E-books or physical books?
This is a question almost all of us book nerds have encountered. For me, I’ve always preferred physical books. I love, love the feel a book in my hands; the way I could grip it, feel the cover, and savor every printed word. Wow.
However, this past month, I have been reading e-books on Kindle profusely, and I can’t help but love it! As I devour book after book, I realized that Kindle has tons of advantages that really make reading such a different experience. It’s easier, undeniably convenient, and in a way, it also made my reading experience of All for the Game (aka my current obsession), and other books way more fun. You may be wondering, how can that be? Read on fellow book nerds—here are five ways Kindle is making reading easier!
#1 It’s small and portable
Whether you are using a Kindle device or the Kindle mobile app (like me!), it is undoubtedly small and portable enough for you to carry around everywhere. And so, you can read at any place and any time you want! With Kindle, I’ve read while I was at work, I’ve read during lunch, I’ve read while I was getting ready for bed, and hell, I’ve even read while waiting for a concert to start!
#2 It has cheaper prices
Kindle editions are definitely more affordable than most paperback and hardcover versions of books. Some e-books are offered 60%-80% off their print list prices, and some are even absolutely free! This is one of the reasons how I came across with my new favorite series All for the Game. The first book is free and the next two books only cost $1.98 (₱ 102 for us Filipinos!)!
#3 Highlighting and tabbing or annotating is easier
As you read on Kindle, you can highlight passages in different colors, and you can leave notes on particular scenes and pages. As for me, I like to annotate or keep tabs on my physical reads (as seen here on my Harry Potter reread), so I was so happy with the Highlight and Notes features on Kindle! With it, I could highlight quotes, moments, and scenes just like how I would in a physical book. I could also leave notes here and there with ease—simple thoughts and opinions or my unbridled emotions as I was reading different parts of the book.
#4 It has a Dictionary and Wikipedia feature
Kindle also has its own built-in dictionary and Wikipedia feature! You can simply select a word, a place, or a name and a definition along with a Wikipedia excerpt (if there is one available and if you have internet connection) will pop up on the screen. This one is extremely helpful, especially when it comes to words and names you’re not familiar to.
#5 It has an X-Ray feature
Say there are a lot of characters in the book you’re reading and you’ve forgotten who this one person is, Kindle’s X-Ray feature can save you! If you select a character’s name, a bubble will pop up and show you the very first time that specific character was mentioned. You can even check out all the other times they were mentioned in the entire book. How awesome is that? (I’ve definitely used this feature more than once, haha!)
And there you go! I’ve only listed five, but I bet there are even more advantages to using Kindle (especially the actual devices!). Of course, I know Kindle is not for everyone. There may be book nerds out there who are visually-impaired, or have problems when they read too much through phone screens, or there may be others who truly prefer physical books rather than digital ones. But if you, dear reader, do not shy away from e-books, I definitely recommend Kindle!
How about the others—have you tried Kindle or any other e-reader? What do you use and how are they? Come talk!
