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 a list will do.
Pros:
- Can effortlessly drag & drop e-books from a PC via USB-C2
- Matte screen = no blinding sun glare
- Backlight not required
- Insane battery life
- Dark mode (depends on the model)
- Built-in dictionary, bookmarks, and highlights
- You can access your local library’s collection via OverDrive
- Personal Privacy – no longer are you broadcasting what you’re reading to nosy cowowrkers
- You don’t get the feeling of dry pulp scratching your fingers
Cons:
- E-ink displays aren’t responsive, making tasks like typing a struggle
- Anything not formatted as basic text tends to break
- PDFs are supported, but the lack of proper controls make them a pain to use
- Kobo will force you to make an account to use it, even if all you do is load offline files to it. There are ways to get around this requirement, but really our devices should be free to use from the get go.
- 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!