Tripping the Light Fantastic

I love books. I like the look and the feel of them. As long as they aren't moldy, I like the smell of them. I like the sound the paper makes as it crinkles and the page turns. I have a lot of books.

I have had a Kindle* e-Reader for closing on two years now. While I do miss the aspects mentioned above, the change to electronic books is a vast improvement to my reading enjoyment.

My eyesight is not what it once was. I'm at that point where sight starts slowly degrading. In addition, I take medications that are potentially hastening that degradation. My Kindle has the ability to make the text of any book I read larger or smaller so that I can always find a comfortable size to view.

I read a lot in bed while having trouble sleeping. As I don't want to keep my wife up with either the overhead light or my table lamp, I need light to read by. We found the LightWedge to be a great compromise; I have light to read by, and the LW keeps that light primarily focused on the book I'm reading. However, this and similar solutions have issues as well. They require extra weight for you to hold. The LW has to be removed from the book and replaced each time you turn the page, which slows down your reading enjoyment and necessitates more movement than maybe you wish to do. Some clip-lights don't direct light onto the page in a uniform or pleasing way, so you get glare points and dark areas.

I have a clip-on light that works great when using my Kindle to read at night. I can read in low-light situations much more readily than with the standard type in the standard hard or softback book. The e-Ink screen is designed to be anti-glare, so there are fewer hot spots and any darker spots from a clip-on are less problematic when you can simply increase the font size. There are rumors that Amazon is working on an eReader that has, basically, a built in LightWedge, so you would not even need a clip on. Also, many Kindle covers have LED lights that use the Kindle's battery for power, so you basically have one unit that provides all the options you need.

When reading in bed, or in a reclined situation, most people rest the book on their belly. When reading at a table or on a plane, many people rest the book on the table, especially if they are reading War and Peace or anything by Stephen R. Donaldson. Books get heavy quickly. In addition, when the book is resting and you turn a page, the page scrapes across whatever you are resting it against. And you often have to use two hands to hold it and turn the pages. With my Kindle, I typically hold the book with one hand and keep my thumb on the page turn button. I can read either right handed or left handed by rotating the Kindle (and many Kindle models have the page-turn button on both sides of the case, so no rotation is needed). The fact that the average Kindle is much lighter than the average book (even lighter than most softbacks) means you can hold it one hand very easily and for longer periods than you can hold a standard book.

Note: The LightWedge actually works pretty well with the Kindle as well. However, it turns into a bit of a flashlight because the LW needs the spine of the book to stop the light from streaming out the far side of the clear plastic lighted area, so it is not optimal. The makers of LW really should put a thin opaque edge all the way around the clear area so that less light "spills out" of the viewing area.

Another nice thing about an eReader is that you have so many more options at your fingertips. I often get to bed and think, 'I don't feel like reading that tonight; maybe I'll read this other thing.' Well, when you are dealing with actual books, that necessitates a lot of space used for both books, comparatively speaking. I currently have approximately 75 novels of various lengths on my Kindle, yet they do not take up any more space, or additional weight, than the Kindle itself. I can add up to another approximately 3425 books to my Kindle without increasing the weight I carry or needing any additional nightstand or bookshelf space. When you are traveling, it is nice to "pack" as many books as you want to but only have to carry the weight of one Kindle, especially if you have an unexpected layover somewhere.

Lastly, my Kindle can read to me. It has a voice and the ability to read anything I put into it. So if I'm in a situation where I won't bother others, but don't want to read for myself, I can ask Kindle to do it for me and still make progress in the latest book. When I ask my wife to read to me, she usually just gives me a look like she's about to call the men in white coats to take me away.

My Kindle does not look or smell or feel like a "real" book. However, the advantages of increasing the font size, storing dozens of favorite or new books, low weight, one-handed reading, and the ability to be read to make the Kindle a replacement that can do far more than an actual book can. It makes some situations, like reading in bed, much easier. Overall, reading a Kindle is actually better than reading a book.

* = I have and use a Kindle eReader. Many of the pros I list are true of other brands of eReaders. However, I caution against using one that uses a back-lit LCD/LED display, as the eyestrain, especially reading at night/in the dark, can add up and make you use the product less. Also, back-lit LCD/LED readers use a lot more power (average of a couple of hours to up to around 10 hours use before a needed recharge. eInk displays only use power when you do something, so my Kindle stays charged for around a month of pretty heavy use (with the Wi-Fi turned off). Your mileage may vary.