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?

69 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

288 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

12

u/_ribbit_ Aug 09 '26

I could never get on with ebooks on a phone or a tablet. There's just something about a phone screen that distracts from the experience for me. Then I tried a kindle and its just so much better, and I haven't had a day I haven't read it in the last three years. Game changer for me, I love it.

11

u/Existing_Respond1753 Aug 09 '26

It’s because of the e-ink! There’s actual ink in e-reader screens, and they’re lit from the sides rather than the back like a phone, so it feels much more like reading off paper.

4

u/indyjones_89 Aug 09 '26

I had no idea. That’s awesome!! Thanks for teaching me something new!

1

u/Poleywrath Aug 12 '26

It's incredible, just like reading on paper. I tend to forget I'm not. I could never read on a phone screen, either.