The release of the Barnes & Noble Nook with GlowLight was a clear foreshadowing of Amazon’s retort with a similar e-reader-with-built-in-light; and this week we got to see that rebuttal in the form of the Kindle Paperwhite. But not only does this e-reader mock the GlowLight with its built-in light, it’s chock full of way more perks than we expected.

The Paperwhite features a backlit display, enhanced screen resolution and a throng of hand-tuned fonts customized specifically for the Kindle. E-bookworms can now choose from six font styles and eight sizes, making your reading experience truly exclusive to your literary fondness.

Furthermore, there are no buttons on the Paperwhite. They have all vanished, making for an exclusively touch-only device that is slight, comfortable in hand and all-in-all a homerun in the land of e-readers.

The Screen…

…you’re going to fall in love with it. In fact, during his presentation a t the devices launch this week, CEO Jeff Bezon noted that the Paperwhite screen is one no user will ever want to turn off – even when there’s no reading going on! The light that is emitted from the device is a soothing, ambient-type of glow rather than an intrusive bright glare, making it a perfect way to set the aura of your space, even when you’re not swiping through the pages.

Furthermore, Amazon has added 62% more pixels to this device making for a contrast that is 25% more pleasing than previous versions. The upshot: crisp, clear, glare-less text that is easy on the eyes, creating the utmost pleasurable e-reading adventure without the eye strain that a lot of other readers are notorious for causing avid bookworms. True to its name, the Kindle Paperwhite actually feels like you are skimming words on a piece of white paper, not on the screen of a trendy new gadget.

The New Features…

…will blow you away. “Time to Read” is a tool that analyses how fast you are reading, and then spits out how long you have left to read in a chapter or in the entire book based on the deciphered reading speed. Picture this: you’re on the train on your way to work, say, about 2 stops away from your destination. The last thing you want to do is start a new chapter and risk having to put the device away before you’re finished reading it. The Paperwhite will let you know whether or not you have enough time to devour that next chapter before having to stuff yourself in a cubicle for the next eight hours.

To Top it Off…

…there’s another bonus: The new Kindle Paperwhite boasts a battery life of 8 weeks – and that’s with the light on!

If You Are Ready to Purchase the Paperwhite…

…you can, because the new device is available for pre-ordering through Amazon and is expected to ship around October 1. Expect to pay about $180 for the 3G version or $119 for the Wi-Fi only version – not too shabby for something you’ll never want to let go of.