Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) – Now with a larger display, adjustable warm light, increased battery life, and faster page turns – Agave Green

I absolutely love this Kindle Paperwhite. The Agave Green color looks really nice in person and gives it a fresh, clean feel. It’s lightweight and easy to hold for long reading sessions, and the size fits comfortably in one hand without feeling bulky. The screen quality makes books look sharp and easy on the eyes, especially with the adjustable warm light. Battery life and overall durability have been excellent so far, and the huge book selection makes it easy to always have something new to read. Overall, a fantastic reading device that’s comfortable and reliable for everyday use.

I am someone who believes that there is something profound and special about a physical book. My favorite part about a book is its smell. It's not wrong to describe the smell of walking into a Barnes & Noble as pure euphoria. New books smell like potential, beginnings, and the possibility of something grand. Old books smell like legends, ancient wisdom, or forgotten secrets. Books have a weight to them as well. It's reassuring to know that this book you're holding is real — it takes up physical space in the world and this makes it undeniable. It's as if the power of the stories and ideas within are so strong that they have materialized into matter out of the aether. It's hard for me to hold, say, a Bible without a sense of reverence and awe. Even today when I walk into a large library I can't help but feel like I have walked into a holy place — a place of worship. Being surrounded by books has the same effect on me that a Xanex has on others. Books have an impact on me. I love them. This is why, when I started reading on a Kindle over a year ago, it felt like I was committing adultery. This nasty little plastic screen inspired none of the feelings that books gave me. It took the magic of books and sacrificed it on the altar of consumer electronics. Despite these feelings, I continued to use it. Now I have read a little over fifty books using my Kindle. I still believe that the Kindle kills the magic that physical books have, and it does. But for the first time in a year, I decided to pick up a book in paperback and read it. This experience of going back to real books has made me realize a few things about the Kindle and myself. First off, I realized with horror that I am addicted to my Kindle and its features. The people who designed the Kindle did so with intent. The Kindle's sole purpose is to read books — there are no other apps on it, there are no intrusive ads, and there is nothing to distract you from reading. Honestly, the device is relatively primitive compared to other consumer electronics, but that is a design choice and not a flaw. I would argue it is even easier to get lost in a book using the Kindle than it is with a physical book. And then there are the features — the glorious features. My favorite feature by far is the built-in dictionary. When reading a physical book and coming across a word I didn't know the meaning of, assuming I couldn't intuit the meaning from context, I would have to mark my place in the book, put it to the side, pull out my phone, and Google the word. This is tedious. It also breaks my train of thought and forces me to use my dreadful phone with all of its notifications and apps and stuff that sends me into a panic and introduces into my reading time the potential to sidetrack myself. I hate that. With my Kindle, all I have to do is touch the word and a popup with the definition appears and is dismissed just as easily, and then I'm off reading again — an interruption that is barely even noticed and my attention remains intact. Even better is the fact that my Kindle keeps a list of all these words that I've looked up over time, and I can review them anytime. I look at it occasionally and quiz myself — this is my idea of 'fun'. Now I'm a big fan of writing in my books — I underline, highlight, and write in the margins constantly. If I ever need inspiration or if I'm trying to remember something I've read, I will thumb through the book I found it in until I eventually find it. Sometimes when I get bored I will sit in front of my bookshelf and go through the books I've read looking at all the passages I highlighted to refresh my memory on all those inspiring things that I read in years past. It's a little tedious but not too bad. This habit of highlighting is not lost to me while reading on my Kindle. You simply press and drag your finger across the passage which will highlight it. But that's not the best part: Kindle will keep up with everything I have highlighted and organize it all for me by the book it was found in. So at any given time, I can see all of my highlights in any of the books I have read, and I can even share them to my Goodreads profile! This gets me visibly excited. The last feature I want to talk about is the backlit screen. If you do any of your reading in bed then you probably have a bedside lamp or a flashlight or some other novel light source designed for books. Maybe it's just me but I find it difficult to get comfortable in bed and read a paperback at the same time. Either my spouse is annoyed by the light while she is trying to sleep or I can't find the perfect position that makes it both comfortable and easy to read. The Kindle has a backlit screen with adjustable lighting and a "warm" light setting. This means all other light sources in the room can be extinguished and I can still get my reading done. No book-light required. The Kindle is so lightweight that I can lay or recline in any position comfortably. No more fighting with those books whose binding is stiff and unyielding. So now we come to the point of this post. A confession. It's a confession to myself and the world. As much as this pains me to say: The Kindle offers a far superior reading experience over books. I said it. I don't like it any more than you do, but it is simply true. The onboard dictionary, the highlights, the backlit screen, the insane battery life (I charge this thing once a month), all of it together creates the most consuming and productive reading experience available. I still feel subtle pangs of guilt when I look at my bookshelf. I don't think that will ever go away for anyone who truly loves books. But now my bookshelf has become a kind of "greatest hits" display. I still buy all the best books I read, and I now consider my bookshelf as a place of honor for all the greatest books. But I think of my Kindle as another appendage on my body — I never go anywhere without it. I love books. I love my Kindle. To my fellow book lovers out there who are still opposed to the idea of a Kindle, I say that you can love both. It will be okay. The Kindle isn't evil after all.

I bought this Kindle and it was one of my best decisions. The screen is super clear, easy on the eyes, and I can even read in direct sunlight without glare. It’s lightweight, easy to carry anywhere, and the battery lasts a long time — I can go days without charging it. I love how practical it is: switching books, adjusting the font, highlighting, looking up words… everything is fast and simple. And having hundreds of books in one place is amazing. Definitely the perfect device for anyone who loves to read. Highly recommended!

So I came into possession of this little guy due to a late night Amazon impulse buy a few days before leaving for vacation. I was going on a weeklong trip with my family and didn't want to have to bring my ipad (what I usually use to read) or any actual books with me on the plane. Let me preface this by saying I am an avid reader, spending the majority of my free time reading...and have been for most of my life. My siblings lament to anyone listening about the horror of summer road trips, riding in the back of our family sedan, fighting for leg room because I always had at least 5-6 books at my feet to read during our travels. You should hear the way my sister grumbles at even the mere mention of a car ride with me (She horribly dramatic) but I digress. I also used to have a nook e-reader, an original model Kindle from way back in the day that no longer works, and have the kindle app on my ipad which I use to read most days. So I am familiar with e-reading. This kindle is quite possibly the best purchase I've ever made. It's basically pocket sized so it was extremely portable. I brought it with me everywhere; On the plane, in the car, in my bag to restaurants...I even managed to fit it in a particularly spacious pocket of an oversized jean jacket I wore on cooler nights. It's amazing. It was comfortable enough to hold in one hand, or two, depending on what I preferred at the time. The various light options on the kindle, including the warm light feature makes it easy to read regardless of where I was and what kind of lighting is available, without eye strain. I shared a room with family for a couple of nights and the dark mode feature barely emits light past my immediate person, so I was able to read into the wee hours of the morning if I wanted to without disturbing my family sleeping in the same room, or sacrificing my precious reading time. ( I get particularly sassy if I'm interrupted in the middle of a discovering a plot twist in a juicy novel, i'm just saying). You are able to customize lots of the settings, such as the fonts, size, spacing and layout, so that the books look however you want them to while reading. (I definitely used that feature to make the font smaller and more compact while I read an embarrassingly cringleworthy, but suprisingly emotional and fantastic, harlequin romance novel while on the plane. It's nobody's business why I was practically sobbing into my complimentary pretzels after the protagonists romantic interest declared his love to her for the first time, thank you very much) I also may, or may not have had a TINY accident in which I spilled my entire 32oz water bottle full of water all over my pants and my kindle. After squealing in alarm at how cold the water was, I was able to get my bearings, wiped the water off the kindle, changed my pants and continued reading. I have noted no damage whatsoever to my kindle and that was at the beginning of my trip well over a week ago now. After reading every day for at least 4-6 hours per day/night for 7 days straight I had 57% battery left over. I think the battery is supposed to last for 2 weeks maybe? IDK. Basically it lasted a long time, long enough for me to be impressed. Also, I downloaded at least 15 new books on there, not to mention the impressive collection of books I already owned and was able to sync to the device, and I still have over 4GB of space available to use. I have since named the kindle Kurt, as I feel emotionally connected to the device after our adventures together these past weeks. If you are a super bookworm like me, or are just trying to finish a whole book for the first time, I highly recommend this device for purchase. I think it was worth the money a thousand times over. And if after reading this you do decide to purchase it, I hope you love it just as much as I do.

The Kindle Paperwhite in Denim is fantastic. The larger display and adjustable warm light make reading anytime comfortable, whether it’s day or night. Page turns are noticeably faster, and the battery life is impressive—it lasts for weeks! The 16 GB storage gives plenty of space for books, and the design feels premium yet lightweight. Perfect for anyone who loves to read.

I touted on for ages how I was a "true" reader who wanted a physical book in my hand, the smell of the paper, turning pages, yada yada -- and I do still enjoy all of those factors to physical reading! But after actually experiencing using an e-reader I can say with certainty that I prefer reading with my kindle over a paper book now. Are you reading because you love stories or are you reading because you like the idea of being a reader? There's the key. First and foremost, using my kindle is so much more comfortable in every aspect. I do most of my reading before bed and having the screen backlit with adjustable brightness and warmth is a game changer, and the screen really does view/read the same as paper. (I tried reading off my tablet before dishing out the money for a kindle and the eye strain is nonexistent compared to a tablet. There's also no screen glare which is something super annoying about reading on a tablet in the sunlight.) That alone makes it a win compared to trying to balance a little clip-on light on my books. I also read a lot of fantasy and romance, and the books just seem to keep getting longer. Hefting around a 500+ page book is annoying. It's heavy to hold and bulky. Trying to hold your page can be irritating, it's nearly impossible to prop up a bigger book and read if you're not using your hands. A kindle changes all of that. It's crazy lightweight and thin. You can prop it on a stand if you're eating. You can carry thousands of books for a tiny fraction of the space and weight of a paper book. Your whole library can be at your disposal at any time, so if you catch yourself bored with what you're reading or finishing your current read, you can instantly start on the next without planning ahead. And there's just the ease of acquiring your books. Did your book end on a cliffhanger and you're ravenous to know what happens next? Two minutes later that baby's downloaded and you're ready to read again. E-books are also typically less money than the physical counterparts. If you use the included kindle unlimited you're even better off. The fact of the matter is I pick up a lot of trashy books that I'm happy don't take up room in my home and that I didn't pay much, if any, for. I think the bonuses of a kindle that I wasn't even expecting are the actual abilities. I never used to notate my physical books. I know a lot of people do, but I have always been someone who wants them to stay in as good a shape as possible, and I also don't need people reading my intimate feelings and thoughts when they want to borrow my copy of something. The kindle allows you to highlight passages, bookmark pages, make notes. Now I have my own system of appreciating books in a way I never allowed myself before, as well as easily finding passages I loved or want to refer to again. There are also dictionary and translation functions if you don't know the context of something, which is such a simple but appreciated feature I didn't know I needed. And of course you can customize font, size, and layout to fit your personal preferences. The kindle is waterproof which will be wonderful for poolside or bathtub reading, as well as just general clumsiness. And while I don't believe the battery is quite as good as they claim, it does last an impressive amount of time, even with regular daily reading. This is especially nice because I like to carry it with me in my purse and have yet to worry about it dying before I want it to. My one complaint and the reason for four stars is I do feel like they're pricey for what they are, and only suggest buying on sale (they happen often enough on amazon it should never be a long wait). The processing system is irritatingly slow sometimes. When you're trying to scroll through the store the lag can be an eye twitch, and every now and then it'll jump multiple pages. You can buy a tablet for the same price if not cheaper and have more function and a faster output. But I really believe if you're an avid reader there's no denying what a kindle offers you compared to a tablet. A kindle is truly meant for reading; I'd buy another if this one went kaput tomorrow. If you're only an occasional reader? You enjoy a best-selling novel here and there but mainly prefer tv or whatever else to fill your downtime? Maybe not worth the money for you! That's your own financial consideration. Last but not least, some tips when you're buying. DO get the version with ads. I don't even know if I'd consider them ads, they only show up when you're not using the device, and they're literally just like a pic of a book and maybe a quote. It's not like an irritating pop up you'd see online. It's totally noninvasive, to the point where I wouldn't even be bothered to try and get rid of them for free... I barely even realize they're there. Also take advantage of the included kindle unlimited! There are a ton of great reads on there if you're willing to look. If you want to cancel after the trial go for it, but it's worth perusing while it's offered. Three months included is a good deal. Honestly I also think it's worth it if you are someone who goes through phases with really specific niche tropes... power through seven mafia romance novels+ for the price of what you'd pay for one, LOL. I know this is a ridiculously long review, but I'm emotionally attached to my kindle in a way I did not expect. It goes everywhere with me and provides me all the convenience and comfort I need as a reader. If you want to go on about the pleasures of paper pages, by all means! But if you're curious about the kindle and why someone would want it, here we are. I used to think part of the romance of reading was the book itself... you never know better 'til you know better.

Since the very beginning of the e-reader era, I had always sworn I would never purchase one. I was proud of being a biblio-purist, and felt that e-readers we're an affront to the ancient, iconic charms of printed literature. Reading a good book could not possibl provide the same experience when done so through the cold and impersonal electronic haze that encased e-readers. How could one derive the same experience that was provided from physical flipping throught dog-eared pages showing sings if all those who had tried through those printed words countless times before, and more to come. Feeling the best of it in your hands carrying the weight of reality, the ever-changing smells that evolved during a book's lifetime from papermill-new, the must and dust that could create olfactory imagery from old, well-used libraries, and the character of cigar-lounds and cognac snifters. These sensations could add timeless, hefty qualities to the works of literature contained therein. I also found afront in that electronic literature kept readers away from the already dying icon of the corner bookstore, and the charms of slowly perusing aisles and aisles of books with others who shared a similar driving passion. And to sip an afternoon capucino on the front patio of such a bookstore was a sublime pleasure that compared to no others. Then slowly, insidiously over the course of years, my reading frequency decreased. Part of it was due to the inevitable demands for time and attentions that increased age brings with increased responsibilities, but a large part was played by less and less time and energy I had available to make it to the bookstore or library. Slowly at first, but inevitable to the point at which I had simply quit reading without being accutely conscious of it. In would purchase an occasional book, but found that reading simply had become increasingly difficult to make happen. Books would get left in public places, or otherwise lost. Finding room for one in napsack before going on an afternoon bike ride impeded the desire to read. Sometimes I justwould tire of the unavoidable spills, stains, and mistreatments that eventually occured to my books, through no lack of love but due to my somewhat active and chaotic lifestyle. Then one day after watching a new film adaptation of one of my favorite novels, I had the strong urge to re-read the book. I, however, was on a late-night work schedule that made it extremely challenging to conduct any sort of business or errand-running during daylight hours. Being a devoutly active Amazonian, I was aware of a recent significant sale on Kindles. I ran through a few thought-processes and determined there was little risk of harm in making a small investment in the potential re-Kindling of a long-lost love. I can't put my Kindle down. I am utterly amazed at the e-ink technology that allows this reading magic to happen. I'm in love with the changeable, resizeable fonts (I can actually read even if I've mis-placed my glasses). The dictionary look-up feature, the ability to highlight passages, easily flip through pages and bookmark them easily, the adjustable side-lighting and color temperature... have all enamored me with the device and customizable technology. And the ability to carry an entire library around with me in my pocket still boggles my mind! I have read more in the month and a half that I've owned my Kindle than I have in the last 2 or 3 years. I'm a romantic, tactile person, and while it is a bit nostalgically sad that independent booksellers are losing business and may indeed be a dying breed... well, times change and not always in the precise way we'd like them to. But if e-readers can promote and increase reading and the appreciation of literature, while possibly removing some roadblocks to publication for young, unestablished authors... well I can't see that as a bad thing.

The first thing I thought of when I saw an e-reader was AWESOME! But that was before they introduced the paperwhite models. In essence, they were amazon branded android tablets. They were slow and clunky and incredibly cheap. I'm further embarrassed to admit my first e-reader was actually a Barnes & Noble Nook. Which - if anything - was worse than the original Kindle's. I also discovered that I just plain missed holding a book. I couldn't explain it but I know a lot of people understand what I'm talking about. There is just something about being able to physically hold that book in my hands that just felt "right" and the e-readers just did not provide that. Finally amazon introduced the paperwhite and that was an absolute game changer. The ability to read a Kindle in direct sunlight was just unheard of. The older color versions were essentially useless in direct sun, or even marginally cloudy days as well. I still preferred holding a book in my hands though. But that all changed one night when I couldn't sleep and I tried to read at 1am and couldn't get ANY light to work well enough while also trying to hold my hard back book and not wake up my wife. It became a challenge of monumental proportions (at least for me it was). Slowly, over the course of the next 6 months, I began to warm up to the idea of giving the Kindle another try. This is where I made a big mistake however. Instead of buying it new, I went with a reputable company that sold reconditioned electronics for a deep discount. My reasoning seemed solid (at the time), if I ended up not truly enjoying my Kindle, at least I hadn't wasted too much $$ on buying a new one. Unfortunately, the model I received was tied to the account of the former owner, and I wasn't able to correct that with a simple master reset. It took several days to work thru that problem, but once I did, I was off and running. I got a slightly smaller model (6" screen) and while it functioned, it stuttered so often I forgot just how smooth it really should've been. But still, even with the issues, the hiccups and stuttering, I grew to really enjoy using it and more importantly, I loved the battery life it offered. I decided it was time for an upgrade, and this time I was going all-in. I got the 6.8" screen, which isn't that much bigger, but it DOES make a difference. Since I ordered directly from amazon this time, imagine my absolute surprise when I turned it on I was worried that it was going to take forever to link up to my WiFi and have to add my amazon account information...but that did not happen. Not sure if amazon pre-programmed it, but as soon as I turned it on it said, "Welcome Jeff" and I was stunned. How did it know??? Well, no matter, the set-up was a friggin' breeze and I was thrilled how seamless it was. Operation was so much easier and while it still offers a little stuttering (which in all honesty is simply due to the black & white screen and how it operates) but it was decidedly better than the older model. Battery life is stellar, though not as good as amazon claims. I think what they say is almost absurdly optimistic. But, the truth is, a paperwhite will give you pretty great life on a full charge. It operates well, and I love how I can invert the screen so more of it is black. Not sure if that uses less battery like it does on an amoled phone screen, but I'm going to see and test it just in case. My old Kindle did not have this option. All in all, reading is fun again for me and I love how I don't need a special light to read in the middle of the night like I did with a hard back. Kudos to amazon, I love my Kindle.