Why Kindle Paperwhite is best (and tripled my reading)

I used to be addicted to my Kindle. I had the original one with the mini keyboard and then the one that had the tabs on the side to change pages. Or possibly they were the same one… No matter. Around 10 years ago, I got one of the first Kindle Paperwhites and never looked back.

Unfortunately, about three years ago, its back started to get weirdly sticky. Then I accidentally tried someone else’s Kindle and realised how damned slow mine was. Happily, I had just bought a new 11-inch iPad Pro, and so I simply read on that.

I chart how much I read on Goodreads and also with the Kindle app. I am a nerd like that. I noticed that I had dropped from around 40 books a year to just 20. This wasn’t good and was a bit baffling. I then realised what was happening.

• I would be distracted by emails and messages, and even though I could set the iPad to focus mode, I kept forgetting.
• I would read something that would spark an interest, and I’d then spend the next hour on Wikipedia or YouTube.
• It wasn’t convenient to read when on public transport, by the pool (it isn’t waterproof), or while doing other tasks like shaving or brushing my teeth (I read all the time).

It was time to buy a Kindle. But which one, and did it up my reading again? (The title of this post is a spoiler.)

Why I chose the Kindle Paperwhite 2021 edition

There are several different models of Kindle these days, so once the decision was made, I had to do some research.

The Kindle Oasis was tempting, but not as much as I’d thought. It cost more than double the Paperwhite for not much extra. Many of the features I wanted were also now on the Paperwhite. Things like waterproofing (I live in the tropics and swim a lot), warm lighting (I read in bed), and a faster processor. I like the bigger 7-inch screen that you get, but the new Paperwhite has 6.8 inches.

The standard Kindle 2022 model has a 6-inch screen and no waterproofing, so that was out.

The Amazon Kindle Scribe looks cool, but it really isn’t something I need. I already have an iPad Pro and a pen.

That just left the three models of Paperwhite. One with ads, one without, and the Signature Edition. I would have bought the 2022 or 2023 edition if there had been one, but 2021 was the most recent and had everything I needed. It was faster, waterproof, had a decent screen, warm lighting, and – joy of joys – a USB-C port.

I didn’t want ads, so that left two. The Signature Edition is fine, but I couldn’t think of a reason to get one. It supports Qi charging, but one of the great things about a Kindle is that it doesn’t need charging all that often. It had greater storage, which is handy if you listen to audiobooks a lot, but I just wanted a reader. My audiobooks are on my phone.

So, after all my research, I was back with the latest model of the one I was replacing. The Paperwhite is probably the best for most people, it is an amazing device.

Has it increased my reading?

Yes, it has. I even started a reading challenge for the year at a higher rate than my previous average of 40 books a year. I am now aiming for a book a week. Thanks to rediscovering the joy of getting really absorbed in a novel, I am averaging a book a week. And these aren’t short books – one was the Wheel of Time book 5 – The Fires of Heaven, and I am currently reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.

My aim is to hit 60 books in total, and as I’m going to read a Murderbot book (review of the first one here) followed by a Dresden Files (both are quite short), I will be totally on track. Obviously, book challenges are a bit pointless if you adore reading, but it is nice to go back to being obsessed with the written word. If a Kindle means I am reading 60 books a year, up from 20, then that is a damned fine purchase.

In case you can’t tell, I love my Kindle and highly recommend the Paperwhite. I got the 8GB version which fits 5000 books. So, that should do me for a while.