1. My reading habits are like everyone of my hobbies, I’m obsessed for a week then move on to a new pursuit then come back to reading several months later.
2. I read text books about Aztec history.
3. I’m a year away from 40 and I’m coming to terms with being alone for the rest of my life (which is exactly the same leading up to this point).
4. I bought a book stand I can adjust and wheel around.
5. Stop caring what other people think and just read when you feel like it. You’re overthinking this.

I am in my 40s, kids, office job, etc. I have read 114 books so far this year, and am aiming for 120. Every one of those books are books I enjoyed. If it doesn’t grab me, I put it down. I put one down yesterday after two chapters.

I have always been an avid reader. Buying an ereader (kobo) has been the biggest game changer for me. I carry it everywhere and use it constantly. I can check ebooks out from the library and they automatically load on my device. If I go for a walk, I’m reading while I do it. I read during my rest times during a workout. If I have 3 spare minutes, I’m reading a book. Are most of my books “fast food” from a literary perspective? Absolutely. Sci-fi, fantasy, and romance are my jam! I’ve never not been a reader. Books were an escape as a teenager and never stopped being a huge part of my life, even decades later. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks when mowing the lawn or doing dishes, but those 114 have been ebooks or paper books. However you consume them, finding what you love is huge for building the habit.

I occasionally read non-fiction, but it’s actually work to do it. The best way to read is to find a good story and let it sweep you away! Stuff that is harder to get through is going to create a little friction. That friction makes you hesitate to pick up the book. That next YouTube video or TikTok is going to be easier at that point. If reading is work, you’re less likely to do it. Trying to read “good” stuff has caused me to slow down.

I would read like 60 or 70 books a year as a kid. I have the BOOK IT records to prove it. These days it’s like 10. I don’t think there is any shame in not reading per-se as long as you are pursuing other intellectual activities or hobbies.

I think people put too much emphasis on reading as some idealized time sink. There are lots of productive ways to spend free time and reading is one of them. When you are a kid you have fewer options but as an adult cooking or wood working or gardening can be a fine form of intellectual stimulation.

I don’t read much for entertainment. Never have. The focus on “reading is super important” is honestly pretty stupid in my opinion. 99% of the shit people are reading is probably trashier than any other form of entertainment but people act like its a mark of a superior intellect because they are flipping through pages of a book.

I also find the physical act of reading a book to be incredibly distracting from consuming the information therein. I read much more efficiently and enjoyably using digital platforms than I ever did with printed media. I’m in my mid 30’s and probably an outlier for my age group in regards to how I feel about books.

Its just another form of entertainment, should not be put on a pedestal, and is really just as valid (or invalid) as any other form of entertainment—if you don’t find yourself drawn to it then don’t beat yourself up about it. No one is going around belittling people for not watching enough movies during a given annum; why treat reading a book like it’s some great and noble act?

I read before i go to sleep each day. I have been for more than 10 years now. I have read fantasy for quite a while, but after reading mistborn and stormlight archive back to back, i can’t bring myself to read anything fantasy anymore.

I mostly read about topics i would like to know more about. Physics, life, philosophy, anything that i come across and think “cool”.

Mind you, english is my second language, so since i mostly read in english, it helps with that, but now i can enjoy books in swedish as well, which also motivates me to keep reading.

Early 40s here. I read a lot, but never books.

I read online. I get information, jokes, funny stories and random bullshit.

I can’t imagine myself sitting down and reading a book in the near future. I don’t have the time, and if I did, there’s so many other things I could be doing for much more personal benefit.

I read when I have time and when I feel like it, these days it takes a while.

I read for work and fun.

I like a number of different genres, historical novels, fantasy, SciFi, thriller, and many more. No crimes or romances, and biographies are a waste of paper 99% of the time.

I’m married with adult kids, and having a family and work curbs my reading time.

I started reading digital books a few decades ago, and have roughly the same amount of real and digital books, both in the five digits range.

I’m a fast reader. As a kid, I read a few novels a day. All libraries within bike range knew me, and I rarely needed a library pass. I still read faster than others, and I switched to reading English books (English is not my native language) to intentionally cut down my reading speed to 100 to 200 pages per hour. I currently proof read and edit English books for fun.

At night, Kindle paper-white, one book at a time. Some nights i read for an hour, some just a few minutes. If it doesn’t hold my interest, I move on.

As a kid I loved reading. Huge book eorm, in my teenage years I could find less and less time for it and eventually stopled reading regularly. Nowadays I am an avid webnovel reader.

I have always enjoyed reading, but for the first 40 years of my life I just didn’t do much of it. It felt like a slog; difficult to focus and stick with it, though I always felt gratified when competing a story.

Then I discovered audiobooks. Something about the way my brain and lifestyle are, it just works. I read tons of books now. All fiction. I’m not crazy.

I love it. One the walk to work or bus rides I listen constantly. I take several hour walks in the mountains and listen the whole time.

This year I read The Expanse Series, Dune (Frank’s), Snow Crash, The Bobiverse, and part of another trip around The Wheel of Time. Audiobooks bring me so much joy.

I practically don’t read for fun. Not that I dislike reading, but it’s generally rare to find books that interest me, and I simply don’t have time to look for interesting books. Last I found an interesting book, I breezed through it in a couple days.

Anyways, most of my reading happens through academia, reading scientific papers and such. There’s a lot of interesting scientific research going on that flies under the radar because it’s not clickbaity enough for popsci websites to pick up on it. I have a feed set up on Pubmed to send me emails every day on new papers from different topics. Every day or two I glance through them and it there’s something that catches my eye, I’ll read it more thoroughly.

I wouldn’t generally encourage people to read scientific papers, since they’re really quite dense and requires a lot of practice to get good at reading, but it’s an easy way to read something while being productive. And I’ve become increasingly convinced over time that the general population needs at least some experience with scientific literature, given how much of the science gets twisted in the game of Science Communication Telephone

I finish maybe 5 books a year. The library makes it so there’s a “deadline”, that helps.

I also don’t mind picking up a book, and returning it after a few chapters if I realise I don’t like it.

It shouldn’t feel like a chore.

Ive never been able to physically read books, I end up getting bored, reading the same page over and over etc I just can’t concentrate on it long enough and as such always thought I didn’t really like books.

Then I discovered audiobooks around 10 years ago.

Now I get through probably 100 plus books each year and fucking love it. I always listen to books at work whilst doing stuff like setting up machines, I’ll listen to them whilst doing chores, or working on my bike or any other kind of task like that.

If I’m not enjoying a book after around half an hour or so I’ll just drop it and move on unless it is something I really want to get into but as ive got older I apply this mindset to a lot more things and find in general it makes things a lot more enjoyable than trying to force stuff I’m not enjoying.

I mainly read fantasy and horror and never read to learn or anything like that, it is purely for enjoyment!

I read on the toilet, on the bus, while doing dishes. I read while falling asleep at night and whenever I have five minutes alone during the day. I read three or more books at a time, so when I’m not in the mood for one there’s two more options to engage with.

But that’s me.

You’ll read a lot more if you give yourself permission to read things you enjoy. Maybe start with some Terry Pratchett.