Power outage reading
What to Read (and Do) During a Power Outage: A Ready.gov Checklist for Readers
Power out? Ready.gov's kit first, then how to read for days without draining your phone: downloaded Kindle, weeks of battery, and paperbacks.
The short answer
Before you think about books, get the basics Ready.gov lists in its Build A Kit page: one gallon of water per person per day for several days, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a first aid kit, extra batteries, and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery. Ready.gov also lists books, games, puzzles or other activities for children. Then, for the long dark hours, the best reading setup is a downloaded e-reader (weeks of battery) plus a paperback (no battery at all), so your phone stays charged for calls and alerts.
Also for: United Kingdom · Worldwide
What Ready.gov says to do in an outage
The Power Outages page (updated June 4, 2026) adds the outage-specific steps:
- Plan for batteries and alternative power, such as a portable charger or power bank.
- Have flashlights for every household member.
- Keep the fridge and freezer closed. A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours; a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours.
- Throw out food that has reached 40°F or higher.
The outage checklist (with a reading line)
| Area | What | Source | ✔ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 1 gallon per person per day, several days | Ready.gov kit | ☐ |
| Food | Non-perishable, no-cook | Ready.gov kit | ☐ |
| Light | Flashlight for each person, extra batteries | Ready.gov outages | ☐ |
| News | Battery or hand-crank radio | Ready.gov kit | ☐ |
| Phone | Chargers and a backup battery | Ready.gov kit | ☐ |
| Family | Books, games, puzzles for kids | Ready.gov kit | ☐ |
| Reading | E-reader charged, books downloaded; one paperback | Our suggestion | ☐ |
Water and food first
Read nothing until this is done. Pick food you already eat that needs no fridge or cooking: canned beans and tuna, peanut butter, crackers, cereal, dried fruit. Eat from the fridge first, then the freezer, then the pantry, and keep both doors shut.
Light: flashlights, not candles
Ready.gov wants a flashlight for every household member. That matters for reading too: a headlamp or a small battery lamp lets you read without an open flame. If you have an e-reader with a front light, it is its own lamp.
Your phone is for emergencies, not for chapters
Your phone is your radio backup, your alert receiver and your way to reach family. Save its battery first: low-power mode, dim screen, Wi-Fi off when there's nothing to join, and keep the power bank for it. That's why we'd keep long reading off the phone.
Why an e-reader is the outage book
Amazon's own device list gives the battery figures: the current Kindle Paperwhite lasts up to 12 weeks, Kindle Colorsoft up to 8 weeks, and the basic Kindle up to 6 weeks on a charge (Amazon: Identify your Kindle e-reader). The Paperwhite product page explains that the 12-week figure assumes about half an hour of reading a day with wireless off and the light at setting 13 (Amazon Kindle Paperwhite). Weeks, not hours, is the point. A phone is your lifeline in an outage; an e-reader isn't, so reading on it costs you nothing you need.
Download before the storm. Books in your Kindle library have to be on the device to read with no Wi-Fi. Open each book once while you're still connected, so it's stored on the device, and charge the e-reader when you charge the power bank.
Why a paperback is even better
A paperback has no battery, no download and no screen. Put one in the kit next to the flashlight.
Reading as calm for the family
Hours in the dark go slowly, and Ready.gov puts books on the kit list for a reason. A few habits that help:
- Read aloud by flashlight. One reader, one lamp, everyone else listening. It saves batteries and it calms a room.
- Pick short sittings. A chapter, then check the radio.
- Keep the news to the hour. Endless updates drain both phone and nerves.
- Give kids their own book and lamp, so they have something to hold and control.
Three novels for a long night without power
This site exists for three standalone novels by Simran Mehta, set aboard a train that runs between worlds. They are adult literary fiction, not children's books: quiet, strange, often sad, the kind of story you finish in an evening or two. All three are on Kindle and free to borrow with Kindle Unlimited; Books Two and Three are also in paperback, which is the version we'd put in an outage kit.
- The Train Between Worlds (Book One). You wake on a train with no name, no past and a ticket that reads Destination: Unknown. The site calls it the most dreamlike of the three, "more unsettling than sad". Kindle only, free to borrow with Kindle Unlimited. Read on Kindle
- The Memory Fare (Book Two). Six years after her daughter vanished, Cora Marsh finds her handwriting on a luggage tag and boards a train where every door costs one true memory of June. About 24,000 words, "a long evening", and the saddest of the three. Kindle · Paperback
- The Forty-Year Passenger (Book Three). A standalone where new readers can start, built around notebooks recording four hundred and eleven people. Kindle · Paperback
Not sure where to start? Each is standalone; see the reading order.
Special needs
Ready.gov lists prescription medicines, glasses, infant formula, diapers and pet supplies. Large-print settings on an e-reader help readers who struggle with small type in low light. If anyone relies on powered medical equipment, plan a backup with their provider before an outage.
Sources
- Ready.gov, Build A Kit: https://www.ready.gov/kit
- Ready.gov, Power Outages (updated June 4, 2026): https://www.ready.gov/power-outages
- Amazon, Identify your Kindle e-reader: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GK33S847NN4V6Y83
- Amazon, Kindle Paperwhite product page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFPJYX7P
Before the next storm
Charge the power bank, download your books, and put a paperback in the kit. Start with The Memory Fare in paperback or on Kindle.
FAQ
Questions about reading in a power cut
What should I do during a power outage?
Follow Ready.gov: use flashlights not candles, keep the fridge and freezer closed, save your phone battery and keep a power bank, and listen to a battery or hand-crank radio.
What can I read during a power outage?
A paperback needs no power, and an e-reader lasts weeks per charge (Amazon lists up to 12 weeks for Kindle Paperwhite). Download e-books before the outage and keep your phone for emergencies.
Can I read Kindle books without Wi-Fi?
Yes, if they are already downloaded to the device. Open each book once while connected so it is stored locally.
Are these novels suitable for children?
No. The Train Between Worlds novels are adult literary fiction. For kids, Ready.gov suggests books, games and puzzles suited to their age.