Why and how I'm giving up my Kindle

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[@jamesmckay4573]

As an adult, I find it a little disturbing to see Amazon blamed for someone's impulse shopping problem. I have a couple thousand books on Kindle also but do not purchase a book until I am ready to read one.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂😂😂😂 touché

[@RichardFarley1976]

Agree everyone blames Amazon

[@TimeIdle]

I myself rarely purchase a book from Amazon (except if they're classics on sales). I use the Kindle to read books I borrow from the library via Libby. At least Amazon allows you to read books from the library. If they've prevented us from doing that, then I would label them true evil and discard the Kindle. Until then I am not bothered by the listing of Amazon books below my library. My eyes just don't go there. 🙂

[@Jäger71]

I use my phone. With the AIReader app. Works great!

[@TamekaTrave]

@jamesmckay4573…We’ll said 👏👏👏

[@Mondasian]

As a disabled reader, the Kindle has been a game changer regarding accessibility to reading, I use it every day and wouldn't be able to use paper books

[@GentleReader01]

This is my situation as well. With the Kindle and Kindle app, I’d have to rely entirely on audiobooks, because a huge and growing fraction of print books are no longer accessible to me. I do note that a large share of the ebooks I read are epubs that I bought outright from publishers like Hippocampus and Evil Hat and bundlers like Story Bundle and Humble Bundle. These explicitly note being sold without DRM, and I’ve got them backed up on and offsite. They are mine as much as any print volume. I could read them in other apps on phone and tablet, but the shared Kindle library, Kindle Unlimited, etc, are handy.

[@ursulaoelofse4731]

Agree with this 10 000%. I am also disabled, so a kindle is amazing for people such as ourselves.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I got my mum a kindle for Christmas as her eyes are getting worse and she struggles to hold a physical book. E-readers have definitely been a blessing for some people

[@ursulaoelofse4731]

@@CriminOllyBlog that said, it's up to each individual to control their spending and buying habits with ebooks. That is not the fault of Amazon. A good product is a good product. I also have an ebook addiction, I will readily admit it. However, 99.9% of the books I buy are free books, or very cheap. I prefer buying the boxsets of book. It's easier with my disability. Also, reading is one of the few things I can do. However, on another note, I don't agree with some of Amazon's practices. I believe that if you buy a book, and pay money for it, you should own that book outright and not just pay for the licence to read it. That to me is wrong.

[@RadiationStyle]

Me too. It hurts to hold a physical book.

[@TheInternetIsDeadToMe]

I’ve been watching a lot of videos talking about this issue in the gaming community. KZbinrs are talking about Microsoft’s behaviour in the gaming space. Paying billions to buy up multiple gaming studios and then closing them. I have games across multiple devices, and have found that I’m starting to worry about how secure my games library is while controlled by whatever corporation I have purchased the license from. There is definitely something happening to these current consumer models. Our high streets have already been completely destroyed. Now these corporations are turning on themselves by not only completely destroying the competition, but taking money away from the creators of the products they sell.

[@stephenmorton8017]

Yes Microsoft should stay in their lane. It's a bit like the cartels starting to sell fentanyl and killing their user base. The greed is just out of control.

[@arilith504]

I've been wondering the same, lately. I have the Xbox subscription thing and am about halfway through Dragon Age Inquisition, but haven't played in months. Yet I continue to pay the monthly fee because I don't want to risk losing all my progress.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah, increasingly it feels like what companies care about most is being able to point to regular income streams through subscription services.

[@abbysweat9202]

Great video Olly, all good things for us to think about. I've been troubled by giving my money to them at times but unfortunately, I'm their EXACT target demographic and I haven't been able to break the habit. I'm part of state programs that give me discounted memberships to both Amazon AND Walmart. I'm a single working mom and I just can't beat the convenience of subscribe and save for my basics and free grocery delivery from Walmart. I think in the states they've made it harder and harder to get away from the bigger retailers and easier and easier to get to the Big Few. I really appreciated your video about things you always forget to say because I had never heard of Bookshop before so maybe I can start at least buying books from smaller retailers if nothing else.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! The dilemma is that they're great at what they do and often have the best prices

[@pickyourpopculturepoison]

I am so in love with Kindle, as I read so much faster for some reason. That said, I have absolutely learned to stop taking advantage of every deal!!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

The deals are definitely my problem!

[@dianemorasco]

@@CriminOllyBlogIt’s how they hook us. 🤨🤣

[@Natez-vw4kd]

Sounds like you've come to the same conclusion as me. I've cancelled Prime. I either buy from stores, a different online UK vendor, or direct from the manufacturer. I can read books from other sources. It seems like it's already too late. The high street is dying, in part because of Amazon. I bought another Samsung T7 SSD as another backup for my camera, which I bought from a different vendor. It took ages to be dispatched. When it arrived, it was in Amazon packaging with an Amazon delivery note inside. The other vendor never even touch the Samsung packaging, just bought it themselves from Amazon and had it sent to me. I'm done with Amazon, but it seems they're not quite done with me yet.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Wow, that's a great example of just how dominant they've become

[@StellaM22]

Its because small businesses use it as a dispatch warehouse…. Its very helpful

[@Sybilla9]

I can relate to your thoughts on Kindle, Olly. I've gotten so weary always getting Amazon Kindle's suggested books plus being a Kindle Unlimited member and having book after book I will notice I downloaded years ago and still haven't read. I have the Boox Palma (which I love) and also recently got the Boox Tab Mini C, which is in color. At first I had buyer's remorse on getting the Tab Mini C, but now I find I do most of my reading on it. Battery life is more than decent contrary to some reviews I've read. I do miss physical books but between weakness in my hands and bad eyesight even with glasses, I remain beholding to the e-reader world unfortunately. Boox is super nice though, both Palma and Mini C. Thanks for another interesting video!!

[@christopherharnett5694]

I recently got the Kobo Libra Colour and I’ve been neglecting my kindle because of it. I definitely enjoy a lot about the Kobo more than Kindle.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I've just got one too - have been using it today and really like it so far!

[@terriersforever23]

Me too

[@dianemorasco]

What do you enjoy the most? Happy Reading!

[@knotatraitor]

Yes, what is it that you enjoy more about the Kobo? I liked the Libra 2. The Colour left me wanting. It was kinda nice, but... a bit too dark, for me. Also, the buttons were not as clicky as the Oasis I have. I've recently gotten a Boox Palma, and I think it might be the Holy Grail of eReaders. It will give me Oasis a run for its money.

[@christopherharnett5694]

@@knotatraitor I honestly just like the software a bit more and the color is a nice touch, despite the screen generally being a little darker. I am interested in the Palma though!

[@EmmyAngua]

Giving up my (book related) Amazon purchases is the best decision I've made. I now buy ebooks via kobo and then remove the drm to read them via an independent app (I have a Kobo reader too but I don't want to depend on one company again). Plus I use my library as much as possible. It was only after I stopped that I realised just how unsatisfying it had become and how little control I had over my purchases.

[@ericjanusch3032]

Olly... i have found lately with borrowing some Stephen King books from my public library that some of the older books are not available to read in Kindle format. When this happens I read them using the reader built into the Libby app. This accomplishes the same kind of non Amazon reading experience you talked about in this video but allows me to literally use any device that supports the Libby app. As long as you have an internet connection, Libby keeps track of your reading progress and presents your book at the latest reading position on all devices. Not sure about everywhere in the world, but here at my local public library all books seem to be available in Libby format. If you haven't tried it, you should. You might like the reading experience.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Yes my library has Libby and it works really well

[@bjminton2698]

Yea that you're trying to cut the kindle cord!! A is such a huge monopoly and has put so many Mom & Pop stores out of business here in the US - I have never had a kindle and hope that I never fall into that trap 🙂. Most of the ebooks I read come from the library. Thank you for the video and for giving other e-readers a chance!!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you!

[@nealsteplaws]

I use both Kobo and Kindle. There is a lot of nice features of the kobo that I like better than Kindle (progress bar, swipe to change brightness, currently reading list), and kobo has a lot of the same sales as Amazon.

[@elpa6206]

I love my two Kobos.

[@Adeodatus100]

I find myself increasingly dependent on ereaders, simply because my eyes seem to be getting old quicker than the rest of me. I'd assumed that meant me keeping Mr Bezos in the style to which he's become accustomed, but I'll certainly look at your tips for keeping my money out of his grasp. Thank you.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'll be doing some more videos in this series, I think, so stay tuned!

[@DDB168]

I do think it's worthwhile doing. I still have an old kindle with the keyboard (was given to me for free). I've purchased maybe 3 kindle books, I try to scrounge everything for free. The beauty of the old kindle is you dont get those ads or recommends. I have a prime account and do purchase books with it, but I have been a longtime "where does it come from" type shopper. I refuse to buy a modern ereader as they're all made in China. Btw you can jailbreak kindles, it's not that difficult and would enable you to use it as a neutral ereader. It's worth trying on one of your older models.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh interesting, I didn’t know they could be jailbroken

[@daniellea.423]

Hey Olly, I totally get you! Funnily enough, I stared to force myself to read on other devices as well. Mainly on my new Kobo and love it so far. The Kindle ecosystem kind of held me hostage with its statistics. You know the ones in the app where it tells you how much you read in a month and such. I found myself forcing myself to sync my books every day in fear of losing my streak. But since I moved to my Kobo I feel much more relaxed and I can enjoy simply reading again. It must sound silly but not seeing reading as something productive but just a fun time thing is really better for my mental health :)

[@duncansalmon5718]

I live in the USA and I use Libby to borrow books. I almost never buy a book from Amazon. I wonder if you can use Libby in the UK?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

You can and I do use it, but it doesn’t work with kindles over here

[@LittleKikuyu]

Libby is a great app ❤️ Being able to use the local library like that is amazing!

[@bjlowe85]

Look I get the points you are making but honestly I go to the cheapest option and 9 times out of 10 thats Amazon especially for physical books. Yeah they buy up and close other businesses but times are tight

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I totally get that.

[@keithparker1346]

When you see 2 paperbacks on special offer of £14 you realise the market is a joke. Free downloads 😉 for reading with a ebook reader and the occasional 50p physical book from a charity shop

[@nolongerhavetowork]

I’ve left Amazon now for many reasons. Firstly can’t buy books on their apps anymore and secondly no coloured e ink.

[@ianboard544]

I like both physical books and my e-reader, a boox note air 2. The reasons for the latter - big clear screen, reads everything including powerpoint slides. It's the first e-reader I've owned that has handled pdfs perfectly - which in my case (engineer) means text books and data sheets. You can take notes in the margin with a stylus and underline things in the pdfs and save. Lastly, I typically keep at least 3-4 books going at a time and make it a habit to read whenever I've got a few minutes to kill. I use calibre (open source) to manage everything (about 5500 books on my laptop). It's all very practical. I've never like Kindles as they are pretty much a closed ecosystem.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I’m gradually migrating my library over to calibre and I’m enjoying feeling like I’m more in control of it

[@stevesutton772]

I have been flip flopping on this for 3 months haha. GOD so many upsides and downsides. I think I agree with the "Marie Kondo" idea of keeping it tidy tho and being able to move about with my library.

[@bellav7093]

I have a B&N Nook and also read paper. I like the fact that I am purchasing digital or paper books from an actual bookstore.

[@ReadGameCraftCook]

Agreed on all points, I have also been doing the same in the past year or so. I've been an Amazon customer for a long time as well, since the days when they were only a book store. I really hope one day that someone can make a 7-8 inch android eink device that has the snappiness and battery life of a Kindle.

[@DoolallyProductions]

I gave mine up as I only really read at home so I don't need something portable, many kindle books are as expensive as the book (sometimes more) and I just love the smell and feel of a book.

[@AdamBrooks-tn3ve]

I have had a Kindle for years, rarely use, comes into its own on holiday to save you carting weighty tomes to the beach. Often i bought hard copies (of classics) as well as owning them on Kindle, best of both worlds esp for classics which are really cheap on Kindle ( or free). A big downside for me for Kindle was the fact that there is so much you can‘t get on the device….those pulpy old horror books, the Target Dr Who range (most of) for example. I think your reason for your break from your devices are sound.

[@anthonykoller4459]

I know how you feel, downloading ebooks is slow and painful and having to wait weeks till the book covers finally appears is not something I experience on the iPhone and the iPad, the new kindle paperweight signature edition is a step backwards in performance wise and the new updates has made the experience even worse, hopefully this will be rectified in future releases, but I’m not holding my breath.

[@grace_silva]

I ended up buying an iPad mini recently to use for library books and will stick to my nook glowlight for buying e-books. im just so annoyed with every e-reader being a 1 trick pony and trying to force you to use their marketplace or making it overly complicated to use something else. the kindle was tempting me over mothers day weekend though because it would have been around 100.00 with a old fire tablet trade in haha

[@cb7560]

Good luck and a good decision. I have never used a Kindle or had any commercial dealings with Amazon - I do not like its business model, how it treats its workers and how it does not pay its dues when it comes to tax. I avoid it at all costs.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you!

[@RebeccaRiga]

Great to see this discussion! But the irony of you saying "Amazon incredibly good at selling you stuff" and the video cutting off to an add by Amazon 😅 was just precious. The algorithm is working just fine.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha! Yeah someone else mentioned that.😂

[@mopete9830]

I switched to a Kobo h20 in 2020. I really enjoyed the UI and Linux iso on it. I recently switched to a boox note air 3c and I just read in the neo reader on it with my epubs and PDFs. I find the larger device is perfect for me personally. I basically only use Amazon for things that I could probably buy at Walmart and not digital products anymore. And I read a lot from the library. In the 10 plus years I've owned a ereader of some kind, I did start with a kindle, I've only bought about 30 books from Amazon and I haven't bought any books in like 8 or 9 years now. Some authors even have free epubs on their websites. I used to spend hours at a library and check out like 5 books a week and I always ran out of books before I could go back, or I bought at a half priced books or second hand books place. I really save so much money a year and read more by just supporting my library with a eink device.

[@cliveog]

Travelling regularly on the London Underground, I’ve noticed e-readers, once quite popular with commuters, are becoming rarer and rarer.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah paper books do seem to be making a comeback!

[@toedrag-release]

I read about 1-2 hours before bed. Studies find that white light produced by screens are not good for sleep and I find this to be true in my own anecdotal experience. I sleep much better reading a book than reading on a screen. I haven't used a kindle in years and I don't intend to start. I will use a kindle on occasion usually with books I cannot find physically

[@ObscureBookAdventures]

Strange. I notice I like the fact that I can see how much time I have left in a chapter. And see how much progress I have made in the book. Before I go to sleep I want to read about 45 minutes or so and now it’s easy to see if I can finish a chapter. I’m also placing tabs in my physical books so I can easily see when I can finish a book. It makes me read more for some strange reason. It doesn’t hinder me in enjoying what I read whatsoever.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I’ve found I become kind of fixated on it in a way that distracts me from my reading.

[@giovillalobos2273]

One of the problems I’ve had with the Boox Palma NeoReader is the inability to export my annotations. That’s literally the only reason why I’m still using the Kindle app.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That is one thing Amazon do really well

[@hazelhood7456]

Yes please, I’d like to know how to remove DRM from my kindle books

[@CriminOllyBlog]

A few people have asked for that so I might do.

[@FabienMathey]

I have another tip which I am doing myself. Download the book you want to read and then put it in airplane mode until done. Saves a lot of battery life and useless buying 😉

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Good tip!

[@PartyUpLive]

I only buy books for Kindle when they go on sale, and even then, I check to see if it's available at the library for download. I tend to buy them at 0.99 and no more than $4.99. I just bought a bunch of books from a author that were on sale for 0.99 and figured, why not. I do LOVE my new Paperwhite and bought a Basic for work. I think I like the Basic more. I already had 2 old Paperwhites. Might give them away, but for now I use them for books that I borrowed that are returned. I just leave them in airplane mode until I finish the book.

[@krzysamm7095]

A video about the drm removal would be interesting

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I’m currently thinking I won’t do one because it’s technically illegal in a lot of places. There are definitely videos on YT that show you how to do it though

[@kaileecrafted]

The channel Dylan Can Read recently made one and it was so helpful!

[@wolfme4030]

I do believe you have to be comfortable in yourself with regard which companies you support but I don’t believe that other companies are necessarily any better with their ethics, they’re just smaller. I did listen to a podcast a few months ago about this very subject and will look for the title for anyone interested in listening to it. With regard to the comment about Amazon being blamed, no they shouldn’t be blamed completely but they should take responsibility for their actions (which we know will never happen). Large companies do tempt the vulnerable. I personally would be happy to see a drm removal video. Thanks.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The thing is that I’ve been swayed by the Amazon algorithm but I always make it work for myself.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

If you can do that, that’s fantastic

[@MrSeedi76]

I have multiple readers. My favorite is Pocketbook and Tolino. But I also have an old Sony reader and a rather obscure model from a Swiss company. For work I prefer my Pocketbook Touch Lux 2 as it's the only one that can handle PDFs really well and I work with a lot of books in PDF format. But when reading for fun I mostly returned to paper. At least if there is a chance I'm gonna read a book more than once which in case of novels rarely happens. I think the only novels I read more than once were Dune and Lord of the Rings 😊.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

My first e-reader was a Sony one! I think I sold it when I got my first Kindle

[@skywalker80316]

Enjoyed the video. Personally, I think the Kindle is a great product and is the best option for me.

[@wallhagens2001]

I use my kindle with my local library. So convenient and no $. Highly recommend!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Unfortunately you can't do that in the UK (so far as I know, anyway)

[@toddbelanger1923]

I did the whole Kindle thing....never enjoyed it... So cold...not the same as a physical book,not even close...HOWEVER I can see why people with bad eyesight etc etc would use Kindle

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Horses for courses I guess!

[@kristinegallagher6437]

I would NEVER give up my Kindle.

[@annakarlien1952]

Wow some of these comments are a riot. As if amazon doesnt know what its doing, putting those ads for more books there 😂

[@Formypersonaluse-cb5vi]

I like Amazon, because it has good customer service, big selection of books and they are cheaper in e-book format. I don't believe me buying or not buying anything from Amazon will change anything in this world. Yes, they are a big company that offers a wide selection of products. Books are some of them. However the discipline to buy or not to buy is my own responsibility. In fact when I teach myself to control myself and my choices and be rational about them, I kind of get some pleasure out of it. Another thing that is becoming popular is AI. Yes, AI is produced by big companies too, but I wouldn't want to stop using AI just because it comes from a big company. Life is too short to make statements and try to prove anything to anyone. Days go like hours, hours like minutes and minutes like seconds in our busy world. So if I can use technology to save me some money or time, I go for it. This is not to say that I don't support the small businesses in my area. I do, I just don't let one thing get in the way of another. Thank you for the video :)

[@jseger9000]

Welcome to the dark side🙂 I've stripped the DRM from every ebook I've bought since day one. It allows me to buy from any store I like and read on any device I like. (I prefer Kobos now.) I tend to stick to one eReader at a time and don't read on my phone and only read comics on my tablet, so sync never mattered to me.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I wish I'd been doing it all along, it's a huge task now!

[@wyldphyre_]

@@CriminOllyBlogMaybe set yourself a task of downloading 10-20 a day. If you set up Calibre to automatically import books from a folder (downloads) and automatically convert imported books to ePub, it’s a fairly simple task. It just takes an annoying amount of time.

[@HongKongEclectic]

The BOOX Palma is VERY expensive!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It’s definitely a lot more than a kindle basic, but also a lot more capable

[@seanrobsob8883]

Just put your library page on and only see your books???

[@slothrob]

Yes and thank you! People seem to totally miss that you can keep your Kindle on the Library page and never see the shopping suggestions unless you actively navigate to the Home page.

[@bmorebob6624]

Seems like you have a bit of a shopping addiction. I buy a book, read it immediately, when I finish I’ll buy and read the next. Don’t have a single unread book on my device. That being said I’d never begrudge anyone for the way they read or spend their money. Personally having a kindle has upped my yearly reading 80%. Prior to owning one I read maybe ten books a year. I now read approximately 50 to 70 books a year so for that reason alone it’s worth it. However I’m all with you about the monopoly a handful of these companies hold over us. Unfortunately our governments haven’t caught up with technology and they have no idea how to manage what’s happening. Or (more likely) they get kickbacks from these billion dollar companies and aren’t interested in changing anything.

[@fordprefect80]

Amazon, they remind me of the Umbrella Corporation. And what they did to Tolkien (Rings Of Power) was awful imo.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

LOL indeed

[@LittleKikuyu]

Or Weyland-Yutani 😅

[@kamidsjournee]

One thing I really do not love is how you really don’t own those kindle books that you “bought”. If they no longer have the access, they will remove them from your device. I have had some of my books upgrade to the latest version, but I’ve set it not to update automatically. I’m just waiting for them to disappear, like audible.

[@rossalexwriter]

Ok, full disclosure on my comment as it affects me directly. Another great video, but can I raise one point that was not considered. Many up and coming/independent or self published authors rely on Kindle/Amazon to get their work read. I can understand wanting to limit your Amazon purchases, but authors like myself will miss out on potential readers who will go elsewhere, mainly to the big publishers and authors or celebrities who may or may not have written a book. Apologies if this comes across as a rant, not intended and keep up the great work Olly.

[@davidw2744]

You personally decided to go Amazon exclusive and not offer your books on Kobo, Nook, Pocketbook etc. That is on you. It is not fair to wag your finger at people on other platforms for a choice you made. It is not our responsibility. It is yours.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

No, I totally get that. Amazon has done a great job of making it easy for indie authors to publish. I do think though that the fact that the KU Ts and Cs prohibit you from publishing elsewhere is iffy

[@davebrzeski]

Hmm, I think it's just as much a case of you being very good at letting Amazon sell you stuff. I'm not going to say how many ebooks I actually own, it's an awful lot more than you, but I figure that I've bought less than 200 of them from Amazon. It may be less than 100. The ones I did buy, I was sold by the authors, the publishers etc. I have never, ever used any of Amazon's methods of finding books to read, as I've never needed to. The only time I ever see the Kindle home page is when I click on it by accident. I have it set to open on my library. Author/publisher mailing lists are responsible for 99% of my Amazon purchases. Also, you're very .lucky in that a manufacturer sent you a really good ereader in return for a review, which is way out of this pensioner's price range, so you can afford to retire your scribe. Me not so much. 😊

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It's definitely true that I'm very good at letting Amazon (and other people!) sell me things. And yes, recognise I am very lucky to have got that device from BigMe

[@kelvinsmith6854]

Nobody forced you to buy, it's up to you to press Buy... your winging is pathetic

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Kelvin!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

1:27 We should all be concerned about Amazon because monopoly and also it’s part of the BDS movement

[@Heops]

The suggestions (ads) in your kindle books library can be turned off (1st thing I did when amazon implemented that "feature"). I suggest to just stop buying new books until you read the once you got - So looks like you set for the next few years 😀... so actually amazon is saving you lots of money 🤔

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂

[@mtnshelby7059]

I dunno, e books have zero appeal to me for the actual act of reading. But I believe it's because paper books especially hard copy library books are a form of "nostalgia therapy." 😂

[@LittleKikuyu]

Yeah I need the feeling, look and smell of a real book personally 😅 If I read on my cellphone I find it super hard to actually get into the book and retain anything (because every single book basically looks and feels the same 🙈)

[@jj-og2lj]

You are makings reading complicated and it shouldn’t be .

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Not really, I’m just making conscious decisions about where I buy things.

[@ricardias1551]

I think many people here did not reach the Olly’s view. Particular cases are not included on the scope of the video. Very brave and lucid explanation of reasons.

[@HongKongEclectic]

The Kindle (e-ink e-readers in general) are one of the greatest modern inventions. I easily read ten times as much as I would otherwise do (maybe more) thanks to the tech. I have read a far more diverse range of books that I would have done if I only had a traditional bookshop to buy from. Paper is just a medium, and one that we no longer need.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Completely agree, I love reading digitally, I’m just starting to have problems with Amazon’s implementation of the technology

[@books_and_bocadillos]

I've tried to break up with Amazon but no one else has quite the selection of Spanish language literature. 😞

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That is a shame!

[@dianemorasco]

It is a relationship we seem to go back to over and over again. 🥺😂

[@gigireads1716]

I have a hard time finding books in Spanish, can you send me a link on how to find them or the link to taje me straight to that catalog 🙏🏻 please

[@books_and_bocadillos]

@@gigireads1716 hi, I don't have a link to a catalog. What I meant in my comment is that when I have broken up with Amazon in the past, I have a difficult time accessing audiobooks and ebooks in Spanish on other platforms including the library system. I always end up coming back because I always find the titles I'm looking for in the Spanish language on Amazon. I follow Spanish language readers, outside of the US, and have heard similar experiences from them. I'm sorry I cannot provide a link to a catalog. I usually have success when I enter the title I am looking for in the search bar - in the Amazon app or the Amazon website. Best wishes and happy reading ✨

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Good for you! I figure Amazon must hate me because I haven’t bought any ebooks from them in well over a year. I’m still using my Kindle devices to read the ones I have, though once those die I will probably move on to something else. I have the same discomfort with Amazon that you have at this point.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah it all just feels a bit too much doesn’t it. Like the kind of evil megacorp you’d get on vintage SF

[@dianemorasco]

@@CriminOllyBlogOh, Rod Serling would have a field day with bringing this to a #TwilightZone episode. 💕💕💕

[@joreneereads]

Love that you made this video and disappointed by how many people in the comments are completely missing the point lol. Yes, if Amazon is the only place you can read from, sure… whatever, use Amazon. That’s clearly not the case for Olly or tbh for most people in the book space. It’s bad enough that there’s only 5ish trad publishers anymore, let alone turning over sales to largely be controlled by ONE company. But also yes to the sales pushing. If you’ve only used kindle you might not even realize how much advertising you’re getting. Even kobo, which is still a locked ecosystem theoretically invested in keeping you buying books within their system, has zero “ads” on your home screen- not just no paid ads from specific books etc, but also no “books we think you’d like” etc. You have to specifically choose to navigate to their store on the device, otherwise you will solely see books in your library or a suggestion to look at Overdrive.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you. I certainly wasn’t trying to lecture people on what they should do, but some people seem to have taken in that way

[@susanjohnson5824]

I've never had a kindle but I read on my iPad. I do have a kindle app. on my tablet but I haven't used it in years unless I download a free book with my prime membership. I do all my reading and audiobooks on the Libby app. on my iPad, which is renting ebooks from local libraries. I no longer collect books if I want to re-read a book I just rent it again from the library.

[@ritawilbur6128]

You make some really good points. For me, I don't tend to buy a lot of books for my kindle, instead I check books out through Libby (do y'all have the same library platform in UK?) So other than the kindle itself, I don't spend a lot on Amazon books. For other Amazon purchases, I'm fortunate to live in a city with several great local art stores, one of which is genuinely local. Their prices are generally competitive with Amazon - sometimes a little more, but sometimes a little less. So as much as possible (and much more than I need to!) I get art supplies from those stores, and i only get something from Amazon if I can't find it here or if the price is hugely cheaper. So I'll keep my kindle for now, but if it every dies, I'll think about switching to something else. That said, compared to the sizes of the two other devices you showed here, I do prefer the kindle size

[@wyldphyre_]

I’m under the impression that the only country that allows Libby to send books to the Kindle is the US. I’m in Australia and we can’t. Pretty sure Canada and the UK are the same.

[@ritawilbur6128]

@@wyldphyre_ Really? That's too bad.

[@jennamakesbugs]

I was inspired to purchase a Kindle by watching your channel. I use it to read almost entirely free self-publish (thoroughly enjoyable) rubbish books, though I have also purchased inexpensive collections by classic authors. Best of both worlds. With or without the kindle I am stuck using Amazon's services because I live 30 minutes away from the nearest (very small) town where the shopping is quite limited. It is the price for quiet nature and inherited land on which to build my house. Unless I am making the 1.5hr trip into the city for another reason, I will let UPS bring some tahini and gram flour to me since he's driving by my house anyway. Meanwhile, I look forward to the opportunity to vote to strengthen antitrust laws.

[@PeculiarNotions]

Your early progress is encouraging to hear.

[@mj_james_writes]

As an author, I no longer make the majority of the sales from Amazon. As a reader, I recently switched to the Boox Mini Tab C so that I can use one device for books purchased on multiple platforms (I already started to move to Kobo). I really love the Boox reading platform, but I'm in the US, so I can't remove the DRM from my Kindle books, so I'm having to read my backlog in the native Kindle App. I do appreciate everything Amazon did to help independent publishing.

[@philologus6577]

I found the Boox to be wonky, slow, and has too much ghosting in the refresh. I also do not think the screen is as good as a Kindle or as clean looking because of always needing to use apps to read from. It was bad enough for me to send it back because no matter what settings I used didn't change the experience.

[@mj_james_writes]

​@@philologus6577 I saw some other similar reviews and ended up taking the chance. Thankfully, I haven't had the same problems. I find it easy to write on and read. I have had a little ghosting, but nothing persistent. My only complaint is that there is a gap, so at times, it doesn't feel like you are writing directly on the paper. Although, I mostly no longer notice it anymore. IMO, it is a slightly less impressive writing experience than the Kindle Scribe - but with color and a smaller size - and so much better than the Kobo Libra. I do agree it is not for everyone, but it is working great for me.

[@kyrilson71]

I am also deep into the Amazon ecosystem, but I’ve been reading most recently all of my books on a Kobo H2O with KOReader installed. I like it a lot better, very configurable, with multi tap gestures, statistics, wireless connection to my Calibre library, etc.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I hadn’t heard of KOReader but that does sound like a good setup

[@chrisconnors7418]

Calibre and the plugins are fantastic. I’ve removed DRM from all my books. I seldom buy Amazon fiction except when I want to support an indie author or a less well-known author I’ve interacted with in social media (threads, discord). I mainly use the library for fiction. Once I got my Libra 2 I can read library books even easier without any side loading or intermediate steps. I love it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah it's a really great piece of software

[@davidw2744]

I really think you should free yourself of any form of obligation due to impulse buying so many books. It is a sunk cost fallacy to expect yourself to read them. I have a simple rule for culling: you must either currently still enjoy the author OR know what the plot of the book is and why it interests you. If you can't do either then you have no interest in that book, and your engagement with it is another chain of obligation around you over something that should be fun. Not like you have to delete them, just keep them on pc and not your devices or archive them, or create a collection called something like "my deepest regrets" lol and almost never open it!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I like the name of that collection! Going through my kindle library and gradually adding books to calibre has been an interesting experience, not least because I’d forgotten I had a lot of the books

[@KitsuneCool]

I hear you about Amazon - they have put a lot of my favorite brick and mortar book stores out of business, and they ate up Book Depository only to kill it - but I love my Kindle. I received an Oasis from my family for Mother’s Day a few years ago. I look forward to their First Reads selection every month, and I can’t afford any other device right now anyway so it’s a moo point for me. lol (Also I can turn the page number/time left in book feature off in the settings on my Kindle.)

[@tiborlantos7384]

This is a typical first-world problem. Amazon does a great job of selling books and spreading literature. It benefits everybody: the authors, the readers, and the shareholders. So you've bought too many books, more than you could read? They occupy much space on your Kindle, but consider the upside: no trees were harmed.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Famous Last Words: “Amazon are very good at getting money from us.”

[@michaelgibson8831]

I don't really care that Bezos has gotten rich but Amazon continually fails to meet their commitments and getting product to work is just too hard. I'm ready to go back to brick and mortar for most purchases and only use Amazon for minimal needs.

[@Joaquim.Oliveira]

I love my Kindle, I read so many KU books. I have no issues with J Bezos being a billionaire, I do have an issue with politicians getting filthy rich. But not Musk , Bezos or any of those guys that began small and reached the status that they have now. That's capitalism and Im an avid supporter of it. I applaud those business man and woman that started from ht bottom and with their ingenuity and work, made a life for themselves.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

They’re definitely both very smart guys.

[@keithparker1346]

Musk was just your normal everyday billionaire from birth...he didn't start small 😂

[@emeraldeelentertainment8988]

Billionaires starting small? LMAO they were born rich and exploit the work of underpaid employees, don't be a bootlicker.

[@GlitterEnby]

I agree that the reading data that kindle provides at the bottom of the page is distracting. It draws parr of brain out from reading to thinking about reading, and i don't like that.

[@matthewconstantine5015]

I'm definitely iffy about Amazon overall. I have a Kindle. I don't read a lot of ebooks, but it was the easiest thing to get & stock with stuff I couldn't find in print, or wasn't willing to pay collector prices for. Being a big fan of old Sci-Fi, it's not always easy to track down. But I don't love their business practices. I don't like how jammed with ads everything is. And I'm not a fan of how they treat folks who publish with them (like me). I'm pretty sure I won't publish with them again in the future.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah I've published with them in the past and it was super easy (as most things with them are) BUT the fact that if you want to publish on Kindle Unlimited you can't publish elsewhere really grated with me (not sure if that's still the case, but it was back then)

[@sennopatiallen]

digital habit makes people want to own and eat everything in one shoot but that is impossible.

[@frankylee4266]

I’m in the UK and bought a kobo to get Libby books. Worth knowing if a book is reduced on Amazon it is usually reduced on kobo too. Not always but the majority I’ve checked.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That’s good to know. Thank you!

[@ablair7007]

Forget Kindle and getting vendor-locked into spending more $$ to make Jeff Bezos rich. Get a Kobo eReader instead, they are more open and better designed anyways. And now in colour.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yep, I have a Libra Colour now and I love it

[@ToddSmith23]

Amazon will go out of business if everybody was as cheap as me

[@CriminOllyBlog]

LOL

[@Kite562reviews]

I mainly read physical books. I'm still hesitant to pick up an ereader.

[@dallascowboyshighlights9632]

I haven’t paid for Kindle Unlimited in ages. Every time I try to quit, they offer me three free months.

[@wendyvilla2904]

💚🖤

[@gingerbibliophile]

I’ve had to be careful not to do just that: buying a ton of books on good sale that will get lost in the shuffle. I’ve taught myself to only “buy” free books and the rest that look really good go into a list to keep an eye on for later. Unless it’s one I know I will remember I have or read immediately, I no longer get books even if they’re on sale. I’ve got about 1000 and only read maybe 200. Then I get caught up on KU which allows me to read a ton of books I couldn’t afford otherwise, but does keep me from trying the ones I already have. I just got suckered back in with a 3 month trial. Hopefully I wont find myself in the middle of a series when it ends 😅 that kept me around much longer than I’d planned last time. Glad you’ve found a way to give Amazon some much needed competition.

[@Kim_Miller]

I also started with a Kindle Keyboard back in 2010. Amazon downgraded its ability to access the kindle store about two years ago and I was ready to upgrade anyway. So I looked at other brands. I ended up with a Boox Leaf2, the slightly bigger brother to your Palma. I mostly sideload epub books to it but also still sometimes buy Kindle books and send to it. The Boox readers can sync once you've set up a boox account, but won't sync to the Bigme. However, had you got a Boox Note Air or Tab Ultra (both 10.3 inch tablets) you would be able to sync.

[@angusorvid8840]

I've been using a kindle since 2010 and love it. I'm probably on my fifth Kindle, a Paperwhite, and I love it. I went through a period in my early years of Kindle ownership of buying more books than I can read. I mitigated this by checking out books online from my library. I probably buy two or three Kindle books a year, and that's only when there's something I just can't wait to read. Otherwise, I check out books for about a month at a time, and have about twenty library books checked out at any time, and finish them on average in a day or two, depending on the size and how busy I am.

[@jessicamou]

I used to walk 30 minutes to local bookmark to buy about 20-40 paper books every month when I was a high school student, typically not including more than two novels. I would say I read about 30%-50% of them 😂 now my kindle is important to me because I use it to read fan-fictions from AO3.

[@denisadellinger4543]

I'm not an e book person. I love real books and buy them. I have trouble reading a screen. However, I would love something that allows for audible books. E readers can change the books you already own from the authors original. I don't like that.

[@dudeatmenangle]

Great Video Ollie, I’m very concerned how our Capitalist society which is based on competition is being nudermined by these mega businesses, who buy their competitors to limit options.

[@felipe.watanabe23]

I think kobo has a much better clean reading experience overall. You cant turn off the page count and I never felt like they were using the device to sell more books

[@jpi2228]

That was the same experience when I moved from Kindle to Kobo e-reader,

[@SciFiScavenger]

I went through a kindle phase when they were first a thing, i thought it was the bee's knees. But i kept breaking the damn things, then decided i much prefered actual books. The feel, the smell, the history, the art, the heft of them and the physical act of reading is just better IMHO. and i own the asset.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

You’re rekindling your love for physical media.

[@KindleandBook]

I bought a Kobo Libra Colour last week and I’m going to try and switch to Kobo for reading. I still have my kindle paperwhite, but haven’t bought a book for months after I listened to one book 5 consecutive times and then landed in the biggest reading and listening slump ever. I canceled my audible because just like ebooks they keep tempting you to keep buying and I have over 600 unlistened audiobooks. So canceled and going to listen to what I own. Same for kindle, first read what I own before I hopefully buy new. But I did get a Kobo plus membership for e- and audiobooks in my country. Which will also have me cancel my Everand membership for the time being, unless I find Kobo Plus isn’t for me. So we’ll see if I can get away from Amazon.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I just got the Libra Colour too and it seems like a great device!

[@peaseblossom4252]

I got one of the first kindles as well and was the biggest Kindle/Amazon fangirl, back when Amazon actually put a lot of care into the kindle line, and their customer service was excellent. But I’ve increasingly become jaded at how everything they do is designed to sell stuff versus a positive customer experience. Their user interface on the kindle drives me nuts (once I’m actually in a book, I still enjoy reading on it-I have the Voyage-but wading through all their recommendations to find a book I own is tedious. Don’t even get me started on Alexa-I hate her so much. But my husband has thoroughly immersed our home into Alexa & Ring everything, plus Prime ordering/Subscribe & Save (which I frankly admit is so convenient, but it lets me cave too readily to impulse buying). If it were just me, I’d have made the cut a couple years ago, and I keep threatening we need to do it, but getting my husband on board will be a battle (even though he regularly swears at Alexa when she launches into one of her stupid “By the way, >insert random ad

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha ha yeah my experience of Alexa is very similar. Agree that kindles are still great once you actually get into the book

[@krisprepolec5616]

I occasionally buy books, but mostly access my books from the library. I use the Libby app on my phone for audiobooks, and I get physical books. As a Canadian we can’t use a Kindle to access library books because Amazon will not allow Canadian libraries to access their products. I just got a Kobo so that I can borrow e-books. We’ll see how that goes once I get it set up. I will likely mostly use it for things only available as e-books or when I go on vacation.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Yeah we have the same library restriction in the UK

[@kb4567]

I totally agree with you.