I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am not a tech person. For the longest time I didn’t want a Kindle e-reader (or an e-reader of any kind). Because I’m a fan of paper books. I like the way they smell and feel. I like looking at the cover and reading the inside flap.  I like the physical act of flipping through real pages. I like going to the library.

But then I moved to DC and rode the metro to and from work every day. My right shoulder started aching because my purse was always weighted down with whatever hardcover book I was reading during my commute. So, tentatively, I asked for a Kindle for Christmas.

It took a short while  to get used to it, and even now there are times when, for some reason, reading the e-version of a book doesn’t feel right to me: I still want the physical sensation of a book in my lap, paper pages between my fingers. BUT, for the most part I LOVE MY KINDLE E-READER. Here’s why.

11 Reasons I Love my Kindle E-Reader

*Note: This post contains affiliate links

 

#1 You can easily bring hundreds of books with you.  

True story: once I went to Mexico for six weeks and packed so many books that not only did I have to pay the fee for overweight luggage, but on the way home my suitcase literally broke and I had to duct-tape it back together. So, yeah. Now when I go on a trip, I bring my Kindle. I can download hundreds of books onto it without adding a single extra ounce to my luggage. And since a Kindle e-reader weighs less than a paperback book, I can tuck it into my purse or backpack without worrying about shoulder aches.  

 

#2 It makes reading in bed (or while breastfeeding) super comfy.

If you’re a bookworm like me, I know you’ve had this problem:  you’re all snuggled in bed, excited to lose yourself in a novel, but you can’t find a way to get comfortable with your heavy hardcover book (or massive paperback). It’s pretty much like this cartoon from ifunny.co, am I right?

My Kindle e-reader is so small and lightweight that I can lie in bed and hold it with one hand. And I’ve talked before about how the only way I’m able to read while breastfeeding is with my Kindle. Plus, the Kindle Paperwhite has a built-in reading light, so you won’t bother your mate (or your cat) when you take a book to bed with you.  

 

#3 The Kindle e-reader does everything a paper book does… and more

One thing I worried about before getting a Kindle was that it would be like reading on a computer screen, which can feel like work and give me eye strain. But the Kindle screen really does look like a paper page. It doesn’t have that bright glare of a computer screen, and it doesn’t hurt my eyes. Plus, on the Kindle e-reader you can:

• Highlight and take notes. (Your notes will be saved both on your Kindle e-reader and online.)
• Check out “popular highlights” to see what passages other people thought were important
• Bookmark your spot and “dog-ear” pages you want to come back to
• Look up the definition of a word with a simple tap
• Search the entire book for a word or phrase
• Jump to any chapter or page with a quick click
• Translate a passage with Instant Translations
• And probably do a lot of other cool stuff — check out 21 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Your Kindle

 

#4 You can check out books from the library without actually going to the library; plus take notes in a library book!

I know I said I like going to the library, and I do. But now I have a baby, and sometimes just leaving the house is an ordeal. Plus, what if I want a new book late at night? Or while I’m out of town? No problem. I get on my library’s website, search for books in e-reader format, and bam – I download them directly onto my Kindle e-reader from the comfort of my own home. It’s AH-mazing.

Also, as I mentioned in #3, you can highlight and take notes with your Kindle e-reader.  Well you can actually take notes in a library book! And if you end up buying the book, or checking it out again (even from a different library), your notes will be saved and waiting for you!

*Updated to add: during these COVID times, being able to get library books without going to the library has been a lifesaver. 

 

#5 You can download thousands of books from Amazon for FREE.

There are over a thousand free popular classics to choose from.  Download them onto your Kindle e-reader and there they will remain — yours, forever. A few of my favorites include:

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales

Not into classics? You can also download free romance, suspense, and fantasy/sci-fi e-books from Amazon!  

 

#6 You can trade in your old Kindle and get a discount on a new one.

I recently found out about this and am pretty excited. You can trade in your old Kindle e-reader and Amazon will give you a gift card for the value of your old Kindle, as well as a $20 credit towards a new one! My Kindle is six years old now (which is like a hundred in technology years), so I’m definitely going to do this. 

 

#7 You can buy (or make!) super cool covers for your Kindle

A cover not only protects your Kindle, but it makes it feel more “book-like.”  I love my simple purple M-Edge leather Kindle cover. I’ve had it for six years, and it’s still just as nice as the day I bought it. Of course, there are lots of other options for covers in all kinds of colors and patterns. OR, if you’re crafty, you can make your own Kindle cover!

 

#8 You can lend an e-book to a friend

Are you one of those people who reads a good book and then just has to share?  As long as your friend has a Kindle, too, you can lend them e-books (or borrow books from them)!  

 

#9 If you have Amazon Prime (and who doesn’t?), you can borrow e-books for free

You probably know Amazon Prime as the way to get free two-day shipping, but did you know it also includes Prime Reading:  free, unlimited reading of books and magazines on any e-reading device? To browse available e-books, simply click on “Prime Reading Eligible” in the search options.  You can read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Hangman’s Daughter, and many more titles with your prime subscription.  

 

#10 You can read word documents and webpages on your Kindle

You can send over 10 file types to your Kindle — including .pdf, .doc, .html, .rtf, .jpeg, .mobi, .gif, .png, and .bmp. I like to do this when I’m reading someone else’s work-in-progress, or when I’m revising my own work. Seeing a document in Kindle format makes it feel more like a “real” book and can help me catch errors, or simply experience it the way a real reader would.  

You can also send articles from the web to your Kindle e-reader, which I enjoy because I don’t particularly like reading on my laptop or phone. I prefer to read curled up on the couch with my beloved Kindle e-reader.

 

And finally…

 

#11 You can read something trashy in public and no one will know!

A few years ago, when I was riding the metro twice a day, and I’d often see middle- aged women in work clothes reading copies of 50 Shades of Grey, and I’d think EMBARASSING! I mean, I don’t want to book shame anyone, and you should for sure read what you want to read, but it is a bit awkward to be reading erotica in public, don’t you think?

With the Kindle, you can read a trashy paranormal romance or a super silly kid’s book and not worry about being judged. No one will know. For example, when I finally decided to read 50 Shades of Grey and see what all the hoopla was about, I was super glad that I was reading on my Kindle and could let people think I was reading something really highbrow instead.  

 

One reason I love my Kindle? I can read something trashy in public and no one will know! Click To Tweet

 

(Please note that there are many other kinds of e-readers besides Kindles. They might be super great, too, but my only experience is with my dear Kindle e-reader.)