Lifestyle and shopping writer Phoebe Barton dubiously used an Amazon Kindle for this first time and it made her a different reader
Reading is one of my biggest hobbies. I get through multiple books a month and I’m part of a book club. I am, however, a bit of a paperback nerd – I love the feel of an actual book, the smell of the pages and how pretty they look on my bookshelf. This all changed last month when I read my first e-book on an Amazon Kindle.
When my book club decided to read a novel that was available for only 99p on Kindle, I rather dubiously asked to borrow my Mum’s Amazon Kindle Fire – which she has had since 2013 – so that I could save some money and start reading it right away. This brings me to the first advantage of reading an electronic book.
I love visiting bookstores and can spend hours browsing the shelves, but I mainly buy books online. After adding far too many books to my virtual basket, I often have to pay for delivery and then impatiently wait for them to arrive. This isn’t the case with Kindle books – as soon as I’ve purchased them, they’re in my library ready to start right away.
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Despite my passion for reading, sometimes when I’m feeling super tired before bed, I’ll struggle to read more than a few pages. I have a bad habit of flicking through the upcoming chapter to see how many pages it is and assess how long it’ll take me to read it (I hate to stop reading halfway through a chapter).
I also find if I can see I only have a few pages left, I’ll rush through to the end of the chapter before plonking the book on my nightstand and drifting off to sleep. A handy feature on the Kindle is it tells you in minutes how long you have left in a chapter based on your reading speed. I’ve found this helps me to assess exactly how long it will take me to read a chapter and I’ll read at a normal speed and not rush through the story.
Another useful feature on the Kindle is it tells you how far through the book you are as a whole, displaying a percentage in the bottom corner. I find this is a great tool for predicting when you’re likely to finish the book and start the next one on your TBR (to be read) pile.
As someone who looks at a screen all day for work, I was a bit wary of reading on a Kindle fearing my eyes would not get a screen break. I was pleasantly surprised, though, as the Amazon Kindle screen is different to a laptop or TV. It’s a soft warm light and the brightness can be adjusted to suit your environment. It really doesn’t feel like I’m looking at a screen.
Another big plus of the Kindle is the font size. I don’t wear glasses for reading, but sometimes I find the print in books is so small that I have to strain my eyes. On the Kindle, you can adjust the font size to your liking, and I’ll admit I have mine pretty large now that I have the option.
The Kindle also has a great feature where you can hold down a word that you don’t know the meaning of and the dictionary definition will appear. I hate to admit that when I’m reading a paperback and a word crops up that I don’t know, I will just carry on reading. Call me lazy, but I believe having to pick up your phone and search for the meaning of a word wastes valuable reading time. The Kindle makes it super quick and easy, and you can also highlight any words, sentences or paragraphs using a handy highlighter tool.
I find paperbacks comfortable to hold, but the practicality of a Kindle is even better. You can hold it in one hand and use your thumb to tap the screen to turn the page. This means I can lie down on my side and get cosy with a blanket over my other arm, something you can’t do with a paperback due to needing both hands to turn the page.
Arguably the biggest advantage of a Kindle is the fact that you can carry hundreds of books with you wherever you go. Having so many different worlds in your back pocket (or handbag, rucksack, carryon…) is incredibly thrilling. It takes the pressure off deciding how many books you need to pack when you go on holiday or trips away, plus the battery life is brilliant, lasting weeks if not months.
It’s safe to say that the Amazon Kindle has converted me – I am no longer solely a paperback reader, I’m an e-book lover, too. It has made me a much more relaxed, patient and content reader.
After finishing my book club read, I rather reluctantly returned my Mum’s Amazon Kindle to her. I am planning on purchasing my own in the very near future and have got my eyes on the Kindle Paperweight costing £149.99. It has the same features as the basic Kindle, but has a 6”8 display, an adjustable warm light and is waterproof.
If you’re not fussed about these extra features, the 2022 version of the 6″ Amazon Kindle priced at £94.99 is a great alternative. There are other e-readers out there, including the KOBO Clara Colour 6″ eReader available at Currys for £139. Argos is selling the Kobo Clara BW E-Reader for £119.99.