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First, let me explain why I did it.
For years, I hated e-books and would only review thrillers if the publisher or author sent me a physical copy. It used to be standard practice for publishers to print what are called Advance Reader Copies (or ARCs), also known as galley copies, which are approximately the size of a trade paperback but are printed before the book has completed the entire editing process. Generally, they come with a warning that says something like “Advance Uncorrected Proofs, please do not quote for publication without checking against the finished book.”
However, with printing costs at an all-time high (which is why hardcovers are now averaging around $30), publishers are printing ARCs less frequently and in smaller batches. Some books actually get zero printed ARCs, and are therefore only available as advance e-books, which—as you may have guessed—requires an e-reader to consume.
So, after years of fighting it, I eventually decided to embrace the transition, realizing that there are plenty of pros (reading in the dark without a booklight is nice) to balance the cons (e-readers have batteries, which means they can die; physical books don’t). With the popularity of e-books on the rise, I can’t tell you how often I get emails and DMs from readers asking which make and model I recommend. After all, we’re all just trying to get the most bang for our bucks these days, right?
Well, in order to answer that question—which e-reader is the best?—I decided to order every version of the Amazon-made Kindle, and used them all, noting what I liked or didn’t like, all of which I present below.
If you’re on the fence about which one to buy, I sincerely hope this list helps you out.