I’ve been a book reader for a long time, but never got into eBooks. I want to try it out next, but don’t want to use any privacy vilotating devices or software. So, those “10 best” lists I found while searching are out, all of the Amazon crap is out.

What’s left? What’s a good device to buy so I can self-host my own eBook library and get into eReading. I would prefer suggestions for devices which just read books and comics and such. I don’t need access to the app stores on it, I think.

Thanks for any ideas.

ETA: I have a Linux PC and an Android phone, if those things matter.

ETA2: Thank you all for these replies. You’ve given me a lot to think about and I appreciate the help!

LAST EDIT: Getting a Kobo Clara Color, 6" eInk dealie-bob! Thanks y’all. Don’t let this stop you from posting your suggestions still. Posts like these help many over time. Y’all rock!

  • CedarA64@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    23 hours ago

    I bought an old Sony ereader on eBay a couple years ago but the battery is shot and apparently replacing it requires soldering?! I had been thinking about bringing it to a phone repair shop to get it fixed but now I think that is probably a no-go. Yesterday I researched how repairable the Kobo ereaders are and based on iFixit they seem pretty horrendous, even the newer Clara BW that has an OEM repair guide and official OEM parts available on iFixit (although it is marginally better than the old Aura HD). Now I am thinking I may just forego ereaders altogether. The repair situation with laptops, tablets and phones is bad enough nowadays. I don’t want anything to do with something even worse than that. I would get the PineNote but I am too poor to pay $400 for an ereader.

    I have just been using my old iPad (with the low contrast feature enabled for bedtime reading) but obviously that is not great for privacy so I would have to use another device for some books. I could use an old OnePlus that I have but it has an AMOLED display so it’s not great for reading but maybe I can mitigate that with the right software and configuration.

    I would just buy paper books but unfortunately that has its privacy issues as well, at least in my case. If one is in a shared living situation it can hard be to keep private what you are reading if other people are nosy. And even just buying paper books anonymously can be impossible if you cannot buy what you want to read with cash at a brick and mortar store. I have no idea how you anonymously order books online (and I am not talking about some dark web marketplace that accepts Monero and has 10 books). It is probably possible if you have enough money to throw at the problem, which I don’t.