I have never been able to read books on an electronic device. It just doesn’t seem the same as holding a real book in your hands. Obviously for reasons such as room requirements for storage, etc, electronic media might be preferable but…
I switched primarily to audio books. As a runner and a person with a commute to work, this is my way of staying “reading”. Otherwise I always buy a book in the airport. Sadly I am not traveling as much as I used to. This year I am on book 4. I typically stick to non-fiction while driving. For everything else I love mysteries and thrillers.
The pleasure of reading a real book is partly being able to escape a screen. I have a book or craft with me always. I used to take a book everywhere but the constant presence of televisions in waiting rooms has driven me to take a pin loom instead in those situations as concentration is difficult. Relaxing in a hot bath with a book and a glass of wine is one of life’s simple pleasures.
The biggest thing for me was changing the kind of books I read. When I was younger I read almost exclusively SciFi and fantasy. I don't know it if those genres have gotten worse or they just don't interest me but I can barely get through any SciFi and pretty much no fantasy books now. History is usually what I have no problem with. And since I'm a middle aged man, it's mostly WW2 history. (I don't think I've ever been more stereotypical).
Those genres have absolutely gotten worse. You can still find good stuff, but it's all indie these days, and I'm sure there's a lot of garbage to wade through to find what you like. I write my own these days.
I prefer hard copies, especially for nonfiction that I’ll take notes in. For lack of room to store them I get Kindle books.
Recently started audiobooks books for something I need to know but want to get through fast so I listen to it at 2x speed while commuting or door dashing.
Monthly I do a book review which is more “look at this cool book I read and these quotes stuck out and this is why.”
- Help from audiobooks for those of us with tired (computer weary) eyes or vision issues. Bonus is when actors / narrators use a range of accents for multiple characters.
- Join a book club to create a commitment to finish reading a book in time to discuss it intelligently. (The Phetasy book club is currently reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' and I've put myself on a disciplined schedule in order to complete it in time, so this is the end of my reply.)
This is all great advice. I also want to add, if you're having trouble getting off your phone, get a kSafe timed lockbox. It's embarrassing to admit, but sometime the first minute of being separated from my phone actually makes me anxious… but after a few minutes, my desire to be on my phone completely evaporates and it's easy to go pick up a book.
I jealously guard my reading time. In recent years I have delved more into non-fiction, historical and cultural genres. My challenge to change is, I have found that I stop a good book, in which I am seriously interested, in order to begin a new one that is brought to my attention. I need to discipline myself to finish a book before I order another. Today I ordered “The Queering of American Children”, reviewed by you, and now…here’s another I ‘need” to order. Get my drift?
I typically am in the middle of one to three books on Buddhism, two self-help, two specific to a therapeutic topic (therapeutic for my particular issues), two to four history or sociology, and a novel. Memoirs and novels are the only genres I regard it to be weird to stop before finishing, and start another one. The others all take energy and focus and effort so waiting and letting a chapter or concept or whatever sink in for a few days (while reading something else during my reading time) works really well for me.
Distraction certainly slows my progress through gigatons of books that I have in physical form, kindle books that I have, and even more that I’ve bookmarked. But I’ve also noticed that I’d begun reading fiction because it’s more fun. My history, cosmology, and other weightier subjects take a back burner because I have to slow down to think about the material. Reading something that you have to think through really slows you down. But worth it.
I have never been able to read books on an electronic device. It just doesn’t seem the same as holding a real book in your hands. Obviously for reasons such as room requirements for storage, etc, electronic media might be preferable but…
It took me awhile to get used to it, but I can do both easily now.
I switched primarily to audio books. As a runner and a person with a commute to work, this is my way of staying “reading”. Otherwise I always buy a book in the airport. Sadly I am not traveling as much as I used to. This year I am on book 4. I typically stick to non-fiction while driving. For everything else I love mysteries and thrillers.
The pleasure of reading a real book is partly being able to escape a screen. I have a book or craft with me always. I used to take a book everywhere but the constant presence of televisions in waiting rooms has driven me to take a pin loom instead in those situations as concentration is difficult. Relaxing in a hot bath with a book and a glass of wine is one of life’s simple pleasures.
The biggest thing for me was changing the kind of books I read. When I was younger I read almost exclusively SciFi and fantasy. I don't know it if those genres have gotten worse or they just don't interest me but I can barely get through any SciFi and pretty much no fantasy books now. History is usually what I have no problem with. And since I'm a middle aged man, it's mostly WW2 history. (I don't think I've ever been more stereotypical).
Those genres have absolutely gotten worse. You can still find good stuff, but it's all indie these days, and I'm sure there's a lot of garbage to wade through to find what you like. I write my own these days.
I prefer hard copies, especially for nonfiction that I’ll take notes in. For lack of room to store them I get Kindle books.
Recently started audiobooks books for something I need to know but want to get through fast so I listen to it at 2x speed while commuting or door dashing.
Monthly I do a book review which is more “look at this cool book I read and these quotes stuck out and this is why.”
A few of my own incentives:
- Help from audiobooks for those of us with tired (computer weary) eyes or vision issues. Bonus is when actors / narrators use a range of accents for multiple characters.
- Join a book club to create a commitment to finish reading a book in time to discuss it intelligently. (The Phetasy book club is currently reading 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' and I've put myself on a disciplined schedule in order to complete it in time, so this is the end of my reply.)
This is all great advice. I also want to add, if you're having trouble getting off your phone, get a kSafe timed lockbox. It's embarrassing to admit, but sometime the first minute of being separated from my phone actually makes me anxious… but after a few minutes, my desire to be on my phone completely evaporates and it's easy to go pick up a book.
I jealously guard my reading time. In recent years I have delved more into non-fiction, historical and cultural genres. My challenge to change is, I have found that I stop a good book, in which I am seriously interested, in order to begin a new one that is brought to my attention. I need to discipline myself to finish a book before I order another. Today I ordered “The Queering of American Children”, reviewed by you, and now…here’s another I ‘need” to order. Get my drift?
I typically am in the middle of one to three books on Buddhism, two self-help, two specific to a therapeutic topic (therapeutic for my particular issues), two to four history or sociology, and a novel. Memoirs and novels are the only genres I regard it to be weird to stop before finishing, and start another one. The others all take energy and focus and effort so waiting and letting a chapter or concept or whatever sink in for a few days (while reading something else during my reading time) works really well for me.
Distraction certainly slows my progress through gigatons of books that I have in physical form, kindle books that I have, and even more that I’ve bookmarked. But I’ve also noticed that I’d begun reading fiction because it’s more fun. My history, cosmology, and other weightier subjects take a back burner because I have to slow down to think about the material. Reading something that you have to think through really slows you down. But worth it.