Wanting to start reading more as a form of better sleep hygiene. Less TV and phone before bed.

should I get a Kindle? or buy books.

how does the service with Kindle work? cost? and does it have all books on it?

As I have gotten old, I find that I can not read pocket paperbacks at all. Making this realization and changing my formats really increased my reading amounts and enjoyment.


My preference for reading material

Trade/soft cover perfect bound paperbacks



My kindle paperwhite

Hard cover case bound books



Fire tablet/ipad






My phone



Pocket paper backs

I live my kindle fire. I've had one for 8 years or so. I found it very convenient to have one due to lots of travel time and extended time away to take something that size with hundreds of books on it. I read from it just about every day. I even have the kindle app on my iPhone so I can read at work on breaks. I think the purchasing of books is easy. Straight up search for the title you know you want and push purchase and it's your instantly. Plus I like the recommendations it gives as it steers me towards stuff I'd probably never notice. I think you get some
Good perks being an amazon prime member as well, like
Discounts or cheaper prices. I seem to remember something to that effect when my wife (the prime member) and my accounts were linked but then I bought a new friend was too lazy to link it back. Overall I think purchase prices for books on kindle are cheaper than going to a B&N. I highly recommend purchasing one.


ETA I just counted and have 154 books on mine.

Max Power said:

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Get a library card, seriously. My local library account links to an app called Hoopla with access to all kinds of things in addition to what I can get in person. Something I just started doing since it's way cheaper to get books to read my daughter via the library than buying new ones all the time, now I just get them for myself too.

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This. There are several apps like Hoopla that connect to your public library. Overdrive and Libby are 2 others. I'm currently listening through all of Bill O'Reilly's "Killing..." series.

I love my kindle (my third). I read at night, with the backlight on. I have a swing arm on the side of the bed to hold it in place. Great to read with until I can fall asleep.

I have an old school kindle (2011?) and I use it all the time. I go to my public library website (overdrive) and choose a book to download. If it's relatively new, you probably will have to enter a wait list. It may take a few weeks for the other readers to "return" their digital copies. If it's an older book, you can usually download it immediately.

My only complaint with newer kindles is the touch screen. Sometimes I will accidentally touch the screen and the page will turn or go to the home menu.

To answer your second question: you still have to buy books or download from the library. Another option is to log onto amazon and search "free kindle books". I refine the category (mysteries, 4* and up) and browse whatever titles look good.

I got a third generation Kindle in 2011 when I was traveling a lot for work. I read a handful of books on it and then started Game of Thrones. The progress bar on the bottom of the screen was initially not a good indicator for how thick the book was, so there was an element of not knowing what I was in for plus I found it difficult to keep up with all the characters until I got to the end of the kindle version and discovered all of the family trees.

I'm sure in the newer versions there's a good way to flip back and forth, but ever since then I've preferred the physical text. Having said that, I read a lot of whitepapers/PDFs for work and I have loved the ReMarkable tablet. The downside is that it's not as integrated with my public library, so while you can put ePub docs on it they have to be sans-DRM.

Get a kindle paper white that lights up, an in between a computer screen and a book. Pretty easy on the eyes and definitely helps me to relax before bed instead of staring at a phone or tablet screen (those also encourage me to look at other things instead of winding down)

I prefer physical copies but have a kindle for travel. The newer kindles are pretty good.

My wife and I read constantly on our Kindle Paperwhites. I have a bunch of books saved on there and read Library books on there all the time. Also, Amazon Prime offers a lot of books for free. Amazon also has a different service: Kindle Unlimited that costs $10 a month and gives you access to even more free books. My wife reads very quickly and subscribing to that is a lot cheaper than buying her new books.

I decide the medium with which I'll read the book by what genre it is.

If it's an academic/theology type of book that requires deeper thought, I always buy the physical book. It's more likely that when I'm "reading" these kinds of books, I'm actually studying/learning and I think the physical book lets me be more focused and flip back and forth as needed.

If it's most everything else, I'll buy it on Kindle since my focus doesn't need to be as great. I'm also more likely to read these books in bed and it's easier to get comfortable with my iPad mini.

I use an e-reader but my last purchase was a Kobo instead of a Kindle. Solid specs but cheaper than the kindle Oasis. Whether you go Amazon or another brand, be sure to get a model that has warm light LEDs in it. That feature has been great for reading at night/in bed and i think having one without them would defeat the purpose for you. I believe only the Oasis at amazon has it, but Kobo has them for all but their cheapest model. Also the kobo has overdrive integration so you can easily get library books on it.

AgLiving06 said:

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I decide the medium with which I'll read the book by what genre it is.

If it's an academic/theology type of book that requires deeper thought, I always buy the physical book. It's more likely that when I'm "reading" these kinds of books, I'm actually studying/learning and I think the physical book lets me be more focused and flip back and forth as needed.

If it's most everything else, I'll buy it on Kindle since my focus doesn't need to be as great. I'm also more likely to read these books in bed and it's easier to get comfortable with my iPad mini.

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This is great advice. I read a variety of genres. I prefer buying physical copies for fantasy and history to have easier access to included reference materials like maps, dictionaries, photos, and character lists. Same thing for books with lots of diagrams, like science and manuals. I prefer digital copies for most everything else.

Can the paper white be read in the dark?

Quad Dog said:

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My wife and I read constantly on our Kindle Paperwhites. I have a bunch of books saved on there and read Library books on there all the time. Also, Amazon Prime offers a lot of books for free. Amazon also has a different service: Kindle Unlimited that costs $10 a month and gives you access to even more free books. My wife reads very quickly and subscribing to that is a lot cheaper than buying her new books.

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Yes - agree on Kindle Unlimited! Huge savings at my house.

gigemJTH12 said:

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Can the paper white be read in the dark?

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Yes, I read mine every night before I fall asleep.

That is what I love about it, don't have to deal with shadows on the book or keeping a light on in the room.

Yes

thanks for the help to you and everyone!

going to get it.

JABQ04 said:

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I live my kindle fire. I've had one for 8 years or so. I found it very convenient to have one due to lots of travel time and extended time away to take something that size with hundreds of books on it. I read from it just about every day. I even have the kindle app on my iPhone so I can read at work on breaks. I think the purchasing of books is easy. Straight up search for the title you know you want and push purchase and it's your instantly. Plus I like the recommendations it gives as it steers me towards stuff I'd probably never notice. I think you get some
Good perks being an amazon prime member as well, like
Discounts or cheaper prices. I seem to remember something to that effect when my wife (the prime member) and my accounts were linked but then I bought a new friend was too lazy to link it back. Overall I think purchase prices for books on kindle are cheaper than going to a B&N. I highly recommend purchasing one.


ETA I just counted and have 154 books on mine.

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this right here. I probably have twice that many. I've bought and read books on my kindle that I never would have seen otherwise. I just ordered a new kindle paperwhite since it is on sale for Prime days. Got a $5 book credit along with a great price.

Every time I start reading a book my wife will start talking to me as if I am not doing anything...or that I must be bored since I am reading.

A bit annoying.

GoAgs92 said:

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Every time I start reading a book my wife will start talking to me as if I am not doing anything...or that I must be bored since I am reading.

A bit annoying.

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Divorce her. Problem solved.

gigemJTH12 said:

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Wanting to start reading more as a form of better sleep hygiene. Less TV and phone before bed.

should I get a Kindle? or buy books.

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Why not both?

Book lover here.

I have books I am reading, books I own that I have not yet read, books on my to buy list, and books I have bought that are being delivered despite the many I have not read.

I also like having a bookcase filled with books. I like handling a book. And I like not always looking at a screen.

I use Apple Books for my nighttime reading.

And read paperback/hardcover during the day.

I mark my books up. A lot. So, using Apple Books at night, it is easy to highlight and take notes while on my back.

Nvm

Decay said:

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WoMD said:

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GoAgs92 said:

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Every time I start reading a book my wife will start talking to me as if I am not doing anything...or that I must be bored since I am reading.

A bit annoying.

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I've been told that's a hint she's ready to be sexed up.

And yes, I was told this well after it could have helped me...

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If I had a nickel everytime I was trying to read a book and some chick started trying to get on me. Like, excuse me, aviation-thriller maestro Dale Brown knows what I like and I doubt you could even tell me how many engines the F-15 has.

At least that's how my highschool experience played out on my head.

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It also happened when I was trying to watch baseball games. That *****...

I read books before bed almost every night. Libraries are a fantastic resource. For books the library doesn't have on the shelf, shop Amazon.

I don't see any recent articles on if this is still an issue with Kindle, but computer / tablet / phone screens keep your brain awake with the light they emit. Maybe kindle has addressed this. I'm unsure.

Kindle addressed that at its inception. Reading on a Kindle is nothing like reading on a tablet.

Kindle paperwhite is same for your eyes as a book - the Fire Tablet is a screen like a phone. I love my paperwhite and have switched to reading on the kindle 100% about 8 years ago and love it. I read everywhere and it's easier to carry and read with one hand than a book. Bonus now that I'm old, I can increase the font size enough to where I don't need to find my glasses. I love mine; I have 977 books in my library now and can't even imagine how many I've read over the years.

I will echo an earlier comment about registering with your local library. Ours has a number of ebook licenses for just about any book I've tried to find. You check them out through an app called Libby and can send them to your kindle. Haven't paid for a book in years.