Why I Prefer Reading on a Kindle to Physical Books

Hi, everyone.  This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar channel and in today's video, I'll tell you why I prefer Kindle or ebooks to hard copy or physical books. 

This is obviously a super personal decision.  And by that, I mean -- everyone has preferences and it really shouldn't matter to anyone else how you read your books.  That said, I've gotten this question about which reading format I prefer, so I'm going to attempt to answer it. 

The one thing I will say is that most people have a natural resistance to change.  Like when, unbeknownst to you, one of your apps is automatically updated and you have to spend a bunch of time figuring  out where everything is again in the new and "improved" version?  That's annoying, right?  Well, I think the same could be said for how we read.  I remember (and this is going to date me), in undergrad I used to write out my papers and essays by hand on many pieces of paper with scratch outs and inserted lines and all.  Then I would type them all up once I was completely finished with the writing AND the editing process.  I remember sitting in front of a computer screen with a blinking cursor and thinking -- "There is just no way that I will ever be able to write as fluidly without doing it long hand".  I really thought I would never be able to do it.  Fast forward many decades later and I now type ALL of my writing.  It was a matter of getting used to the new method.   I used to prefer reading hard copy books, but time has passed, I'm used to ebooks, and this is the way I now prefer.  By far the main reason I read on my Kindle is

• Lighting - basically, my husband generally goes to bed earlier than I do.  I used to read with the light on, which was not great for him.  It's so much less intrusive to have the subtle glow of the Kindle light rather than the big side table light.  AND when I inevitably fall asleep while reading, I just have to put my Kindle on my side table rather than feel around to turn off a side lamp.  Another thing I love is the ability to
• Export Highlights - Particularly when I'm reading non-fiction, I highlight passages copiously as I read.  With a physical book, this would allow me to pick it up and flip through my highlights, but on a Kindle, I can export those highlights into a note or document which then acts as a summary or shorter digest of what I've just read.  It's also great for textbooks for grad school since I can study just my highlighted notes without all of the extra text.  I keep these highlights in Evernote or a Google Doc so that I can search through these notes later on.  Which brings me to the
• Search Function - This is fantastic.  You can just keyword search within a Kindle book.  Here's an example of how I might use this feature.  Say I'm reading a Tolstoy book where there are 150 characters and each one has approximately 7 names and nicknames and appears infrequently in the text.  If a new character appears named Sasha and it seems like this character was already introduced, I just have to search for "Sasha" and voila!  Now I know when I he originally was mentioned in the text and every subsequent reference of his name.   This is generally super annoying with a physical book.  The next benefit is the Kindle is really
• Light - Remember that Tolstoy book I was just talking about?  Well, if I got it from the library at almost 900 pages, it would be heavy and unwieldy and awkward!   And holding the pages open is a real chore, but not with the Kindle.  It's super light and you don't ever need to hold pages open.  In addition, I've placed a couple of pop sockets on the back of my Kindle to make it even easier to hold.  And with the pop socket, i can read with just one hand.  Try doing that with a giant Tolstoy book!  But even though the Kindle is light and small, you can still have
• 100s of books on it - I love this particularly for travel, when I used to fill up half of my suitcase with books.  Now, I just bring some magazines and one Kindle.  In addition, if I run out of books to read, I can order a book and it will arrive
• Immediately - The immediacy of digital content is fantastic for those of us who like instant gratification.  Unfortunately, digital books can be pricey, but the good news is that most libraries now carry digital books in their collections for free.  I have a whole video series on the app that my library system uses if you are interested. 

So, those are all the reasons that I prefer reading on the Kindle to reading a hard copy book.  Are there some negatives?  Of course, but there are fewer for me.  First of all

• Navigation - the iPad Kindle version is better than the actual Kindle, but navigating back to a section that you’ve already read is kind of annoying.   Human beings tend to remember the shapes of text on a page, so having the pages all displayed in thumbnail is way better for me when I’m flipping back in a book trying to find something like on the iPad.  On the regular Kindle, it's annoying to go back one page at a time and I find the slider navigation disorienting. 
• Page Numbers - Some books have page numbers, some just have a "location number", which isn't very helpful.  I've taken to just relying on what percentage through the book I am, but this doesn't give you the same sense of how much you've read when you are reading say a Tolstoy book and 25% completed means that you’ve read more than 200 pages.  Also I like to
• Write in the Margins - I know, I know.  Some people are book purists and are going to be horrified when I tell you that I write in books and (gasp) fold down the pages for bookmarks.  Sorry!  I'm not a book purist.  In my mind -- books are made to be used, abused, and loved.  Write all over them if that helps you remember the content.  Yes, you can take notes in Kindle books, but they don't show up in the margins and it's a MUCH less satisfying experience.  And finally, I hate that you
• Can't loan books - Yes, I know there is some not-very-good-program that Amazon has that allows you to loan only certain books, only a certain number of times, but it’s honestly not good enough.  With hard copy books, I love being able to give the book to someone else when I'm done reading it.  Similarly, my library is now virtual, so when I leave this earth -- my books will likely just *poof* leave the earth right along with me -- rather than being passed down to the next generation of readers.   

So, those are some not great things, but honestly the convenience, immediacy, low light level, search function, highlight export, and ease of use are definitely enough to keep me reading on my Kindle rather than in hard copy.  Let me know what you think.  Comments are always appreciated and thanks for watching!