Kindle vs Paperbacks

[Summerx]

Trying to decide whether a swap to a kindle is a good idea. I read a lot and like the thought of never being without a book by being able to download one. I do love the feel of an actual paperback though and don't want to waste money if a kindle is not going to work for me!

What are your pros and cons of switching to a kindle?

Definitely prefer my Kindle for anything without pictures or designed layouts - so pretty much most fiction.

By the way, there is a setting which displays in the bottom corner how far percentage-wise you are through a book - for people like me and @Trenda and @GoodOldEmmaNess who like to know how close we are to the end of the story

Paperback

I have a Kindle Paperwhite and used it for ages, I loved the fact that it was lightweight and could take on holiday etc, however after time I found that my TBR pile just got too unmanageable and I was finding it really difficult to get into reading and finishing a book. Also I found I could just about read a couple of pages before my eyes got tired and I fell asleep. I rarely got into that fantastic space of being unable to put a book down and wanting to read for hours. I switched back to physical books and I am back in the groove of reading. I love being able to see and feel how much I have left to read rather than a percentage at the bottom of the kindle. Also the joy of going into a bookshop and feeling excited about buying a book, browsing through pages is something I missed with Kindle. I wont go back to Kindle now.

Also the feeling of snuggling on the sofa with a good book when the weather is grim outside isn't the same with a kindle - :)

I was solidly anti e-reader. Then I got a kindle about 10 years ago and I am a total convert. I love it. It's light, small, can be used with one hand, has a light for reading in the dark, basically has infinite books as I can just buy the next in a series when I want it... I find it just amazing.

I use both.

I'm never as excited about buying a new book on a Kindle, but the convenience of having hundreds of books so small and light (and no risk of crumpling pages if you stick it in your bag!) is a definite benefit.

I've got a kindle and it's great, but I hardly use it now, I use the kindle app on my phone.

I read in bed with it set to a black page with white writing.

Perhaps try the free app and see how you get on before shelling out for an actual kindle?

I love science fiction , particularly anthologies , and you tend to buy these by the yard/pound and there is not always a good selection at a bookshop.

The kindle is great for these as I have constant access to a good book that will fit in my bag for waiting room , train station , arrived early somewhere reading.

I bought the oasis for
a the buttons to turn pages (makes a real difference if you read fast
b ability to buy books even if not near wifi.

It can be a bit glitchy compared to eg paper white and is certainly a lot more expensive but having had previous generation of kindle that lasted around ten years it was worth it to me.

I agree it makes reading in bed a lot easier and holiday packing is no longer 30% books.

The kindle library has quite a few classics and older books free to borrow , and our local library allows e book borrowing , although it is a faff as you have to download onto a pc then the kindle.

Kobo is a good, simple reader with a smaller selection of books but quite a few that are more serious reading.

Love my kindle. I've so many books to take with me and I can read anywhere. The only downside is that you don't actually own any of the books, merely the licence to read. And you're locked into the Amazon ecosystem.

We own loads of physical books (between DH and I we have over 1000) but I love my kindle for all of the reasons already mentioned. The added bonus being that I can sneakily read cheesy romcoms without DH silently judging me.

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. I'm still a little on the fence so the suggestion of getting a second hand one is definitely a good idea.

i have thousands and thousands of books. And also a Kindle. I have been known to repurchase a book for Kindle when I'm out and about and i want to finish reading it etc.

I use books & Kindle in different ways though. I have a paperwhite now and it is invaluable for the insomnia that attacks many Women of a Certain Age - so i can read and not wake DH

I love to read. A lot. And when Kindles first came out I wanted one for convenience of travel, but thought they would never replace real books for me.
But it has, and I'm on my third kindle now. I keep a private wishlist of books I want to read, and find often they will come up at 99p at some point, and I do the kindofbook daily email which tells you about reductions. Hence I have 200 books in my to read folder!
I set up a Kindle as a child to my account so I could share books with teen ds which works well, and dh and I can see and read each others books

What I also like about using a kindle is that I can read my book on my phone if I get stuck somewhere without my kindle. The app synchs to where I am in the book. Reading on a phone isn't ideal but it is better than no book! It's saved me on many a long wait for children in the car.

I think I have 400 books on my kindle - I don't have room for 400 books on my shelf! I read all the time. I don't live in a city though so for me the main thing is being able to get hold of a new book instantly - I really do not do well without having something to read.

I try very hard not to read on my phone because I get distracted by other things, but I do love that if for some reason I find myself without the kindle I can sync to my phone. I love that the kindle is small enough to fit in most handbags, which you can't say about a lot of books.

But the real draw for me was a huge deterioration in my eyesight. I just have to look at print in a book to feel tired now. With my kindle I can adjust to my tiredness level/if I've not got the right glasses/the amount of available light. It's meant I'm still a reader even with poor sight, which is absolutely huge for me.

Book management used to be a huge issue before I had a Kindle. I like reading and read fairly quickly and the books just used to build up in huge piles until I could donate them. I still have a lot of physical reference books (cooking, quilting, crochet and gardening) but they don't accumulate as quickly as novels and the Kindle itself stays the same size whether I have 10 books or 4,854.

I also have a subscription to Everand so that I can listen to unlimited audio books, it works on the same model as Spotify, I don't actually buy any books I just listen to them. They also have a lot of reference books and if I'm considering buying a new quilting book I will check whether Everand have it and have a look through to see if it's worth buying.

I like both, but,I don't have room for a lot of paperbacks so i get them from the library. I have a paperwhite which is great for holidays as there is no glare. I still enjoy getting library books, especially as they are free!

OH won't hear of getting a kindle (same as he prefers to use cash than cards). My kids gave me one for my 50th birthday and I can't imagine going back to proper books. It really comes into its own on holidays and I also have poor eyesight so it's great to be able to vary the font size.

I love books and debated for a long time about getting Kindle Paper white, would I take to it and enjoy it as much as real physical books?

Yes! I love mine, it's easy to travel with, easy to read at night without turning on the light, and books are a lot cheaper to buy on Kindle.

I also read a lot from the library and I find switching from Kindle to physical books no issue.

I never carry my paperwhite out and about apart from holidays, even then as long as I’ve got ready access to a charger I tend to read on the app on my phone instead, I find holding it and page turning easier on my phone than the kindle. The paperwhite is too big for most of my bags too. In fact I can’t remember the last time I used it. The phone app is brilliant, I’d recommend trying that before buying an actual kindle.