This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of eBookArrow.com. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have never been one to be up on the latest gadgets and technology, so when my husband asked if I wanted a Kindle a few years ago I was hesitant to jump on this newer technology, especially because real books are so great! With real books, you get to hold them in your hand, feel the pages between your fingertips, crack open that spine, underline and make notes (if you own it) as you want, and get that satisfaction of closing a book once it’s over. Why would I want to give those up? We decided I would give it ago anyway, and my husband bought me a Kindle PaperWhite. And I love it. There are some really amazing benefits of a kindle eReader!
The major difference between a Kindle and a paperback or hardcover book is the size and weight. My little Kindle doesn’t weigh very much at 7.5oz, is thin, and easily fits right in my purse without weighing me down (which I certainly don’t need with 3 young kids, a pregnant belly, and a diaper bag on my other shoulder) so that I can read anytime I have some extra downtime while I’m out. And honestly, it’s weird, but I don’t feel as embarrassed when carrying a Kindle around as compared to a book. A Kindle affords me privacy: no one knows what book I am reading! While I don’t read smutty books or anything, what people read can say something about a person, right? And I don’t like feeling judged (even if no one really is). The only downside to that though is that most people probably just assume I’m checking Facebook or Instagram on some tablet rather than reading a book, and reading a book can be a great conversation starter with strangers.
And a huge benefit of a Kindle, especially the PaperWhite, is that the screen is glare-free and I can read outside as I lay out and work on a tan (ha, like that happens anymore – but I could totally hold it up above my face and block the sun as I read because it is so light: no more falling pages either of a regular book). The Kindle PaperWhite has awesome light settings so I can read in complete darkness or bright sunshine without a problem. I really like the low-light setting: it means I can read without straining my eyes in the dark or having to keep a light on (if reading a regular book) which may interrupt my husband’s quality sleep if he’s already down for the night and I want to read before I go to bed.
Thanks to its low-light settings and the capability to turn off its Wi-Fi (which you really only need to download new books), the Kindle PaperWhite can also last for weeks on a single charge. No more having to stop at a really good part of a book to go charge it!
If you are a book lover, having all of your favorite books all in one place is pretty awesome too. You can highlight and make notes as you read too. So, if you love quoting authors, you can easily pull those quotes and have them at your finger tips when out and about. Plus, you can select a word and find out the definition of the word! I seriously love that, especially for books that are clearly much smarter than I am. I no longer have to assume or guess the meaning of a word or actually pull out a dictionary (or google it).
Other things I love about the Kindle are that it tells me how much longer I have left in a chapter or until I finish reading a book, based on my current reading speed, in hours and minutes. I can also change the font, margins, line spacing, and text size so I can comfortably read how I prefer. And I really like that I can email my kindle PDFs that I receive instead of having to read them on my desktop or other device. The only downside to the PDFs is that they aren’t formatted quite the same as a mobi file (so I often read them in landscape mode, another great feature, so the text is bigger and easier to read).
And I really like that there are so many free books and discounted books you can get. Ebooks are cheaper than paperback or hardcover books because there are no printing costs: they are just digital files. It’s a really great way to save money on books you purchase, and you never have to worry about losing them, storing them, or misplacing them.
There are millions of titles in the public domain – like Pride and Prejudice, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Wizard of Oz, and Dracula – that you can download to your Kindle for free with the touch of a button. You can’t just pick up free copies of hardback books of these classics, except for at the library but then you are still only borrowing them for a limited time. These free books a great way to educate and enlighten yourself about Classics that you have heard about never read.
And everyday there are new free ebooks listed on Amazon, often for a limited time, or great discounted prices on an author’s ebooks. And that’s when signing up for a site like eBookArrow.com is smart. EBookArrow.com will send out a daily email with free or discounted ebooks that are personalized and curated to books in genres you choose. It ensures you won’t miss out on a great offer or promotion, and may help you find some great new reads too. Plus, their service is free to use.
Another great thing about eReaders is that many libraries will loan the digital copies of a book straight to your Kindle! And they’ll automatically “take it back” when the due date arrives which means no more late fees! With a Kindle, trips to the library may not have to happen very often, saving you money (on gas and late fees) and time.
I also want to let you know that you don’t actually have to have a Kindle or eReader to read electronically. There’s an app for that! Amazon has a Kindle Reading App so that you can read books you download from Amazon (or elsewhere) right on your phone or tablet or desktop. And it’s completely free. So go ahead and read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices. And if you have Amazon Prime (you can try Amazon Prime with a 30-Day FREE Trial by the way) you can get a free ebook each month from their lending library on popular new titles (plus other good perks, but we’re talking ebooks here).
I love my Kindle PaperWhite. While I still, of course, read paperback and hardcover books as well as ebooks, I really like the services and features of my ereader.
What are you favorite things about your Kindle? Do you have a PaperWhite? Or do you have some other kind of ereader?
Chelsea says
I got a Kindle the Christmas before we got pregnant, and it was one of the best things I had for breastfeeding! It helped me stay awake at night and gave me something to do, especially during those early months when I felt like all I was doing was nursing! I used it when my daughter was born, too, and it was so helpful!
Katelyn Fagan says
Yes! I got my Kindle PaperWhite before my son was born, and it was so nice in those early days to be able to read as we nursed (because those early nursing sessions can go on a while) and it’s lightweight enough to hold in one hand and I didn’t have to turn on the light!
Erika says
FYI- You can’t actually take advantage of the Kindle Lending Library unless you own a Kindle. Even if you have Amazon Prime.
Katelyn Fagan says
Oh really? Hmmm, I figured you would be able to. That’s a little lame. Thanks for letting me (and anyone who may read your comment) know.
Julie says
I too have a paperwhite, and the kindle apps on all my devices haha. I love the freebie sites, but they have made my virtual bookshelves so impossibly piled that I have to become immortal to read everything I “bought”.
Kathleen says
I have a Kindle, just the regular kind. I got it before we moved to China so I could have books with me without being weighed down. Now that I have an iPad, I have the Kindle app on it so I only have one thing to take with me. It’s so handy when traveling.
Hezzi-D says
The Paperwhite is awesome because it isn’t a computer screen and it’s so much more like jut reading a book. I love it!
Ebookwebsite says
Just love my Paperwhite because it is very light weight and I can easily carry it anywhere with me. I am a book lover person so its just for me. I never miss my books now when I travel to somewhere.