, sustainable, and portable, there’s something deeply human about turning a page and hearing it whisper into place.

I sometimes wonder if my affection for printed books began in childhood. Maybe it was Beauty and the Beast that did it, the grandeur of that library, the endless stories waiting behind gilded spines. Or maybe it’s simply the creative in me, drawn to the design and colour of each book, the deliberate choices authors make beyond their words, the typography, the size, the hue of the cover. My shelves aren’t just a collection of stories ordered into topics, but they are all a gallery of personalities.

That said, digital books have their quiet virtues. They’re kinder to the planet, infinitely organised, and free from the chaos of stacked novels and coffee-ringed pages. But they also tether us, however slightly, to the screens we spend most of our lives trying to escape. I’m no scientist, but I’m certain the mind needs a break from constant blue light, a reprieve found only in paper and in presence.

There’s something transformative about reading in fall and winter, especially here. Whether it’s a paperback in your hand or a digital page glowing softly in the dusk, this is the season to slow down, to sit on the beach by the sea, or under a park tree, and follow the white rabbit to words that pull you somewhere else entirely.

Winter in the UAE isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing gently and taking time to create peace, inside and around you. We’re in a season that brings us warmth, and that warmth is sometimes the stillness we need to allow ourselves to feel.

Do you prefer a printed book or digital book? Join the discussion on LinkedIn here and let us know your thoughts.