003 - Kindle Review

So 2 years ago I made it my New Year resolution to read more books.. Things didn't really pan out in my favor haha. I love to say that I'm busy all the time but the truth is I get distracted. I guess I could have made time to read even if it meant only reading 2 pages a week but I love to take big bites from the task I take on. It's an all-or-nothing type of mentality. Also, I really wouldn't have been satisfied, or to be fair, engaged with the lessons and stories that I read. This year though, I have the time and fewer distractions! I finally have a steady traditional 9 to 5, no subordinates to care for, and a new Kindle. Very exciting stuff.

I've only had it for 2 weeks and I can definitely say it's a game changer. Actually, it's a game modifier.. well it's more like horse blinkers, it provides tunnel vision.. Mm, let me explain.. Usually, when I read, I read for informational purposes. IT, news, reference, research, etc. It's very different from reading for fun because you actually need to understand concepts and arrange them in your head as you push through the text. Usually, when I read this type of material, its interface is in the form of a computer screen or phone screen. And what else is on these devices? Social media and distractions. The Kindle is exactly what I needed, the missing piece to my reading woes. It's a dedicated device for reading and reading only (I guess you can purchase books on it as well but it's not as efficient to do so on the device).

I was able to convince my uncle to buy me one for business purposes haha. It's the most recent 11th gen Kindle in "Yes, Mr. Wayne, it does come in black.." black. The biggest thing that differentiates this from a phone or tablet or even a classic beautiful book is its "E-Ink" screen. It's crisp and contrasty when displaying text. Also, it has a backlight that makes the words pop out even more. I can read at night with its dark mode feature and the cherry on top for me (because I have a 4th-grade reading comprehension level), is its built-in dictionary. Because I am cheap and resourceful, here's a cheat code for you. Go to your library and take out a library card. Link it to the Libby app and once set up, you will have access to all your public library's eBooks (and audio books as well) which you can loan and "Read with Kindle".

I'm a very slow reader so the fact that I've gotten through 30% of a book already is outstanding (for my standards). I hope to read at least 10 books by the end of the year but will be happy to even knock out 1. Also, I'll try to not shy away from fiction. The first fiction book to conquer is Steven King's Billy Summers. Wish me luck!