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Your guide to the best e-book readers for 2022

Books are wonderful things, and if you have a mini library at home, we're willing to bet you wouldn't trade all of them for an e-book reader loaded down with your favorites. But while they may lack the tactile nature of a book, an e-book reader is still something every keen reader should consider. Many of the models available come with backlights so you can read in lower light, can make the font bigger to suit your needs, and are small enough to slip into a pocket — and e-book readers are always going to beat physical books when it comes to going on holiday, especially if you're a fast reader.

But which e-book reader should you buy? There's no shortage of great readers out there, and while Amazon's Kindle Oasis may be the biggest name that nearly everyone knows, there are other options available if you're looking to get an e-reader that's not tied to the world's largest shopping site. Here are the best e-book readers for 2022.

We've also found some of the best Kindle deals going on right now if you're looking for a new e-book reader on a budget.

Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019)

Best e-book reader.

• Excellent screen that’s perfectly readable outdoors
• Comfortable to hold
• Color-adjustable front light allows for better nighttime reading
• Good performance
• IPX8 water resistance
• No USB Type-C charging port
• User interface could use a visual refresh

Why you should buy this:  You already have a library of Kindle e-books, use your e-book reader for audiobooks, or just love the WhisperSync feature.

Who it's for: The hardcore reader who's heavily invested in the Amazon ecosystem.

Why we picked Amazon's Kindle Oasis (2019):

Amazon's latest Kindle Oasis (2019) is a minor revision over the 2017 model. It's still the best Kindle available, though it's also the most expensive. So what makes it such a great device? Featuring a beautiful 7-inch display, a pixel density of 300 pixels per inch, and well-placed navigation buttons, the Kindle Oasis revels in an excellent design.

Amazon claims the Kindle Oasis can last up to six weeks on a single charge, though you'll likely need to plug it in after a week or two of use (depending on your settings). It's still more than good enough for most people, and it's impressive it can go for so long given how thin the device is. There are also built-in ambient light sensors, which adapt to your surroundings so that you don't have to constantly adjust the screen.

All e-books are pretty lightweight, so internal storage isn't generally as important for an e-book reader as it might be for a tablet or smartphone. The Kindle Oasis offers 8GB of storage, which is enough for thousands of books, but there's a 32GB option that may be preferable for those who enjoy listening to audiobooks from Audible via Bluetooth earbuds. It's possible to get library books on your Kindle, too. Overdrive has a simple interface that lets you send e-books to your Kindle over the internet — no plugging-in required. You can also highlight passages from your favorite books and share them on social media, look up the meaning of words, and get context for fictional and nonfictional characters, places, settings, and more through a feature called X-Ray.

As far as new features go, the 2019 Kindle Oasis has a color-adjustable front light. The screen's color tone can shift to warmer hues at night, making it easier on the eyes and protecting you from blue light . There's also IPX8 water resistance, which means it's protected against immersion in up to 6.5 feet of freshwater.

Sadly, it still only accepts select e-book formats — you can read EPUB files, but it requires some manual work . Also, it still has a Micro USB port, rather than the more updated USB-C port you'll find on the newer Kindles. Regardless, the Oasis is our favorite Kindle and the one you should buy if you don't mind shelling out extra money for this e-book reader.

Kobo Libra 2

Best kindle alternative.

• Ergonomic design
• Blue light filter
• Still expensive
• Not tied into Amazon's storefront

Why you should buy this: It's a great e-book reader that's free from the restrictions Kindle owners face and has support for a large range of e-book formats.

Who it's for:  Anyone who wants a waterproof e-book reader that isn't tied to Amazon.

Why we picked the Kobo Libra H2O:

Amazon may dominate the space, but it's definitely not the only game in town. Kobo's e-book readers are excellent and offer a place to read your e-books that isn't ruled exclusively by Amazon, and it has support for more e-book formats. The Kobo Libra 2 isn't at the top of Kobo's offerings, but it is probably the best standalone e-book reader Kobo offers.

We'll start with the design. Kobo has made a few improvements to the design from the previous Kobo Libra H2O , smoothing out the harsher edges and adding a more svelte style. There's a dotted texture on the back for grip, and the device now curves down on the edge with the page buttons, but it's still largely a familiar design for Kobo fans. The aforementioned page buttons can be used to turn pages without swiping the screen (handy for wet fingers) and can be used after rotating the device whichever way you prefer.

Yes, we mentioned "wet fingers" back there for a reason. The Libra 2 is fully waterproof, so you can read in the bath without worrying about water ruining your experience. There's also a blue light filter to stop the 7-inch screen from messing with your sleep instincts at night, and the two-week battery life means it won't need recharging very often either.

Best of all, it's not excessively expensive. With a design that's similar to the Kindle Oasis, and specs that match — and even, where USB-C is concerned, exceed — Amazon's most expensive Kindle, the Kobo Libra 2 still starts at $180 — a full $70 less than the Oasis' RRP. A great deal if you prize flexibility in your e-reader, but don't want to compromise on pure quality.

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)

Best cheap kindle.

• Bigger, brighter screen
• Warmer color temperature adjustments
• USB-C charging port
• Screen smudges easily
• No auto-adjusting light

Why you should buy this: The updated Kindle Paperwhite offers unrivaled value for money, thanks to top-tier features at a reasonable price.

Who it's for:  Anyone who wants a fully-featured Kindle at a lower price.

Why we picked the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021):

How could we not? Amazon's Paperwhite is simply one of the best pure e-book readers available, and the best option to pick if you want a solid reader on more of a budget.

While Amazon hasn't tinkered with the Paperwhite's design too much, it has made two big changes to the overall formula — a larger 6.8-inch display, and USB-C charging. Why should you be excited about USB-C? It means faster charging speeds, but the biggest reason to celebrate is that it potentially cuts down on the number of cables you need to have ready at any one time. If your current smartphone or tablet of choice uses USB-C, as many modern devices do, well, there's no need to grab another cable just to charge your Kindle. In practice though, it's still likely a convenience more than a requirement, as the two-week battery life means it won't need to be recharged very often.

The new, larger, e-ink display has the same clear 300 pixels-per-inch (ppi) as its predecessor, so there's no drop in readability. The display changes brightness automatically and comes with a blue light filter for nighttime reading. Since it's an e-ink display, it can also be used perfectly well in strong sunlight as well — though the screen does seem to lack any real smudge resistance, which was annoying. It's also fully waterproof, which is one of the biggest reasons to buy this over the basic Kindle, as waterproofing does offer peace of mind that can't be replaced easily.

Alright, so prices starting at $140 means the Paperwhite isn't the cheapest of the cheap e-book readers. However, we still think it's one of the best value-for-money options out there, where Kindles are concerned. But if price is a real sticking factor, then the basic Kindle is also excellent — or, wait for a sales event, as Kindles are often heavily slashed in price during these events.

However, the Kindle Paperwhite's position in this list looks to be under threat, as there's strong competition from the new basic Kindle . The new $100 Kindle sports a USB-C connection, a boosted 16GB of storage, and a dark mode with adjustable front light. Basically, everything the Paperwhite has, except for the water resistance. Is being able to read in the shower worth the extra $40? You'll have to wait until we've had a chance to review the new Kindle to find out — but it's probably worth holding off for now if you were going to buy the Paperwhite.

Kobo Clara HD

Best cheap kindle alternative.

• Excellent battery life
• ComfortLight Pro removes blue light
• High-res screen offers crisp text and illustrations
• Activity mode provides detailed information on your reading
• Pocket integration makes reading articles offline easy
• Lacks Overdrive integration found on other Kobo models
• Not water resistant

Why you should buy this:  You're looking for an inexpensive e-book reader with a front-lit HD display and plenty of storage.

Who it's for: The reader on a budget who enjoys purchasing media in multiple formats.

Why we chose the Kobo Clara HD:

The Kobo Clara HD features a gorgeous 300 ppi screen and 8GB of storage — just like the Kindle Paperwhite. The battery is large enough that you should get around a month of reading from a single charge. It also offers the same innovatively illuminated ComfortLight Pro as the more expensive models in Kobo's range. This feature uses red and orange LEDs to illuminate the screen without the need for blue light, which can cause trouble sleeping.

Just like the Libra 2, the Kobo Clara HD is compatible with many more formats than Kindle e-book readers, giving you the freedom to purchase your e-books directly from the publisher, as well as dozens of other third-party retailers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kindle is Amazon's line of e-book readers, and it debuted in 2007. Over the years, Amazon introduced new types of Kindle devices, from the basic Kindle to the Kindle Oasis, which comes with more features, like water resistance and a blue light filter.

Amazon also launched a line of tablets under the Kindle Fire branding — which confused many, as Kindle Fires are not e-book readers, but Android-based tablets. Thankfully, Amazon dropped the "Kindle" part of the name, rebranding the range as the "Fire tablet," as in the Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 10 Plus .

A Nook is an e-book reader from Barnes & Noble, a large U.S. book retailer. Like Amazon, the company also has a line of Nook Tablets that run Android, but the Nook originally launched as an e-book reader with an electronic paper screen.

A Kobo is an e-book reader from Rakuten, a Japanese electronic giant. Unlike Amazon, Rakuten has less skin in the bookstore game, so it’s easier to put e-books from outside of the Kobo store on your device. As such, Kobo devices are seen as more open than Amazon’s Kindle range.

One of the most annoying things about e-books is that there are many file types, and certain e-book readers don’t support certain formats. Here’s a breakdown of which e-book readers support which formats.

HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, EPUB, and BMP files are only supported through conversion. Amazon has a free downloadable software called Kindle Previewer , which you can use to upload and convert these files into a readable format on your Kindle. You'll need to manually plug your Kindle into a computer to transfer them.

Kindle files and Apple iBooks are not supported, but Kobo supports the most file formats natively of any e-book reader.

A tablet is akin to a smartphone but larger. You’ll get a full-color touchscreen with a high refresh rate. You can play games, watch movies and TV shows, and be productive with them. E-book readers are limited to reading because the electronic paper display has a low refresh rate. The screens look like paper, making them ideal for reading books, news, or magazines.

Whether you have a Kindle from Amazon or a Kobo from Rakuten, most e-book readers have a respective store accessible through the device where you can purchase books and more. You can also buy content on a computer and transfer the file to the e-book reader by physically connecting it with a cable.

When's the best time to buy an e-book reader?

This is an interesting question because the kneejerk answer is "when you want one". But the reality is there are some times in the year when it's just better to buy your e-book reader. Amazon's Prime Day and Black Friday are two such occasions, and if you're looking for an Amazon Kindle, then this advice applies even more. Amazon regularly discounts its Kindles heavily for both sales, and previous sales have seen the basic Kindle go down to half price and the Paperwhite down to below $100.

So really, while you should buy an e-book reader when you need one, if you can, try waiting for Prime Day in July, or Black Friday in November to get a great discount on your device.

How we test

Here at Digital Trends, we believe we're the most fortunate employees on the planet because we get to test e-book readers. So, essentially, we get to read for fun at work. It's incredible, and we're not complaining. The testing process involves more than just reading, though. When we experiment with e-book readers, we conduct a bunch of different tests. Some of these include testing the screen's brightness in different lighting and examining its durability by putting it in a variety of environments. If it claims to be waterproof, we take the reader for a swim in the bathtub and see if it measures up after a bubble bath. 

We also transfer current e-book files onto the e-book reader, rent some e-books from the library, and buy books from various stores. We understand the e-book files are incredibly hard to convert, so our hearts go out to you and the many other avid readers who'd rather read in a different file format. Believe us, we've done our research, and we feel your pain. 

The most critical piece of our testing process is our home simulation experiment, where we read these e-books in the comfort of our own humble abodes.

Editors' Recommendations

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Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient & Medieval History, which obviously makes him a shoo-in to write about technology for a living. He currently contributes to the Mobile section on Digital Trends, with a particular emphasis and expertise on exploring the weirder side of smartphones, from tiny rugged phones to massive gaming phones. You'll most often find him seeking out leaks and rumors on upcoming devices, and playing with a variety of new apps for both Android and iOS.

Freelance tech and travel writer living in (somewhat) sunny Scotland. Gamer, tea addict, never without a good book.

Digital bookworms should turn their attention to Amazon today, as the retail giant has some impressive Kindle deals taking place. Numerous Kindle models are seeing massive discounts, with savings reaching as much as $80. Kindle discounts are fairly uncommon, and to see deals this significant is a total rarity. This is a good opportunity to grab a Kindle if you have an eye on one, as these are some of the best tablet deals you’ll find. Read onward for more details on the best Kindle deals this Amazon sale has to offer right now.

Kindle Paperwhite — $100, was $140

Memorial Day sales have kicked off across the internet, and the electronics sections of some of the largest retailers in the world are ready to clear out some inventory. Out there to be had right now are some great Memorial Day laptop sales and Memorial Day TV sales, and even Memorial Day mattress sales, among discounts on other great tech and electronics as well. We’ve rounded up some of the best Memorial Day sales when it comes to electronics, from retailers like Amazon and Best Buy, and with sales prices starting as low as $5. Make this Memorial Day a shopping opportunity as well as a holiday, and read onward for more details on where to find some of the best discounted electronics available right now. Dell -- from $130

With Dell being one of the most popular computer brands, it’s no surprise to find it here amongst the best places to track down some Memorial Day electronics deals. Dell laptop deals lead the charge when it comes to sales taking place at Dell right now, and you can find things like the 15-inch Dell Inspiron 3000 laptop for just $230. That’s a pretty amazing price for any laptop, let alone one from as quality of a name as Dell. If a new laptop is of interest to you because you’re more of a gamer, some great gaming laptop deals are being offered at Dell as well, with the G15 gaming laptop seeing discounts as high as $650. If a desktop computer is more what you’re looking to escape with this Memorial Day sales season, Dell’s XPS desktop computer is being discounted, as well as several accompanying monitor options that start at $130.

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If you want a smartwatch for your Android phone, the number of choices can be overwhelming. Our list does not only include smartwatches that use Google's Wear OS software but Samsung's Tizen software and other operating systems too. Almost all smartwatches will work with your Android phone, except for the Apple Watch. If you own an iPhone, take a look at our list of best smartwatches to see why the Apple Watch is our overall recommendation.

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The best ereaders for 2024

Kindles aren't your only ebook reader option..

Few things beat the smell of a new book (or an old one for that matter), but carrying an entire library in your pocket or instantly getting a new book you just heard about make ereaders attractive gadgets. The experience of reading on one beat tablets and smartphones thanks to E Ink displays that are easier on your eyes than LED screens. Kindles have long been the dominant ebook readers in the US, but after testing a number of models, we think other companies are giving Amazon a run for their money with Kindle alternatives — our current top pick is a Kobo model. We put together this list of the best ereaders out there to help you find which will work for you.

Kobo Clara 2E | eReader | Glare-Free 6? HD Touchscreen | ComfortLight PRO Blue Light Reduction | Adjustable Brightness | WiFi | 16GB of Storage | Carta E Ink Technology | Waterproof

Best ereader overall, kindle (2022 release), best budget ereader, kobo libra 2, best ereader with buttons, boox page 7-inch ereader, best android ereader with an e ink screen, what to look for in an ereader.

Plenty of apps, including the Kindle app, will let you download and read digital books on a phone or tablet. But what makes ebook readers different is the screen: nearly all of them use technology from a company called E Ink. It manufactures electronic paper displays (EPD) composed of three sheets: one containing millions of microcapsules filled with black and white ink particles sandwiched between transparent electrode layers. When a charge is applied, either the black or white particles shift to the top, forming letters and the whitespace around them.

Because these displays are so different from standard LED panels, you can expect most ereaders to do a number of things well. They’ll be easier to stare at for long periods of time and easier to read in direct sunlight. Also, since E Ink displays only require power to rearrange the ink, these devices have much longer battery lives than even the best tablets: we’re talking weeks, not days.

The ereader market is not as saturated as, say, the smartphone market, but there are still plenty of options out there and they do have small but important differences among them. They tend to range from around $100 to more than $400, though usually the higher end options are stylus-enabled read/write E Ink tablets like the Kindle Scribe. Beyond price, you should consider physical properties like buttons, lights, storage and resolution, as well as how the software lets you find and access books.

Reading features

With any ereader, you’ll navigate the OS via taps and swipes, and some add physical page-turn buttons. Most with built-in buttons have an auto-rotating screen so you can press with your right or left hand.

As E Ink technology has advanced, resolution has greatly improved – even the budget Kindle ereader has a 300 ppi display. You can still find models with lower resolution, but we don’t recommend them.

Some ereaders have front LEDs that support light temperature adjustment. That means you can switch to a warmer light after the sun goes down, which will feel easier on the eyes. If you’re concerned about blue light, you should go for a reader with that feature.

Other features

The capabilities of these pocket libraries have advanced considerably since the early days. In addition to storing books, some let you browse the web, run apps and play music. The screen’s frame rate can’t handle gaming, but it’s good enough to show you the Wikipedia entry for New Zealand’s South Island while you read Birnam Wood .

If you listen to audiobooks, you may want a Bluetooth-enabled ereader capable of playing them. Most of the models we tested have that ability, with the notable exception of the Nook ereader we tried. Keep in mind that audiobook files can take up more space than print files so you'll probably want a device with a higher storage capacity if you plan on doing a lot of listening.

Above all, you should consider where and how you intend to find books to read. Most ereaders make it easiest to shop through their own ebook store, but all of them (even Kindles ) will now let you download titles from other sources, like libraries, unaffiliated ebook sellers and free public domain sites.

How to get books for your ereader

Kindle, Nook and Kobo all have their own stores that you access directly from each brand’s devices. Prices are fairly competitive between the sellers, too – as I write this, the current NYT bestselling fiction ebook is $12 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Kobo store. The top nonfiction release, The Anxious Generation , costs $16 at all three.

Amazon offers Kindle Unlimited for $12 per month, and it includes four million titles from which you can pick your next read. It includes audio and ebooks, but you won’t find many big, new releases or older bestsellers. Kobo has a subscription called Kobo Plus with about 1.3 million titles: it goes for $8 per month for ebooks only, $8 for audiobooks only or $10 for both.

Buying a book from a proprietary store instantly delivers it to your device, provided you’re connected to WiFi. It also syncs your reading across devices and apps, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone if you forgot your ereader at home. It truly is the most convenient way to go, but if you don’t want to be locked into one brand’s store, or if you opt for an ereader without its own marketplace, you do have options.

How to upload ePubs onto an ereader

Stores like ebooks.com and Google Play have millions of ebooks for sale as digital rights-managed (DRM) ePub files, which nearly all current ereaders (including Kindles) can display. Titles from some publishers like Tor and public domain classics from sites like Project Gutenberg are also sold as ePubs, but without the added DRM. Books you get from these sources will look just like ones you bought from a proprietary store, thanks to the flowable, formatted nature of ePub files. While these device-agnostic ebook collections give you extra options for finding your next read, they require a few additional steps to get the files onto your ereader.

To do so, you’ll typically need a computer running a free program called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). After buying and downloading the ePub file, open ADE and plug your ereader into your computer. Your device should pop up in the left panel. Drag and drop the ePub file from your downloads folder into the main panel in ADE. The file will display as an image of the book cover. Drag that image onto your device on the left panel. If the file includes digital rights management (which protects against unauthorized copying) you’ll need to authorize your ereader, which requires using or creating a free Adobe ID . Once you’ve finished adding files to upload, eject the reader from your computer to complete the transfer process.

Kindles use a web-based uploader instead of the ADE method. After downloading an ePub file, drag and drop it into your browser with the Send to Kindle page open. As long as you’re signed into Amazon, this wirelessly transfers the files to your associated device.

Boox also uses a browser uploader called BooxDrop (along with many other methods ) to deliver ePubs to the device. Open it from the Boox App menu and you’ll see a device-specific url. Type that into your browser to access a file delivery portal that uploads to your library. Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, doesn’t support files with DRM, so you won’t be able to read current titles from most publishers using that app. Fortunately, Boox devices run nearly every ereader app out there, letting you access ePubs any number of ways, though you’ll need to upload the files using each app’s requisite method.

How to read library books on an ereader

Your local library card lets you borrow audio and ebooks through a program called Overdrive and its companion app Libby . On a Kobo , you have have built-in access to Overdrive in a separate tab. Once you’ve linked your library card, the search function will include results for titles available from your local library; a few taps will upload your selections to your device for the length of the loan. I personally find it easiest to borrow the title I want through the Libby app on my phone. After that, the book pops up on my Kobo’s home screen once the device syncs.

To read library books on a Kindle , you can either go through the Libby app or the Overdrive section of your library’s website. Once you click Borrow, you’ll see the option to “Read now with Kindle,” which takes you to Amazon’s site to sign in. After that, the book will be delivered to your device the next time it connects to WiFi.

For other ereaders, you’ll go through your library’s Overdrive portal and download the ePub after clicking the Borrow button. You can then use the ADE process we described above. Devices that run external apps, like the Boox Leaf 2, allow you to read library books via the Libby app, just as you would on a smartphone or tablet.

You can also use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks, but you won’t be able to access them through your ereader. (The exception is an ereader, like the Boox Leaf 2, that allows external apps). I found it was easier to listen to an audiobook on my phone anyway, regardless of whether I borrowed it through Libby or bought it from Kindle or Kobo.

How we tested

When putting together any guide, the first thing we do is spend hours researching the field. We look at what’s available, what’s new, and what shoppers and professional reviewers have to say. Then we narrow a list to the best candidates for hands-on testing.

I ended up getting eight ereaders, representing five different brands: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Boox and PocketBook. I bought, borrowed and uploaded books for each device using the methods above. Over the course of four weeks I evaluated each one in the areas of book access, ease of reading, extra features and overall value.

Kobo and Boox have recently released new ereaders. We’re in the process of testing the new Libra Colour and Clara Colour from Kobo, as well as the Page and Poke 5 from Boox. Once we’ve had the chance to evaluate them we’ll update this guide with our recommendations. Until then, here’s everything we tested so far:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Kobo Clara 2E

NOOK GlowLight 4

Boox Leaf 2

PocketBook Era

The best ebook readers for 2024

Screen size : 6” | Resolution : 300dpi | Capacity : 16G | Waterproof rating : IPX8 (submergible to 6 feet for 60 minutes) | Warm light : Yes | Lock screen ads : No

During testing, I’d grab the Kobo Clara 2E when I was off the clock and reading for my own satisfaction. That alone doesn’t make it the best ereader for most people, but the excellent design, performance and interface does. The Clara 2E is helpful from the moment you turn it on. It walks you through setting up an account so you can buy books, then asks about your recent favorite reads to improve its personalized recommendations.

It also tells you right away about its Overdrive integration that lets you check out ebooks from your library directly on the device. It was refreshing to be pointed towards something free, instead of just showing me more ways to spend money. The borrowing integration is seamless: you can find library books by searching for a title or browsing in the Overdrive tab in the Discover section, where the Kobo store lives.

The Discover tab and the Kobo store are nicely organized, with top sellers, deals and recommendations based on your history. Title pages are clean and uncluttered, giving you access to synopsis, reviews and preview samples. You can even mark a title as read, to deepen the algorithm's understanding of your preferences. Unlike Amazon’s Kindle store, audiobooks and ebooks are in separate tabs. I would have liked to have them together, and would love it if Kobo did what Amazon does and offer a discount if you buy the audiobook and text version together.

The customization options on the Clara are just right – there aren’t so many that it’s overwhelming, but you can fine-tune things enough to make the device yours. Features like sleep screens, gesture controls, and headers and footers are all customizable. You can also decide how your library is organized. Navigation is intuitive and I rarely had trouble finding what I was looking for in the settings.

But what really sets the Clara 2E apart is the reading experience. It’s lightweight and has a textured back for a sure grip, with one rear button controlling sleep, wake and power. The thin bezel makes the device compact enough to cradle in your hand like a smartphone, but is thick enough for your thumb to rest comfortably in a pinch grip.

On top of that, the front light is lovely. The adjustable warm light gives you both brightness and temperature control, and the quality and subtlety of the glow creates a screen that’s the closest to paper of any ereader I’ve tried. You can also adjust the brightness on the fly by sliding your thumb up or down the left edge of the screen – such a simple feature, but one I used repeatedly. The text is crisp and the ghosting is minor. Text size, font style, line spacing and margins are minutely adjustable and available with a tap as you read.

Of all the readers, the Clara 2E was the most responsive to my touch. Rarely did it mistake a tap for a swipe or vice versa, and after I learned the controls, I was always brought exactly to where I wanted to go.

My favorite feature was how fast it woke up. Push the button and you immediately see the page you were last reading. Some ereaders make you push a button, swipe, then wait as the screen flashes and refreshes before finally loading your book. I like to fill spare moments by getting in a page or two, so a speedy wake is key. The page turns are also quick, though in a side-by-side comparison, the Kindle was just a touch faster.

For $140, the Clara 2E is pricier than other readers with six-inch screens. The standard Kindle is the exact same size and shape, and can be had for as little as $100 if you’re willing to put up with constantly being served ads on your lockscreen. You’ll pay $120 for the luxury of an ad-free model. The Kindle also isn’t waterproof and has no warm light option. In contrast, the Clara has no ads, can handle an accidental dunk in the bathtub and won’t kill your eyes with a ton of blue light. For those reasons – plus every little detail that made reading a joy – I’d recommend this Kobo ereader to most.

Of course, if you’re already invested in Amazon’s ebook space, you may want to go for the Paperwhite Signature , which our editor Nathan Ingraham endorses.

Read our review of the best Kindle, the Paperwhite Signature, here.

• Quality build
• Warm front light
• Customizable settings
• Crisp screen with responsive touch controls
• Kobo store selection is smaller than Kindle's

Screen size : 6” | Resolution : 300dpi | Capacity : 16GB | Waterproof rating : None | Warm light : No | Lock screen ads : Yes

Amazon has dominated in the ereader space for so long that I was surprised when a Kindle device didn’t win me over. A Kobo may have taken the top spot here, but nothing can beat the standard Kindle when it comes to price. It’s listed at $100 but has gone on sale every few months since its debut in October 2022, sometimes for as low as $75.

With it, you can access the best of what Amazon has to offer, including many exclusive titles. Kindle Exclusive is a catalog made up of a million titles, including books by established authors as well as newer, self-published writers; Kindle Unlimited offers the widest selection of any subscription-based reading service out there; and Audible Originals is made up of narrated titles and podcasts you can only hear through a Kindle device or Amazon-owned app.

If you like to switch between audiobooks and ebooks, Kindle is the way to go. When you buy both iterations of a title, you not only get a discount, but the Whispersync feature lines up where you are in the e-printed version with the narration, too. Say you listen for an hour and then want to read – the synchronization lets you pick up on-screen where you left off audibly. (Though we should point out that you can’t listen and read simultaneously on the same device.) In tests, the feature was fairly accurate, getting me close enough on the page or in the audio to figure out my spot.

The standard Kindle doesn’t feel particularly luxurious, but it doesn’t feel cheap either. The shell has a velvety finish that doesn’t collect fingerprints, but I found myself wishing it had more texture for a better grip. Navigating from a page to the menu isn’t as speedy as Paperwhite or the Kobos we tried. And it takes a few moments to wake from sleep after hitting the button and swiping.

Page turns are quick, but the touchscreen gestures didn’t always do what I wanted them to. I’d often find the page skipping forward when I thought I’d tapped to go back. There’s no warm light, which didn’t bother me during the day, but at night it felt like I was still staring at my computer.

Kindle’s reading customization is great, letting you dial in the font, size and margins. You can even save a set of settings as a “theme,” something not offered by other devices. I created one with larger text and wider line spacing called “tired eyes.”

Some people won’t be bothered by the lock screen ads that come standard on every Kindle device (unless you pay to remove them). They’re fairly innocuous, mostly promoting Kindle book deals or specific titles (it’s not like you’ll see promos for TVs or robotic pool cleaners). 

Personally, I like being able to set the sleep screen to the book cover of what I’m currently reading, but it’s easy to get over that if all you want is a more convenient way to consume books at the lowest price. It's also worth noting that the Kindle Kids is the same device but comes with a cover, a longer warranty and goes on sale more frequently than the standard version. 

• Kindle ebook selection is huge
• Nice integration between ebooks and audiobooks
• Good customization options
• Not waterproff
• No warm light
• Lock screen ads

Screen size : 7” Resolution : 300dpi | Capacity : 32GB | Waterproof rating : IPX8 (submergible to 6 feet for 60 minutes) | Warm light : Yes | Lock screen ads : No 

My first ereader was the Kindle 2 with buttons everywhere, including a full keyboard – that was too many. The Kobo Libra 2 , on the other hand, has just two buttons, which is perfect. It has the same streamlined interface as the Clara 2E, including an easy setup and intuitive navigation. You basically get everything that’s great about a Kobo device in a package that looks and feels premium.

One side of the reader has a wider bezel for the buttons and the screen rotates nearly instantly when you reorient the device, meaning you could have the buttons on the left, right or even bottom. Plus, if you want to lock the orientation when you’ve finally decided on a position, it’s a simple two-tap process. The wider bezel is also slightly thicker and slopes up at the edge, giving it a secure handhold. And I haven’t even mentioned the textured, rubberized back. All together, the Libra is the most comfortable ereader I've ever held.

At seven inches, the screen is only a little bigger than the standard Kindle or Kobo Clara 2E, but I noticed the difference. Out of all the ereaders I tried, reading the Libra 2 most closely resembles reading a physical paperback, especially after you balance the warm and cool light. But a paperback won’t adjust font size with a pinch or get brighter when you slide a finger along the margin like the Libra 2 will. The text and image clarity is nearly the best of the bunch – only the PocketBook Era was crisper. (That device also has a beautiful build. Unfortunately, the software doesn’t yet match the aesthetics.)

The Libra 2’s larger screen tempted me to use a few of Kobo’s bonus features found in the More section of the main navigation. The web browser is in beta, and it displays simple websites easily, if slowly. The Pocket integration lets you save articles from the web and then read them from the comfort of your Kobo. I used Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries as fodder for this testing and one entry is only available as a short story on Wired . I saved the article via the web extension on my laptop, then opened it up on the Kobo. I could then read it like it was any other part of the series.

At $190, the Libra 2 is one of the more expensive ereaders. But if you’re a voracious reader looking for a luxe experience, you won’t do much better than this. The Kindle Oasis also has page-turn buttons, a waterproof rating and seven-inch screen, but at $250 for the ad-supported, 8GB size, we think the Libra is a much better value.

• Comfortable to hold
• Auto-rotating screen
• Responsive page turn buttons
• More expensive
• Kobo store selection lacks Amazon Original titles

Screen size : 7” | Resolution : 300dpi | Capacity : 32GB | Waterproof rating : None | Warm light : Yes | Lock screen ads : No

Boox released the Page in July as a replacement for the now-discontinued Leaf 2. Stacked side-by-side, the two look identical: both have 7-inch E Ink screens, two manual page-turn buttons and a thin, lightweight design.

Inside, the Page has an extra gig of RAM, an upgraded Qualcomm CPU and a bigger 2,300mAh battery, up from 2,000mAh on the Leaf 2. The batteries last so long already — on the order of a few weeks — so I didn’t notice a significant difference there, but the extra processing power and memory has noticeably upped the wake speed, efficiency in opening apps and page-turning speed.

It still runs on a fork of Android 11, which means the Page acts more like a tablet than a conventional ereader. Like the Leaf 2, it’s best suited for the tech-savvy — you’ll get little hand-holding in setup and usage. The tablet is impressively customizable, with programmable buttons and fine-tunable settings. Boox users have created APK files to tweak and improve your experience further. The device even has speakers and can run apps like Spotify. In short, the Page can do far more than a typical ereader can, if you’re willing to experiment.

But the ereader experience is also pretty good. The soft, adjustable front light with temperature control makes for pleasant low-light reading and the flush, glare-free, 300dpi screen is crisp and detailed. Boox has its own app library or you can use Google Play to search for and download apps much like on a smartphone or tablet. You can even get ereader apps from other manufacturers, including Kobo and Kindle, and install Libby to read borrowed books from the library.

Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, is nicely featured with a good amount of control over the look of the text. But it only handles DRM-free ePubs from sites like Project Gutenberg or publishers like Tor . If you want to read ePubs with digital rights management, which make up the vast majority of current ebooks, you’ll need to use a different app. Of course, you could remove the rights management from the files, but that’s technically illegal, even after you “own” the book.

• Capable, customizable tablet
• Supports multiple ereader apps
• Solid build with a crisp screen
• Not easy for beginners

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Take all your books on the go with an e-book reader. With a long battery life and large displays, e-readers give you a virtual library in the palm of your hand.

View our ratings and reviews and browse our buying guide to find the best e-book readers.

Performance varies widely among models, as our ratings show. The best e-book readers make loading and reading books relatively effortless, but the lowest scorers might frustrate even the long-suffering bookworms.

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E-book readers typically have a 5- to 10-inch screen and are primarily designed to display the digitized versions of printed books. They're typically quite light—mostly 8 ounces or so and up—and are about as thin as many smartphones.

Amazon Kindle Oasis w/ Special Offers (WiFi)

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The 6 Best E-Readers to Take Your Library With You Everywhere

Put down the phone and tablet and pick up one of these.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

Nothing can replace the tactile experience of flipping through an actual hardcover or paperback, but e-readers have proven that they’re here to stay for people who want the convenience of carrying multiple books around without the extra bulk. Take a look below at things to keep in mind when buying one, followed by our reviews of the best.

What to Consider

Sure, you could download e-books to your phone or tablet, but e-readers feature anti-glare E Ink screens that are much easier on your eyes than those bright LCDs. Plus, having a device dedicated to reading ensures you won’t be as distracted by apps, and they have more power efficiency, storage space, and special features designed for bookworms.

There are three main brands on the e-book reader market, including Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Kobo. If you already have one of these e-readers and are looking to upgrade to a new one, we’d generally recommend staying with the same brand to make transferring data easier. However, each have their own unique features, software, and app compatibility that may make it worth making a switch.

How We Selected These E-Readers

To select these e-readers, we consulted reviews from six expert sources like Tech Radar , CNET, and Wirecutter , as well as consumer reviews on retail sites like Amazon. We evaluated the products based on features like brightness and color adjustability, waterproofing, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and overall design for the price. In addition to the devices themselves, we considered complete user experience, including what apps and software are built into the devices, as well as if they’re compatible with library apps—such as OverDrive—to download e-books or audiobooks for free.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

The latest Kindle Paperwhite is now not only thin and lightweight but also waterproof with a rating of IPX8, so you can take it with you to the beach, pool, or bath. With a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (ppi) and five LEDs, the six-inch touchscreen will be easy on the eyes. All of these features make it an especially great option if you’re looking to trade in your old Kindle, which you can do through Amazon to save 20 percent.

We also like that this Kindle is equipped with Bluetooth, so you can pair it with wireless headphones to listen to audiobooks on Audible (though you can also send books to your Kindle to read for free if your local library uses OverDrive). However, keep in mind that there are no hard page-turn buttons, and you have to pay $20 more to get the model without ads.

Kobo Clara HD

If you’re looking for an Amazon alternative, Rakuten’s line of Kobo e-readers is the best option for perusing ebooks as well as digital documents in a huge variety of file formats. It’s also the best for library users, since it has built-in support for OverDrive (you can still send e-books from OverDrive’s Libby to Kindles, just not directly—which means you can’t browse for books right from the device). Unlike most other e-readers, it can also support Pocket, an app for saving and reading articles from the internet. An excellent affordable Kobo is the Clara HD, which compares to the Paperwhite with a six-inch screen, 8GB of storage, 300 ppi, and a 16Hz processor.

Amazon Kindle Oasis

The Oasis is the most premium Kindle you can buy, starting at $250. Its design is thin and light, with a large seven-inch screen. Like the Paperwhite, it’s waterproof with 8 and 32GB storage options, 300 ppi, and Bluetooth connectivity. However, it has a more powerful screen with 25 LEDs, an adjustable warm light, auto-adjusting brightness sensors, auto rotating, and page turn buttons.

Kobo Libra H2O

Now, if you want a reading experience comparable to the Kindle Oasis, just not at that price, Kobo’s Libra H20 has all of the features you’d want while being more affordable at under $200. Despite its plastic (instead of metal) construction, it boasts a seven-inch screen that can switch to landscape mode, as well as manual page-turn buttons. It’s also waterproof rated at IPX8, and it comes with all of the same benefits as the Kobo Clara HD in terms of library app compatibility.

Nook Barnes & Noble Nook GlowLight Plus

Amazon Kindle Kids Edition

If you want to get your kid reading but don’t need the added distraction of yet another multi-purpose screen in their life, consider an e-reader like the Kids Edition of a Kindle. Instead of playing games or watching videos, they can immerse themselves in titles from Amazon Kids+, which you get a free year’s subscription to (it typically costs $2.99 per month). The Parent Dashboard also allows you to adjust age filters, add books to their library, and view their reading progress. Though it’s unfortunate that a device made for kids isn’t waterproof, you’ll at least appreciate the generous two-year warranty to give you some peace of mind.

Paige Szmodis is an editor for Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Popular Mechanics, who researches and writes home, tech, and outdoor product reviews and news.

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E -Reader Reviews

Eazeye radiant trlcd monitor – better than e-paper a review.

2 May 2024 By Sovan Mandal 1 Comment

If you think only the E Ink display provides you with the best possible eye protection against digital burnout, you are in for a surprise. This new class of displays, named the RLCD, offers most of the benefits of a traditional LCD panel sans the glare, which claims to be equally beneficial for your eye health. Taking things a notch higher is the TRLCD displays - short for … [Read more...] about Eazeye Radiant TRLCD monitor – better than e-paper? A Review

Hands-on Review of the Kobo Libra Colour e-reader

30 April 2024 By Michael Kozlowski 4 Comments

The Rakuten Kobo Libra Colour is likely one of the best e-readers and e-notebooks on the market. It utilizes the latest generation E INK Kaleido 3 e-paper technology, which makes the screen vibrant. There are several major selling points behind this new device. It has a 35% larger battery than the previous generation, Libra 2; it has physical page-turn buttons, Google Drive, … [Read more...] about Hands-on Review of the Kobo Libra Colour e-reader

Full Review of the Rakuten Kobo Clara Colour e-reader

28 April 2024 By Michael Kozlowski 4 Comments

The Kobo Clara Colour e-reader is one of the year's most essential releases. This is the first time the Canadian company has ever employed Colour E INK technology on e-readers. Public acceptance of this product is critical for the long-term viability of the Kaleido 3 e-paper for future products. If Clara has poor sales, it might encourage Kobo to move away from Colour and focus … [Read more...] about Full Review of the Rakuten Kobo Clara Colour e-reader

Bigme InkNote X Color – The fastest e-note out there? A Review

28 April 2024 By Sovan Mandal 6 Comments

The Bigme InkNote X Color is an absolute beast in the guise of an E Ink Android tablet. It has got the specs that leave the competition in the dust. That's at least on paper, it must be said. Or, are things different in the real world? Let's find out in this review. Style and build The InkNote X Color does not break any new ground with the way it looks and feels. There is the … [Read more...] about Bigme InkNote X Color – The fastest e-note out there? A Review

Dasung Not an e-Reader 133 monitor + tablet combo device: A Review

22 April 2024 By Sovan Mandal 1 Comment

The Dasung 133 is unique in that it happens to be both an E Ink tablet and a monitor at the same time. This dual functionality makes it one of the most versatile E Ink devices you can have at the moment. But does that hold true in the real-world scenario or is it merely a gimmick? Let's find out.Style and Build The Dasung 133, as is usual with Dasung devices, is extremely … [Read more...] about Dasung Not an e-Reader 133 monitor + tablet combo device: A Review

The iReader Neo 2 with the latest E Ink Carta 1300 display: A Review

16 April 2024 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

iReader created history when it launched the Neo 2 e-reader device and that has to do with the all-new E Ink Carta 1300 display that the e-reader now comes with. At 6 inches, it also happens to be the smallest e-reader out there to flaunt the latest E Ink display tech. This makes it the biggest upgrade the Neo 2 has been provided with over its predecessor with much of … [Read more...] about The iReader Neo 2 with the latest E Ink Carta 1300 display: A Review

Bigme B251 Color E Ink Kaleido 3 Monitor: A Review

7 March 2024 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

E Ink monitors aren't for the mass market. Rather, they serve a niche segment, and Bigme has done a great job in addressing the needs of the select group who are likely to buy the monitor. It does not come cheap either, which makes it all the more important to find out how much bang it can give for your buck. Read on to get the whole story. Style and Build The 25.3-inch … [Read more...] about Bigme B251 Color E Ink Kaleido 3 Monitor: A Review

Radwear E Ink watch and Geiger counter: A Review

17 February 2024 By Sovan Mandal 1 Comment

Here is a scenario that can be considered a fallout of many of the developments of modern times. We have devices such as tablets, smartphones, TVs, and such that keep us informed and connected. Those help us do our work, study, and do online research, besides also keeping us entertained. So deeply entrenched these devices have become in our lives that it’s hard to imagine a … [Read more...] about Radwear E Ink watch and Geiger counter: A Review

Bigme Pocketnote Color 2 e-reader review

16 February 2024 By Michael Kozlowski 2 Comments

The Bigme Pocketnote Color 2 is an excellent dedicated e-book reader. The E INK Kaleido 3-color e-paper display makes comics, magazines, and apps shine. It has limited note-taking functionality, mainly due to it not having a WACOM screen. Instead, the stylus that comes with the unit is capacitive. The drawing experience differs from dedicated e-notebooks from Bigme, but it is … [Read more...] about Bigme Pocketnote Color 2 e-reader review

Famue e-reader: Smallest, cheapest, lightest….best? A Review

15 February 2024 By Sovan Mandal 1 Comment

The Famue e-reader seems to have been taken straight out of the children's fantasy series, Gulliver's Travel - A Voyage to Lilliput. It's that small. In fact, it is so small, you will be hard-pressed to believe is an e-reader, that is until you have powered it on for the first time. Interestingly, apart from being an e-reader, the Famue also has another identity, that of being … [Read more...] about Famue e-reader: Smallest, cheapest, lightest….best? A Review

The Sam 7.8 2nd e-reader: A Review

14 February 2024 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

Sam 7.8 2nd - that's the name of an e-reader just in case you might be wondering what on earth that is. What is even more intriguing is the model no. It is R-R-Llx-EB401 e-reader, which makes it the longest model number we have ever had for any e-reader so far.To clear the air, the above mentioned e-reader is offered by the South Korean bookstore chain Kyobo. The last time … [Read more...] about The Sam 7.8 2nd e-reader: A Review

A great Kindle Oasis Clone – Xiaomi 7 e-reader review

11 February 2024 By Michael Kozlowski 2 Comments

The Kindle Oasis has one of the most unique designs in the e-reader business, and Xiaomi managed to copy it and surpass it. It has the same build quality, including the asymmetrical design and page-turn buttons. Still, it has a larger battery, and users can install their apps and alternative app stores. HardwareThe Xiaomi 7 features a 7-inch E INK Carta 1200 display with … [Read more...] about A great Kindle Oasis Clone – Xiaomi 7 e-reader review

iReader Ocean 3 Turbo – the turbo-charged e-reader: A Review

26 January 2024 By Sovan Mandal Leave a Comment

It wasn't just the iReader Ocean 3 that the Chinese company had launched during end-2023 but also followed that up with another iteration of it by the name iReader Ocean 3 Turbo. The company is justifying the Turbo badging with a more beefed-up internal build, which includes double the storage and memory along with a more powerful processor as well. That should allow for a more … [Read more...] about iReader Ocean 3 Turbo – the turbo-charged e-reader: A Review

5 Best E-Readers for 2024 for All Age Readers

8 January 2024 By Navkiran Dhaliwal 2 Comments

Source Are you still reading hard books or physical books? Well, using an e-reader can give you a new reading experience while offering you a huge library online. Here, we will discuss the best e-readers of 2024 to help you choose the one for yourself. Take a look! Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Whether you are a regular reader or love to read your favorite book on weekends, … [Read more...] about 5 Best E-Readers for 2024 for All Age Readers

Pocketbook InkPad X Pro e-reader and e-note review

8 January 2024 By Michael Kozlowski Leave a Comment

Pocketbook is a brand that has been developing and releasing commercial e-readers to the public for over a decade. The company has always used Linux as an operating system, which made things super stable and provided long battery life. They have just released the Pocketbook InkPad X Pro, which is notable for a couple of reasons. It is their first attempt at digital paper, a … [Read more...] about Pocketbook InkPad X Pro e-reader and e-note review

The Best E-Readers for Seniors

1 January 2024 By Michael Kozlowski 2 Comments

E-Readers are very popular with seniors for a myriad of reasons. Screen sizes have increased over the years and it is quite easy to increase the font size, so more text fits on the screen. This not only applies to ebooks, but also digital magazines and newspapers. I know lots of seniors that go to the bookstore and buy large print books, these often are double the price of the … [Read more...] about The Best E-Readers for Seniors

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021) review: a bigger and better book

The most popular kindle gets its biggest update in nearly a decade.

By Chaim Gartenberg

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It’s been nearly three years since Amazon has updated its best (and bestselling) Kindle: the midtier Kindle Paperwhite, which is getting its biggest upgrade ever . On paper, at least, Amazon has finally built the ultimate Kindle. 

The last Paperwhite update was a relatively minor one, with just a light design tweak and waterproofing serving as the main addition. The new Kindle Paperwhite refresh, on the other hand, adds nearly every update you could imagine for a hardware refresh: a bigger screen, wireless charging, USB-C, adjustable color temperature, and additional LEDs for more consistent backlighting. 

There are actually two different versions of the new Paperwhite this time: the standard model and the “ Signature Edition ,” which adds wireless charging, a sensor to automatically adjust the backlight, and four times the storage (32GB, compared to 8GB on the regular model).

The regular Paperwhite costs $139.99, or $159.99 without lock screen ads, while the Signature Edition costs $189.99 (without ads, there’s no option to get a discount for viewing ads on the fancier model). 

I’ve been testing the Signature Edition for the last week; whether it justifies the extra cost will depend on how important those differences are to you. The additional storage and the automatically adjustable backlight are excellent additions; Qi charging is a little less useful, given that the new Paperwhite needs charging so rarely and charges much faster over USB-C than it does over wireless charging. Plus, you’ll need a pad that actually fits the Paperwhite, which can be difficult if you prefer phone-sized chargers (especially vertically oriented standing ones.) I suspect most people will be fine with the standard models, but if you store a lot of books (and especially audiobooks), really prefer the automatic backlight, or are already shelling out to remove Amazon’s onerous ads, it might be worth the extra money. 

The broad design is largely the same as the old Paperwhite: a flush-mounted touchscreen, a grippy rubberized back, a gray “Kindle” logo on the bottom bezel, and the excellent IPX8 waterproofing that was the standout feature of the last generation. They’re easy to tell apart, though, thanks to the larger screen of the 2021 model. 

As is traditional for a Paperwhite update, many of the biggest features here come straight from the high-end Kindle Oasis , with the Paperwhite getting the larger display and color temperature settings that Amazon already offers on its priciest Kindle. The main differences left are the Oasis’ unique form factor (which includes physical page turn buttons), an incrementally larger display (seven-inch on the Oasis vs. 6.8-inch on the Paperwhite), and slightly more LEDs for lighting up the screen (17 LEDs on the Paperwhite to the Oasis’ 25). 

The additions here mean that the differences between the $249.99 Oasis and the $139.99 Paperwhite are slimmer than ever. Of those, the most notable is the LED count — the extra LEDs let the Oasis light up even brighter, but it’s not a difference worth paying nearly twice as much for on its own. The 2021 Paperwhite gets plenty bright, and I only even noticed the difference by comparing them head to head in a dim room. 

The differences between the Oasis and the Paperwhite are slimmer than ever

Oddly, though, Amazon is also using the Paperwhite to debut several new features to the Kindle lineup, something that it typically does the other way around (with premium upgrades coming first to the Oasis and then later to the other models). Presumably, Amazon will have an updated Oasis down the line that brings it back to parity with the Paperwhite, but right now, Amazon’s midrange model is strangely its most technologically advanced. 

The 2021 Paperwhite is also finally Amazon’s first Kindle to come with USB-C charging, which allows for fast-charging the device and — more importantly — actually being able to use the same cables as most other modern devices. The lengthy battery life means that you still won’t be charging it that often, but it’s another big step for many (myself included) to finally be able to excise Micro USB cables from my life.  

The new Paperwhite features one of the most notable design changes for the e-reader model in its nearly decade-long history . For the first time for the Paperwhite, Amazon has increased the display from a six-inch panel to a 6.8-inch display by slightly increasing the Paperwhite’s physical size and slimming down the bezels around the screen a fraction. 

The display still has the crisp 300ppi resolution that the old model had, despite the larger size. The new design with its reduced bezels (particularly on the top of the display) looks better than ever, and the added screen space for reading is a welcome addition, as are the color temperature options for better emulating the color of actual paper. As was the case with the Oasis’ implementation of the feature, there’s still no option to have the Kindle automatically adjust temperature in response to ambient lighting, which is disappointing to see (especially since it can automatically adjust brightness). 

But by increasing the display size, Amazon might have made the Paperwhite too big. The new model is about a third of an inch taller and wider than the old model and about 26g (almost an ounce) heavier than the 2018 model. And while that may not sound like much, it’s just enough for it to be awkward to hold up with one hand, even for someone like me with relatively large mitts. I often have to brace the new Paperwhite with a second hand to comfortably read it, something I didn’t have to do with the old model. 

Amazon might have made the new Paperwhite too big

It’s not a total dealbreaker, but the increased size and weight had me worried a lot more that the Paperwhite was going to tumble out of my hand when I was holding it. (It’s a problem unique to the bigger Paperwhite’s otherwise unchanged design. The Oasis, after all, has an even bigger display but avoids the issue by offering an asymmetrical design aimed toward one-handed use.) It still barely fits in the back pocket of a pair of jeans, but only just. 

Ultimately, given the choice, I’d rather Amazon had gone with the more streamlined design in a way that kept the physical dimensions the same (or even smaller) rather than trying to fit in an ever bigger screen. It’s a personal preference, though, and I suspect that many Kindle readers who just want more screen real estate may not be bothered by the added bulk. 

Amazon says that it’s boosted the battery life on the new Paperwhite, from the previous six weeks up to 10 weeks on a single charge (which requires using the device’s “Power Saver” mode that trades longer battery life for longer waking up from sleep). I’ve only had the Paperwhite for about a week, so there’s no earthly way for me to verify that claim, but I haven’t had any issues with battery life yet — in the six or seven hours I spent reading, I only saw the battery drop a percent or two, even in “standard” battery mode (although battery life will depend on how much you read, how many times you turn the page, and other factors like screen brightness). 

The company also says that it’s put a new and more powerful processor on the 2021 model, which helps to speed up virtually everything. Books open faster, pages turn faster, and scrolling through one’s library is no longer the interminably laggy experience it once was on the older model. 

The 2021 Paperwhite also ships with Amazon’s new Kindle software, which it debuted earlier in the fall . There are a lot of useful new additions here, including a new home layout that puts recently read books front and center, along with better integration for (Amazon-owned) Goodreads reading lists. The new software also makes it easier to jump back into whatever book you’re currently in the middle of from anywhere using the toolbar on the bottom of the screen. Additionally, there’s a new setup mode that allows you to share login information over Bluetooth from the Kindle app on your smartphone, instead of fighting against the E Ink display to type in your Amazon credentials and Wi-Fi password. 

More importantly, though, the new software makes it much easier to access the swipe-down menu. Amazon has taken a cue from literally every smartphone from the last half-decade and added a swipe-down menu accessible from anywhere on the Kindle’s OS that offers toggles for things like airplane mode, Bluetooth, dark mode, and sync settings, as well as sliders to adjust brightness and color temperature. 

The new software emphasizes the Paperwhite’s main goal: a pipeline for Amazon’s ebook store, for better or for worse. There’s more prominent placement of recommended Kindle books to buy on the homescreen now, which can’t be hidden. But at the same time, Amazon hasn’t improved things like the on-device experience for library lending services like OverDrive or Libby, which remain as clunky as ever and wholly dependent on using a smartphone or computer to actually borrow books. 

As with most Kindle upgrades, if you already own the 2018 Paperwhite, there’s not enough here to be worth shelling out the money for a new upgrade. The larger display is certainly nice but comes with its own drawbacks in the form of a harder-to-hold device. And while USB-C and wireless charging have been at the top of the list for Kindle upgrades for years, neither is worth the investment of an entirely new device. At its core, the reading experience on the new Paperwhite is still too similar to the old model to recommend existing owners rush to upgrade. 

But if you’re buying a new Kindle today for the first time or replacing an aging model, the new Paperwhite is the best hardware that you can buy — possibly the best hardware on any e-reader right now, period. But even as the Kindle’s hardware is getting better than ever, it’d be nice to see Amazon’s software reach a similar level, something that the economics of the Kindle ebook store make a very unlikely possibility. 

The end result is one of the best e-readers ever — so long as you can tolerate living within the increasingly high walls of Amazon’s library.

Photography by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge

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17 book review examples to help you write the perfect review.

It’s an exciting time to be a book reviewer. Once confined to print newspapers and journals, reviews now dot many corridors of the Internet — forever helping others discover their next great read. That said, every book reviewer will face a familiar panic: how can you do justice to a great book in just a thousand words?

As you know, the best way to learn how to do something is by immersing yourself in it. Luckily, the Internet (i.e. Goodreads and other review sites , in particular) has made book reviews more accessible than ever — which means that there are a lot of book reviews examples out there for you to view!

In this post, we compiled 17 prototypical book review examples in multiple genres to help you figure out how to write the perfect review . If you want to jump straight to the examples, you can skip the next section. Otherwise, let’s first check out what makes up a good review.

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What must a book review contain?

Like all works of art, no two book reviews will be identical. But fear not: there are a few guidelines for any aspiring book reviewer to follow. Most book reviews, for instance, are less than 1,500 words long, with the sweet spot hitting somewhere around the 1,000-word mark. (However, this may vary depending on the platform on which you’re writing, as we’ll see later.)

In addition, all reviews share some universal elements, as shown in our book review templates . These include:

• A review will offer a concise plot summary of the book. 
• A book review will offer an evaluation of the work. 
• A book review will offer a recommendation for the audience. 

If these are the basic ingredients that make up a book review, it’s the tone and style with which the book reviewer writes that brings the extra panache. This will differ from platform to platform, of course. A book review on Goodreads, for instance, will be much more informal and personal than a book review on Kirkus Reviews, as it is catering to a different audience. However, at the end of the day, the goal of all book reviews is to give the audience the tools to determine whether or not they’d like to read the book themselves.

Keeping that in mind, let’s proceed to some book review examples to put all of this in action.

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Book review examples for fiction books

Since story is king in the world of fiction, it probably won’t come as any surprise to learn that a book review for a novel will concentrate on how well the story was told .

That said, book reviews in all genres follow the same basic formula that we discussed earlier. In these examples, you’ll be able to see how book reviewers on different platforms expertly intertwine the plot summary and their personal opinions of the book to produce a clear, informative, and concise review.

Note: Some of the book review examples run very long. If a book review is truncated in this post, we’ve indicated by including a […] at the end, but you can always read the entire review if you click on the link provided.

Examples of literary fiction book reviews

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ralph Ellison’s The Invisible Man :

An extremely powerful story of a young Southern Negro, from his late high school days through three years of college to his life in Harlem.

His early training prepared him for a life of humility before white men, but through injustices- large and small, he came to realize that he was an "invisible man". People saw in him only a reflection of their preconceived ideas of what he was, denied his individuality, and ultimately did not see him at all. This theme, which has implications far beyond the obvious racial parallel, is skillfully handled. The incidents of the story are wholly absorbing. The boy's dismissal from college because of an innocent mistake, his shocked reaction to the anonymity of the North and to Harlem, his nightmare experiences on a one-day job in a paint factory and in the hospital, his lightning success as the Harlem leader of a communistic organization known as the Brotherhood, his involvement in black versus white and black versus black clashes and his disillusion and understanding of his invisibility- all climax naturally in scenes of violence and riot, followed by a retreat which is both literal and figurative. Parts of this experience may have been told before, but never with such freshness, intensity and power.

This is Ellison's first novel, but he has complete control of his story and his style. Watch it.

Lyndsey reviews George Orwell’s 1984 on Goodreads:

YOU. ARE. THE. DEAD. Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. Or in Newspeak "Double Plus Good." Let me preface this with an apology. If I sound stunningly inarticulate at times in this review, I can't help it. My mind is completely fried.

This book is like the dystopian Lord of the Rings, with its richly developed culture and economics, not to mention a fully developed language called Newspeak, or rather more of the anti-language, whose purpose is to limit speech and understanding instead of to enhance and expand it. The world-building is so fully fleshed out and spine-tinglingly terrifying that it's almost as if George travelled to such a place, escaped from it, and then just wrote it all down.

I read Fahrenheit 451 over ten years ago in my early teens. At the time, I remember really wanting to read 1984, although I never managed to get my hands on it. I'm almost glad I didn't. Though I would not have admitted it at the time, it would have gone over my head. Or at the very least, I wouldn't have been able to appreciate it fully. […]

The New York Times reviews Lisa Halliday’s Asymmetry :

Three-quarters of the way through Lisa Halliday’s debut novel, “Asymmetry,” a British foreign correspondent named Alistair is spending Christmas on a compound outside of Baghdad. His fellow revelers include cameramen, defense contractors, United Nations employees and aid workers. Someone’s mother has FedExed a HoneyBaked ham from Maine; people are smoking by the swimming pool. It is 2003, just days after Saddam Hussein’s capture, and though the mood is optimistic, Alistair is worrying aloud about the ethics of his chosen profession, wondering if reporting on violence doesn’t indirectly abet violence and questioning why he’d rather be in a combat zone than reading a picture book to his son. But every time he returns to London, he begins to “spin out.” He can’t go home. “You observe what people do with their freedom — what they don’t do — and it’s impossible not to judge them for it,” he says.

The line, embedded unceremoniously in the middle of a page-long paragraph, doubles, like so many others in “Asymmetry,” as literary criticism. Halliday’s novel is so strange and startlingly smart that its mere existence seems like commentary on the state of fiction. One finishes “Asymmetry” for the first or second (or like this reader, third) time and is left wondering what other writers are not doing with their freedom — and, like Alistair, judging them for it.

Despite its title, “Asymmetry” comprises two seemingly unrelated sections of equal length, appended by a slim and quietly shocking coda. Halliday’s prose is clean and lean, almost reportorial in the style of W. G. Sebald, and like the murmurings of a shy person at a cocktail party, often comic only in single clauses. It’s a first novel that reads like the work of an author who has published many books over many years. […]

Emily W. Thompson reviews Michael Doane's The Crossing on Reedsy Discovery :

In Doane’s debut novel, a young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery with surprising results.

An unnamed protagonist (The Narrator) is dealing with heartbreak. His love, determined to see the world, sets out for Portland, Oregon. But he’s a small-town boy who hasn’t traveled much. So, the Narrator mourns her loss and hides from life, throwing himself into rehabbing an old motorcycle. Until one day, he takes a leap; he packs his bike and a few belongings and heads out to find the Girl.

Following in the footsteps of Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon, Doane offers a coming of age story about a man finding himself on the backroads of America. Doane’s a gifted writer with fluid prose and insightful observations, using The Narrator’s personal interactions to illuminate the diversity of the United States.

The Narrator initially sticks to the highways, trying to make it to the West Coast as quickly as possible. But a hitchhiker named Duke convinces him to get off the beaten path and enjoy the ride. “There’s not a place that’s like any other,” [39] Dukes contends, and The Narrator realizes he’s right. Suddenly, the trip is about the journey, not just the destination. The Narrator ditches his truck and traverses the deserts and mountains on his bike. He destroys his phone, cutting off ties with his past and living only in the moment.

As he crosses the country, The Narrator connects with several unique personalities whose experiences and views deeply impact his own. Duke, the complicated cowboy and drifter, who opens The Narrator’s eyes to a larger world. Zooey, the waitress in Colorado who opens his heart and reminds him that love can be found in this big world. And Rosie, The Narrator’s sweet landlady in Portland, who helps piece him back together both physically and emotionally.

This supporting cast of characters is excellent. Duke, in particular, is wonderfully nuanced and complicated. He’s a throwback to another time, a man without a cell phone who reads Sartre and sleeps under the stars. Yet he’s also a grifter with a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” attitude that harms those around him. It’s fascinating to watch The Narrator wrestle with Duke’s behavior, trying to determine which to model and which to discard.

Doane creates a relatable protagonist in The Narrator, whose personal growth doesn’t erase his faults. His willingness to hit the road with few resources is admirable, and he’s prescient enough to recognize the jealousy of those who cannot or will not take the leap. His encounters with new foods, places, and people broaden his horizons. Yet his immaturity and selfishness persist. He tells Rosie she’s been a good mother to him but chooses to ignore the continuing concern from his own parents as he effectively disappears from his old life.

Despite his flaws, it’s a pleasure to accompany The Narrator on his physical and emotional journey. The unexpected ending is a fitting denouement to an epic and memorable road trip.

The Book Smugglers review Anissa Gray’s The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls :

I am still dipping my toes into the literally fiction pool, finding what works for me and what doesn’t. Books like The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray are definitely my cup of tea.

Althea and Proctor Cochran had been pillars of their economically disadvantaged community for years – with their local restaurant/small market and their charity drives. Until they are found guilty of fraud for stealing and keeping most of the money they raised and sent to jail. Now disgraced, their entire family is suffering the consequences, specially their twin teenage daughters Baby Vi and Kim.  To complicate matters even more: Kim was actually the one to call the police on her parents after yet another fight with her mother. […]

Examples of children’s and YA fiction book reviews

The Book Hookup reviews Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give :

♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! I can’t imagine how challenging it would be to tackle the voice of a movement like Black Lives Matter, but I do know that Thomas did it with a finesse only a talented author like herself possibly could. With an unapologetically realistic delivery packed with emotion, The Hate U Give is a crucially important portrayal of the difficulties minorities face in our country every single day. I have no doubt that this book will be met with resistance by some (possibly many) and slapped with a “controversial” label, but if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk in a POC’s shoes, then I feel like this is an unflinchingly honest place to start.

In Angie Thomas’s debut novel, Starr Carter bursts on to the YA scene with both heart-wrecking and heartwarming sincerity. This author is definitely one to watch.

♥ Review: The hype around this book has been unquestionable and, admittedly, that made me both eager to get my hands on it and terrified to read it. I mean, what if I was to be the one person that didn’t love it as much as others? (That seems silly now because of how truly mesmerizing THUG was in the most heartbreakingly realistic way.) However, with the relevancy of its summary in regards to the unjust predicaments POC currently face in the US, I knew this one was a must-read, so I was ready to set my fears aside and dive in. That said, I had an altogether more personal, ulterior motive for wanting to read this book. […]

The New York Times reviews Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood :

Alice Crewe (a last name she’s chosen for herself) is a fairy tale legacy: the granddaughter of Althea Proserpine, author of a collection of dark-as-night fairy tales called “Tales From the Hinterland.” The book has a cult following, and though Alice has never met her grandmother, she’s learned a little about her through internet research. She hasn’t read the stories, because her mother, Ella Proserpine, forbids it.

Alice and Ella have moved from place to place in an attempt to avoid the “bad luck” that seems to follow them. Weird things have happened. As a child, Alice was kidnapped by a man who took her on a road trip to find her grandmother; he was stopped by the police before they did so. When at 17 she sees that man again, unchanged despite the years, Alice panics. Then Ella goes missing, and Alice turns to Ellery Finch, a schoolmate who’s an Althea Proserpine superfan, for help in tracking down her mother. Not only has Finch read every fairy tale in the collection, but handily, he remembers them, sharing them with Alice as they journey to the mysterious Hazel Wood, the estate of her now-dead grandmother, where they hope to find Ella.

“The Hazel Wood” starts out strange and gets stranger, in the best way possible. (The fairy stories Finch relays, which Albert includes as their own chapters, are as creepy and evocative as you’d hope.) Albert seamlessly combines contemporary realism with fantasy, blurring the edges in a way that highlights that place where stories and real life convene, where magic contains truth and the world as it appears is false, where just about anything can happen, particularly in the pages of a very good book. It’s a captivating debut. […]

James reviews Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight, Moon on Goodreads:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown is one of the books that followers of my blog voted as a must-read for our Children's Book August 2018 Readathon. Come check it out and join the next few weeks!

This picture book was such a delight. I hadn't remembered reading it when I was a child, but it might have been read to me... either way, it was like a whole new experience! It's always so difficult to convince a child to fall asleep at night. I don't have kids, but I do have a 5-month-old puppy who whines for 5 minutes every night when he goes in his cage/crate (hopefully he'll be fully housebroken soon so he can roam around when he wants). I can only imagine! I babysat a lot as a teenager and I have tons of younger cousins, nieces, and nephews, so I've been through it before, too. This was a believable experience, and it really helps show kids how to relax and just let go when it's time to sleep.

The bunny's are adorable. The rhymes are exquisite. I found it pretty fun, but possibly a little dated given many of those things aren't normal routines anymore. But the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and her illustrators.

Publishers Weekly reviews Elizabeth Lilly’s Geraldine :

This funny, thoroughly accomplished debut opens with two words: “I’m moving.” They’re spoken by the title character while she swoons across her family’s ottoman, and because Geraldine is a giraffe, her full-on melancholy mode is quite a spectacle. But while Geraldine may be a drama queen (even her mother says so), it won’t take readers long to warm up to her. The move takes Geraldine from Giraffe City, where everyone is like her, to a new school, where everyone else is human. Suddenly, the former extrovert becomes “That Giraffe Girl,” and all she wants to do is hide, which is pretty much impossible. “Even my voice tries to hide,” she says, in the book’s most poignant moment. “It’s gotten quiet and whispery.” Then she meets Cassie, who, though human, is also an outlier (“I’m that girl who wears glasses and likes MATH and always organizes her food”), and things begin to look up.

Lilly’s watercolor-and-ink drawings are as vividly comic and emotionally astute as her writing; just when readers think there are no more ways for Geraldine to contort her long neck, this highly promising talent comes up with something new.

Examples of genre fiction book reviews

Karlyn P reviews Nora Roberts’ Dark Witch , a paranormal romance novel , on Goodreads:

4 stars. Great world-building, weak romance, but still worth the read.

I hesitate to describe this book as a 'romance' novel simply because the book spent little time actually exploring the romance between Iona and Boyle. Sure, there IS a romance in this novel. Sprinkled throughout the book are a few scenes where Iona and Boyle meet, chat, wink at each, flirt some more, sleep together, have a misunderstanding, make up, and then profess their undying love. Very formulaic stuff, and all woven around the more important parts of this book.

The meat of this book is far more focused on the story of the Dark witch and her magically-gifted descendants living in Ireland. Despite being weak on the romance, I really enjoyed it. I think the book is probably better for it, because the romance itself was pretty lackluster stuff.

I absolutely plan to stick with this series as I enjoyed the world building, loved the Ireland setting, and was intrigued by all of the secondary characters. However, If you read Nora Roberts strictly for the romance scenes, this one might disappoint. But if you enjoy a solid background story with some dark magic and prophesies, you might enjoy it as much as I did.

I listened to this one on audio, and felt the narration was excellent.

Emily May reviews R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy Wars , an epic fantasy novel , on Goodreads:

“But I warn you, little warrior. The price of power is pain.”

Holy hell, what did I just read??

➽ A fantasy military school

➽ A rich world based on modern Chinese history

➽ Shamans and gods

➽ Detailed characterization leading to unforgettable characters

➽ Adorable, opium-smoking mentors

That's a basic list, but this book is all of that and SO MUCH MORE. I know 100% that The Poppy War will be one of my best reads of 2018.

Isn't it just so great when you find one of those books that completely drags you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and demands that you sit on the edge of your seat for every horrific, nail-biting moment of it? This is one of those books for me. And I must issue a serious content warning: this book explores some very dark themes. Proceed with caution (or not at all) if you are particularly sensitive to scenes of war, drug use and addiction, genocide, racism, sexism, ableism, self-harm, torture, and rape (off-page but extremely horrific).

Because, despite the fairly innocuous first 200 pages, the title speaks the truth: this is a book about war. All of its horrors and atrocities. It is not sugar-coated, and it is often graphic. The "poppy" aspect refers to opium, which is a big part of this book. It is a fantasy, but the book draws inspiration from the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking.

Crime Fiction Lover reviews Jessica Barry’s Freefall , a crime novel:

In some crime novels, the wrongdoing hits you between the eyes from page one. With others it’s a more subtle process, and that’s OK too. So where does Freefall fit into the sliding scale?

In truth, it’s not clear. This is a novel with a thrilling concept at its core. A woman survives plane crash, then runs for her life. However, it is the subtleties at play that will draw you in like a spider beckoning to an unwitting fly.

Like the heroine in Sharon Bolton’s Dead Woman Walking, Allison is lucky to be alive. She was the only passenger in a private plane, belonging to her fiancé, Ben, who was piloting the expensive aircraft, when it came down in woodlands in the Colorado Rockies. Ally is also the only survivor, but rather than sitting back and waiting for rescue, she is soon pulling together items that may help her survive a little longer – first aid kit, energy bars, warm clothes, trainers – before fleeing the scene. If you’re hearing the faint sound of alarm bells ringing, get used to it. There’s much, much more to learn about Ally before this tale is over.

Kirkus Reviews reviews Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One , a science-fiction novel :

Video-game players embrace the quest of a lifetime in a virtual world; screenwriter Cline’s first novel is old wine in new bottles.

The real world, in 2045, is the usual dystopian horror story. So who can blame Wade, our narrator, if he spends most of his time in a virtual world? The 18-year-old, orphaned at 11, has no friends in his vertical trailer park in Oklahoma City, while the OASIS has captivating bells and whistles, and it’s free. Its creator, the legendary billionaire James Halliday, left a curious will. He had devised an elaborate online game, a hunt for a hidden Easter egg. The finder would inherit his estate. Old-fashioned riddles lead to three keys and three gates. Wade, or rather his avatar Parzival, is the first gunter (egg-hunter) to win the Copper Key, first of three.

Halliday was obsessed with the pop culture of the 1980s, primarily the arcade games, so the novel is as much retro as futurist. Parzival’s great strength is that he has absorbed all Halliday’s obsessions; he knows by heart three essential movies, crossing the line from geek to freak. His most formidable competitors are the Sixers, contract gunters working for the evil conglomerate IOI, whose goal is to acquire the OASIS. Cline’s narrative is straightforward but loaded with exposition. It takes a while to reach a scene that crackles with excitement: the meeting between Parzival (now world famous as the lead contender) and Sorrento, the head of IOI. The latter tries to recruit Parzival; when he fails, he issues and executes a death threat. Wade’s trailer is demolished, his relatives killed; luckily Wade was not at home. Too bad this is the dramatic high point. Parzival threads his way between more ’80s games and movies to gain the other keys; it’s clever but not exciting. Even a romance with another avatar and the ultimate “epic throwdown” fail to stir the blood.

Too much puzzle-solving, not enough suspense.

Book review examples for non-fiction books

Nonfiction books are generally written to inform readers about a certain topic. As such, the focus of a nonfiction book review will be on the clarity and effectiveness of this communication . In carrying this out, a book review may analyze the author’s source materials and assess the thesis in order to determine whether or not the book meets expectations.

Again, we’ve included abbreviated versions of long reviews here, so feel free to click on the link to read the entire piece!

The Washington Post reviews David Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon :

The arc of David Grann’s career reminds one of a software whiz-kid or a latest-thing talk-show host — certainly not an investigative reporter, even if he is one of the best in the business. The newly released movie of his first book, “The Lost City of Z,” is generating all kinds of Oscar talk, and now comes the release of his second book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI,” the film rights to which have already been sold for $5 million in what one industry journal called the “biggest and wildest book rights auction in memory.”

Grann deserves the attention. He’s canny about the stories he chases, he’s willing to go anywhere to chase them, and he’s a maestro in his ability to parcel out information at just the right clip: a hint here, a shading of meaning there, a smartly paced buildup of multiple possibilities followed by an inevitable reversal of readerly expectations or, in some cases, by a thrilling and dislocating pull of the entire narrative rug.

All of these strengths are on display in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Around the turn of the 20th century, oil was discovered underneath Osage lands in the Oklahoma Territory, lands that were soon to become part of the state of Oklahoma. Through foresight and legal maneuvering, the Osage found a way to permanently attach that oil to themselves and shield it from the prying hands of white interlopers; this mechanism was known as “headrights,” which forbade the outright sale of oil rights and granted each full member of the tribe — and, supposedly, no one else — a share in the proceeds from any lease arrangement. For a while, the fail-safes did their job, and the Osage got rich — diamond-ring and chauffeured-car and imported-French-fashion rich — following which quite a large group of white men started to work like devils to separate the Osage from their money. And soon enough, and predictably enough, this work involved murder. Here in Jazz Age America’s most isolated of locales, dozens or even hundreds of Osage in possession of great fortunes — and of the potential for even greater fortunes in the future — were dispatched by poison, by gunshot and by dynamite. […]

Stacked Books reviews Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers :

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Malcolm Gladwell’s writing. Friends and co-workers tell me that his subjects are interesting and his writing style is easy to follow without talking down to the reader. I wasn’t disappointed with Outliers. In it, Gladwell tackles the subject of success – how people obtain it and what contributes to extraordinary success as opposed to everyday success.

The thesis – that our success depends much more on circumstances out of our control than any effort we put forth – isn’t exactly revolutionary. Most of us know it to be true. However, I don’t think I’m lying when I say that most of us also believe that we if we just try that much harder and develop our talent that much further, it will be enough to become wildly successful, despite bad or just mediocre beginnings. Not so, says Gladwell.

Most of the evidence Gladwell gives us is anecdotal, which is my favorite kind to read. I can’t really speak to how scientifically valid it is, but it sure makes for engrossing listening. For example, did you know that successful hockey players are almost all born in January, February, or March? Kids born during these months are older than the others kids when they start playing in the youth leagues, which means they’re already better at the game (because they’re bigger). Thus, they get more play time, which means their skill increases at a faster rate, and it compounds as time goes by. Within a few years, they’re much, much better than the kids born just a few months later in the year. Basically, these kids’ birthdates are a huge factor in their success as adults – and it’s nothing they can do anything about. If anyone could make hockey interesting to a Texan who only grudgingly admits the sport even exists, it’s Gladwell. […]

Quill and Quire reviews Rick Prashaw’s Soar, Adam, Soar :

Ten years ago, I read a book called Almost Perfect. The young-adult novel by Brian Katcher won some awards and was held up as a powerful, nuanced portrayal of a young trans person. But the reality did not live up to the book’s billing. Instead, it turned out to be a one-dimensional and highly fetishized portrait of a trans person’s life, one that was nevertheless repeatedly dubbed “realistic” and “affecting” by non-transgender readers possessing only a vague, mass-market understanding of trans experiences.

In the intervening decade, trans narratives have emerged further into the literary spotlight, but those authored by trans people ourselves – and by trans men in particular – have seemed to fall under the shadow of cisgender sensationalized imaginings. Two current Canadian releases – Soar, Adam, Soar and This One Looks Like a Boy – provide a pointed object lesson into why trans-authored work about transgender experiences remains critical.

To be fair, Soar, Adam, Soar isn’t just a story about a trans man. It’s also a story about epilepsy, the medical establishment, and coming of age as seen through a grieving father’s eyes. Adam, Prashaw’s trans son, died unexpectedly at age 22. Woven through the elder Prashaw’s narrative are excerpts from Adam’s social media posts, giving us glimpses into the young man’s interior life as he traverses his late teens and early 20s. […]

Book Geeks reviews Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love :

WRITING STYLE: 3.5/5

SUBJECT: 4/5

CANDIDNESS: 4.5/5

RELEVANCE: 3.5/5

ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3.5/5

“Eat Pray Love” is so popular that it is almost impossible to not read it. Having felt ashamed many times on my not having read this book, I quietly ordered the book (before I saw the movie) from amazon.in and sat down to read it. I don’t remember what I expected it to be – maybe more like a chick lit thing but it turned out quite different. The book is a real story and is a short journal from the time when its writer went travelling to three different countries in pursuit of three different things – Italy (Pleasure), India (Spirituality), Bali (Balance) and this is what corresponds to the book’s name – EAT (in Italy), PRAY (in India) and LOVE (in Bali, Indonesia). These are also the three Is – ITALY, INDIA, INDONESIA.

Though she had everything a middle-aged American woman can aspire for – MONEY, CAREER, FRIENDS, HUSBAND; Elizabeth was not happy in her life, she wasn’t happy in her marriage. Having suffered a terrible divorce and terrible breakup soon after, Elizabeth was shattered. She didn’t know where to go and what to do – all she knew was that she wanted to run away. So she set out on a weird adventure – she will go to three countries in a year and see if she can find out what she was looking for in life. This book is about that life changing journey that she takes for one whole year. […]

Emily May reviews Michelle Obama’s Becoming on Goodreads:

Look, I'm not a happy crier. I might cry at songs about leaving and missing someone; I might cry at books where things don't work out; I might cry at movies where someone dies. I've just never really understood why people get all choked up over happy, inspirational things. But Michelle Obama's kindness and empathy changed that. This book had me in tears for all the right reasons.

This is not really a book about politics, though political experiences obviously do come into it. It's a shame that some will dismiss this book because of a difference in political opinion, when it is really about a woman's life. About growing up poor and black on the South Side of Chicago; about getting married and struggling to maintain that marriage; about motherhood; about being thrown into an amazing and terrifying position.

I hate words like "inspirational" because they've become so overdone and cheesy, but I just have to say it-- Michelle Obama is an inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing her speak at The Forum in Inglewood, and she is one of the warmest, funniest, smartest, down-to-earth people I have ever seen in this world.

And yes, I know we present what we want the world to see, but I truly do think it's genuine. I think she is someone who really cares about people - especially kids - and wants to give them better lives and opportunities.

She's obviously intelligent, but she also doesn't gussy up her words. She talks straight, with an openness and honesty rarely seen. She's been one of the most powerful women in the world, she's been a graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School, she's had her own successful career, and yet she has remained throughout that same girl - Michelle Robinson - from a working class family in Chicago.

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book.

Hopefully, this post has given you a better idea of how to write a book review. You might be wondering how to put all of this knowledge into action now! Many book reviewers start out by setting up a book blog. If you don’t have time to research the intricacies of HTML, check out Reedsy Discovery — where you can read indie books for free and review them without going through the hassle of creating a blog. To register as a book reviewer , go here .

And if you’d like to see even more book review examples, simply go to this directory of book review blogs and click on any one of them to see a wealth of good book reviews. Beyond that, it's up to you to pick up a book and pen — and start reviewing!

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Home / Book Marketing / How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Blog, No List, and No Begging

How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Blog, No List, and No Begging

You probably don’t have to be convinced of the importance of getting free book reviews as well as Kindle reviews.

However, how does a new author get those crucial Kindle book reviews or editorial reviews that will help to drive up sales ?

Most resources rely on tactics that require already existing fan base, elaborate platforms, and major connections.

That’s all fine and dandy…if you have those resources at your disposal or are willing to trade in your friendship for a favor.

But what about the rest of us?

The ones who don’t have raving fans ready to drop reviews on request. Or those of us without a giant email list, social media following , and oodles of friends that we ‘want’ to send our books to?

Despair not my friends, because in this guide on how to get book reviews, I’ll show you how you can legally, and legitimately get those reviews, even if you’re a brand new author.

In This Article I Will Show You:

• A proven step-by-step method on how to get your book reviewed for free
• Tactics to getting high conversions and good grades on book reviews
• A time-saving method to expedite your book review process
• Amazon’s rules regarding book reviews – the REAL rules

And yes, as you’ll see at the end of this article, each step is fully compliant with the up-to-date Amazon rules for getting book reviews.

Table of contents

• 1. Create Special Links to Go Straight to Your Review
• 2. Design a Book Review Ask in Your Book
• 3. Free Book Review Sites
• How to Build a Giveaway

5. Using Launch Teams & ARCs Effectively

• 6. Reminder in Your Auto Responder System
• 7. Relaunch Your Book
• Editorial Reviews vs Amazon Reviews
• Amazon’s Rules on Book Reviews
• Some Legit Paid Ways to Speed Up The Process

Also, while I’m writing this with the new author in mind, it’s totally applicable to all authors…even the pros.  Finally, please be aware that I did use some affiliate links in this article.  Those links did not sway my thoughts on the article, nor does it affect your pricing.  It's just a little something that goes towards my coffee fund to keep me writing.

One mistake many authors make is when they request for someone to give their book a review, they just send the person a link to their book, making the person click around till they finally get to the review page where they can write the review…yeesh, that’s a lot of steps!

Because of this, readers will more than likely not follow through. I know I haven’t in the past.

However, what if there was one special link you could send them that would take them straight to the review of your book? All they’d have to do is click, and they start writing the review.

Well, you can and here’s how:

Step 1. Depending on the format you want the review to be directed to, either find your ASIN for the eBook, or the ISBN -10 for the book (NOT ISBN-13), or the ASIN for the Audiobook.

Step 2. Take the following link, and add your number from step 1: http://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin= + (ASIN or ISBN 10)

Step 3 . The above link is only to the US market.  If you want a different market, you need to just change out the “.com” to the appropriate one like “.de” for german, or “.co.uk”, and so on.  However, be sure to check that country's ASIN or ISBN-10 for that same book…because sometimes it will be different – although this is mainly for published books and usually isn't the case for self-published books.  But just check – you don't want your links to not work.

Example of What The Result Should Look Like : US: http://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B0041JKFJW UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/create-review?&asin=B004H4XAXO DE: https://www.amazon.de/review/create-review?&asin=0765365278 etc…

As you can see, that will take you directly to The Way of Kings Audiobook review, since I used the ASIN for the audiobook. (PS: I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and will be meeting him in a couple of months to discuss book marketing …fan boy scream).

Now, any time you request a review in an email, message, or whatever, send them that special link to your book. That way, all they have to do is click the link and type the review. You’ll have a much higher chance that they’ll follow through and leave the review.

Caution: Your Link Not Working? First, if your link isn't working, just remember that Amazon won't allow you to leave a review for your own book. So, have someone else try your link.  Also remember that in order to leave a review, someone needs to have made $50 purchase on Amazon that year.

Also, for the rest of the steps below, make sure you use this link when necessary. That’s why it is the first point in this list.

This may sound crazy but when you ask for a review after your book is done, you’ll not only increase the number of reviews, but also improve your review grade.

When I did this one simple addition to one of my books, I saw the conversion rate of book purchases to reviews left increase by 3x and has stayed that way since.

You see, we authors know how important a review is. But we forget that readers don’t always understand this and need more coaxing to take the little bit of extra effort to write a book review. Therefore, just by asking, you’ll see much higher conversions.

But that’s not all. There are actually some tactics to this section that can and will improve the number of book reviews you get, as well as the review grade.

When creating the ask, it is best to do the following:

Humanize Yourself : Find ways to remind the reader that you are actually a human with emotions and feelings. Remind them of how hard it was to put this book together. By doing this, they’ll be more likely to leave ‘you’ a review. Extra bonus tip: I sometimes like to post a candid non professional or staged picture of me with my family in this section because it really goes a long way to getting to know me, and feel more personal.

Impress Upon Them the Importance of the Review : Like I mentioned above, readers don’t fully understand the importance of a review. Therefore, remind them how they help you as an author and your book.

Tell Them You’ll Read the Book Review : When readers think that you’ll read and take to heart their review, two things will happen: they’ll feel more obligated to leave one since you’re depending on them, and their review grade will probably improve since they’ll know you, the human, will actually read it. We’ve all been there where we have a bunch of gusto against sometime, but the moment they’re there, we soften our tone. Same thing with reviews. I assure you, most criticism will become more constructive in nature when they know you’ll be there to read it.

Below is an example that Ken Lozito did with his absolutely incredible book series “ First Colony .”

I can’t show it all, but ultimately Ken told the story of the sacrifice he made to become an author and some inside information about his life, and struggles to get that series out.

He did all three of the things listed above without sounding cheesy or coming across as begging. It’s a fine art!

Needless to say, I had listened to 7 of the books in that series, but on the 7th one where he put this in his audiobook, it legitimately made me not only give the 5 stars at the end, but take the time to write a well-thought-out review. I felt like it was the least I could do.

So, as you can see, there needs to be a fine balance of asking without overstepping. But when done right, you’ll see more reviews come through with better grades for every reader you get.

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There are websites out there where some fans of a genre or subject loves to read books and leave reviews. Many of them have different reasons for this, but overall, they can be beneficial.

Be advised though, most of the review sites out there will read your book and make a review on their website, but that it won’t be an Amazon review (see below to read more about Amazon reviews vs Editorial Reviews). Even without the Amazon review, a book review site’s review can still be a powerful editorial review.  Imagine being able to put in your editorial review for your scifi book, a glowing acknowledgment from TopSciFiBooks.com .  Just the domain alone will carry anyone to better belief in your book, then some person or author name they've never heard of.

Here are some of my favorites free book review sites:

Love Books Group : Reviews books on their site is a easy process to submit. Affaire de Coeur : A bi-monthly magazine that publishes reviews in historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotica, YA, and nonfiction primarily. Book Page : Must send an ARC 3 months prior to publication date The Kindle Book Review : Offers a list of reviews to contact individually based on preferred genres. Compulsive Reader : Mainly focuses on literary fiction and poetry, they also review music CDs and other interesting things. Crime Fiction Lover : Recommends sending a Press Release (***) and a bit hard to get into. Book Smugglers : a highly read book blog that likes to focus on Horror, Urban Fantasy, SciFi, and YA. Crime Scene Reviews : Reviews Crime and Mystery novels SF Book : Started in 1996, SF books offers a list of Scifi Book reviewers you can contact individually Fantasy Book Critics : Lists a bunch of legit book review sites, as well as offers their own in the Fantasy realm Top Sci Fi Books : This website lists the best scifi and fantasy books based on certain subgenres. They have a sweet spot though for self published authors. Barnes & Noble Review : An incredible name for a Editorial Review, however, they require you to physically mail a copy and a cover letter in for consideration.

If you’d like to see more niche-specific examples, Reedsy has done an AMAZING job of curating a list of book review websites , their requirements and even how much traffic each site potentially gets. However, do note, many sites on that list aren’t always free.

You can check out that list here: https://blog.reedsy.com/book-review-blogs/

I also wanted to mention StoryOrigin . When you use StoryOrigin, not only do you join a community of other authors, you basically have all the not-so-fun back end of things taken care of by using them. They help you build your email list, find reviewers, deliver lead magnets and more. Be sure to check them out!

4. A Giveaway Contest that is Legal!!!

In truth, I almost didn’t include this one. Not because it breaks any rules, but because you need to ABSOLUTELY follow my steps in order to stay compliant with Amazon.

But when done right, this tactic is extremely killer!

What you do is create a giveaway contest. In this contest, if they click the link that points to your book’s review page (see special link discussed above), they are automatically entered into the contest. That's it.

This works because, when they click the link, many readers will decide to leave a review since they are already there. This is compliant in Amazon’s eyes because they are entered in the contest by just clicking the link, not by submitting a review.  Therefore, the review is not incentivized.  You can see an example below on how to word this for best optimization as well as staying compliant.

Step 1 : Build a giveaway Step 2 : Make it clear that to enter the giveaway, they just need to click the link that points to your book’s review page (see #1 above) Step 3 : And that’s it.

There are two ways to build a giveaway:

1. Use Your Email System : You can send out an email blast to your readers with the instructions on how to do this. With most email systems like ConvertKit , you can mark which subscribers clicked on the link in the email. Then when the time is up, you can select from there.

2. Use KingSumo : This is a paid app that is around $49 for life, but it makes creating contests SUPER simple. Furthermore, it handles the legality issues on contests, and you can post links to the contest on Social Media, email, or even embed it on your website. You can check it out here .

Using a launch team or Beta Readers and sending Advanced Review Copies (ARCs) is an important tactic that help with your book’s overall launch by ensuring you have good reviews on day-one of the launch. If you’re unfamiliar with that, then check out this article here .

But the short and simple to this tactic is that prior to launching your book, you send ARCs to people who will hopefully read the book, and or be prepared to leave a review upon your book's launch.

However, working with lots of authors, it’s become apparent that most DO NOT do ARC reviews as effectively or efficiently as they should, creating a super low conversion rate of beta readers who leave a review. Most times, this tactic sounds promising but is actually a complete let down.

Well, not if you do the following extra saucy tips, which will ENSURE you get more reviews out of it:

1. Stop sending mass emails to all Beta Readers : If you really want people to take action, ensure you talk to them personally. Send each beta reader a personal email asking him or her to take certain actions. They’ll feel more obligated to act when you are specifically emailing them and counting on their review. Whereas when it's obviously a mass email, many will inherently think that it's fine and you won't notice if they don't.

2. Track Your Readers : I actually develop a spreadsheet listing each beta reader or launch team member, when I last talked with them last, if they've left a review and any other notes. It’s important to keep track of them and that way no one slips through the cracks. You can also use a plugin like ReaderScout to know exactly when someone has left a review.

3. Have Them Notify You When It’s Dropped : Tell your beta readers or launch team members that once they’ve dropped the review, to let you know so you can read it. It isn’t just the expectation that you’re specifically waiting for their review, but also that you really want to know what they thought. Make it clear that it would mean the world to you. With this, they’ll feel as though you truly care and are waiting on them.

4. Remind them They Don’t have to Read All Of It : The biggest hang-up I get from Beta Readers is that they couldn’t finish the book in time and will leave one “later” (which they never do). However, remind them that they do not have to finish the book in order to leave a review, and that they can always change the review once they’ve finished it if they’d like. They can instead talk about what they’ve read so far, or even your legitimacy on the subject or genre. This way, there is not excuse to not leaving a review.

If you employ these four tactics to beta readers or launch teams, you’ll absolutely double your conversion rates of reviews left.

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If you have an email list, then make sure to use your auto responder to help with your reviews.

Think about it…

If they signed up for your email list, then it means that they read your book and liked it. However, it definitely does not mean they left a review.

Therefore, set in your auto responder an email that specifically uses the tactics of 1 and 2 above to convince them to leave a review. This will help increase your book’s review frequency, its grade, and even help with your email system.  Furthermore, employing #2 above, in the email, you'll build a stronger author brand and connection with your readers.

There are a couple of different ways to relaunch your book, and things to think about when doing so.  However, let's discuss why this really helps with your book reviews and should be considered.

• Amazon loves new books:  I call this the Amazon honeymoon period. I don't have any empirical data to prove this, but through years of working with books, when a book is launched, Amazon gives preferential treatment to new books.
• Use a new launch team: Perhaps you didn't effectively use your launch team or beta readers as well as we discussed in step 5.  Well, by relaunching, you can.  So, employ those steps and see real good come from it.
• Update some information: Look at your book as it is, and ask if there is something you can do to improve it.  Perhaps you've seen some comments brought up in the reviews?  Or you know there is a section you should add?  These changes will help improve your book's review grades.

We all know what Amazon reviews are.  But do you fully understand what a Amazon Editorial Review is?

On Amazon, there is a section on your book's sales page where you can enter “Editorial Reviews” through you Author Central Account (here is how to setup one if you haven't already).  In the editorial review, you can put just about anything here.

It could be from what a website said about your book, a news paper, a verbal recommendation, etc.  The point is, you can use what people say outside of Amazon, here.  As we showed from a heat map study, readers pay attention to the section.  So, therefore, use the tactics listed above in order build a persuasive Editorial Review section for your book.

However, these are NOT Amazon reviews.  Amazon reviews are where someone went to Amazon and left a review for your book itself.

There is a little bit of confusion when it comes to giving a free book and asking for reviews.  In truth, Amazon was a little confusing about how they look at this.

However, I went through all of Amazon's user agreements, FAQ's and even their own memo's so as to give you a definitive answer of:

YES, you can give a free copy of your book in advance for a review.

But there are some caveats and nuisances to this statement.  So, check out the video below and learn all about Amazon's Book Review policy and ensure you are continually operating in Amazon's good graces.

So, here is a list what you can’t do:

1. Pay or Incentive Someone to Leave a Review in any way: This is different from the giveaway because they entered the giveaway by clicking the link and not by leaving a review

2. Offering a free gift if they review

3. Offering to refund the author their money for the review

You can give the book for free to them as an ARC.  But you can't cover their costs. While they are both essentially “free,” the second one requires a review in order to make it free, thus incentivizing the review.

The same can be said about offering to send a Amazon gift card to cover the book

4. Swapping reviews with another author

I repeat, you cannot pay or incentive someone in any way to leave a review. But you can pay to promote your book to readers who are likely to leave reviews .

Self-Publishing Review is one example of a service that sells email list promotions designed to result in more sales and more unbiased reviews. If you're looking for opportunities, that could be worth looking into. Use the code KINDLEPRENEUR5 to save 5% on anything from their site.

ReaderScout is another tool I highly recommend for authors who want to track all of the reviews that come in. This makes it much easier for you to know when your ARC readers, for example, have actually left their review. ReaderScout is a completely FREE Chrome plugin and reviews aren't the only thing it tracks. Check it out here.

Now, Let's Go Get Those Book Reviews

No matter which route you’ll go, there’s no easier way to get the initial reviews, especially if you’re an unknown author. An additional benefit of this approach is that you’ll get to speak with your readers directly, thus getting valuable feedback and building new relationships.

I hope you enjoyed this guide on how to get free book reviews. It seems pretty straightforward, but can be a little time-consuming…but as most authors will tell you, getting your book reviewed can be a powerful metric that should have a positive effect on your Kindle sales.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

• 5. Using Launch Teams & ARCs Effectively

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208 thoughts on “ How to Get Free Book Reviews with No Blog, No List, and No Begging ”

Hi Dave, Am I missing a step or is adding the review link to your e-book something you can only do after book release? In order to use the link you need an ASIN. My plan was to hit publish for my paperback and hope after doing so I would see the ASIN to add the completed book review link – so that I could then hit the publish button on my e-book. Is this even possible or should I be patient and add the link at a later date? Thanks in advance!

For this, if you do a pre-order, you can get it preemptively.

I was wondering if you have any suggestions for getting reviews on low or no content books as they are not generally available on Kindle.

Well, that’s one reason why making a ebook version can be helpful for those books (if you get the formatting down). If not though, then I guess that is a bit of a game changer on what one can do. Limitations being physical books and all.

Hi, Dave, Thanks so much for all of these tips. Some excellent ideas!

Per the giveaway, do you find that people leave reviews if they haven’t yet read the book? And if they decide to do a quick star rating rather than a written review, does that still carry any weight with potential readers?

Thanks for your response.

I’ve seen some come in where it looked as though they hadn’t read it. So it definitely happens.

Hi Dave, thank you for the valuable information’s, just a question please

In the way the person has to write a review for entering in contest giveaway, how’s can be the next step to send to the winner his copy paperback as promise ?

Using a program like the one discussed in the article, it will handle selecting the winner. Then contact them, get their mailing address and send them the prize.

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• How to Include a Link to a Kindle Review Page Before Pub Date

Sep 10, 2017

eBooks have one built-in advantage over paper-based books, and that’s the ability for the author and publisher to include hyperlinks to resources and websites. It’s an especially important benefit for publishers of Kindle eBooks because you can send the reader directly to the page where they can rate and review your book.

Depending on your timeline, and production process, this might be a little tricky for some people but there is a way. It centers around getting Amazon to assign an ASIN to your Kindle edition—an Amazon Standard Identification Number—before your book is released.

Here it is in 5 simple steps:

Step 1: List your eBook for Kindle Pre-order. You do not need the final edition; a copy of Word will do and you can replace it with the final file at least 3 days before your book’s release date. In about 24 hours your Kindle should be live in the store.

Step 2: Find your ASIN. Scroll down the book’s listing and look for Product Details. It will look like this; copy the ASIN.

Step 3: Add it to the end of this link:

http://www.Amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/write-a-review.html?asin=

http://www.Amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/write-a-review.html?asin=B009VPQOAA

Step 4: Now paste this entire link at the end of your book along with some text to encourage your reader to click and leave a review (copy this for your swipe file):

Thank you for reading my book, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Won’t you please consider leaving a review? Even just a few works would help others decide if the book is right for them. I’ve made it super simple: just click this link and you’ll travel to the Amazon review page for this book where you can leave your review. Best regards and thank you in advance: http://www.Amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/write-a-review.html?asin=B077FYH28Y

Step 5: When ready, upload your final file to KDP at least 3 days before the release date. The final version of your Kindle eBook will have your message and link directly to a live review page for your reader to leave feedback.

A word of caution

If you are creating eBook files for other retailers you’ll want to remove the link to the Amazon review page. Apple for one won’t allow EPUB files to include links to Amazon, and neither will some aggregators such as Pronoun.

But no worries, chances are someone who buys a book from the iBookstore wouldn’t care to leave a review on Amazon anyway.

PS. Amazon will automatically encourage readers to leave a review when they finish reading the book. By placing this message in another location (near the beginning, or right before your book’s back matter), you can greatly increase the chances of a review.

Thanks for making this so easy! Finding the right navigation for my readers to click has been a nightmare – no more!

Dear BookReview YellowPages

Your tell us a GOOG idea to add way for a reader or our Kindle book, to link to Amazon, so they can submit their Reader Review: ***************

But I reach an impasse, which I BELOW sent to KDP, with no reply. Can you help? Please send a reply to my email. Thanks: ************************************************************** Concerning my book “WOMAN OF QUALITY: Sarah Vinke, The Divine Sarah …. ” I have filled our the following KDP Publish your book pages => Kindle eBook Detales (Sez “completed:} Kindle eBook Content (Sez “completed:}

ALSO checked “Pre-Order” and it gave gave dates: for 16 Nov 2018

BUT there is no evidence of the Pre-Order has been made effective …

AND on the “Book Shelf”, the following error message shows

“Submit for Pre-order” button has not been selected. If you have made updates to a title, but have not yet submitted for pre-order, click here to submit updates.

I can not find this “BUTTON”

Thus I ask you to Please DO IT FOR ME

Signed Henry Gurr [email protected]

************** Email of my secondary account => [email protected]

Unfortunately we can’t help since you are the account holder. Good luck.

Could you explain how I send my book link to customers who wish to Purchase my book

Visit the store where you sell your book and copy the link from your browser to your email. I also have an article here: https://www.authorimprints.com/how-create-short-url-links-ebook-amazon-apple-barnes-noble/

Hi, For a published book how can I get more reviews, please? Thank you for your answer!

My new book on getting and using reviews will be available October 24, 2019. The Book Review Companion: An Author’s Guide to Getting and Using Book Reviews

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Onyx Boox Page review: the Android ereader that can shop both Kindle and Kobo stores

Versatility in an ereader is very welcome.

TechRadar Verdict

With a 7-inch screen, the Onyx Boox Page is not just portable, it’s light and comfortable to use single-handed thanks to the physical page-turn buttons on the ereader. There’s also a speaker and microSD card expandability here, plus really good battery life. And while it might not have a good bookstore of its own, access to the Google Play Store means you can download both the Kindle and Kobo apps and find your next piece of content there. It’s not perfect, but it’s like having two ereaders in one tablet. Onyx’s Control Center, however, continues to cause overlay issues as I’ve seen in the brand’s other ereaders.

Light and compact

Physical page-turn buttons

Access to Google Play Store

• No water resistance

User interface not very intuitive

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

• Two-minute preview
• Price & availability
• Design & display
• User experience
• Performance
• Should I buy it?

Also consider

• How I tested

Onyx Boox Page: Two-minute review

The Onyx Boox Page is very much like the Kindle Oasis , especially since its plastic body looks far more premium than the Kobo Libra 2 . Sharing the same 7-inch screen size as both the older models from Amazon and Kobo, the Onyx Page is just a touch faster thanks to a better processor. 

Like the other two, there are physical page-turn buttons here that also double up as the volume controls. Yes, there’s a speaker built-in, but don’t expect the sound quality to wow you. It sounds a little tinny but it suffices if you’re only using it for audiobooks. However, a better listening experience would be via Bluetooth-connected headphones or speaker of your choice.

There’s a very generous 32GB of storage here, just like the Kobo Libra 2, but the Page also features a microSD slot in case you want to expand storage – after all, audiobooks take up more space than ebooks. Moreover, the battery life here is excellent, thanks to a 2,300mAh pack under the hood.

My main complaint is the afterimage issue caused by bringing up the E Ink Center to access shortcuts or control sliders. I’ve seen this before on other Onyx ereaders, but where that’s usually been a ghosting issue, here it’s a dark overlay of the control panel remaining on the page. This doesn’t happen every time, but often enough that it gets annoying.

Another complaint I have is the lack of waterproofing for the Page, so avoid the bath, the pool and the kitchen sink when using this ereader.

Access to content on an Onyx Boox ereader is also still disappointing. While there are two bookstores on the Page, one is Chinese, the other only has ebooks that are already in the public domain.

That said, the Page runs on a simplified version of Android 11 and gives you access to the Google Play Store. From here, you can download the Kindle or the Kobo app (or both) and find your next read there. The flip side to this is your purchased content from the apps won’t get added to the Page’s default library, taking away the plethora of customizations you can apply to ebooks within that default folder. 

So if you don’t mind being restricted within the Android apps for Kindle or Kobo, the Onyx Boox Page can be considered to be two ereaders in one. And it's certainly priced competitively in some markets, costing as much as the Kobo Libra 2 in the US, which is still our #1 pick of the best ereader overall.

Onyx Boox Page review: price and availability

• Retails for $249 / €279 / AU$419
• Available now directly from Onyx or select retailers

Announced in the first half of 2023, the Onyx Boox Page is available to purchase directly from the manufacturer or from selected retailers like B&H in the US. Onyx has an European warehouse from where UK customers can order the Page, and potential Aussie customers can grab one from third-party retailers like Big W . 

It will set you back $249 / €279 / AU$419 at full price (around £240 in the UK), matching the Kindle Oasis in the US and UK, but costing more in Australia where the Amazon alternative is AU$399. It’s more expensive than the Kobo Libra 2 in all markets, however, which now retails for $189.99 / £169 / AU$319.95.

While it might cost more in some regions, it's worth considering if you want one ereader to access both the Kindle and Kobo Stores, although it’s important to keep in mind that you will be restricted to reading on those apps if you purchase content from there.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Page specifications

Onyx boox page review: design and display.

• 7-inch E Ink Carta 1200 screen with glass anti-glare layer
• Premium looks despite plastic body

When it comes to ereaders with physical page-turn buttons on a side bezel, the popular models like the Kindle Oasis and the Kobo Libra 2 are slightly thicker on that side to allow for a comfortable grip. The Onyx Page, on the other hand, has uniform thickness throughout, which gives it a sleek aesthetic. The page-turn buttons are comfortably located, although I think a little bit of space between them would make switching between the two a bit more ergonomic (but that’s me just nitpicking, really).

The 7-inch E Ink screen – which has a glass anti-glare layer on top and sits flush with the bezels – is encased within a plastic body that looks much better than what we saw on the Kobo Libra 2. At first glance, I thought the Page had a metal chassis like the Kindle Oasis. There’s a strip of subtle artwork on the rear panel where you would expect a grip and it seems to be silk-screened on. However, there really is no grip here and I think the magnetic case that Onyx has made for the Page might be a good (additional) investment in case of butter fingers.

Another reason I think the sleepcover would come in handy is to avoid smudges on the device. As nice as the chassis looks, it’s a magnet for fingerprints – both front and rear.

On one corner of the device’s edge is a power button, so subtle that it’s easy to miss. Another long edge has the rest of the physical goodies, including a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, dual speaker grilles and a microSD card tray. In the box, Onyx has thoughtfully included a pin so you can open the card slot in case you want to expand the 32GB built-in storage.

The screen itself is lovely and very responsive. Most ereaders I’ve tested that use the E Ink Carta 1200 screen tech offer good contrast, so text stands out nice and sharp on the display, and that’s the case here. It’s a capacitive multitouch screen with no writing capabilities.

You can adjust the screen’s frontlight to either cold or warm hues but there’s no way to set automatic light temperature changes from cold to warm as the day progresses – both the Kindle Oasis and the Kobo Libra 2, however, do offer this feature. That said, none of the Onyx Boox tablets I’ve tested allow you to set automatic light hue changes for reading in the evenings and nights, so I’ve always just set it to a slightly warmer setting that I find comfortable at any time.

• Design & display score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Page review: User experience

• Overwhelming device settings options
• Auto-rotates orientations, which can be locked if needed
• Onyx’s Control Center is handy but often leaves overlay

As with most Onyx ereaders, the user interface takes a little getting used to – it’s not as intuitive as, say, Kindle or Kobo, but you do get a lot of control on how you want your e-paper tablet set up.

For example, you can set the page-turn buttons to scroll instead of turn a page, and they also double up as the volume controls when you’re listening to an audiobook or music (which you can sideload, and there’s a dedicated player too).

By default, the screen is set to refresh after every five taps, but this can also be changed as you see fit. I had mine set to refreshing after every tap, however, as I found ghosting can be an issue, and it also meant any overlay from the Control Center dropdown would disappear immediately too. This, though, can affect battery life and, if you don’t need the Control Center too often, leaving screen refresh rate at five or 10 taps will help push the charge for longer.

You can choose what you see as soon as you wake or power on the Onyx Page (default library, the apps page, store, etc) and set up on-screen gesture controls as well. I personally think that Onyx’s customization options are overkill for basic ereaders like the Page, but it’s also nice to know they’re there.

Speaking of the Control Center: this is where you get shortcut access to a lot of controls, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, plus volume and frontlight adjustments. To access the Control Center you just swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. This is also where you get other options, like setting the device to airplane mode, auto-rotation controls and a screen recorder. There’s also a Kids’ Mode option that allows you to set a screen password, but keep in mind that you cannot reset this password once set.

Within the default library application – where all ebooks are automatically stored when you sideload – is a floating toolbar that gives you easy access to font and page controls. This, too, can be customized to include the shortcuts you will actually use within this application. The floating toolbar isn’t available outside of the default library application however.

As I’ve already mentioned, this Android tablet gives you access to the Google Play Store, from where you can download handy apps. In my case, it was the Kobo and Kindle apps so I could access not only the respective bookstores but also my existing library on each, as well as the ebook subscription services I pay for (Prime Reading and Kobo Plus in my case). While you can’t move your purchased content to the default library application, you can read within the app, but without the advantages of the floating toolbar.

The Onyx Boox Page allows you to sign into select cloud services, which is handy if you have an existing library you want to sideload onto the device. This includes Dropbox and Google Drive, but if your files aren’t on any cloud storage service, I found using BooxDrop was the best option to transfer content. You don’t need to create an Onyx account – you can use your mobile number to receive a verification code, then drag and drop what you want transferred onto the web version of the application.

Like I said, there’s a lot here to wrap your head around and it takes some experimentation, but once you’ve found the best setup for you, the Page can be quite enjoyable to use.

• User experience score: 4 / 5

Onyx Boox Page review: Performance

• Remarkable battery life
• Quick page turns and responsive screen
• Ghosting occurs intermittently; occasionally significant when using the Control Center

When it comes to overall performance, it’s hard to fault the Onyx Boox Page. Reading is a good experience, with page turns working well via both screen taps and the buttons. Text appears nice and sharp, although if what you’re reading has low-resolution images, they can appear a little fuzzy.

I found sideloading files (ebooks and music) via Google Drive and BooxDrop was very easy; while I didn’t try signing into my Dropbox account, I reckon it’s just as simple and quick.

The speakers, though, aren’t anything to write home about. They’re fine for listening to audiobooks, although they don’t get too loud, but music doesn’t sound great. Pairing a set of Bluetooth headphones with the Page was easy when I tried it and I found that using headphones or a paired speaker to be the better listening experience for both audiobooks and music.

Ghosting can occur occasionally if the ebook you're reading has images in it, but the most significant problem is the dark overlay of the Onyx Control Center as I've mentioned before. While it doesn't occur all the time, it happened often enough that I changed the refresh rate to be after every 1 tap from the default 5 taps. This is my only complaint when it comes to performance and it's not isolated – a lot of the Onyx ereaders I've tested do have issues with ghosting.

Where the Page really excels is battery life. It houses a 2,300mAh pack and that can last you about six weeks with an hour of reading each day. I had my review sample of the Page set to 40% brightness and approximately 25% yellow light, refresh rate set at 1 tap and Wi-Fi always on to access my Kindle and Kobo accounts. I also used the device for an average of two hours and got about 4.5 weeks of reading till it dropped to 10% battery. My battery life test also included a few minutes of web browsing using the built-in browser app, as well as listening to audiobooks on the Kobo app.

Topping up for me was just as good – I had it plugged into a 65W GAN wall charger via good quality USB-C to C cable and it took about an hour and 20 minutes to go from 9% to full.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Onyx Boox Page?

Buy it if....

You want a lightweight, portable ereader with plenty of battery life

At 195g, the Onyx Boox Page slightly heavier than the 188g Kindle Oasis and is a lot lighter than the 215g Kobo Libra 2. That makes this 7-inch ereader lovely to travel with, whether it’s your daily commute or a holiday. Plus, with a 2,300mAh battery, it will go for a few weeks before it needs a top-up.

You have your own existing library of content

While you can download a plethora of Android apps like Kindle and Kobo, and purchase content online via the preloaded NeoBrowser, the best experience with the Page is if you have your own content that you can sideload. And this is quite easy to do via cloud Dropbox and Google Drive cloud transfer.

You want access to multiple bookstores on one device

If you don’t mind losing out on the customization options that the default library application gives you, reading on the Kindle and Kobo apps on the Page is quite nice. With more Android apps at your disposal via the Play Store, the Onyx Boox Page is quite a versatile ereader.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t want to spend too much money on an ereader

It’s decently priced in some regions but it lacks waterproofing. So if you’re not too fussed about having physical page-turn buttons, you’ll save a lot of money by opting for something like the Kindle Paperwhite or Kobo Clara 2E .

You’re paying for ebook subscriptions

While you can access Kindle Unlimited or Kobo Plus via the respective downloaded Android apps on the Onyx Boox Page, the experience of reading on the app may not be as enjoyable. If you’re already embedded into Amazon’s ecosystem, you’re better off with a Kindle. Same with Kobo.

You’d like an e-paper tablet for note taking

If you want more features from an ereader, like writing capabilities, then you’ll need to look elsewhere. Onyx has a 7.8-inch color ereader – the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C – that could be an alternative, or you can opt for the larger 10-inch models like the Amazon Kindle Scribe or Kobo Elipsa 2E .

The closest competitors to the Onyx Book Page are the Kindle Oasis and the Kobo Libra. While both these options are now aging, they're still excellent alternatives and we've listed direct specs comparisons below.

Kobo Libra 2

Despite being a few years old now, the Kobo Libra 2 remains our pick of the best ereader for most users. With the same screen as the Onyx Page but a thicker, heavier body, the Libra 2 allows you to sign into Google Drive to access ebooks, lets you sign up for Kobo Plus and allows you to borrow ebooks from a public library with OverDrive support.

Read our full Kobo Libra 2 review to learn more.

Amazon Kindle Oasis

Even older than the Kobo Libra 2, the 2019 Oasis remains one good-looking and luxurious ereader, with its metal chassis and page-turn buttons. It is expensive compared to the Kobo, especially since the base model only has 8GB storage and still has a micro USB port for charging. It's also an older processor, but it's still a worthy consideration if money is no object.

Check out our Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019) review for more details.

How I tested the Onyx Boox Page

• Used as main ereader for about eight weeks
• Read for about two hours a day, with some ad hoc listening sessions
• Use the device to browse the web and download Android apps

I am a voracious reader, so reading every single day for at least an hour or two is normal for me. So I just switched out my usual ereader for the Onyx Boox Page for a period of about eight weeks.

During this time, I averaged about two hours of reading each day, although every once in a while I listened to an audiobook for about 20-30 minutes on the Kobo app, which I downloaded via the Google Play Store that is already available on the Page.

I also downloaded the Kindle app to access my purchased content there.

I signed into Google Drive to sync some ebooks I already own, plus used BooxDrop to sideload other content, including music files, which I also listened to intermittently without headphones. Most of my listening sessions, however, were via a set of paired Bluetooth true wireless earbuds.

I used the default browser occasionally as well and kept tabs on battery drain as I performed different tasks on the Onyx Boox Page.

Read more about how we test

[ First reviewed December 2023 ]

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.

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Review: Kobo Libra Colour

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

I love e-readers. They’re convenient and one of the few pieces of tech that’s not trying to overload your senses with unnecessary distractions. That’s why I was worried when I heard Kobo was releasing color e-readers . I pictured an iPad-like display littered with apps—yet another screen for my eyes to burn themselves on.

Thankfully, that's not the case. It’s still the E Ink you know and love from your favorite e-readers , just no longer restricted to black and white. Do you need a color screen to read ebooks? No. Is it fun? Yes.

Color Me Impressed

A color screen means you can see your favorite ebook covers in all their glory, but it also means illustrated children's books and graphic novels really come to life on the display. Curious George and Dune look beautiful on the Libra Colour's 7-inch E Ink panel.

I also tested the new Kobo Clara Colour , which has a 6-inch screen. Dune was fine, but Curious George wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing—the text in this ebook is blue on a yellow background, and the smaller screen made it all more compact in a way that was annoying to my eyes.

Having a color screen means you can write and highlight in color. You can mark up your favorite ebooks directly on the page, not just in separate note files like on a Kindle . However, all of this requires the Kobo Stylus 2 , which costs an extra $70. It has a highlight button on the side and an eraser on the end. (You can't write on the Clara Colour, but you can highlight in color.) It's worth noting that the Stylus 2 was out of stock everywhere as of publishing. I've asked Kobo when it’s expected to be available again.

The Libra has a notebook section so you can jot down notes and to-do lists, manage a calendar, or doodle in eight colors plus black and gray. The colors look even more vibrant once you export notebooks to your computer, but exporting also removes the lines from page layouts like calendars and daily planners, which is unfortunate. Color ink was technically available in Kobo's supersize Elipsa 2E , meant for heavy note-taking, but since that screen supports only black and white, these colors only came across once exported to a computer.

If you save a lot of articles using Pocket , you can read them on Kobos . The Pocket integration was supposed to go away in 2023 , but Kobo updated its system to enable them to work, and this is no longer an issue. You can’t write on Pocket articles no matter where you're reading them, but you can import documents you want to mark up to the Libra as PDFs. As a writer, it's fun to break out my old proofreading marks again.

I also tested Kobo's SleepCover ($40) , which can be folded into a stand. I usually go coverless when using e-readers because they're pretty durable, but I liked this one too much. It keeps the device steady even when I write notes.

Right to Repair

How colors appear on the Libra screen versus how they appear when exported to a computer.

Reading on the Libra Colour was a largely problem-free experience, but I had some “ghosting” (where you can see faint traces of menus or erased text) in the notebooks. This usually remedied itself after a few seconds, but it was more noticeable than other e-readers I've tested of late. Occasionally I'd have to turn the page and go back to fix it.

The Libra is waterproof and made from recycled plastics , and the battery should last a month or so, depending on how much you read and write. I am of the mind that the page-turn buttons included here should be standard across all e-readers. That said, the Libra Colour is expensive at $220. Add in the $70 stylus and it's even more of a steep price for a color screen.

If it's any consolation, the Kobo Libra Colour is repairable , so your money can go a long way. Kobo has partnered with iFixit to make kits for repairing the display, battery, and motherboard, plus the front and back covers. This extends to the Clara Colour and the original black-and-white Clara. More details on this are coming soon.

Kobo e-readers may lack the Amazon Kindle's large library, but if you've been trying to move away from all things Amazon , it's a perfectly great e-reader. And with this new Libra, reading and writing in color is just plain fun.

Book reviews: Page-turners about all things canine

The bond we share with our dogs is both simple and complex. Behind the love is a wealth of science and evolution. Be it from a broad perspective or from a one-to-one partnership, how and why canines and people connect make for fascinating reading.

The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection by Jen Golbeck and Stacey Colino. Simon and Schuster, 2023. Hardcover, 256 pages.

Ordering information

Books exploring the love between people and their dogs abound; I come across them frequently as a reviewer. Some authors approach the topic from a scientific or scholarly perspective while other writers share stories of their lives with special canine companions. In The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection , however, Jen Golbeck and Stacey Colino offer up a highly readable volume that combines the academic and the personal. Jen, a longtime worker in animal rescue and foster situations, and Stacey, a writer with a neuroscientific background, also examine the changes that have occurred in recent years in our relationship to dogs.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, dog adoptions exploded as people faced with loneliness during lockdown yearned for the companionship a dog could bring into their homes. Other people who already shared their lives with a canine companion found the bond strengthened while working from home and social distancing. The Purest Bond is both a delight to read and a lesson in the science that underpins that true connection.

Never Leave the Dogs Behind: A Memoir by Brianna Madia. HarperOne, 2024. Hardcover, 208 pages.

In this follow-up to the bestselling Nowhere for Very Long , Brianna Madia finds herself at an unexpected crossroads. Following a painful divorce and a period of cyber bullying, she is living in a rundown trailer on an isolated expanse of the desert with only her four beloved dogs — Bucket, Dagwood, Birdie, and Banjo — for company and consolation. Depressed to the point of suicidal ideation, she turns to her dogs each morning for purpose and a reason to relish in their joy in the natural world surrounding her land.

When an appointment with an attorney to make a will brings up the question of who would care for her dogs in the event of her death, Brianna abruptly comes to realize how dependent her beloved dogs are on her. The ending of this memoir in which she lies down with the four dogs, who have stood so steadfastly by her during her depression, and comes to the decision that suicide is not an option is one of the most moving testaments to interspecies devotion that this reviewer has read. Yes, readers will need a few tissues, but Never Leave the Dogs Behind is ultimately a joyous book.

Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Training by Ian Dunbar. New World Library, 2023. Hardcover, 361 pages.

I have to admit up front that I rarely review books about dog training because I am not an expert in the field, and I know all too well that, after I review a dog training book, another one with a slightly different approach will land on my desk.

However, in the case of Barking Up the Right Tree: The Science and Practice of Positive Training by Ian Dunbar, I am making an exception and am heartily recommending this volume. Why? There are two basic reasons for my championing Ian’s work. The first one is the fact that, in the early 1980s, Ian helped revolutionize dog training with his development of positive reinforcement. His beliefs, over the ensuing years, were incorporated successfully into mainstream dog training, making life happier for dogs and their humans. The second reason is that, having been the blind handler of three guide dogs trained with positive reinforcement, I understand this approach and feel that my dogs and I have benefited immensely from it.

In Barking Up the Right Tree , Ian looks back at his original training recommendations and voices his opinion that it has become somewhat fractured depending on the guardians or program using them. Going back to the basics and moving forward to pare them down to a simpler approach, Ian once again does canines a huge favor.

Let's make every shelter and every community no-kill by 2025

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill by 2025 . No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.

Make your community no-kill by 2025

You can help save homeless pets, you can help end the killing in shelters and save the lives of homeless pets when you foster, adopt, and advocate for the dogs and cats who need it most..

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Saving lives around the country, together, we're creating compassionate no-kill communities nationwide for pets and the people who care for them..

Book review: ‘Animal Wayshowers’

Book review: ‘Tales of Al: The Water Rescue Dog’

Book reviews: ’Tis the season to be reading

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Profitable Paths: Monetising Your Facebook Page with Success Kindle Edition

• Print length 43 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date April 16, 2024
• File size 2294 KB
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D1YMQLLX
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 16, 2024
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 2294 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 43 pages

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Paperback Row

6 New Paperbacks to Read This Week

By Shreya Chattopadhyay April 26, 2024

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At the end of your reading list? This week’s paperback recommendations include a biography of Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, Dennis Lehane’s newest detective novel, a study of monstrosity in art and more.

Here are six paperbacks we recommend →

Lehane’s latest mystery is set in the summer of 1974, when a busing backlash is roiling Boston. It “has all the hallmarks of Lehane at his best: a propulsive plot, a perfectly drawn cast of working-class Boston Irish characters, razor-sharp wit and a pervasive darkness through which occasional glimmers of hope peek out,” our reviewer wrote.

This biography traces the life of Tony Hsieh, the founder of the shoe retailer Zappos, “with the gathering tension of a slow-motion disaster,” according to our reviewer — from selling his first company to Microsoft to his struggles with isolation and addiction and his death at age 46.

Du Bois hoped that by fighting “against militarism and for democracy we would be fighting for the emancipation of the Negro race,” Williams recounts in his history of Du Bois’s changing views on World War I, including his trips to interview Black troops and his 20 years spent writing an unfinished history of the war.

Dederer’s book, which expands her viral 2017 essay, “What Do We Do With the Art of Monstrous Men?,” plumbs the relationship between art, gender and morality in the work and lives of famous artists. It is “part memoir, part treatise and all treat,” Alexandra Jacobs wrote in her review.

“A gloved hand severed the umbilical cord, and there began my aloneness,” notes this novel’s 27-year-old narrator, Emily, whose mother died in childbirth. Tired of her copywriting job, Emily finds change in the shock of an unplanned pregnancy and the shifting intimacies of a friendship in this book exploring patriarchy and parenthood.

“In the Age of Extinction, two tagalong daughters traveled to the edge of the world with their mother to search the frozen earth for the bones of woolly mammoths,” starts Ausubel’s absurdist romp, which follows two teenagers as they contend with their father’s death and their paleobiologist mom’s desire to birth a woolly mammoth in a lab.

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• ‘A Man In Full’ TV Review: Jeff Daniels & Diane Lane Are Full-On In Netflix’s Tom Wolfe Adaptation, But That’s Not The Only Reason To Watch

By Dominic Patten

Dominic Patten

Executive Editor, Legal, Labor & Politics

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Jeff Daniels and Diane Lane rarely put in anything less than stellar performances, but the Emmy winner and Oscar nominee are rarely as good as they are in Netflix ‘s adaptation of Tom Wolfe ‘s A Man in Full .

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On any other show, the never better Daniels as a pugnacious Atlanta real estate tycoon Charlie Croker on the brink of bankruptcy, and Lane as his revitalized razor-sharp ex-wife Martha would be more than enough of a payoff.

As much of a fan you may or may not be of the New Journalism pathfinder’s much delayed second novel, or any of Wolfe’s other work fiction or non-fiction, I’m not going to recite the story chapter and verse, the book has been out for almost three decades, you either know it or you don’t. Leave it at this, Croker and his New South empire is in the hole to the banks for almost $1.5 billion, with a personal debt of $600 million.

The stakes are real at the top, and become even more so at the bottom once the incarceration machine starts to swallow characters up.

Kicking off with some incredibly well considered Shania Twain and including a certain stable coitus scene, the sweeping six-episode saga directed by Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe winner and One Night in Miami… helmer King, and showrun by small screen maestro Kelley, this A Man in Full is a splendid thing to see indeed. The sprawling tome may have been set in the last superpower era of the 1990s, but this variation of A Man in Full , which has Thomas Schlamme directing three episodes too, is very much in the America of 2024 and an unsteady landscape.

Square in the stinging intersection of urban politics, commerce, race, demographics and rivalry, A Man in Full the miniseries has many options to offer with a superlative cast, including a literal show stopping Lucy Liu .

Then there is Aml Ameen.

Hot off portraying MLK Jr in last year’s Rustin , the British actor’s role here as Croker’s corporate fixer tentatively finding his soul in the dank marsh of the criminal justice system is a coup de maître. As much as Daniels’ thick Georgia accent, football legend past and appetite for all things gold and that glitter fuels the miniseries, it is Ameen’s Roger White that illuminates the inner and external drama as too many men try to let the Big Red dog out, as the script says.

This early in the latest round of awards season, it is foolish to put too much of a spotlight on any one performance or series. At the same time, with all the talent on both sides of the camera in A Man in Full , it would be equally foolish to bet against King, Kelley, Daniels, Laine and Ameen as well.

Towards the end of A Man in Full, as the bank puts the real squeeze on Daniels’ still swaggering Croker, the shrinking mogul is asked by his driver what Lane’s Martha wants out of a face-to-face meeting. “What they all want – me to stop being me,” Charlie croons from the fine leather seats of his Escalade. “F*ck that.”

This A Man in Full is exactly itself, and that’s a splendid thing indeed.

Title:  A Man In Full Network:  Netflix Premiere date:  May 2, 2024 (6 episodes) Showrunner/writer/executive producer:  David E. Kelley Directors/EPs:  Regina King, Tommy Schlamme EPs:  Reina King, Matthew Tinker, Thomas C. Wolfe, Alexandra Wolfe Cast:  Jeff Daniels, Tom Pelphrey, Diane Lane, Lucy Liu, William Jackson Harper, Aml Ameen, Sarah Jones, Bill Camp, Jon Michael Hill, Chanté Adams Rating:  TV-M

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