As any old-school bibliophile will be happy to tell you, there's something to be said for the look and feel of a book made from a tree.

The swish of the pages, the weight of the words, the way the spines line up on the shelf.

They're also bound to tell you, of course, that paper books have their own seductive smell, before you even get your nose stuck into them.

On the other side of the great debate, there are those who will argue that a paper book can't possibly hold a candle to a Kindle.

On the understanding that it doesn’t matter what you read or how you read — it only matters that you read — let's take a look at some of the reasons why.

1. You can take your library wherever you go. The latest Kindle Paperwhite, the 11th generation of Amazon’s breakthrough electronic reading device, features 16 GB or 32 GB of storage. This means you can store thousands of books or documents for easy access on the go. No need to choose a single hefty tome for your holiday or Home Affairs queue read. Take them all and flip between them as you please, on a device that weighs next to nothing.

   
   

2. The battery lasts for weeks. It's true that a paper book never needs a battery, but the Kindle lasts so long on a single charge that it hardly matters. Based on 30 minutes a day of reading, with the WiFi switched off, a Kindle can carry on kindling for more than two months before it needs a boost.

   
   

3. The screen is ideal for a little light reading. Or a lot of light reading, if you prefer. The Kindle Paperwhite’s 6.8” display, about the size of a paperback book, is easy on the eyes and is glare-free even in bright sunlight. At night, you can lower the brightness and adjust the warmth of the display for bedtime reading. You can also choose from a variety of typefaces and type-sizes to suit your own eyes.

   
   

4. You can lose yourself in a book without getting lost in a book. While there is something satisfying about slipping a bookmark into a paper book, nothing can beat the Kindle's ease of navigation. Your place is auto-bookmarked as you go along, and you can search for words or phrases, highlight passages, and take notes to enhance your reading experience. Books purchased online from Amazon’s Kindle Store also feature “shared highlights”, allowing you to get a glimpse of other readers’ noteworthy moments.

   
   

5. You can expand your vocabulary as you read. Sesquipedalian? Consanguineous? Antidisestablishmentarianism? Just tap on the word on your Kindle, and the definition will pop up in a flash, along with further info from Wikipedia and a translation if required. It’s a quick and easy way to broaden your horizons and add new words and facts to your daily discourse.

   
   

6. You can listen to an audiobook. Kindles aren’t just for reading. Buy an audiobook through the Kindle Store on your device, pair a pair of Bluetooth earphones, and you can sit back and have someone else read to you for a change.

   
   

7. The Kindle can take a splash. While it’s never a great idea to read in the rain or on an ocean wave, the Kindle, unlike a paper book, is built to withstand a little immersion in H2O.

The Kindle Paperwhite is available on Takealot or at Incredible Connection. The 16 GB sells for around R3,400, and the 32 GB for around R5,300, subject to availability.