I’ve had my Kindle since my 13th birthday, and it has served me really well. I like that she’s simple, a device that doesn’t do anything else but books. I love the Paperwhite screen that doesn’t feel like I’m looking at a screen, as we all do so much these days. I like taking it with me on my travels for the space efficiency and having loads of reading options while I’m away from my bookshelf. I like that it can fit into my coat pocket or in small bags when I’m on the move. I like that when there’s a new book picked for book club that I can’t get from the library, I can access those books instantly and at a low cost (and it doesn’t hurt my privacy if I’m reading some of our smuttier picks when I’m out and about).

Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer a physical book to hold. Digital books only take up around 10% of what I read annually. If I didn’t already have my Kindle, I’m not sure if I would urgently be in the market to buy one. And if I were in the market for an e-reader, I wouldn’t pick a Kindle, because I prefer to borrow from the library or buy my books from independent sellers who appropriately remunerate authors. But my one has been roaming around with me for 15 years (with the scars to prove it!), and I’ve appreciated the convenience.

So the other week, when I received an email from Amazon saying they would be ‘discontinuing support for Kindle devices released in 2012 or earlier’, I had mixed feelings. First of all, I’m annoyed because this is the most explicit planned obsolescence I’ve seen (when brands make old versions unusable to make you replace what you have). There is absolutely nothing wrong with my current Kindle, and there is no need for them to ultimately make it unusable. But I’ve also felt conflicted about my use of the Kindle and purchasing books from Amazon for a while, and this is a sign from the universe that it’s time for me to stop doing that, because I literally won’t have the choice to do so. So, yeah, I’m glad that they’ve forced my hand, and this wasteful capitalist move is cutting the draw of all of those conveniences I outlined at the start.

What am I going to do now? I will not be buying a new Kindle as they’ve incentivised and, for now, I won’t be buying another e-reader either. I have until 20 May to put new things onto my Kindle, so I’ve been scanning the deals page and adding as many of the books on my tbr as I can before then. I will have plenty of unread books on there that should last me a while, and then once they’re all read, I think the Kindle will join my bookshelf archive until I feel the urge to re-read anything.

Or, by then, I might consider investing in a new, different e-reader or maybe I’ll try jailbreaking my Kindle to see if I can find other ways to add books to it…