I have a 40 minute drive to work each way, and I find audiobooks the best way to pass the time. At night if I want to read the same book from my drive, Kindle picks up exactly where I stopped listening. And does the reverse the next morning when I get in the car.
If any else is doing this, I am unaware. But it's AWESOME.
My main complaint is Amazon has discontinued Kindle devices with physical page turn buttons. Whoever made that decision should be fired.
- If you like long books, an e-reader is much lighter than a tome. Not only more portable, but also easier to hold when reading.
- When lying down you don't have to fight the cover 50% of the time. Easy to read one-handed too.
- The new ones are water-resistant.
- You can have multiple books available, in case you switch it up or just finish them quickly.
- Search feature.
- Built-in bookmark.
- Time estimates until end-of-chapter and end-of-book.
- The e-ink screen doesn't feel like a screen. Not really a plus on top of paper books, but just because you mentioned.
I still read physical books when they're gifted or the medium requires it (House of Leaves being the latest example), but otherwise I'm 100% on e-readers. Previously Kindle Paperwhite 6th Gen, and since a few weeks, Kobo Clara BW.
If the book is not written in your native language or you like to read books with unusual vocabulary (e.g. historical books), it's an absolute delight. So far, a concise dictionary like Oxford has worked the best for me, while Wiktionary or similar always came short.
The other is heft and handiness. If you read anything that is larger than a small notebook, an e-book is much more practical. You also don't have to hold it open all the time.
That said, I have a jailbroken Kindle, but I am not giving a cent to Amazon. Should it break I'd just get a Kobo.
Also, here in Canada Kobos are extremely well integrated with library systems. It's a minor advantage generally, but during covid when libraries were physically closed it was a lifesaver. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I read less, but I read between 60 and 100 books most years so this is a big deal for me.
Then I switched to the Kobo Libra Colour. The weight and portability make a huge difference. Having my entire library with me means I am no longer stuck with whatever I decided to bring before leaving home.
The color display is not amazing, but it is good enough for comics. I have been reading things like Attack on Titan and Spider-Man on it. Reading tech books has been great too, especially those with graphs and images.
If I had to sum it up in one word, versatile.
- Built-in dictionary - Being able to read anywhere, even when light is not available (on a taxi, for example) - Can fit it in my pocket - Less annoying to read while lying down in bed, and the page is automatically marked when I fall asleep - Adjustable typeface and font size