I untangled myself from Kindle, went ‘old-school’ and purchased actual books. Whipped out the pencils, post-it tabs, and highlighters… am really appreciating this reading experience.
You can read books bought elsewhere on Kindle. You just need to use send-to-Kindle app on your computer.
I love Kobo and here, in the Netherlands, it’s actually much more popular than Kindle.
I have three e-readers, Kindle, Kobo and PocketBook. All for different purposes. My Kobo is actually 10 years old and I’ve bought the PocketBook (for my Legimi subscription) second-hand for about €30. It’s an older model, but it works well and the battery is still great.
Me neither. You’re probably right about the DRM thing, though. You could make them DRM free with Calibre. Just a thought, because it seems so wasteful to get rid of well functioning device. But, that’s me, using everything until it dies on me. ☺️
Thank you for doing the work on this. I love my kindle for the Libby integration but try my hardest to never actually buy anything on it. My challenge with the phone/tablet option is the light and how it tricks my brain into thinking it’s time to look at a phone. And yes, that’s actually an excuse. Good stuff here ❤️
Super fair, I know I’m in the minority of people who read just as well on a regular screen as e-ink! If you’re ever in the market in the future, definitely check out the Boox e-ink tablets
them more than the kindle. My husbands got the larger one that has page turning buttons and I hve the smaller one. It is seamless with my elibrary lap.
I bought a kindle paperwhite a year ago after suffering a concussion that affects my vision - needing to scale up font without glare was a necessity. My 8 year old daughter just got a colour kobo Libra - she loves graphic novels. I’ve been tempted to get one myself and not just because of the Amazon problem. It’s a nice device, I love the page turning buttons, and I want the library integration. For any readers in Canada, kindles do not work with Canadian libraries. Kobos do, and the integration has been working great for us. I had a kobo years ago and the integration requiring Adobe digital editions was awful, and scared me off when looking at devices last year. I chose kindle (incorrectly) because I also have a queens library non resident card. Though lately, my local Canadian library has had shorter waits, and I hate not being able to use it. The kobo has library (overdrive) browsing built into the device - though it’s hard to navigate if you don’t have a specific title in mind. It’s nicer to pick the book in the Libby app, and have it sent automatically to the kobo device. This is very similar to the kindle integration, but there’s no need to sign in to Amazon through the Libby app to get the book.
This is very helpful and I applaud you for not shaming folks doing their best!
Some additional things folks can do:
Subscribe to authors’ newsletters and buy ebooks and audiobooks directly from the author. Choose non-Kindle formats when you can. I prefer BookFunnel. It’s really popular with authors of queer romance and if you read on your phone they have an easy to use app.
Also subscribe to newsletters from publishers. There are some that routinely have free books as well as this being a good way to learn about new books. I like Haymarket Books and AK Press for socialist and justice oriented nonfiction and poetry books.
Another alternative to the Kindle app for phone readers is the Bluefire Reader or less fun but still viable Adobe Digital Editions.
I have a 2012 Kindle with a failing battery and a dark spot on the screen. Thinking about a replacement so your article is timely and informative, thank you.
But I'm a European resident. Is Kubo available here? I've never seen it publicised. Likewise for Libby and the other alternatives to Kindle you mention.
Thanks
PS. We actually buy more books now since my Kindle started showing signs of age. There is a British company, Awesome Books, who have mastered how to ship second-hand books reasonably cheaply throughout Europe post-Brexit. They are competitive with Kindle's pricing for all but the freebies/books on promo on Kindle.
Kobo is an international company; they’re based in Canada! I’m not sure about Libby, which is an app that connects with libraries, but I’m pretty sure they are international too
I live in the Gulf and tried to buy Kobo but the Libby and Overdrive integration is only available in a few countries. I struggle with understanding how to buy something to allow me to read ePub format! And feel like I still can’t figure it out because I don’t know how these devices change outside of the U.S.
I recently bout a Boox Go 7, and have been pleased so far. Much easier to read with my suboptimal vision. Since it runs an Android operating system, I have apps for most providers: Kindle (as you say, hard to let go of what you’ve invested in and there are some books not found elsewhere), Bookstore (major motivation to get the Boox now), Moon Reader for Project Gutenberg, and Libby. I have to check books out on desktop, but then it appears on the Boox quite quickly. I’m also a fan of Readwise, a service for organizing and reviewing highlights in your ebooks and saved articles from the web. It’s become a very capable reading and learning device. Can even put Apple Music on it and my favorite podcast app. Very pleased so far.
Given my vision issues, I love the Kindle Paperwhite. I have a tablet I use for magazines and newspapers, but the last time I tried reading a book it was quite unpleasant. However, I read library books, so Amazon isn't making money from my (fanatical) reading habit.
That said, I'd be willing to jump off the Bezos yacht. Questions: can I read library books on Kobo? Is it e-ink with the ability to adjust font size etc.?
Thanks for a comprehensive post. I've been trying to get away from buying books on Amazon for months and it's definitely a process! I almost exclusively read ebooks. I've been using Kobo as an alternative but I still have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I'm sure it will improve over time but I found Kobo's subscription options to be slim, at least as far as books I was interested in reading.
I live in a large city in Texas which I feel complicates this whole situation for me. Our library system is woefully underfunded so the hold times for most new releases (or even popular releases within the last year or two) are months long. I've lived in a smaller city with a well funded library system and it was amazing! But unfortunately, that isn't my reality now. I know reading older titles can help on this front, and I definitely do that, but I also love reading popular books that everyone is talking about and getting to be a part of that cultural discussion.
I also go back and forth with myself about buying books from Amazon versus not reading. Everything about my life is better when I'm reading extensively- I scroll so much less, I'm less anxious, I think more clearly- and having to reckon that with deciding which books I buy is hard. But as you said, "there's no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism anyway."
This is all very fair! Have you looked into non-resident library card options? Some libraries in major metro areas let you donate something like $50/year to access their huge catalogues!
Yes! The everydayreading blog has a big list of options for the US. I’m in Canada and have a Queens NY card (the only one I know of that allows international cardholders) for $50/ year.
I really appreciate this post! As a new author, its so hard to manage the relationship with Amazon since they are so large in the publishing industry right now. I like how you acknowledged this and offered some suggestions. My publisher made big pushes to get reviews on Amazon and GoodReads and I know right now it is important for new authors to get noticed by those algorithms. I know the whole publishing industry is going through changes and this is a part of it! I'm also going to look into Kobo now - I mostly use Libby for eBooks so that sounds like a great upgrade !
I really found this helpful and excited for the integration!!! I love using an e-ink reader and don’t enjoy reading on a tablet which was why I couldn’t switch to Bookshop even though I love the concept. Will likely finally make the switch over once that happens. Thank you for sharing!
Insightful post and there's so much to process. I'd love to do away with my Kindle and Amazon and I'm slowly trying to. I'm one of these indie authors trying to make a living and and getting people to Amazon to buy and review my books to help with rankings and algorithms and whatnot. I also sell direct and through other retailers (including Kobo) through Draft2Digital, but those sales are paltry in comparison.
I'm a sucker, unfortunately, for buying cheap ebooks for my Kindle, but I know they come at a cost. Perhaps this is the wrong way of looking at it, but I try to only buy cheap(er) ebooks if they're from well-established, bigger names and my justification is, as an unemployed, totally broke wannabe writer, this is all I can afford most of the time. I support a lot of Substack writers and pay full price for their stuff.
I use my Kindle a lot for reading articles (in fact, I read this very post on it - I use Instapaper to send 10 articles at a time, that's not an ad btw, no affiliate links or anything 😂)
I need to forget out these other alternatives and will do my best. It's only a small step, but I've completely stopped buying anything non-book related from Amazon.
I untangled myself from Kindle, went ‘old-school’ and purchased actual books. Whipped out the pencils, post-it tabs, and highlighters… am really appreciating this reading experience.
You can read books bought elsewhere on Kindle. You just need to use send-to-Kindle app on your computer.
I love Kobo and here, in the Netherlands, it’s actually much more popular than Kindle.
I have three e-readers, Kindle, Kobo and PocketBook. All for different purposes. My Kobo is actually 10 years old and I’ve bought the PocketBook (for my Legimi subscription) second-hand for about €30. It’s an older model, but it works well and the battery is still great.
I'm in Italy and the Kobo is far more prominent here as well.
True that you can sometimes send PDFs and things, but not ebooks purchased elsewhere.
I love that Kobo has an awesome global audience!!
I’ve been sending books to my Kindle from the beginning via Send-to-Kindle app on my laptop. Maybe you can do this in Europe, but not in the US?
Possibly! I think the ebooks just have to be DRM free which is tough to find here. I’m not an expert here though!
Me neither. You’re probably right about the DRM thing, though. You could make them DRM free with Calibre. Just a thought, because it seems so wasteful to get rid of well functioning device. But, that’s me, using everything until it dies on me. ☺️
+1 for Calibre, scrolled to make sure someone mentioned it.
Calibre is key!!
Thank you for doing the work on this. I love my kindle for the Libby integration but try my hardest to never actually buy anything on it. My challenge with the phone/tablet option is the light and how it tricks my brain into thinking it’s time to look at a phone. And yes, that’s actually an excuse. Good stuff here ❤️
Super fair, I know I’m in the minority of people who read just as well on a regular screen as e-ink! If you’re ever in the market in the future, definitely check out the Boox e-ink tablets
Have purchased 2 kobo readers, like
them more than the kindle. My husbands got the larger one that has page turning buttons and I hve the smaller one. It is seamless with my elibrary lap.
Had a Kindle Fire but the screen clutter was annoying. Bought a Kobo Clara which you can bypass the Kobo home screen and load books directly off a PC.
I bought a kindle paperwhite a year ago after suffering a concussion that affects my vision - needing to scale up font without glare was a necessity. My 8 year old daughter just got a colour kobo Libra - she loves graphic novels. I’ve been tempted to get one myself and not just because of the Amazon problem. It’s a nice device, I love the page turning buttons, and I want the library integration. For any readers in Canada, kindles do not work with Canadian libraries. Kobos do, and the integration has been working great for us. I had a kobo years ago and the integration requiring Adobe digital editions was awful, and scared me off when looking at devices last year. I chose kindle (incorrectly) because I also have a queens library non resident card. Though lately, my local Canadian library has had shorter waits, and I hate not being able to use it. The kobo has library (overdrive) browsing built into the device - though it’s hard to navigate if you don’t have a specific title in mind. It’s nicer to pick the book in the Libby app, and have it sent automatically to the kobo device. This is very similar to the kindle integration, but there’s no need to sign in to Amazon through the Libby app to get the book.
Thanks for sharing this info!!
This is very helpful and I applaud you for not shaming folks doing their best!
Some additional things folks can do:
Subscribe to authors’ newsletters and buy ebooks and audiobooks directly from the author. Choose non-Kindle formats when you can. I prefer BookFunnel. It’s really popular with authors of queer romance and if you read on your phone they have an easy to use app.
Also subscribe to newsletters from publishers. There are some that routinely have free books as well as this being a good way to learn about new books. I like Haymarket Books and AK Press for socialist and justice oriented nonfiction and poetry books.
Another alternative to the Kindle app for phone readers is the Bluefire Reader or less fun but still viable Adobe Digital Editions.
Happy reading!
Great points! I hadn’t heard of BookFunnel, thanks for putting it on my radar!
I have a 2012 Kindle with a failing battery and a dark spot on the screen. Thinking about a replacement so your article is timely and informative, thank you.
But I'm a European resident. Is Kubo available here? I've never seen it publicised. Likewise for Libby and the other alternatives to Kindle you mention.
Thanks
PS. We actually buy more books now since my Kindle started showing signs of age. There is a British company, Awesome Books, who have mastered how to ship second-hand books reasonably cheaply throughout Europe post-Brexit. They are competitive with Kindle's pricing for all but the freebies/books on promo on Kindle.
Kobo is an international company; they’re based in Canada! I’m not sure about Libby, which is an app that connects with libraries, but I’m pretty sure they are international too
I live in the Gulf and tried to buy Kobo but the Libby and Overdrive integration is only available in a few countries. I struggle with understanding how to buy something to allow me to read ePub format! And feel like I still can’t figure it out because I don’t know how these devices change outside of the U.S.
I recently bout a Boox Go 7, and have been pleased so far. Much easier to read with my suboptimal vision. Since it runs an Android operating system, I have apps for most providers: Kindle (as you say, hard to let go of what you’ve invested in and there are some books not found elsewhere), Bookstore (major motivation to get the Boox now), Moon Reader for Project Gutenberg, and Libby. I have to check books out on desktop, but then it appears on the Boox quite quickly. I’m also a fan of Readwise, a service for organizing and reviewing highlights in your ebooks and saved articles from the web. It’s become a very capable reading and learning device. Can even put Apple Music on it and my favorite podcast app. Very pleased so far.
Thank you for sharing this! I hadn’t heard of Readwise, what a good app idea!
Given my vision issues, I love the Kindle Paperwhite. I have a tablet I use for magazines and newspapers, but the last time I tried reading a book it was quite unpleasant. However, I read library books, so Amazon isn't making money from my (fanatical) reading habit.
That said, I'd be willing to jump off the Bezos yacht. Questions: can I read library books on Kobo? Is it e-ink with the ability to adjust font size etc.?
Thanks!
Overdrive still pays Amazon big bucks for the kindle licenses for books borrowed via Libby so it’s not perfect divestment, but definitely much better!
Kobo has serious Libby/Overdrive integrations and yes they are e-ink e-readers with all the bells and whistles much like Kindles!
Boox tablets are unique in that they’re full function tablets but have e-ink screens!
Thanks for a comprehensive post. I've been trying to get away from buying books on Amazon for months and it's definitely a process! I almost exclusively read ebooks. I've been using Kobo as an alternative but I still have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I'm sure it will improve over time but I found Kobo's subscription options to be slim, at least as far as books I was interested in reading.
I live in a large city in Texas which I feel complicates this whole situation for me. Our library system is woefully underfunded so the hold times for most new releases (or even popular releases within the last year or two) are months long. I've lived in a smaller city with a well funded library system and it was amazing! But unfortunately, that isn't my reality now. I know reading older titles can help on this front, and I definitely do that, but I also love reading popular books that everyone is talking about and getting to be a part of that cultural discussion.
I also go back and forth with myself about buying books from Amazon versus not reading. Everything about my life is better when I'm reading extensively- I scroll so much less, I'm less anxious, I think more clearly- and having to reckon that with deciding which books I buy is hard. But as you said, "there's no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism anyway."
This is all very fair! Have you looked into non-resident library card options? Some libraries in major metro areas let you donate something like $50/year to access their huge catalogues!
Yes! The everydayreading blog has a big list of options for the US. I’m in Canada and have a Queens NY card (the only one I know of that allows international cardholders) for $50/ year.
That’s great to know!
This is sooo helpful. Thank you.
I really appreciate this post! As a new author, its so hard to manage the relationship with Amazon since they are so large in the publishing industry right now. I like how you acknowledged this and offered some suggestions. My publisher made big pushes to get reviews on Amazon and GoodReads and I know right now it is important for new authors to get noticed by those algorithms. I know the whole publishing industry is going through changes and this is a part of it! I'm also going to look into Kobo now - I mostly use Libby for eBooks so that sounds like a great upgrade !
I really found this helpful and excited for the integration!!! I love using an e-ink reader and don’t enjoy reading on a tablet which was why I couldn’t switch to Bookshop even though I love the concept. Will likely finally make the switch over once that happens. Thank you for sharing!
To be clear, Boox tablets are e-ink!!
Thank you for this, I’ll definitely keep an eye on Kobo!
Insightful post and there's so much to process. I'd love to do away with my Kindle and Amazon and I'm slowly trying to. I'm one of these indie authors trying to make a living and and getting people to Amazon to buy and review my books to help with rankings and algorithms and whatnot. I also sell direct and through other retailers (including Kobo) through Draft2Digital, but those sales are paltry in comparison.
I'm a sucker, unfortunately, for buying cheap ebooks for my Kindle, but I know they come at a cost. Perhaps this is the wrong way of looking at it, but I try to only buy cheap(er) ebooks if they're from well-established, bigger names and my justification is, as an unemployed, totally broke wannabe writer, this is all I can afford most of the time. I support a lot of Substack writers and pay full price for their stuff.
I use my Kindle a lot for reading articles (in fact, I read this very post on it - I use Instapaper to send 10 articles at a time, that's not an ad btw, no affiliate links or anything 😂)
I need to forget out these other alternatives and will do my best. It's only a small step, but I've completely stopped buying anything non-book related from Amazon.
It sounds to me like you’re doing what you can where you can which is the important part!