I’d (humbly) class myself as a bit of a bookworm. I love the ritual of going to a bookshop, flirting with the promise of the blurb before taking one home and carefully slotting it in my colour-coded bookshelf. My book collecting and hoarding has become such a problem that I won’t even let my parents throw out my old Twilight series (Team Edward, for the record).

Thus, I have always been firmly in the anti-Kindle camp. I’m of the mind that I read to escape my screen, not to just stare at another. My ex-boyfriend used to read books on his tiny iPhone screen, a dumpable offence.

However, my bullish attitude changed when I had the chance to dip my toes into the e-book world and test out the new Kindle Colorsoft. 

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing. 

What I loved about it

Portability: My back is constantly on the brink of breaking, carrying around my work, gym and miscellaneous bits around. Having this slender tablet tucked away really did make a world of difference, particularly if I’ve committed to a particularly hefty book.

Weight: On the topic of weight – and this is quite specific – but I always try to hold my book up when I’m reading on the bus. I do it to better my posture. Since the Kindle is so light, my arm doesn’t die mid-commute.

Low-light screen: Since you can turn the brightness down and the warmth up, the screen doesn’t attack my eyes like my phone does when I’m winding down to go to sleep.

Burst of colour: I’m vaguely familiar with previous Kindle versions and their grayscale screen. While I don’t think it’s a must-have feature, I did enjoy flicking through all the book options with their covers in full colour.

Waterproof: I’m very much looking forward to taking my Kindle to the beach this summer. Too many books have been left soggy with my post-swim hands. 

Cheaper books: One of the best features, of course, is that buying books through your Kindle is cheaper. I recently bought a Japanese mystery novel, Strange Pictures for $12, which would’ve originally cost me $33.

Additional features: When you buy a book, Kindle lets you know roughly how long it will take to complete the read. Not an essential, but it’s handy being able to calculate how many commutes it’ll take to finish.

You can’t accessorise a book…

One of the things that has excited me about being a (dare I say, proud) Kindle owner is that I can now accessorise it, too. I have a particular penchant for bringing my possessions to life with trinkets, stickers and bold patterns. My parents were furious when I covered my first MacBook in skater girl stickies. 

The Kindle Colorsoft is the same size as the Kindle Paperwhite, which makes life a lot easier if you want to transfer your accessories across.

My overall takeaways

When comparing the Kindle Colorsoft to earlier versions of the Kindle, I’m not convinced it’s worth paying the extra just to have access to colour – unless you’re a comic fan.

But, if anyone was like me – a fierce paperback fan – then I’d encourage you to consider any version of the Kindle. It’s a handy little piece of tech.

Of course, I’ll still be buying books in the flesh to add to my collection. But maybe I’ll reserve that for my must-haves. What I do know is that I’ll certainly be keeping my Kindle on my bedside table when it’s not accomanying me day-to-day in my handbag from now on, too. 

READ MORE: BookTok-approved romance novels you can finish in a weekend