Let’s Talk: How the Kindle Changed my Reading Life

Hi, hello lovely people! I hope you’re having a wonderful week, and you’re reading a good book with a nice cup of tea. If you’ve been following along with our monthly wrap ups, I have currently read 20 books. I am very happy with how my reading progress is going, and I must say, a lot of credit for it goes to my kindle. This post is not sponsored by amazon, or the kindle, and I know there are various other options on the market for the ereader. While I can’t speak on behalf of those alternatives, I imagine they work pretty much the same way!

I impulsively bought a kindle last year when Cossette did, in around August time. My goodness, what a purchase it was! I use it pretty much every day (except for lately – don’t you just love reading slumps?), and it has honestly changed my reading life. It has allowed me to fly through books at a pace I couldn’t even imagine, and in different locations too! Buying books for my kindle has become my go-to method of purchasing books and supporting my favourite authors, and I’m definitely enjoying having so many books in one tiny device, as opposed to having piles of books lining my shelves. Don’t get me wrong, I still love physical books, but ebooks are proving a more efficient and affordable way for me to consume books at the rate that I do. 

So, if you’re thinking about buying one, or you’re hesitant to make the change to e-reading, I’m going to outline some of the things that I love about the Kindle, and what made my reading experience all the more great. 

1. Font size. Okay, this one wasn’t a dealbreaker to me until recently, but it’s a wonderful feature to have once you start using it. I’ve only just realised how important font size in books is for me. In fact, it’s pretty much a deal breaker as to whether or not I’m going to buy a book. I have terrible eyesight. We’re talking one eye being seven times worse than the other, so I really struggle with small book fonts. I never realised how much I was struggling until opening my paperback edition of Legendborn (which is now going to be regifted to Cossette – who will appreciate it more than I!) and realising the font is tiny. I have since opted to buy it on my Kindle, due to the font size setting. It makes reading that tiny bit easier for me, and it makes reading all the more inclusive for people with worse eyesight than mine. 

2. Weight & Storage. This machine is tiny, lightweight and compact, and perfect for commuting. The model I own is the Kindle Paperwhite 6”, with the 8gb storage size. It’s the perfect size to hold in your hand, and the perfect amount of storage for all the books you want to download. To put it clearer, the 8gb kindle can hold 6000 books. All on one tiny device. Isn’t technology awesome?! While I haven’t read any graphic novels on there (drop your recommendations below!), the novels I have read with chapter art and maps look great on the display, with the lines being clear and crisp. However, I do believe the portability is where it truly is a reader’s best friend. I love taking my kindle around places with me, including in the car, on the train to work, and just chucked into my backpack for whenever I have a spare moment. It’s so easy to use on the go, and it’s so light you don’t even feel it adding any weight to the bag you’re holding! It’s so easy to use on the go that walking while reading is made significantly easier. Speaking from experience, I walked to work while reading the last chapter of One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston because I couldn’t put it down, and I never felt as if my experience with the kindle was made harder. (teatimelit encourages readers to be alert and safe while walking and reading, and please avoid busy streets if you choose to do so)

3. The Library. If you’re ever stuck on what to read, the kindle library has you covered. So many people self-publish onto the Kindle store, so it’s a lovely way to support some small authors! They obviously have the big titles, but they have such a wide range of different genres and topics to read about. For an additional monthly subscription, you can get Kindle Unlimited, too! I think it’s well worth the $15 a month, because it allows me to read so many new books I otherwise wouldn’t have picked up for free. It’s a borrow system, so once you’ve downloaded it to your kindle and finished the book, you can return it to free up some storage! The library is always being updated, so you can always find a good deal on there! 

And there we have it – some of my favourite things about my kindle! I’m so happy I impulsively bought one, I definitely wouldn’t have read as many books as I did last year without one. So, big shout out and thanks to Cossette for getting one first and inspiring me to buy one! If you have any questions or comments about the kindle, please be sure to leave them below!