Carry your entire library with you without breaking the bank — or your back. (Amazon)(Amazon)
When I moved a few years ago, I was floored by how many books I owned — literally. Box after box piled up, each heavier than the last. That’s when I realized I needed a solution, so I went to a friend who absolutely loves reading but also hates clutter. He had one answer: the Amazon Kindle (and good news: they’re on sale for Black Friday). To be honest, I worried about digitizing my entire library. I love the smell of books, the texture of the pages and the way the spine creases when I read The Feather Thief, Jurassic Park or The Emerald Mile for the umpteenth time.
But here’s the thing: there’s no rule that says we have to get rid of our favorite books when we go digital. I kept 50 or so of my favorites. And thanks to my Kindle, I can now take (almost) every single one of them with me — whether I’m camping, going on vacation or just heading to the park. (Don’t know what to do with all those unused books? I found a bunch of Little Libraries near my house to stash them in. I hope my neighbors enjoy Michael Crichton.)
I chose the Kindle Paperwhite, which is faster than the regular Kindle and has a battery that lasts for weeks. Almost all Amazon Kindles are on sale thanks to early Black Friday deals, including models for kids. If you’re looking for something more versatile, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday deals on laptops and tablets, too.
Look, I like a good paperback as much as the next guy, but there's something about being able to carry your entire library with you while you're on vacation. Now that the Paperwhite features faster page turns a larger 6.8” display, thinner borders, adjustable warm light and up to an insane ten weeks of battery life, it feels more like a real book than ever. Plus, it's at its lowest price since, you guessed it, last Prime Day.
Are you the Belle of your town and need more book storage than the average Joe (or Chris)? For $25 more, you get twice the storage of the regular Paperwhite, plus features like an auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging.
As someone who comes from the world of the iPad, the thought of going back to a 16GB device felt like a mistake. I feared I'd constantly be running out of storage. Not so with the Kindle. I digitized all the books in my library and have barely made a dent. Another huge upside over tablets? The battery life. It lasts forever.
Think of this as the Kindle Kids' cool older sibling. Like the standard version, it includes six months of Amazon Kids+ — a subscription packed with thousands of kid-friendly books for ages 3 to 12 — a no-worries two-year warranty, a durable, kid-proof cover and none of those distracting apps, videos or games. Plus, this version is waterproof and comes with a bigger display and a longer battery life.
A kid's Kindle? Do you know how fast my kid would break that? Indeed, Amazon does. That's why it comes with a two-year "if it breaks, we will replace it" warranty. It also comes with the Parents' Dashboard, which shows your child's reading progress and lets you control what's in their library, add age filters and set a bedtime.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo's Black Friday coverage here. Shop the best expert-picked Black Friday deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. And find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
