Kindle?

I bought a kindle over 10 years ago and I found it did the job but was very clunky.

Funny but I now find books clunky! After one-handed lightweight reading for so long, holding books and turning pages seems "clunky"!

I bought a kindle over 10 years ago and I found it did the job but was very clunky. I later bought an iPad and downloaded the app but found reading books on it was really harsh on the eyes - my eyes are very sensitive in that way and I was always getting distracted with other apps loaded on the iPad. I recently bought a kindle paperwhite which I’m finding very soothing to the eyes and far smoother to operate than the ancient version I bought.

So I would recommend a kindle though the price of a cover for it is a total rip off.

Kindles are completely different to tablets and 'technology that only does one thing' is a big advantage because you can only read on it so aren't distracted by internet/social media - in daylight, it looks like a book, not a screen. But you can also read at night without having the light on. The battery lasts for weeks, so doesn't need charging every day or two like a tablet does.

OP, unless you want your kindle to be waterproof the cheapest one is all you need. I've had 3 kindles since the early days and there's been quite a few improvements, so now the basic one now has features like the light that used to be only on the more expensive models.

We both tend to use the app on our phones. I have a kindle (quite old - need to hint to OH that I need a new one). The proper kindle is better for reading outside. Other readers are available and may allow you to borrow ebooks from the library.

I love my Kindle. It's a Paperwhite, this is the one to get as it has an adjustable backlight. I absolutely love it. It's true it only does books but it's smaller than any book to carry, remembers your place, fetches you a new book whenever you want (large 99p list always available) and has all your previous books in it. You can download a sample of a book you fancy.

The battery lasts at least a week.

If you struggle with technology you might not like it but for me, it has given me back the joy of reading.

I prefer to read on my iPad but I gave in and bought a Kindle last year as you can read on it in the sun which you can’t with the iPad. I only use it when I go away on holiday or sit outside at home. The interface on the Kindle is clunking and very old fashioned but it does what is says on the tin. I don’t like technology that only does one thing.

I got one of the first ones many years ago, for a particular holiday (because I read an awful lot and couldn't pack enough books) thinking I would probably hardly ever use it afterwards. I hardly ever read a real book any more! I love it and wouldn't be without one.

I don't know whether you have a tablet, but if you do there is a Kindle app which does everything a KIndle does - you can use it on a phone but I find that too small for any real reading (although can be handy for travel books on the go). I use the app on my tablet and then also have a paperwhite for reading outdoors (because tablets aren't great outdoors). But if you can use the app on a tablet that ought to quickly allow you to decide if the Kindle is for you.

I like using my kindle and read almost everything on it now because my eyesight is so bad. It means I can increase the print size, and it's lit as well. My kindle is the basic touch screen model with front lighting, which suits me fine. DH has a Paperwhite back lit, which he loves.

I'd say, if you're not sure if you'll use it that much, get a basic model and upgrade to a more expensive one in a couple of years if you want to. Personally I think the basic one has enough features for good reading.