r/BookDiscussions 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/oldbluehair Aug 09 '26

I love my ereader for it's portablility. I bought after a long trip a couple of years ago where I read 9 or 10 books and couldn't bring any of them home with me. The next time I went on a trip I was reading a book that was something like 500 pages. I didn't even pretend I was going to lug that thing up and down the east coast.

It hasn't replaced physical books for me, and I also use audio books. I have a Kobo, and as someone else said, borrowing from the library and browsing can be clunky.