Reading in the dark

[sraun]

Yeah, I know - it's a silly subject. But it's a serious question.

I recently got a Kindle. I've been trying to decide if I want the Amazon Deluxe Case with Built-In LED Light, or something cheaper. And I've been thinking about my reading habits. I haven't read by anything other than ambient light since I was in elementary school, reading by flashlight under the covers when I was supposed to be sleeping.

My options:
1) Get the fancy Amazon cover - pros: all in one, only one thing to carry; cons: all in one, more expensive, heavier
2) Get a plainer cover and an external light - pros: possibly cheaper, possibly lighter; cons: adds another thing to my 'carry around' pile
3) Get a plainer cover: pros: probably cheaper, probably lighter, only one thing to carry, can upgrade to option 2 at my convenience; cons: can't read in the dark

So, here's the question: if you own an eInk-based ereader - Kindle, non-color Nook, some Sony devices - how often do you read on it using a booklight or other light source that just illuminates the device? Is this more or less frequently than you read dead tree books by booklight or similar illumination?

If you have an opinion - regardless of whether or not you own a relevant ereader - which of my options would you go for, and why?

ETA: FYI, part of what's going on here is I'm trying to convince myself that I'd actually find the light useful. So I'm likely to be poking fairly hard at some of the 'yes' entries, to try to figure out if they really apply to me.

Comments

[queenortart.livejournal.com]

I really really like the Amazon cover and reading with the light seems to work very well. It also feels very protected in my bag, and it folds out nicely to feel like you are reading a book.

[sraun]

Which matches what I've learned elsewhere.

The question is - how much do you actually use the light? Did getting the light lead to a behavior change, or did you read in circumstances where you would have to use a booklight for your dead-tree books before getting your Kindle?

[queenortart.livejournal.com]

I only inherited it recently so I've only used the light in anger twice, and it worked very well, but I'm doing two overnight flights in the next week so expect to use it then.

[sraun]

In the past, I've been very happy with the light level and location that the plane provided for the individual lights.

FYI, part of what's going on here is I'm trying to convince myself that I'd actually find it useful. So I'm likely to be poking fairly hard at some of the 'yes' entries, to try to figure out if they really apply to me.