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 1000’s of tales by way of the E Ink pill and indulged in each style — from younger grownup dystopias to World Warfare II spy novellas. Whereas I principally persist 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 usually has a number of titles open without delay, I do a reasonably good job of conserving all my fictional characters and their respective worlds separate. Nevertheless, as an editor who juggles freelance work together with her personal artistic 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 improbable space-pirate crossover, I actually need to know what is going on on in my e book if I am studying to chill out or benefit from the story. Certain, I may 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 purpose individuals love e-readers: distraction-free leisure.

Fortunately, there is a hidden characteristic solely two faucets away that may get you up to the mark with out even leaving your e book. It is known as X-Ray, and I feel it is essentially the most underrated Kindle feature.

What’s Kindle X-Ray?

And the place you could find it

X-Ray is a reference software inside your e-book that allows you to “see by way of” the story by mapping out each character, place, and noteworthy idea. It affords readers deeper insights, related passages, and typically even exterior context from sources like Wikipedia. It is obtainable on most books you purchase by way of Amazon, as metadata is pulled from the e book itself — however some authors additionally add further info to X-Ray manually.

The X-Ray software is not new. Actually, Amazon rolled out the characteristic again in 2011. Nevertheless, most customers nonetheless do not make the most of it, in the event that they even comprehend it exists in any respect. To seek 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 Photos. Notable Clips is a curated assortment of essential passages that Amazon and publishers flag as notably vital. It exhibits brief excerpts of memorable quotes, character introductions, turning factors, and widespread highlights from different readers. It is mainly the e book’s “best hits” reel in relation to excerpts.

The Individuals tab is actually a catalog of each character talked about within the textual content. This one’s particularly helpful in case 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 e book, their first or most memorable excerpts, and what number of occasions they’re talked about all through.

Phrases acts as a glossary of ideas, places, occasions, or concepts that seem throughout the textual content. It offers definitions, descriptions, and related quotes. As somebody who reads principally fantasy and sci-fi, I exploit this part essentially the most. When you’ve ever learn (or wished to learn) Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I extremely advocate doing so on Kindle. I devoured that e book in a single sitting and was nonetheless confused by the handfuls of locations, sorts of magic, and political alliances in that world.

Photos is pretty self-explanatory: a visible index of each illustration, map, or photograph embedded within the e-book. Many of the books I learn characteristic solely two pictures — the duvet artwork and the map initially — 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.

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

X-Ray is just not an AI abstract

Nevertheless it did one thing related means earlier than it was cool

When you seek for something on-line lately, likelihood is 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 is just not that — and it by no means has been. It affords a deeper, extra considerate solution to have interaction with a narrative by jogging your reminiscence as a substitute of considering for you.

Kindle may simply fall down the AI rabbit gap, however it 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.

One of the best occasions 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 choosing aside The Return of the King for my JRR Tolkien seminar in school, lately, if I can not keep in mind Éomer’s whole 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 nearly as good as their world-building — however that additionally means remembering varied magic programs (and their limitations), fictional cities and cities (typically even planets), villains, henchmen, allies, and forgotten aspect 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 will die on in relation to character arcs and world-building. However inside these eight books, Maas would not neglect a single character. If you wish to really feel the total emotion of her storytelling, you may’t both. So when a beloved aspect character briefly talked about within the first e book makes his comeback 4,500 pages later, it is sort of an enormous deal — however one which’s straightforward to overlook.