7 ms·

I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day f

I've gone from reading 10 books a year to reading 25+ books a year over the last few years. Mostly I've cut down on my screen time. I am on a computer all day for work but once I go home I try to spend as little time as possible on a computer. What do I do now? Come home, do yoga for 15-30 minutes, make tea, meditate for 10 minutes, read for 15 - 50 minutes. Then I'll allow myself to do other things that may occupy my time. I'll admit that as a single man without kids I have a lot more freedom over my schedule but this is very similar to my morning routine. At the minimum I've got 30 minutes of reading and 20 minutes of meditation in my day every day. This has done wonders for my ADD brain. The other big thing is focuses on books I know I'll enjoy. For me that means Sci-Fi fiction novels and Magical Realism books. Also if I find myself not wanting to pick up the book then I'll move on from it. Right now I'm reading alternating Murakami book, Vonnegut books, and books from The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) series. Are they all at the level or War and Peace? No. But I enjoy them and that's what maters. P.S. I've got a kindle paperwhite which is IMO the best e reading device I've ever used. It sits in my draw while paper stack up around my house and near my bedside. It just doesnt feel the same. It's great for when I'm going to be traveling and need a few novels but dont have the space in my travel bag.

malloreon 8y ago
If I had to decide between keeping my iPhone and keeping ky paperwhite, I just might go paperwhite. And I write iOS apps for a living.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
ByThyGrace 8y ago
Getting an e-ink reader is the reason I've had a similar boost in reading hours, also over the last few years. The thing's fantastic. I don't even mind the low dpi, or the delayed responsiveness (it's not slower than turning a paper page). I bring it with me and read anywhere. It does not have the attention seeking alerts nor the eye-straining of a back-lighted smartphone. There's under a dozen simultaneous books I'm reading at any given time, spanning both fiction and non-fiction, and have already put 1500+ hours on it (the device has nifty time tracking stats!). To me it's about the niftiest piece of consumer tech the industry has put out the past two decades.
- int_19h 8y ago
  Smartphones are great for books, but you need an OLED screen (and hence no backlight). I was a very early adopter of eInk tech - got into it when Chinese started making the first affordable alternatives to the very first Kindle. It was great, but eventually, the smartphone won out of sheer convenience - it's always there in the pocket with me, so whenever I have to wait on the go, I can just whip it out and continue reading.
- wowtip 8y ago
  Yes, I recently got a Kobo Aura One. At 7.8" and high resolution screen it is not much different from reading a largish pocket book. Also being able to read in the dark without disturbing the wife, thanks to screen back light is also a big plus. But even with bigger screen and higher resolution than most e-ink readers, it is still a bit small to read most magazines comfortably, which was a bit of a disappointment to me. I read some ebooks on my phone before, but as you say, it does not compare. You have constant distractions and reading on a phone / tablet outside in daylight is no fun.
  - bb101 8y ago
    I have a Kobo Aura One too -- it's really a fantastic device. Waterproof (bathtime reading), large screen and "open" to all e-book formats. I used to have a Kindle but felt like I was reading a book on a postage stamp.
- Taylor_OD 8y ago
  Yes - I wish I enjoyed my kindle paperwhite more because it is so incredibly useful. It's so useful because although I havnt touched it in months I'm sure it still has a 50%+ charge.
  - ByThyGrace 8y ago
    Battery life is mindblowing too! E-ink wastes so little electricity, that a single charge may last me two or three months.
gdubs 8y ago
I’m also reading more books than I ever have — and I have kids. Partly it’s because the library is a fun thing for us to do as a family, but also because it’s easier for me to wind down with a book than a screen when they go to bed. I tend to check out more books than I’ll actually read, looking for the ones that really grab me; I read those through to completion. The ones that change me fundamentally, I buy a copy to hold on to. I did the Marie Kondo discarding thing with books a couple of years back and it opened up a lot of shelf space; it’s very useful for keeping an always rotating stack of books from the library.
- Taylor_OD 8y ago
  I just joined the library near me (Shout out for the incredible Harold Washington Library in Chicago!) and I've realized that It's a great way to test books out from authors I don't know about. It's also great for e books as you can check them out without even going to the library.
ma2rten 8y ago
I don't read a lot because I have ADHD which makes it hard to focus. Do you also have that problem?
- smt88 8y ago
  I had a problem focusing on reading until I started just listening to books on Audible while doing chores or taking walks. The physical activity occupies my mind enough to allow me to focus on the content.
  - heurist 8y ago
    Same here. I listen while driving, cleaning, and walking my dogs and am able to focus much better on the content of the book. I went from struggling to finish 3-5 paper books per year to completely finishing 20-30 audiobooks per year. I am often disappointed with the limited selection on Audible for things I am interested in, though.
    - pnutjam 8y ago
      I read epub and let my phone read them to me using TTS.
      - heurist 8y ago
        Are you happy with the voice? Would you be able to listen to it for 2-3 hours straight or would the computer voice become grating?
        tough_luck 8y ago
        Try ivona tts kendra voice. It was available on play store but not anymore so you'll have to workaround to install it.
        pnutjam 8y ago
        I use the Samsung voice. It's great. I don't really like the voice actin in audiobooks. I just want to hear the story. The google one is tolerable, but Samsung's is super nice.
andrepd 8y ago
I've got a venerable kobo touch. Rocking 2000 hours ;)

malloreon 8y ago

If I had to decide between keeping my iPhone and keeping ky paperwhite, I just might go paperwhite. And I write iOS apps for a living.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

ByThyGrace 8y ago

Getting an e-ink reader is the reason I've had a similar boost in reading hours, also over the last few years. The thing's fantastic. I don't even mind the low dpi, or the delayed responsiveness (it's not slower than turning a paper page). I bring it with me and read anywhere. It does not have the attention seeking alerts nor the eye-straining of a back-lighted smartphone. There's under a dozen simultaneous books I'm reading at any given time, spanning both fiction and non-fiction, and have already put 1500+ hours on it (the device has nifty time tracking stats!). To me it's about the niftiest piece of consumer tech the industry has put out the past two decades.

int_19h 8y ago
Smartphones are great for books, but you need an OLED screen (and hence no backlight). I was a very early adopter of eInk tech - got into it when Chinese started making the first affordable alternatives to the very first Kindle. It was great, but eventually, the smartphone won out of sheer convenience - it's always there in the pocket with me, so whenever I have to wait on the go, I can just whip it out and continue reading.
wowtip 8y ago
Yes, I recently got a Kobo Aura One. At 7.8" and high resolution screen it is not much different from reading a largish pocket book. Also being able to read in the dark without disturbing the wife, thanks to screen back light is also a big plus. But even with bigger screen and higher resolution than most e-ink readers, it is still a bit small to read most magazines comfortably, which was a bit of a disappointment to me. I read some ebooks on my phone before, but as you say, it does not compare. You have constant distractions and reading on a phone / tablet outside in daylight is no fun.
- bb101 8y ago
  I have a Kobo Aura One too -- it's really a fantastic device. Waterproof (bathtime reading), large screen and "open" to all e-book formats. I used to have a Kindle but felt like I was reading a book on a postage stamp.
Taylor_OD 8y ago
Yes - I wish I enjoyed my kindle paperwhite more because it is so incredibly useful. It's so useful because although I havnt touched it in months I'm sure it still has a 50%+ charge.
- ByThyGrace 8y ago
  Battery life is mindblowing too! E-ink wastes so little electricity, that a single charge may last me two or three months.

gdubs 8y ago

I’m also reading more books than I ever have — and I have kids. Partly it’s because the library is a fun thing for us to do as a family, but also because it’s easier for me to wind down with a book than a screen when they go to bed. I tend to check out more books than I’ll actually read, looking for the ones that really grab me; I read those through to completion. The ones that change me fundamentally, I buy a copy to hold on to. I did the Marie Kondo discarding thing with books a couple of years back and it opened up a lot of shelf space; it’s very useful for keeping an always rotating stack of books from the library.

Taylor_OD 8y ago
I just joined the library near me (Shout out for the incredible Harold Washington Library in Chicago!) and I've realized that It's a great way to test books out from authors I don't know about. It's also great for e books as you can check them out without even going to the library.

ma2rten 8y ago

I don't read a lot because I have ADHD which makes it hard to focus. Do you also have that problem?

smt88 8y ago
I had a problem focusing on reading until I started just listening to books on Audible while doing chores or taking walks. The physical activity occupies my mind enough to allow me to focus on the content.
- heurist 8y ago
  Same here. I listen while driving, cleaning, and walking my dogs and am able to focus much better on the content of the book. I went from struggling to finish 3-5 paper books per year to completely finishing 20-30 audiobooks per year. I am often disappointed with the limited selection on Audible for things I am interested in, though.
  - pnutjam 8y ago
    I read epub and let my phone read them to me using TTS.
    - heurist 8y ago
      Are you happy with the voice? Would you be able to listen to it for 2-3 hours straight or would the computer voice become grating?
      - tough_luck 8y ago
        Try ivona tts kendra voice. It was available on play store but not anymore so you'll have to workaround to install it.
      - pnutjam 8y ago
        I use the Samsung voice. It's great. I don't really like the voice actin in audiobooks. I just want to hear the story. The google one is tolerable, but Samsung's is super nice.

andrepd 8y ago

I've got a venerable kobo touch. Rocking 2000 hours ;)