WOW! Women On Writing Blog: e-readers

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

2012 Kindle Paperwhite on the left, new model on the right.

I bought my first Kindle, a Paperwhite, in 2012 when I was working for WOW! as a Blog Tour Manager. I needed to be able to read PDFs of the books sent to us by prospective authors, so I purchased one and soon grew to love it. I even bought a cute cover for it from Amazon once I realized having a black cover made it hard for me to find the Kindle when I needed it (too much blending into every other countertop and piece of furniture in our house). That Kindle was well worn, loved and used for years and years. It went back and forth with me to the pool, the beach, on airplanes, and in the past few years, I realized it helped me when I woke up in the middle of the night and had a hard time going back to sleep. I could open my Kindle, read for a few minutes without turning on a light and waking up my husband, and go back to sleep.

I bought my two children Kindle Fires, with the color screens, when they were younger, and one of them has already died. But still, my trusty Paperwhite soldiered on.

In the past few years, when I discovered I could check books from my library through the Libby app and send them directly to my Kindle, it got even more use. But about a month ago, I noticed the Kindle acting “clunky.” It would take a long time to “flip” the pages, and there were a few times it restarted on its own for no apparent reason. Then, one night, when I was having trouble sleeping, it refused to come on. I kept pushing the power button and nothing happened. After about two hours of lying awake in bed and trying to turn it on periodically, I gave up. The next day, I made this Facebook post:

I’ve had my Kindle Paperwhite since 2012 and that’s normally what I turn to when I’m having trouble sleeping. I’ll read for five or ten minutes and that’s all I need. The device, after many days of sending me emphatic warnings, departed this world around 12:30 a.m. I finally fell asleep unassisted around 2 a.m. I’m surprised it lasted this long!

My friends got a laugh out of that, and I begrudgingly set about ordering a new and improved Paperwhite, gritting my teeth against the cost of it and a new cover (because it is a slightly-different size than my original). I told myself I originally paid around $150 for the first one and I have gotten much more than that original investment out of it.

I received my new one and love all the new features and speed at which it operates. Then my husband asked me if he could look at my old one. He said, “I wonder if something sticky got on the power button and was causing it not to start back up.” Sure enough, he took a damp paper towel and wiped the area of the power button, noting a substance there (perhaps spilled coffee or a protein shake).

Guess what? The old Kindle Paperwhite is back to working just fine now. Oh well, I guess now I have a backup that I can take to the pool and beach that won’t be a big loss if it gets damaged? I have to say, I am impressed by the longevity of this product. If your ever on the fence about getting one, especially the Paperwhite, you will get your money’s worth, I promise. And no, this is not an ad.

Renee Roberson is an award-winning writer, Kindle enthusiast, and creator/host of the true crime podcast Missing in the Carolinas.