Kindle v physical book

I love books. I love reading. I wish I had time to read more than I do. I have always loved real, physical books, with covers and pages. I have a brain that seems to remember where I have read something in a book (left page or right page? Halfway down the page? About 40 pages ago... that kind of thing) making it easy to flip back to find something if I need to.
I thought I would hate a Kindle. I resisted getting one for a long time. I thought I would miss the physicality of a book.

Well, I do and I don’t.

Why I prefer a physical book:

• When I read a Kindle book, I miss the spatial memory – I have no idea how many pages back I might have read something and the left page/right page aspect is of course absent. That’s all crystal clear with a physical book.
• Unless I am reading a physical version of a book, I frequently have no idea what the proper title of the book I’m reading is, or who the author is, unless it’s a book with which I’m already quite familiar. I assume this is because I don’t see the cover except when choosing to read it, whereas with a physical book, I see it every time I pick it up.
• ‘Bookshelves’ on the Kindle are just not the same as real bookshelves. I also find it easier to browse real bookshelves with physical books – pick them out, flip to the back cover, read what the blurb says.
• I can lend/borrow physical books. I can leave them in my will (assuming anyone has the same eclectic taste as me!).

Why/when I prefer the Kindle:

• I keep a note of what I read and also whether it was on Kindle or physical book. The first year I had a Kindle, I read about twice as many physical books as I did Kindle ones. The next year it was about half and half. Now I would say that I read more Kindle versions than I do physical versions. I also note how long it takes me to read a book and, even comparing books of the same length, I read Kindle versions in less time than I do physical ones. I’ve recently got a Paperwhite and I think I will read even more on that than I did on the older version. I don’t know why I read faster on a Kindle, but I suspect that it’s because I can change the font size and line-spacing and can speed-read more easily.
• When I’m travelling, I can just take my Kindle and have several books available to read (saving luggage space!!).
• I have the Kindle app on my phone, which means that if I have a few spare minutes and my phone with me, I can read a few pages of a Kindle book, whereas I may not always take a paperback out and about with me.
• I have terrible joints in my hands and the Kindle weighs less (even in its cover) than even the smallest paperback. The cover can fold back on itself and has a hand-slot so I don’t even need to hold the thing!

I have been surprised by how much I love my Kindle and how much I read on it in comparison with physical books. I haven’t shifted away from physical books entirely (I’ll keep my pledge to read the printed word!) but my Kindle is fab.

What do others prefer?

Review of my CoverUp Kindle cover

I wanted a leather (not PU) cover for my Kindle so that I could feel less stressed about taking it out and about. After a couple of false starts, I bought the Cover-Up Amazon Kindle 4 Leather Cover Case (Book Style) – Red

[Yes, there will be THE most hideous colour clash in my handbag if I move back to the pink baroque filofax, but let’s not go there… I’m using a black Cavendish filofax at the moment and my retina is surviving so far.]

CoverUp Kindle cover

So far I am happy with it. The Kindle slides in to the RHS (rather than being held in elastic straps at the corners) and there is also a small flap that tucks in at the top to hold the Kindle even more securely (although it’s quite a tight fit and I would be amazed if the Kindle could ever fall out without the flap). There are spaces around all the buttons and ports to allow easy access and the closure strap is on the LHS and so doesn’t interfere with the forward/reverse buttons on the RHS of the Kindle – something I hadn’t thought about until I read a few reviews.

The exterior is red leather and quite solid. The interior is lined with a self-striped fabric on the left and black leather on the right-hand side. The cover closes with a strap which has a magnetised press-stud and on the front there is the brand name embossed quite subtly in the leather. All the stitching is in a contrast cream colour (which is okay but not my preference – I would have preferred that it matched) and the whole cover seems very well made.

Strap closure on LHS so doesn't interfere with the buttons

And how am I getting on with the Kindle? I’ve already posted about it and haven’t much to add except that I am really enjoying being able to download free samples of books, allowing me to read a reasonable amount before choosing to buy (or not) and I am also loving downloading small things – like an introduction to a topic. These are usually free or just pence and I would never have bought them as small pamphlets and carried them around on the off-chance that I would have 5-10 minutes to look at them, but of course, that’s easy-peasy to do with the Kindle.

Being able to set the font size, style and spacing is also proving a delight as I have found a setting which is easy on the eye. In some of the (real) books I have, the font is quite small or the line-spacing quite tight and it has not been a pleasure to read these books. Weighty classics are often the worst offenders so it has been a boon to be able to get most of them for free/pence and be sure that I will be comfortable reading them.

All in all:

I’m glad I bought both this Kindle cover and the Kindle itself. I won’t be abandoning real books, but I am loving being able to read both weighty classics at a decent font size and little ‘quick and snappy’ things that I wouldn’t otherwise have ever read.

The Kindle has landed

Thank you for all the enabling positive comments while I was umming and awing over whether to get a Kindle! I went ahead and got one and it arrived on Monday.

So far, so good.

Good Points:

1. Size and weight

I got it because I have arthritis in my thumbs and holding a heavy book makes them ache like billy-o. I also wanted to be able to carry a number of things on a long journey without making my bag too heavy (my filofax, weighing in at 650g is taking care of that job…). At 170g (currently without a cover but more on that in a moment…) it is certainly lighter than almost any paperback I have on my shelves and doesn’t make my thumbs ache. As it doesn’t have a cover yet, I haven’t carried it around in my bag but even with a cover I doubt it will be as heavy as some of the paperbacks I have.

2. Being able to change the text size, font and spacing

What I am really enjoying at the moment, is downloading lots of freebie non-fiction books and flicking through them. By being able to fiddle with the settings and change the text size, font style and line spacing, I’ve found a combination such that I can speed-read much more easily than I would be able to on paper.

3. Cheap Classics

As well as freebie (or very cheap) non-fiction things, I’m enjoying being able to get many of the classics I’ve wanted to read, free, or for very little. Before I bought the Kindle, when I was still justifying getting one (as I have shelves of unread books), I made a small promise to myself to read big books and cheap classics on my Kindle – big books because of the arthritis issue, and cheap classics to justify the outlay (since it would cost a lot of money to buy the classics in paperback, but a fraction of that to get them as e-books, hence saving me at least £89!). At the moment I am reading Little Dorrit, which, if I bought it as a paperback would have >850 pages, so it’s covering both of those! I’ve downloaded a number of classics to it already, all of which were free or less than £1. As long as I do actually read them, I will have ‘paid back’ some of the investment.

Bad Points:

1. It’s not a book

I do love a proper book and although I’m enjoying using my Kindle, I’m not enjoying it the way I would if I were reading a real book where I can leaf back through to remind myself about a character or plot development etc. I think that will take a bit of getting used to. Maybe my memory will need to sharpen up since I can’t rely on being able to easily flick through a book.

2. Cover angst

I’ve bought two covers so far and both have gone back. The first was supposed to be a leather one but when it arrived, it was patently not, nor was it even the same design! The return of that has been extremely straightforward though. Then I ordered a second one which arrived this morning and although it is lovely, the front cover has a big crease in the leather, like the cover has been folded. So that’s going back too, but I will ask for a straight replacement since this one is leather, and fabric lined, not lined with synthetic leather (the smell of which is horrible to me). It’s been hard enough to read and not have either the feel or smell of the paper to enjoy, never mind having the smell and feel of synthetic leather putting me off. Hopefully a replacement cover will arrive soon and I can take the Kindle out and about.

3. Fretting

I know – this sounds like a weird one. But, if I drop a paperback, or it slides off my bed onto the floor because I fell asleep reading it, well, it’s a paperback and easily replaced (and probably not greatly damaged anyway). But if I drop my Kindle… well it’s another £89 if I break it. I’m hoping that with a cover on it I’ll feel less stressed about it getting damaged, but already I’ve almost put my laptop down on it because I didn’t really see it!

4. Time

I am now somewhat addicted to scanning through all the free classics that I’ve not read (and sometimes not heard of) disappearing down the rabbit-hole of ‘other people who bought this…’ then reading reviews and delighting in clicking on ‘buy now’ (when buy is a misnomer as they are free) then watching them download on to my Kindle. I realise I am now doing with my Kindle what I have always done with paperbacks – purchase/obtain more than I will read in a year. Time to turn the Wi Fi on my Kindle off and start actually reading!

All in all

I’m glad I bought it!