A look at my Kindle

When it comes to reading, I definitely prefer having a physical book in my hands. I remember a book better when I see the actual cover, I don't need to worry about keeping them charged or them being stolen, and I like being able to track my progress through the book based on how many pages are left.

Having said that I do love my Kindle. I have a Paperwhite 7th generation Kindle which was released in 2015 so it's quite old now as far as devices go, and it can be a little creaky from time to time, but I don't feel the need for an update just yet. A few weeks ago there was a big software redesign which has actually made a really positive difference to the interface.

One of the best things about the Kindle for me is the easy access to free books. I regularly visit the Kindle Best Sellers site, and although I start by scrolling through the Free tab I also check the paid books, as often some of the best sellers are popular books which are on special offer for 99p. Some of the free books are free for a reason, but I like to look for the classics which are out of copyright or sometimes there will be a free short story from a well known author.

As an Amazon Prime member I am also able to make use of Prime Reading which allows you to download up to ten books at a time from a really good selection of both older and newer books. Every month I can also choose a book from the Amazon First Reads selection and I've found some great books here. 

I often share photos of my physical to be read pile, but there is also a hidden to be read pile on my Kindle, so I thought I'd share a little look at how I organise it and what I've got waiting to be read. Above is the main screen of my Library. I have four collections - firstly Library where I store books that I've read, enjoyed and want to read again. Then I have Organisation where I keep a few books on that theme that I like to browse from time to time. Simplify Magazine is where I keep my issues of this digital magazine and To Be Read is self-explanatory. These tend to be older books that I've downloaded and haven't got around to yet.

Then outside of the collections I keep the newer books that I need to get on and read. Half in Shadow by Gemma Leviero I only downloaded yesterday, it's one of the Amazon First Reads for this month that has just been released. On the next page I have a few more Amazon First Reads that I haven't got to yet, and some from the Prime Reading library. So that's at least six books that I want to get on with soon!

Last time we went on holiday I made a big effort to mainly read on my Kindle and was very successful, ticking off three books. Over Christmas I'm determined to make a bit more of a dent in my digital to be read pile!