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 through the E Ink pill and indulged in each style — from younger grownup dystopias to World Struggle II spy novellas. Whereas I largely follow 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 directly, I do a reasonably good job of holding 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. After 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 e book if I am studying to calm down or benefit from the story. Certain, I may open my telephone 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 on top of things with out even leaving your e book. It is referred to as X-Ray, and I feel it is probably the most underrated Kindle feature.

What’s Kindle X-Ray?

And the place you will discover it

X-Ray is a reference device inside your e-book that permits you to “see by” 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 accessible on most books you purchase by Amazon, as metadata is pulled from the e book itself — however some authors additionally add additional data to X-Ray manually.

The X-Ray device is not new. In truth, 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 understand 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 necessary passages that Amazon and publishers flag as notably vital. It exhibits quick excerpts of memorable quotes, character introductions, turning factors, and standard highlights from different readers. It is principally the e book’s “biggest hits” reel with regards to excerpts.

The Individuals tab is basically 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 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 supplies definitions, descriptions, and related quotes. As somebody who reads largely fantasy and sci-fi, I take advantage of this part probably the most. If you happen to’ve ever learn (or wished to learn) Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I extremely suggest doing so on Kindle. I devoured that e book in a single sitting and was nonetheless confused by the handfuls of locations, forms of magic, and political alliances in that world.

Photos 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 pictures — the quilt artwork and the map at first — however X-Ray makes referencing them easy. After I learn A Court docket of Mist and Fury, I used to be continually 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 eradicate 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 posh story.

X-Ray isn’t an AI abstract

However it did one thing comparable manner earlier than it was cool

If you happen to seek for something on-line as of late, 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 isn’t that — and it by no means has been. It affords a deeper, extra considerate strategy to interact with a narrative by jogging your reminiscence as a substitute of considering for you.

Kindle may 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 wish to learn and really feel extra — not simply skim a soulless gist and transfer on.

The most effective occasions to make use of X-Ray

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

Studying is my favourite pastime. After a few many years of required studying, I am glad 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, as of late, 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 varied 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 with regards 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 complete emotion of her storytelling, you may’t both. So when a beloved facet character briefly talked about within the first e book makes his comeback 4,500 pages later, it is type of a giant deal — however one which’s straightforward to overlook.