Dear Aly,
Is getting a Kindle worth it? And what are your favorite Kindle books?
Let me start off by saying I am a huge fan of Kindles. Don’t get me wrong, I love real books. I love searching thrift stores and used book stores for hidden gems. I collect old books (like pre-1920’s). I love the way they feel and smell. BUT when you move as many times as I have and lugged copy paper boxes full of books up and down countless flights of stairs, you start to see the value in e-books.
My dad gave me an original version kindle when he had moved on to something new, and I discovered the joy of discounted Kindle books. I get emails from BookBub daily that recommend books that are temporarily discounted by the publisher. I probably have over 100 books that I paid less than $3 for. After I got a new ipad, I started to use the Kindle app and forgot about my little OG Kindle. Fast forward a year and now I am working from home and in front of a screen way too often working from home, looking for something without backlighting. Enter the Kindle Paperwhite.
I am a huge fan of this Paperwhite (reasons why below) and I am even more a fan of the simple 5 months, no interest purchase option on Amazon to pick up a new one. Twenty-ish dollars a month for a few months to try out the new Paperwhite? Sign me up! So why the Paperwhite over my little original? Well, my first one was so behind on updates, I can’t really use it anymore. But even more great reasons:
It’s waterproof! Unlike the snarky reviewer on Amazon said, this feature is an improvement and not because I read in the shower. But because I love bubble baths and pools and being able to read with no backlighting in a warm bath or poolside is definitely a perk to me. And speaking of those bubble baths,
You can choose if and how much backlight it has! this is a great feature to me too. I can keep my eyes off a backlit screen 90% of the time, but if I am reading in bed when Daniel is sleeping or I am taking a candlelit bath, I can turn up the backlight and read there too. It’s fantastic.
It’s small and compact and you can take it anywhere. This isn’t a new feature, but it’s so much less bulky than my iPad and easy to throw in my purse on the way out the door.
You can download (or access if on wifi) dictionaries, including other languages to help you define words you don’t know.
Okay, so we have established why Kindle’s are great, but you don’t have to have one to use the Kindle app, which they have for iPhones, Androids, iPads, Chrome, or the browser version. You just have to have an Amazon account (Prime not required). So now what to read?
Sign up for BookBub! They will tailor their recommendations to the books you are interested in and send you daily emails with a handful of books that are available for a few dollars or even free. You can also follow your favorite authors and get their recommendations as well as new books they publish.
Check out my list of recommended books below. Cookbooks, travel books, memoirs, and historical fiction. Find out what I am reading and the authors I love!
My 10 Favorite Books on Kindle
My Grape Year - Laura Bradbury is my soul sister. Her books resonate with me so deeply. The Grape Series is excellent and she has recently published the first in a novel series as well. She shares her story of studying abroad in France and meeting a handsome young Frenchman. What’s not to love?
Women In Sunlight - This book, by Frances Mayes, the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, made me fall in love with Italy. I love her writing style and this book definitely made me interested in her other works.
Bringing Up Bebe - Maybe you already have kids, maybe you are planning on having kids, or maybe you have a cute niece or nephew. No matter what this is a good read about how the French raise their children and it definitely challenges you to think about social and health services in a new way. It’s engaging and full of entertaining anecdotes and I buy it for friends who are expecting because its such a great read.
Super Tuscan - This is a fabulous Italian cookbook and a delightful read. I am a weirdo who reads cookbooks like novels and I thoroughly loved this one. I return to the layered kale and polenta and use the super simple homemade tomato sauce over and over again.
L’Appart - David Lebowitz is the King of baking in my book and his book about buying and renovating an apartment in Paris, sprinkled with recipes I use over and over again is a true joy to read.
The Farm - Slightly dystopian, this is a novel set in the present about a center for surrogate mothers. It was a break from my normal easy travel and food reads (A BookBub purchase) that had me guessing until the end.
The Measure of My Powers - Not my usual read, but caught my attention because it has recipes. Its a series of vignettes that together tell a story of a season of a woman’s life. She was in a bad relationship that I could relate to and it stops in Paris. A great read if you’ve ever been stuck in a place that wasn’t right for you anymore.
To Dance With Kings - One of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read, it’s a beautifully webbed story and keeps you in the middle of the French Royal Court.
The Dress Thief - Another great historical fiction read but the glamour of Paris fashion in the first half of the last century. Wonderful details and insight into 1930’s Paris.
Nefertiti - A whole different kind of opulent historical fiction, this novel set in ancient Egypt, it’s an easy read that exposes you to a time that is largely a mystery to most of us. Bonus points because its the first in a three-part series.
I tried to be varied in this list because I feel like I have a hundred different books I love and read on my Kindle (although clearly I have a love for France and Italy). What great books available on Kindle did I miss?