Some of you may remember my diagnosis of Best Disease from nearly three years ago. I haven’t talked much about it since. I’ve mostly learned to cope with splotchy vision, one way or another. My best friends have become “command plus” (sometimes repeatedly!) on my laptop, increasing the font size and spacing on my Kindle, and that my iPhone and most of its apps have options for easier viewing.
One of the things I’ve missed a lot is my Bible. I simply can’t read it any more (along with many paperbacks). I’ve really enjoyed the Holy Bible app, but it’s harder to find random verses. I use Bible Gateway a lot for that, but that’s not helpful at church or camping…or if I’m trying to stay offline lest I get distracted!
So I jumped aboard the minute I saw Zondervan offering a review copy of their new NIV Read Easy Bible. I’ve had it for a few days now.
Here’s what I like about it:
I can read it! I can read a few pages before my eyes start to get tired, instead of a few paragraphs. The type-face is clear. Here are the two Bibles together (and I hadn’t realized how much the NIV has been adapted since it first came out!) I inserted the image below in original format if you want to click and have a closer look.
It’s a great looking and feeling Bible. It’s not a lot larger than my old Bible. Same length, a hair narrower, and maybe 3/2 the thickness. The Ultra Thin really was ultrathin, so this is still comfortable to carry. The cover is fake leather with a nicely detailed edge (see top photo). The pages are a little thicker on the Read Easy, and silver edged like my old Bible.
What I don’t like:
The extra-biblical content is in small type. By this I mean the Table of Contents and Preface (front) and Table of Weights and Measures (back). It seems to me that if you’re specifically making a Bible for people with poor vision, that every word in it, not just the biblical text, should be readable for that audience.
The dedication page is boring. It doesn’t have to be calligraphed, but this one is super plain. It would have taken someone half an hour to design a more elegant page.
What I will miss:
This NIV Read Easy Bible did not claim to have a concordance, maps, or center reference columns, so I can’t fault it for not having them. However, as this will become my primary Bible, I can say that I will miss those features.
Also, I’m not particularly fond of the “Jesus’words in red” feature, which this Bible has. This is simply a personal preference. I was worried the red would be difficult to read, but it’s a dark enough burgundy that it works.
All in all, I’m delighted to have a Bible again that I can easily read and carry with me. Thank you to Zondervan and BookLook Bloggers for this review copy. If you’re looking for an easy-to-read or large print Bible, check this one out. Here’s what the box looks like: