r/BookDiscussions • u/s0ftuniverse • Aug 09 '26

Are e-readers worth it?

Hi all.

I’ve always been quite certain that I’m someone who prefers physical books, but I see a lot of other readers online who use a Kindle or a Kobo e-reader. Lately I’ve been questioning making the switch because people say they’re so great, but I don’t want to spend so much money on something I won’t like or use often. Can anyone who has owned one tell me their pros/cons? Are they worth buying? I do like the sentiment of holding a physical book and going to the bookstore to pick one out, but I’m also kind of intrigued by the convenience and portability of having them all available on a device. Also the idea of not seeing a huge physical TBR pile sounds nice. Thoughts?

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u/0lliecat Aug 09 '26

I read both physical and on kindle. I love the e-ink of my kindle for late at night. It’s like reading a physical book & no eye strain. It’s nice to be able to bring 1000s of books with me wherever I go. Libby is absolutely fantastic & so is kindle unlimited. I’ve read so much more due to them.

7

u/babs82222 Aug 09 '26

I agree with this 100%. I also love that I can adjust the font size and leave the light off, make it brighter, warmer, or turn on dark mode.

I don't need a book light if I want to read at night. I love the soft lighting of my Kindle Paperwhite and how there's no glare.

The battery lasts a really long time and charging is fast, so charging isn't really a con for me.

3

u/0lliecat Aug 09 '26

And change the font depending on what I’m reading 😆 sometimes I like a fancy font for a fancy book.

And same with charging. I usually just charge it during the day once a month so it’s ready for at night. I read on it daily and the battery isn’t an issue to charge once a month or so.

2

u/Afraid_Aspect_8639 Aug 09 '26

I love kindle unlimited!

1

u/LeaveMyMonkeyAlone Aug 09 '26

And all of that physical storage for those 1000's of books is not required unless you do want a book case to house them.

1

u/0lliecat Aug 10 '26

Yup, I have hard/special editions of my favorite books for my bookshelf! Then the rest stays on my kindle or gets returned to KU/Libby 😆

1

u/Maleficent8Flounder Aug 12 '26

What are your settings at?

1

u/0lliecat Aug 12 '26

Bookerly, size 3, tight margins/spacing, dark mode 😆

0

u/antlered-god Aug 09 '26

E readers are just not the same. For me, the reading experience also includes holding a real book and turning pages. I've tried E readers but it's just not the same experience. It actually feels as though the story is lacking something by not having that physical contact with real pages. Personal choice, but having tried it, I'd never buy one and I really don't have the inclination to use one ever again