The Best Purchase of 2023
2023 was a good year for purchases (materialism ho!), I picked up a Steam Deck, built a new PC from scratch, and at one point I could nab a bag of sour cream pretzels for 50p. But none of them were as valuable as this:
This is a Kobo Libra 2, and it's been serving me well for the last year. I don't know how it compares to other e-readers, but for what I want – reading my offline e-book collection – it's great.
For the longest time I thought I hated reading¹. For almost a decade after leaving school I read 5 books – around ½ a book a year. In 2023 alone I read 12, all because of how accessible an e-reader is.
I could blather on about how natural words look on an e-ink screen, etc, but I'll keep it short with a simple list of pros and cons.
Pros:
- Can drag & drop e-books and load them in an instant²
- Matte screen = no blinding sun glare.
- Backlight not required.
- Insane battery life.
- Dark mode (depends on the model).
- Can access local library's books via OverDrive.
- Customisable fonts + you can install your own.
- Built-in dictionary, bookmarks, and highlights.
- Personal privacy. You're no longer broadcasting what you're reading to nosy coworkers.
- Less fiddly than a physical book.
- You don't get the feeling of dry pulp scratching against your fingertips.
Cons:
- E-ink isn't responsive, it makes certain tasks an uphill struggle.
- Anything not formatted as basic text tends to break.
- PDF are supported, but are a pain to read.
- It's often quicker to flick through a physical book than it is to search an e-book.
- Manufacturers force you to make an account to use it, even if you don't intend to buy anything from their storefronts (there are ways to get around it though).
- Doesn't smell like a book.
Now regardless of the cons, I've found reading with my e-reader to be a pleasant experience. And to anyone considering picking one up, just do it. If you're anything like me you'll quickly fall in love with it!
¹ Online flamewars don't count as proper reading.⭎
² Instead of dragging & dropping you should really use Calibre – it's an amazing piece of software to organise, edit, and transfer your e-book collection with. Absolute lifesaver.⭎