The Kindle’s most underrated function 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 principally persist with science fiction and romantasies these days, my Kindle Library is crammed 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 protecting all my fictional characters and their respective worlds separate. Nonetheless, 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 strains 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 really want to know what is going on on in my guide if I am studying to loosen up or benefit from the story. Certain, 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 individuals love e-readers: distraction-free leisure.

Fortunately, there is a hidden function 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 probably the most underrated Kindle feature.

What’s Kindle X-Ray?

And the place you’ll find it

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

The X-Ray device is not new. In actual fact, Amazon rolled out the function 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 Photos. Notable Clips is a curated assortment of vital passages that Amazon and publishers flag as notably vital. It exhibits brief excerpts of memorable quotes, character introductions, turning factors, and in style highlights from different readers. It is mainly the guide’s “biggest hits” reel in the case of excerpts.

The Individuals tab is basically a catalog of each character talked about within the textual content. This one’s particularly helpful for those who’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 throughout the textual content. It offers definitions, descriptions, and related quotes. As somebody who reads principally fantasy and sci-fi, I take advantage of this part probably the most. If you happen to’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.

Photos is pretty self-explanatory: a visible index of each illustration, map, or picture embedded within the e-book. A lot of the books I learn function solely two photographs — the quilt 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 consistently flipping again to the map of Prythian to see the place my favourite characters have been teleporting to and from.

While 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 isn’t an AI abstract

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

If you happen to seek for something on-line today, 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 isn’t that — and it by no means has been. It affords a deeper, extra considerate technique to have interaction 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 wish to learn and really feel extra — not simply skim a soulless gist and transfer on.

The most effective instances 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 completely satisfied 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 faculty, today, if I am unable to keep in mind Éomer’s total arc, I simply open X-Ray for a fast reminder so I can hold my studying momentum going.

Fantasy and science fiction tales are solely nearly as good as their world-building — however that additionally means remembering numerous 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 sequence by Sarah J Maas — it is a hill I will die on in the case of character arcs and world-building. However inside these eight books, Maas does not neglect a single character. If you wish to really feel the total emotion of her storytelling, you’ll be able to’t both. So when a beloved aspect character briefly talked about within the first guide makes his comeback 4,500 pages later, it is form of an enormous deal — however one which’s straightforward to overlook.