Same. I have also moved to listening to audiobooks while I work. I just started the Witcher during my shift yesterday.

Get the Libby app. You can connect it to your local library and check out books whenever you feel like it.

No. You're right, it's so much easier to adapt to whatever environment you're in. I'm in my dorm and read waay into the 2am, obviously with my roommate I can't have a light on, so this is just perfect. It's easily accessible, adapts to your orientation easily, it's perfect. I have a bunch of physical copies that I haven't touched because it's just so much easier to read on my kindle. It's a great invention that has come out of the digital age tbh, I don't find it to be a "sad" reality.

Honestly biggest upside is just being able to lay down in the dark and read, especially with roommates

I tried but my local library has no selection and I can’t get to connect to Libby, so i’m trying to see if i can register with another county’s library system, but it’s seeming like I can’t 😢

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Whatever makes it easier to read! I have a lot going on and try to squeeze at least an hour in a day. I am reading War and Peace on my old Kindle 4 as I do my 40 minute treadmill workout - fast walk, heavy incline and yeah - old Kindle - just in case!

It actually is a really good place to read without interruption! I get side-eyed but I'm just that bit too old to give a damn!

I am with you on this! Not that I was ever in a reading slump, but downloading Kindle on my phone a few years ago was a game changer for. So many new books to read, at so much cheaper, and all the other benefits of customising setting, etc.

Still love my hard copies, but only now buy second hand or the ones I really love and will read again.

EXACTLY what happened with me. I read barely 5 books this year ( because I’m preoccupied) and then last week I bought a kindle and woah I already read 6. People are underestimating how much you can read if you could just lie down comfortably and still be able to read

Feels so much easier to get access to books, and less of an investment getting books ur not sure about!

I used to read a ton on my phone. When I warmed up my car in the morning, breaks at work, getting my oil changed, on a park bench. Very often when waiting for people, never for too long, but enough to get a few pages in and I don’t mind read-waiting. All the little snippets add up and all the sudden you’ve read a whole book! It started to really mess with my eyes so I’m an audiobook person now. But phone book reading is such a blessing.

Exactly! I have Kindleunlimited now as well, and it really helps with all the books you can borrow for free or read samples of.

The screen dimming and fon't adjusting is great for me on app and the Kindle. I'm very light sensitive so ... Godsend.

My library is okay. The digital selection is county wide so it's better.

Generally you can only get a card for the county you legally reside in. (Florida libraries have a special thing for snowbirds).

I have family on other countries, and we've shared our library cards so we can find different things. Maybe not totally legal - I don't know. But it has worked for us.

Pro tip: get the Libby app, attach it to your public library card (or get a free e-card from a library like Brooklyn that now allows anyone anywhere to borrow), and start enjoying free books and audiobooks. (You might have to wait for some titles.)

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I jumped from paper books, to phone and iPad reading, and then found e-readers which it took me out of a slump for sure and increased my reading like a thousand percent it seems.

I’ve always loved it he idea of books. But was a bad reader. I just rarely did it. Couldn’t be bothered. Too lazy. Too much effort.

Just 56 days ago, I discovered reading on my phone. I’ve read 5 books in 56 days. For the exact reason you mention. So easy to just read a little anywhere anytime. Compare that with about 1 per year before that.

Plus, I love the goals in iPhone book app. Like daily streak, and book goal for the year (which I’ve already succeeded and increased like 4 times). Feels good to achieve a goal.

I still like the idea of pretty books. I’ll keep buying them. I’ll just put them on my shelf, then download the ebook and read that instead. Haha.

It is difficult. A lot of libraries require you to provide proof that you’re a resident of the county to get a card.

There are some counties around the United States that don’t have that requirement, though. They charge you money to get the card.

Here’s a site that has a breakdown: https://www.aworldadventurebybook.com/blog/libraries-with-non-resident-borrowing-privileges

Why sad? More accessibility is a good thing.

Per Rule 3.6: No distribution or solicitation of pirated books.

We aren't telling you not to discuss piracy (it is an important topic), but we do not allow anyone to share links and info on where to find pirated copies. This rule comes from no personal opinion of the mods' regarding piracy, but because /r/books is an open, community-driven forum and it is important for us to abide the wishes of the publishing industry.

Which one from Brooklyn? I have a library card but some of the series usually aren't there so I can only read half. I was wondering if there was a free ones that I could use to fill it up..

I'm with you! I have a Kindle, but 90% of the time I read on my phone. Like you said, it's so convenient. I really like being able to read throughout the day at random times, even if it's for short periods of time. I don't think this is sad at all - anything that gets people reading is good 😊

I used to love reading on my phone and the convenience of having a book on you at all times. It works really well when you’re reading a longer book, and lug a big book around.

Ultimately I switched back to regular books…. Unfortunately you can’t buy ebooks used, and you can’t lend them out for people to borrow!

Same. It means I can read a book rather than scrolling reddit on a bus, or in bed after lights out.

Do people use their phones in the shower?

Sorry, looks like it’s only for young adults. https://www.bklynlibrary.org/card/

Awh that’s unfortunate :( Thank you anyway!

Same here! I read 10x faster on my phone than hardcover. I still read and love books I can hold in my hand and flip the pages, but reading digitally is a game changer.

Yes! Reading on my phone has been an amazing tool for me to get back into reading after being burnt out after university and feeling like I would never read for fun again! I’m also dyslexic and being able to have smaller pages/ adjust the size has also made reading and staying in track easier! Now that I have caught the reading bug I’ve gone back to some kindle/ physical books too.

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I read using Libby/Overdrive for a good while but it ended up feeling restrictive and I'm sad about it. Wish my library had more selection on there. I read a lot of books and loved it! but it was like each time I had to search more and more to find something to read. now I go get real books from the library again.

Thank you! Yeah i’m not a resident of the county, I might have to pay a fee

Yes the free samples are so nice!

I live in Washington state outside of the county, is it available even from here?

Wrap it in a plastic bag 🗿

Had this exact same experience and wound up buying a kindle. It’s increased my reading time significantly! Now I just keep an eye out for my fave hard copies on sale as collectors items essentially.

I started reading on my iPad back in 2010 and have hardly read a physical book since then. I quickly switched to the kindle and now the kobo. It’s so convenient!

Same. Since I had my baby I could barely get any reading time in. Having kindle on my iPhone has made it so that I can read again in the little lapses in between responsibilities

I think it also has to do with text size and consistency. Larger font sizes help with focus and I think reading the exact same size/font book to book helps too!! I picked up an actual book recently and was like omg the font is so small I can’t do this!

Project Gutenberg and other free sites have allowed me to find and read a lot of early fiction for free! Not only was it free access many of these books (the short stories of Edna Ferber are wonderful!), but they are hard to find or expensive to purchase.

I haven't read a novel in years but about a month ago I started reading on my phone and I've burned through 6 in that time. Its like I'm back in my highschool reading habits.

A lot of big city libraries are open to state residents in general. Here on the east coast, NY residents can get a NYPL card and PA residents can get a Philadelphia library card, both of which have tons of ebooks. Maybe your state has a library like these!

There aren't many bookstores in my area, the library got turned into an elderly home a while ago and I don't really like reading in my native language, if ebooks didn't exist I would not be in this subreddit right now because I wouldn't be able to enjoy reading.