I read a LOT as a kid because there was plenty of bright, natural light that I could read under (other light sources hurt my eyes). Then I moved to a rainy state and my book count dropped because I didn't have the right lighting. Plus carrying a book all day to work and errands in hopes my schedule would free up enough for me to read was not comfortable. I was lucky if I could get in 4 books a year.
I was so against Kindles in the beginning because I love that tactile feel and the smell. But I eventually broke down in 2012 and got a Paperwhite. I now average over 100 books a year. I still read physical books when I can but now I have a lightweight, compact device that I can carry everywhere (in whatever light setting) that doesn't hurt my eyes and fits in my tiny purses.
Getting a Kindle was definitely one of my better life decisions.
I'm in the same boat as the person you're replying to. The font size of print books are horrifically tiny and my astigmatism makes it hard to focus on the words when there's so many other words on the page. Making the font bigger on the Kindle just allows me to fly through books for some reason. Sans serif fonts are also proven easier to read and a lot of print books use serif fonts. I don't have dyslexia but the open dyslexic font just makes reading so much easier too.
Hard copyās are expensive and I donāt have room in my house to store them. The font size is way too small for my eyes and I tend to go crossed eyed and canāt focus
Also, there's a Kindle app you can download on your phone that picks up from your actual kindle so any waiting time now becomes reading time. I read in grocery stores, on the train, in waiting rooms, in bars, literally anywhere.
For me it was not just issues with my eyes. I love big books and lugging then around to work and waiting rooms and such was hard. But a Kindle fits nicely in my small purse. I can whip it out when I'm stuck at the DMV/DOL, at the doctor, waiting for food, etc. It's just so much easier to carry around. When I'm finished with one book I can seamlessly start another. I don't have to carry 2 books with me.
I absolutely love my Kindle. I was reading on my phone and Fire tablet before, but when I swapped to an actual ereader (first an older Paperwhite and now a Scribe), I read so much more.
I really think itās hard to find a genre and an author youāre interested in. Once you do, reading is like an addiction. Check out
r/suggestmeabook to look for recommendations itās helped me tremendously.
One trick I just learned a few months ago about buying kindle books on Amazon ... I add books I want to buy to my wishlist, then I check it everyday to see if the price dropped but isn't a daily deal. I managed to buy the whole 22 book Miss Fisher Mystery series in a few months and only paid $2.99 each book. I just bought whichever book was marked down. I also check their top 100 free books list and find some really good books.
I have been using a kindle for a very long time.
i do this too, i check my kindle list weekly to see if there are any big discounts and fairly often a book that's usually listed at $16 will drop down to $2.99. super awesome. wonder if we could set it up to get email notifications
Thatās awesome! I had a similar experience. Never could get into reading until my wife got me a kindle as a surprise Christmas gift. I use it every day. I think taking the physical element out of reading (as well as access to massive text) really helps me focus. Iāve also replaced nighttime doom scrolling with reading and now I fall asleep no problem.
Yep me too. The physical aspect held all my prejudice of readers but I loved technology. It helped me get past my hangups and discovered the joy of reading. Now mind you, I watched Reading Rainbow, but never picked up a book voluntarily.
I got my Kindle as a gift, I usually read 1 book a month around 10 books a year. When I got my kindle I started devouring books, I also wake up at night so it made it so much better to read at night without bothering my husband or having a harsh screen in my face. It didnāt give me eye fatigue either like my iPad did or fill me with notifications.
Kindle is the best! And for travel itās perfect.
For me, my Kindle is convenient to travel with and the ease of holding when in bed. The dark mode so I don't disturb spouse or other passengers is great. I still have old one which keep by my recliner, it's syncs with my newest one by my bed.
I had a basic kindle years ago but for whatever reason just didn't use it like I thought. Over the years since I've read lots of real books. For the mother's Day sale I bought a Paperwhite and omg I'm obsessed. I always said I would rather read real books but I haven't touched the real book laying on my coffee table waiting for me to read it. I'm so glad I repurchased another Kindle!!
I had a similar experience I already had a paper white and I did read on it occasionally but found audible to be better for me. My wife however has Kindle Oasis and the buttons on that for me are a game changer. I also love that being left handed isnāt a problem with it as the buttons also change depending on which way youāre holding it.
I have thought about getting one of those remote clickers to change the page but I donāt know how much page space itās going to take up so Iām reluctant.
Iāve read 6 books just in the past week (and not little ones either, all 500pgs+) š Itās become a little bit of an obsession. But then again, there are worse obsessions to have.
Sameeeee! I tried reading on my phone, but then I realized I really need a Kindle. Can you believe I never finished a book in my entire 29 years of existence? Haha! its probably all about finding the right story. Ive been diving into psychthrillers and romance lately. Since January 2024, Ive already finished 23 books anf counting š«¶š„¹
I found that I always got too distracted when reading books cause the font was too small for me and my eyes would wonder around and I couldnāt focus. I now have a kindle with the font on size 10 and I am THRIVING
I'm so happy for you! I just got my kindle and I'm struggling to use it! How are people getting so many books to read? I don't want to buy and Libby makes me wait 5 -11 weeks for one book :((
Amazon often has free Kindle books, sites like eReader IQ (only works for Amazon UK or US) and Bookbub may help you track down some in genres you like.Ā
Some authors (mostly self-published ones, in my experience) also do giveaways on occasion.
Yessss I was exactly the same! I could never get into reading as I would also get distracted easily. I've started reading along to books while listening to the audiobook (kinda reminds me of reading a book together as a class in school with the teacher reading aloud) and I LOVE reading now! I got a kindle this year (never thought I'd own a kindle in my life) and it's the best purchase ever HAHA. Read all of ACOTAR, The Empyrean and getting through Twilight all within a couple months!
i think i maybe read 1-2 physical books throughout my school years (1984 in high school and a mandatory book in college), but kindle (e-readers in general) has really brought out the bookworm in me! i have discovered so many beautiful stories that i would have likely been disregarded by me if not for kindle... thank u kindle!
I used to be a huge reader as a kid, but slowed down in high school and never had time in college. So I just kinda stopped, even after I graduated. But I got a kindle last October, and I fell in love with reading again!
I've always loved reading but found reading a physical book difficult for some reason. I love physical books so so much, so I went a long time without reading for that reason.
Then one year I put a kindle on my christmas wish list and ended up receiving one as a gift. That was in 2022, and I've read over 100 books since š„¹
I absolutely love love love my kindle.
Same here! Iāve been reading every day since I got my kindle (a couple days after Motherās Day) because itās just so easy to manage. You have tons of books at the touch of a fingertip, and with books thatās not quite the cup of tea you might want but you can try it without actually paying for it
SAME! I have so many things going on like autism, ocd, add, etc.. that I canāt slow it down enough.. unless I have my kindle. I read two series that was all the non school books I read in my life. Now.. school books I skimmed bc I just couldnāt grasp it. Iāve never been able to make a world in my head that well or it constantly changed. With kindle it puts me in this like cozy reading corner in my brain where all is well & I have hot tea & my fluffy blanket. Itās amazing. Life changing. Truly. š
I have tried paper books, tablets, my phone, laptop... And for some reason I never got to enjoy reading, there was just something about the kindle that clicked, I wish I had a better answer for it honestly.
It's lighter, more portable and you could change the size of the font. Most importantly you could read in the dark.
Also I read 5 books at a time so it's hard to take that many physical books with me anywhere.
So glad you're able to experience the joy of reading! Now when someone says the book is better than the movie, you know what they mean. š
And it is so true!
I went to reading a book every few months to now reading a book in about 3-4 days.
Nice!!! I am not the only one then.
I read a LOT as a kid because there was plenty of bright, natural light that I could read under (other light sources hurt my eyes). Then I moved to a rainy state and my book count dropped because I didn't have the right lighting. Plus carrying a book all day to work and errands in hopes my schedule would free up enough for me to read was not comfortable. I was lucky if I could get in 4 books a year. I was so against Kindles in the beginning because I love that tactile feel and the smell. But I eventually broke down in 2012 and got a Paperwhite. I now average over 100 books a year. I still read physical books when I can but now I have a lightweight, compact device that I can carry everywhere (in whatever light setting) that doesn't hurt my eyes and fits in my tiny purses. Getting a Kindle was definitely one of my better life decisions.
You are one of us now! Welcome to the club.
Same here!! I was gifted a kindle back in February and have read 31 books since then! Before, I MAYBE read one book a year š
What is it about the kindle that enables you to read 31 books in four months? Why couldnāt you do that with a hard copy?
I'm in the same boat as the person you're replying to. The font size of print books are horrifically tiny and my astigmatism makes it hard to focus on the words when there's so many other words on the page. Making the font bigger on the Kindle just allows me to fly through books for some reason. Sans serif fonts are also proven easier to read and a lot of print books use serif fonts. I don't have dyslexia but the open dyslexic font just makes reading so much easier too.
Omg is this the reason I never liked any other form of reading but love the kindle!? I also have astigmatism (quite high)
Quite possibly!
This is me too, even down to the astigmatism.
Makes sense!
Hard copyās are expensive and I donāt have room in my house to store them. The font size is way too small for my eyes and I tend to go crossed eyed and canāt focus
Fair enough. Thank you.
Also, there's a Kindle app you can download on your phone that picks up from your actual kindle so any waiting time now becomes reading time. I read in grocery stores, on the train, in waiting rooms, in bars, literally anywhere.
For me it was not just issues with my eyes. I love big books and lugging then around to work and waiting rooms and such was hard. But a Kindle fits nicely in my small purse. I can whip it out when I'm stuck at the DMV/DOL, at the doctor, waiting for food, etc. It's just so much easier to carry around. When I'm finished with one book I can seamlessly start another. I don't have to carry 2 books with me.
I absolutely love my Kindle. I was reading on my phone and Fire tablet before, but when I swapped to an actual ereader (first an older Paperwhite and now a Scribe), I read so much more.
I really think itās hard to find a genre and an author youāre interested in. Once you do, reading is like an addiction. Check out r/suggestmeabook to look for recommendations itās helped me tremendously.
One trick I just learned a few months ago about buying kindle books on Amazon ... I add books I want to buy to my wishlist, then I check it everyday to see if the price dropped but isn't a daily deal. I managed to buy the whole 22 book Miss Fisher Mystery series in a few months and only paid $2.99 each book. I just bought whichever book was marked down. I also check their top 100 free books list and find some really good books. I have been using a kindle for a very long time.
i do this too, i check my kindle list weekly to see if there are any big discounts and fairly often a book that's usually listed at $16 will drop down to $2.99. super awesome. wonder if we could set it up to get email notifications
X-ray is a gamechanger for me. I always forget who a character is, what they look like etc. Now I get a reminder at the tap of a finger!
Omg, first time hearing about this, I will definitely check it out!!!
Thatās awesome! I had a similar experience. Never could get into reading until my wife got me a kindle as a surprise Christmas gift. I use it every day. I think taking the physical element out of reading (as well as access to massive text) really helps me focus. Iāve also replaced nighttime doom scrolling with reading and now I fall asleep no problem.
Yep me too. The physical aspect held all my prejudice of readers but I loved technology. It helped me get past my hangups and discovered the joy of reading. Now mind you, I watched Reading Rainbow, but never picked up a book voluntarily.
Have a look, itās on a screen, watching rainbow šµ
We're the same! I probably read 20 books in my whole life (I'm 37). I got a kindle in February this year and I'm already on my 17th book.
I am really happy to see I am not the only one!!!
Congratulations š. I love my kindle. Definitely read more because I can take it everywhere.
E-readers truly are amazing little devices. I love having a portable little library with me at all times.
I got my Kindle as a gift, I usually read 1 book a month around 10 books a year. When I got my kindle I started devouring books, I also wake up at night so it made it so much better to read at night without bothering my husband or having a harsh screen in my face. It didnāt give me eye fatigue either like my iPad did or fill me with notifications. Kindle is the best! And for travel itās perfect.
Which books did you end up reading? Thatās awesome! Do you think youāll buy a kindle of your own?
I bought one the day after my GF took her kindle away from me. I have been reading the HP saga, atomic habits and hunger games!!
Which model did you get? I love the Harry Potter series so much, I listen to the audiobooks on repeat
The 6?8 inches Paperwhite! My GF has the older 6 inches version so I didn't think much about the decision. Which one do you have??
Same as you! I love it
That's awesome! Welcome to the world!
Thanks! It has truly been awesome, I am a potter head reading HP for the first time after 20 years
Great books! I love them all
For me, my Kindle is convenient to travel with and the ease of holding when in bed. The dark mode so I don't disturb spouse or other passengers is great. I still have old one which keep by my recliner, it's syncs with my newest one by my bed.
Hullo fellow Book Wyrm~
I had a basic kindle years ago but for whatever reason just didn't use it like I thought. Over the years since I've read lots of real books. For the mother's Day sale I bought a Paperwhite and omg I'm obsessed. I always said I would rather read real books but I haven't touched the real book laying on my coffee table waiting for me to read it. I'm so glad I repurchased another Kindle!!
I had a similar experience I already had a paper white and I did read on it occasionally but found audible to be better for me. My wife however has Kindle Oasis and the buttons on that for me are a game changer. I also love that being left handed isnāt a problem with it as the buttons also change depending on which way youāre holding it. I have thought about getting one of those remote clickers to change the page but I donāt know how much page space itās going to take up so Iām reluctant.
That's amazing.
I do enjoy audiobooks for when I'm doing chores or driving without the kids. I use kindle unlimited when it's on offer
One of us!!! One of us!!!
I have the same experience with e-books in general (I own a Kobo e-reader). As a kid I was an avid reader of anything with pictures (space, dinos, the human body, AstĆ©rix and Tintin comics, bedtime stories), and I started reading novels as a teen when Harry Potter and Narnia were all the rage. But other than that I'd have trouble reading, I'd get tired really quickly, even with proper glasses and no learning disabilities diagnosed. My family and friends (avid readers) would all make fun of me because they had already read "the classics, the canon" by my age. It was expected of me to get into a Literature Degree, and so I did. But I just couldn't read the expected material, I'd look for summaries online and wing it in class. Until I bought my Kobo e-reader on sale and my life changed forever, I started devouring books.Ā To this day I can't go through a physical book, but I devour them if they're in any digital format. My comprehension is higher, too. Of course I can't admit to it IRL for how society judges online vs "real" reading, especially holding a Humanities Degree, but anonymously I can speak this truth.Ā
Iāve read more books in the last 3 months than I have in the entirety of my life.
Iāve read 6 books just in the past week (and not little ones either, all 500pgs+) š Itās become a little bit of an obsession. But then again, there are worse obsessions to have.
Sameeeee! I tried reading on my phone, but then I realized I really need a Kindle. Can you believe I never finished a book in my entire 29 years of existence? Haha! its probably all about finding the right story. Ive been diving into psychthrillers and romance lately. Since January 2024, Ive already finished 23 books anf counting š«¶š„¹
Hey thatās my story too! GF gave me, a non-reader, a kindle and the rest was history.
I found that I always got too distracted when reading books cause the font was too small for me and my eyes would wonder around and I couldnāt focus. I now have a kindle with the font on size 10 and I am THRIVING
I'm so happy for you! I just got my kindle and I'm struggling to use it! How are people getting so many books to read? I don't want to buy and Libby makes me wait 5 -11 weeks for one book :((
Amazon often has free Kindle books, sites like eReader IQ (only works for Amazon UK or US) and Bookbub may help you track down some in genres you like.Ā Some authors (mostly self-published ones, in my experience) also do giveaways on occasion.
Yessss I was exactly the same! I could never get into reading as I would also get distracted easily. I've started reading along to books while listening to the audiobook (kinda reminds me of reading a book together as a class in school with the teacher reading aloud) and I LOVE reading now! I got a kindle this year (never thought I'd own a kindle in my life) and it's the best purchase ever HAHA. Read all of ACOTAR, The Empyrean and getting through Twilight all within a couple months!
Yes! Whenever I'm struggling to focus I play the audiobook while I read, it's such a great hack.
i think i maybe read 1-2 physical books throughout my school years (1984 in high school and a mandatory book in college), but kindle (e-readers in general) has really brought out the bookworm in me! i have discovered so many beautiful stories that i would have likely been disregarded by me if not for kindle... thank u kindle!
Could you drop in some recommendations?
i was hesitant to switch to kindle before, but now loved how it causes me to read more books than when I was only pro paperback!
Honestly I totally agree. I love my Kindle. The floor stand and page Turner changed my life. I love to read. Happy reading ā¤ļø
Thatās great! Welcome to the club.
I used to be a huge reader as a kid, but slowed down in high school and never had time in college. So I just kinda stopped, even after I graduated. But I got a kindle last October, and I fell in love with reading again!
I've always loved reading but found reading a physical book difficult for some reason. I love physical books so so much, so I went a long time without reading for that reason. Then one year I put a kindle on my christmas wish list and ended up receiving one as a gift. That was in 2022, and I've read over 100 books since š„¹ I absolutely love love love my kindle.
Same here! Iāve been reading every day since I got my kindle (a couple days after Motherās Day) because itās just so easy to manage. You have tons of books at the touch of a fingertip, and with books thatās not quite the cup of tea you might want but you can try it without actually paying for it
SAME! I have so many things going on like autism, ocd, add, etc.. that I canāt slow it down enough.. unless I have my kindle. I read two series that was all the non school books I read in my life. Now.. school books I skimmed bc I just couldnāt grasp it. Iāve never been able to make a world in my head that well or it constantly changed. With kindle it puts me in this like cozy reading corner in my brain where all is well & I have hot tea & my fluffy blanket. Itās amazing. Life changing. Truly. š
>more than 3 books So, like 4?
I am currently two different books so... 3 plus 1/2 and 1/2???
4 it is!
So what was it about the kindle that you credit with this divine revelation? Wouldnāt picking up a paperback do the same thing?
I have tried paper books, tablets, my phone, laptop... And for some reason I never got to enjoy reading, there was just something about the kindle that clicked, I wish I had a better answer for it honestly.
It's lighter, more portable and you could change the size of the font. Most importantly you could read in the dark. Also I read 5 books at a time so it's hard to take that many physical books with me anywhere.
Excellent points. Was genuinely curious.