People aren’t reading much anymore. Or are they?
I haven’t been a big reader since I left school. I always found magazines to be appealing for sure, and also read a ton of things online. But books weren’t really something I actively read much.
In the past several years, my reading of books has picked up. I think it’s been a combination of wanting to read more and… the Kindle app on my iPad. It’s more convenient for me, and that’s a big deal. Coupled with Instapaper and RSS, I feel like I’m reading more – in general – than ever before. Books are still the laggards, for now.
Posted in Everyday Life, Pop Culture
Dave Walls October 16, 2011, 8:26 pm
I *want* to read more, but I end up with magazines and reading online. I’ve maybe read 3-4 books in the last 5 years.
My wife, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. She can’t wait to curl up with a book, and is not a big read-on-the-computer/Kindle type of person. To each, their own.
Frank Booker October 17, 2011, 1:53 pm
I like it all. There’s something exhilarating about going to the library and coming home with three or four books.
I also like my Sony reader, especially for public domain stuff. The Guttenburg project is a great source for free reading. The library has downloadable books, but the two-week checkout time is frustrating, because I have several books going at the same time.
I also like audio books, especially on long drives. These can be downloaded from some libraries for free, and there is an ancilary to the Guttenburg project called Librivox.
If anyone would like to read something for librivox, go to librivox.org to find out how to volunteer.
Ryan October 18, 2011, 8:29 am
I’ve remained a pretty consistent reader of books over the years. I usually finish between 15 and 20 in a year of wildly varying length and complexity. I own a Kindle, but I’d say my book reading is still about 3/4 in paper format.
I used to receive a lot of magazines, but now most of my longform article reading is done on my Kindle thanks to Instapaper.
Overall, I’d say my reading has stayed pretty steady, perhaps with a slight increase thanks to how pleasant the Kindle makes reading articles I find throughout the day and mark with Instapaper.