I got this notepad to take quick notes and write down ideas as they come to me. But once I got it, I thought that maybe I should use it to write poems or something. I thought the front of the books had a cardboard front just like any other notepad. Nope, it's some kind of soft-leather like material. I initially thought it was fabric until I touched it. The front and back both have this material, but the back has a thick cardboard inside of it which makes it much firmer and easier to write on, so the material of the front doesn't really matter. It doesn't add to the firmness, nor does it take any away.The notepad is also kind of thick, it feels a bit weighty, and the paper isn't the bright white paper notepads usually have, which is much easier on my eyes and I feel like it looks much better when using dark ink. It's also college ruled (or something like that) so each sheet has plenty of room. I think it looks just a bit fancy and I kinda like that. But, I still think I should be writing poems and sonnets - not notes on laptop specs or something like that.