Convince me to get a kindle

[Mattey]

I love to read and tried a kindle when they first came out many years ago but they weren’t for me, can’t really even remember why but just remember I much preferred a paper work. Are they worth it? What makes them so good? What type should I get? I don’t need a tablet for other things than just reading. Are books much cheaper on the kindle? I’d like to up my reading this year if I can. Thanks a million

I had one about 12 years ago that I barely used. And was given away about 10 years ago. Preferred paper books. Couldn't get used to it at all.

I've just got a paperwhite and love it. Wish all my paper books were on it! I think I've now become so used to doom scrolling and reading the news etc on my phone that it feels more natural to read text on a device now.

My main reason was so I could read at night in bed with the light off for my partner. I'm reading much more again already.

I'd recommend now. And it came with 3 months kindle unlimited which has various books you can download for free.

I love my kindle. I have the scribe so I used it for notes too. I use it every day for work.

For reading, it's a bit big but still have my smaller old one too.

I think I really liked mine when I realised it's not a replacement for all books. There's some that I like a physical book for and some I like on the kindle.

Kindle books are loads cheaper. They don't take up any space. They're light and easy to carry round. Charge lasts for ages and ages. Less books cluttering the house.

You can click on words or characters and get extra info as you read. Sometimes I forget who a character is if there are loads and it'll mention other references without losing your place.

I probably prefer it for fiction. Some factual books that I might want to go back to, I prefer in print. I think it's great for books you wouldn't necessarily want on your bookshelf forever.

Also means you can read utter trash and not be judged by anyone who comes to your house 😁

Its brilliant for travel, reading on the Tube and for poor eyesight. I read and travel a lot. The downside is I sometimes find it hard to read really long books like the Strike series.
I still get physical books out of the library.

i prefer a paper book, but kindle is good for reading in bed (particularly if the book is large, as they can be awkward). Also brilliant for holiday where I read loads and don’t have the space for 8 books in my luggage…… I’m glad I have one when I use it, but it will go months between uses…..
kindle unlimited seems good if you don’t mind what you read, but many books aren’t included on there. Often my bookclub books aren’t on the deal, so I do spend more to buy more books than perhaps I would otherwise.

I always loved a proper book and resisted a kindle for a while but had one for several years now and it's one of my most used and loved items. I have Kindle Unlimited which is £9.50 a month and allows you to download any books that are under the Unlimited scheme for free - there are thousands on there. It's also so convenient for reading at night, or when travelling etc.

I have the paperwhite which is so easy on the eyes and you can adjust font, brightness, warmth etc. Couldn't recommend one high enough

When I first had one, a huge plus was that I could go away for a week - hand baggage only* - with the books (at least 4) I’d get through in that time on the Kindle.
*was going with a friend who wanted the cheapest possible Ryanair flights, hence no hold luggage and strictly restricted cabin bag size.

Plus of course you can read in bed without needing a bedside light on, and it’s small to put in your bag for any long train/bus journey.

I’m also very fast reader, so the regular 99p offerings from Amazon suit me very well. Also, any very long/fat/heavy novel - e.g. ‘A Suitable Boy’ is much easier - for me anyway - to read in bed on the Kindle.

And the classics - anything out of copyright - are usually very cheap.

I've had a Kobo ereader for years, before that a Sony ereader. You can download from public libraries on them which you can't do on a kindle.

Also put textbooks and pdfs on them in different formats.

I've had mine for utter years now. I read most on holiday and get through an incredible number so having as many as I want on my kindle is fabulous.

All of the pros above.

I have had one for years. I can easily read a book in a day on holiday. One year I took 15 paperbacks with me on holiday, now I don’t have that weight any more.
I only have a WiFi paperwhite but that is enough. If I need books on the go, I hotspot my phone.
I have Kindle Unlimited as well which is worth it for my amount of reading.
The app can also be used on my phone or my iPad. iPad is great for magazines that you can get through Kindle Unlimited. The monthly price of my subscription is less than buying Good Housekeeping from the newsagent in Germany so for me it is worth it.

I like that it has inbuilt dictionary, translator and Wikipedia links. This means that I can check the meaning of any word or phrase (foreign or otherwise) or go down a rabbit hole and find out more about a person I'm reading about - all without having to look things up separately on my phone! This is especially handy as I like to read historical fiction.
I have my kindle set it up so that the time is displayed on the screen and I also use the reading progress features:

• Reading percentage of the book
• Time left in this chapter
• Time left in this book

I also have the kindle reading app on my phone and it syncs with the kindle, so if I'm out and about and find my self in an unexpected queue or something, I can continue reading my book! It also syncs the other way so that when I come back to my kindle you pick up where you left off on your phone.

Books are cheaper, and I can carry 100s of books round in 1 small device which saves my back. Before I moved to Kindle I'd pack 4 or 5 books for a week away. And if I run out of books, I can buy one via Kindle and not have to deal with limited English language selections if abroad.

Also v good for research. You can buy books cheaper, highlight and make notes.

I have had the paperwhite for years and wouldn’t be without it. The light settings for obvious reasons, you can adjust the font, it’s lightweight and can fit in your handbag, numerous books to hand and they are slightly cheaper. And for me, the real positive is if you finish a book you can download a new one in seconds. I do like a physical book but they just seem a bit clumsy now.

I love that while technology has advanced so much, the enjoyment of reading continues on the likes of a kindle.

Just upgraded my old Kobo Aura to a Kobo Libra colour. Advantages are that you can borrow books from the library. Can change font style and size and line spacing to make it easier to read. Stores lots of books and is lighter than a paperback. Can read trashy novels without advertising the fact. New one has page turn buttons and can be read in any orientation. Built-in dictionary to lookup words. Don't need the colour but wanted the bigger screen. New releases aren't necessarily much cheaper but there are lots of free books and cheap offers.

I still read both, but I brought an anctual physical paperback in to work with me yesterday (post Christmas lull) and finished it and then had nothing to read. Wouldn't happen with the Kindle as I have hundreds of books on there.

I've a kindle paperwhite and a kobo Clara and wouldn't be without them! I was given some books for my birthday and ended up buying them to read on my kobo as a book is so impractical. I can read when DH wants the light off, I can read in the middle of the night if I wake up. It's always in my handbag, I can read when waiting for the bus/train/kids activities without lugging a book around. We live in a flat and quite literally do not have any more space for (anything really). The DC's bookcases are double stacked with books and it's getting very expensive to buy new ones. I prefer the Kobo because it's easier to share books between the family, never figured Kindle out.

A big plus for me is also the dictionary ability. If I'm reading in another language I can just highlight a word I don't understand and the dictionary is there. It's far more practical than having to carry a dictionary around/wait to look things up. It means I actually carry on reading rather than give up. It's one of the reasons I want to switch DC to an è-reader. They often skip over words they don't understand as you don't need to understand everything to be able to read a book.

I don't have a Kindle because I took prefer a paper book. But I use the Kindle app on my phone and I must say it is incredibly handy when travelling, cuts the weight I carry in my handbag every day, and there are certain books I can access much more easily if I don't hold out for the physical form. Even just to read a bit and find out for free whether I am going to like it - so often I can rule a book out from the sample.

I think it depends on how/where you read.
At some level I do still prefer a paper book, and I can understand why some people don't take to a kindle, but I mostly use my kindle because:

1. I read a lot on the train, or out and about generally, and it takes up much less space.
2. You can make the font bigger
3. There is a light for reading in bed even after DH has turned light off
4. Even if I'm not travelling, I find large books quite hard to handle.
5. It's much easier to read while eating lunch/breakfast as you don't need to hold it open
6. You can download books instantly. You can test a sample before buying. Every weekend I read book reviews in the papers and often save a sample or two, so I've always got a ready supply of reading ideas.
7. I quite like the search function, when I can't remember who a character is.

The main downsides for me are that you can't lend books to people, and occasionally I like to be able to flick through a book quickly to find a page. It can be rubbish if there is eg a a detailed family tree. I slightly miss the physicality, the attractiveness of a nice cover, but it is not a big deal.

Books tend to be the same price as a paperback. But cheaper than a hardback. So good for reading new books.

I think if you always read at home, in a good light, and have good eyesight, then there is less advantage.

PS - I hate using the kindle app on my phone. It is far too small and bright and just not as nice to read. I only use it in emergencies when I have annoyingly forgotten to put my kindle in my bag.

Have a paperwhite and love it. It syncs with the kindle app on my phone. So if out somewhere and don't have my kindle I can read on my phone and then pick up where I left off on the kindle at home.

When you go on holiday, you don't need to pack 10 books in your suitcase.
You will never run out of books.
You will always have a book with you eg if delayed on the train, or whatever.
If you pre-order, you get a lovely surprise when a new book pops up months later.

I also love my Paperwhite. I agree with all the advantages outlined up thread and also love it for reading books in other languages. The inbuilt dictionary is very useful.

I still borrow books from the library. Around half of the books I read last year were library loans and I still buy a few books from my local bookshop. I wouldn't be without my Kindle though. So handy.

Amazon is a pain in the ass with DRM. It can remove books as you travel or even change the content of a book you already own, if a publisher has decided to do so.

I can't say that I have noticed that happening to me TBH.

I find all the pros and convenience of having a kindle outweigh that one (IMO minor) negative.

I also listen to audible books as I do a lot of motorway driving. Sometimes I will have the same book on the go if it is a book club book, and they sync with each other so, I might listen to 40 minutes of the audible version on my way to work, and can pick up my kindle and continue reading where I left off at night.

Don't get a kindle get a kobo!

The kobo does the same job but you can borrow library books free of charge which you can't do legally with a kindle. Kobo also enables you to source books from other sellers.

Thank you. This has been my main reservation - the way that you never properly own anything but are forever subject to terms about how you effectively "rent" it that are beyond your control.

Can you get anything for the pocket book that you would get for kindle, but without the DRM hassle?