Why I’m Making the Switch to Kindle

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time you would have guessed I am a bit of a bookworm. There is nothing I like more than huddling over a good book with a hot drink by the fire on a drizzly day. Or sitting by the Thames on a sunny day with a light read and a cold beer. I have a particular genre I like, namely fiction and observations about life.

I know that the Kindle vs. Physical Book is fiercely debated. A lot of people love the feeling of a paperback in hand and think that a Kindle is somewhat taking away from the experience of reading. But reading is reading right? It doesn’t matter from which medium it’s read.

I read so much I’ve almost managed to fill two bookshelves. Just with my books. My personal space is getting a bit cluttered now and I thought there has to be a way to entertain my hobby without diminishing my living space. So here’s why I’m making the switch to a Kindle.

The environment

Studies have shown that the Kindle is less polluting over its lifetime than buying paperbacks, even taking into account the CO2 released from manufacturing it. I like to think of myself as quite environmentally conscious, so this was a major plus for me.

The cost

Although there is an initial outlay with regards to actually buying the Kindle, Kindle Editions of books are much cheaper. I can buy a Kindle version of a book from Amazon for roughly half the price of the paperback version and I can read it almost instantly. Considering the number of books I read, it’ll more than make up for its purchase price.

It’s compact

My point here is twofold. I can fit lots of books onto it. I find if I’m going away for the weekend, I usually pack a few books and this can take up considerable room in my suitcase. Conversely, with the Kindle I can download a few books and it takes up the same amount of minimal space. Also it’s light and I find it’s much easier than a heavy book to take out and read on the morning train commute to work.

More room in the house

I was going to say “less clutter” but I feel as if the purists around me will take umbrage with me calling books “clutter”. Even I feel a bit iffy about labelling books as “clutter”. You know what I mean though. After a while there gets to a point where lots of books in a small space looks “too much”. I live in London, I can’t afford lots of storage! With a Kindle I can read to my heart’s content without worrying where I will stash the book away afterwards.

No doubt, there will be things I’ll miss about reading a physical paperback. I miss really enjoying a book and passing it on to others who I think will like it. I’ll miss the smell of a new book and the cover designs that draw you in. I’ll miss having to turn the book to read the sentences that disappear into the spine so I don’t have to break it. I’ll miss making journeys to charity shops armed with bags full of books and the feeling of a book in hand.

I have quite a few paperbacks that I will finish reading. But I have vowed to myself to not buy any more physical books, unless they are presents for others.

Do you prefer reading a Kindle or a paperback?