Wow. This does sound like a bit of a battery nightmare. I really do hate to deprive you of your device, but this seems like something our tech can take care of so you won't have to be in battery limbo while you read.
Please send an email to
support@astak.com today, and highlight the main problems you are currently having with your battery/device. I will be here all day, so I can prod them into responding right away.
If you do choose to send it in and our tech doesn't have a 'magic restore' trick I'm unaware of, then I suggest maybe head to the library for a week or so. I know, I know. It's not the same. I have a knack for finding boogers and cigarette butts between library book pages, it's true.