This post is my honest opinion, but does contain affiliate links.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I recently mourned the loss of my Kindle. Midway through a really engaging mystery, half of the screen froze over, making the rest of the text unreadable. Usually I’m a repair and restore kind of girl, but considering I’d originally purchased this Kindle ten years ago I thought it was time to put my faithful friend to rest.
Why did I buy another e-reader when I have mountains of physical books to read, you might ask? You’d be right. I do have a currently insurmountable physical TBR that I’ve just added to again today. This would be the perfect time to cut down on some of that backlog. However, I receive almost all of my review copies as ebooks, and as much as I like using the Kindle app on my phone when I’m in a queue, I much prefer reading on the Kindle while I’m in bed or trying to relax. My phone is far too distracting for everyday use as an e-reader – I would end up scrolling through the same sixteen Tumblr posts again and again – and causes way too much eye strain.
I ended up purchasing the basic Kindle model released in 2022. It fit in with my budget more than any of the other models, although I love the idea of the Kindle Scribe. I had a Kindle Fire for a while about five years ago, and the amount of ads on that thing slowed it down immensely, so this time I splurged for the version without ads (I am also morally against advertising, but that’s a discussion for another time) which was an extra £10, but so worth it. I also bought a case, since my last Kindle was thrown around fairly often (and usually not on purpose).
The Kindle itself is trustworthy. It’s a little slow to wake up and load things, which might be it rejecting all the ads Amazon are trying to send me through the wi-fi, but otherwise it’s great. The display is so much clearer than my old model, especially for the book covers, and I can put it in dark mode for reading at night. I get almost no eye strain from it, which is amazing for someone who suffers from chronic migraines. The absolute last thing I want to do is make my head hurt while doing my favourite thing. It also photographs well, which is great for posting on Instagram because I’m useless at editing.
So far, my older model only had two advantages. The first is that it didn’t have a shop library on it. If I wanted to buy a new book (a very rare occurrence), I had to go on my laptop and purchase it. I almost never did this. Now, if I want a new book, all I have to do is tap it. That’s lethal. I’ve already bought four books in the two weeks I’ve had it.
The second advantage of my older Kindle was the buttons. I love buttons. The fact that this new one is touchscreen is a disappointment. I didn’t cling to my BlackBerry Curve 8520 until it was spitting up blood every time I typed a message just because it was lilac. I don’t lust after mechanical keyboards because I like the alphabet.
Let’s focus on the case. It’s a pretty simple magnetic case. When you open it, it wakes the Kindle. The back folds into a little stand which is pretty good for resting on my desk at work, even if the Kindle is a little squint when it’s standing up. What I most like about this case in particular is that the design features Vincent van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms, one of my favourite paintings. It’s also very forgiving if you bend the cover the wrong way, which I do every time I open it because I can never remember how to stand it up on the first go.
In all, a pretty good purchase. If you’re in the market for a new Kindle and just want to read a book without any of the faff, I’d go for this model.
Writing Werewolf 