Kindle guilt

[sunshineandkindle]

Now this could be my anxiety but I am feeling very guilty for not buying my books from bookshops anymore and instead using my kindle. I find holding a book painful (i have fibromyalgia) and have 100s of paperbacks some of which i will unlikely read now since using a kindle makes it painless as I have it hands free.
I realise writing this I do sound a little nuts. I just prided myself on buying books from my local independent bookshop and feel very guilty. Is anyone else in a similar situation?

Yes I have something very similar!! It's brilliant!

I feel no guilt at all. The kindle has transformed my reading life. And while I do like bookshops, I care much more about books themselves and reading them.

i think it’s very reasonable to feel guilty for supporting amazon however no need to feel guilty in the slightest for using an e reader (even a Bezos one) if you didn’t have a chronic condition.

still probably not great but i use a kobo and can also borrow library books on it. i do mainly read books more than ebooks.

Definitely dont feel guilty at all though.

You can also lend / give hard copies to family / friends or give them to charity shops to sell on.

but I’m the worst of the worst for the environment because if I find a book I really love I buy both the paperback and the electronic version. (E-book so I can read it on my phone when waiting for kids or at lunchtime at work, hard copy because I like a proper book in the bath or at bedtime!)

I don't have a kindle, but read ebooks on the Kindle app on my phone at night, in dark mode and with the blue light filter turned up to the max, to avoid disturbing DH. I buy inexpensive ebooks or read the ones that are included with our Prime membership.

I also read physical books that I buy from online secondhand book stores, or when we've visited NTS etc. places - most historic houses tend to have secondhand books for sale. Also, in the past I would occasionally get them from those charity tables at motorway service stations.

If a book is particularly thick or heavy and so uncomfortable to hold, I just use a stand.

I borrow and download audiobooks from my library to my phone. Not ebooks as I'm a slow reader so would be renewing them endlessly. I've listened to some great audiobooks this way. I also listen to stories on BBC Sounds and Amazon Music.

A recent accident has left me disabled and on round the clock painkillers, so I feel no guilt whatsoever at making my life as easy as possible.

I feel the save bit I love my kindle and don't like reading physical books anymore, so what can you do?

Not sure about the connection between ebooks or paper books and the type of chicken or eggs we eat...

I do what suits me (and my budget) and leave the guilt for things that matter. If I don't use what a business offers, I don't feel bad about not giving them my money.

I had a huge clear out of paperback books, then bought a kindle.
Think of all the costs of producing physical books.

I have no idea why anyone would feel guilty about their reading habit. Christ, don't we have enough to worry about in life?!?!?!?!

I love my Kindle.

You can buy e books for indie bookstores online. There’s one which Writers Routine podcast supports. Worth a google

I don't want to support Amazon if I can help it so won't do kindles but I've heard there's a way to get library books on tablets and ereaders. Kobo or something? I'll be looking into that more.

Borrowbox or Libby @LittleGreenDragons. I haven't used Amazon for years, but someone recommended these to me recently. I have the app on my tablet.

Thank you!