Or at least, I used to.
Something’s happened to me for the past few months. Maybe even the past few years. Lately I’ve been looking at my Goodreads account and wondering why it is that I don’t seem to have read as many books as I used to. Am I busier? Well, yes. I’ve got plenty of stuff going on in my life, no doubt. But that’s never made a difference to me before. In high school, I was working twenty hours a week, playing in orchestra, band, county band, dixie band, pit band, taking all AP classes, acting in the school play, playing a ton of video games and STILL reading a slew of books a month.
Reading is a priority for me. So why was it that despite feeling like I was still reading a lot, the actual “reading” part wasn’t happening?
I’ve taken a look around, and I’ve made a few experiments, and I’ve found the culprit: my iPad.
Ever since I got my iPad and started reading books on it, my books per month number has plummeted. It’s not because I don’t love reading. It’s because every time I pick up my iPad, there are so many other things I could be doing on it. Games to play, email to check, Facebook, Twitter, websites, weather, news, movies to watch, music to listen to–oh yeah. And books to read. Not only that, but it sends me notifications when I’m reading. “So and So just posted such and such on Facebook.”
I’m easily distracted. I have a lot of different interests, and I have trouble paying attention to all of them at the same time. And the result is that my iPad has been killing my reading. True story. I’ve stopped reading on it, and started reading those old things called “normal books,” and I’m reading a ton again. It’s made a huge difference, and it’s mainly because when I pick up a book, there’s only one thing I can do with it. (Well, two–if you count squishing spiders, which I do.) I get swept up in the story, and I lose track of time. Everything I’ve always loved about reading.
So will I never return to eBooks? Doubtful. There’s things about an eReader that really appeal to me. The ability to read at night and not bother Denisa. Instantaneous access to books, and no clutter. Also, I’m a technophile, so there’s that, too. But then again, which format to go with? I’m not interested in a Fire at all–I already have a tablet that works great for me. But I’m seriously looking at a Nook or one of the new regular kindles that are lit up. Something that’s exclusively for books. It’s been a while since I was looking for a gadget that had fewer capabilities–on purpose. But I want something that’s eBooks and nothing else. I’ll have to weigh my options.
In the meantime, there’s all these lovely physical pages waiting for me . . .
I’m still a fan of paper books. Especially because they are easier to trade and sell if you don’t want them anymore. Almost all of my books now come as hand-me-downs from my mother’s book clubs. Sorry authors, but this way I read about 3 books a month rather than one.
-Becky
No need to apologize for reading–ever. The more readers there are, the more books are sold. Fact. 🙂