The Kindle’s most underrated characteristic is my new secret weapon

I’ve had a Kindle since 2011. Within the 14 years since, I’ve learn hundreds of tales by way of the E Ink pill and indulged in each style — from younger grownup dystopias to World Battle II spy novellas. Whereas I largely stick with science fiction and romantasies these days, my Kindle Library is stuffed to the digital brim with my favourite e-books.

As a voracious reader who typically has a number of titles open without delay, I do a reasonably good job of maintaining all my fictional characters and their respective worlds separate. Nonetheless, as an editor who juggles freelance work together with her personal inventive writing, typically my studying behavior falls by the wayside, and my present reads should go on pause. Once I lastly click on again into them, I typically get confused and expertise one thing alongside the traces of Jack Sparrow stepping onto the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.

Whereas I am not writing that off as a possible avenue for a implausible space-pirate crossover, I actually need to know what is going on on in my guide if I am studying to chill out or benefit from the story. Positive, I might open my cellphone or laptop computer and get a fast reminder, however that simply opens the door to doomscrolling on Instagram or TikTok. There is a motive folks love e-readers: distraction-free leisure.

Fortunately, there is a hidden characteristic solely two faucets away that may get you on top of things with out even leaving your guide. It is referred to as X-Ray, and I feel it is essentially the most underrated Kindle feature.

What’s Kindle X-Ray?

And the place you will discover it

X-Ray is a reference instrument inside your e-book that permits you to “see by” the story by mapping out each character, place, and noteworthy idea. It gives readers deeper insights, related passages, and typically even exterior context from sources like Wikipedia. It is out there on most books you purchase by Amazon, as metadata is pulled from the guide itself — however some authors additionally add additional data to X-Ray manually.

The X-Ray instrument is not new. In reality, Amazon rolled out the characteristic again in 2011. Nonetheless, most customers nonetheless do not make the most of it, in the event that they even realize it exists in any respect. To search out X-Ray, full the next steps:

1. Faucet the highest of the web page to open the menu.
2. Faucet the three dots on the far proper.
3. Choose X-Ray.

There are 4 tabs inside X-Ray: Notable Clips, Individuals, Phrases, and Pictures. Notable Clips is a curated assortment of essential passages that Amazon and publishers flag as significantly vital. It exhibits brief excerpts of memorable quotes, character introductions, turning factors, and in style highlights from different readers. It is principally the guide’s “biggest hits” reel on the subject of excerpts.

The Individuals tab is actually a catalog of each character talked about within the textual content. This one’s particularly helpful in the event you’re making an attempt to recollect a love curiosity, an enemy, or just which narrator you are following in that chapter. It first exhibits the characters on the present web page, however scrolling down reveals each character within the guide, their first or most memorable excerpts, and what number of instances they’re talked about all through.

Phrases acts as a glossary of ideas, places, occasions, or concepts that seem inside the textual content. It gives definitions, descriptions, and related quotes. As somebody who reads largely fantasy and sci-fi, I exploit this part essentially the most. For those who’ve ever learn (or needed to learn) Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I extremely suggest doing so on Kindle. I devoured that guide in a single sitting and was nonetheless confused by the handfuls of locations, forms of magic, and political alliances in that world.

Pictures is pretty self-explanatory: a visible index of each illustration, map, or picture embedded within the e-book. Many of the books I learn characteristic solely two photographs — the duvet artwork and the map at the start — however X-Ray makes referencing them easy. Once I learn A Court docket of Mist and Fury, I used to be continuously flipping again to the map of Prythian to see the place my favourite characters have been teleporting to and from.

Once you use X-Ray, you remove all of the confusion, page-flipping (or tapping), and psychological gymnastics it takes to select up the place you left off — or to remain oriented in a fancy story.

X-Ray will not be an AI abstract

But it surely did one thing comparable means earlier than it was cool

For those who seek for something on-line today, chances are high you will run into a fast TL;DR AI abstract. Left and proper, we’re being bombarded with machine-written blurbs that cease our analysis in its tracks with lazy roundups. X-Ray will not be that — and it by no means has been. It gives a deeper, extra considerate strategy to interact with a narrative by jogging your reminiscence as a substitute of pondering for you.

Kindle might simply fall down the AI rabbit gap, but it surely is aware of its viewers. Anybody who calls themselves a reader is in it for the love of the sport, not an AI shortcut. We need to learn and really feel extra — not simply skim a soulless gist and transfer on.

The very best instances to make use of X-Ray

I by no means need to learn with out it once more

Studying is my favourite pastime. After a few a long time of required studying, I am blissful to say that 80% of the time now, I am studying purely for enjoyment. Whereas I used to like selecting aside The Return of the King for my JRR Tolkien seminar in school, today, if I can not keep in mind Éomer’s complete arc, I simply open X-Ray for a fast reminder so I can maintain my studying momentum going.

Fantasy and science fiction tales are solely pretty much as good as their world-building — however that additionally means remembering numerous magic techniques (and their limitations), fictional cities and cities (typically even planets), villains, henchmen, allies, and forgotten facet characters who reappear for a full-circle second on the finish of an eight-book saga.

The clearest instance I can consider is the Throne of Glass collection by Sarah J Maas — it is a hill I am going to die on on the subject of character arcs and world-building. However inside these eight books, Maas does not overlook a single character. If you wish to really feel the total emotion of her storytelling, you may’t both. So when a beloved facet character briefly talked about within the first guide makes his comeback 4,500 pages later, it is form of a giant deal — however one which’s simple to overlook.