My kindle is really my preferred way to read a book now.
The android app is pretty nice too. When I read on my nexus it gives me an estimate, based on current page turning speed I assume, of how many minutes it will take to finish the chapter. That is really awesome. But the nexus is thicker, heavier and has shorter battery life than the kindle.
Mine has lasted me quite a while. My kids have had issues with theirs but our experience has been the same as yours. Amazon service has been outstanding and we've had no problem getting replacements. And for a family it is ideal. Everyone is connected to my account. When we buy a book from Amazon (or email it in from Calibre) then everyone can read it.