Reading and Aging: Has it changed for you?

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I used to read before bed. Now I find if I do…I don’t sleep. It activates my brain too much. And I’ve struggled to find another time to read instead

Podcasts before bed put me out.

[EldrickOnIce]

I used to read a lot, but now it's audiobooks. I spend a lot of time on the road. I listen to 4 or 5 books a month usually. I now usually only read on a beach vacation, or similar.

[photon]

I'm 90% audiobooks now too, I still consider that "reading".

One thing about audiobooks I like is it forces me to pay attention to everything rather than sometimes reading I read too fast and miss things when it's good.

[Itse]

Also moved to audiobooks. Partially it's just a practical thing, I have a lot of time to listen while I'm driving, but I also think it's what someone already said, that we read so much other stuff all day that reading doesn't make much sense as a leisure activity anymore.

I've also become much more easily distracted by noise as I've gotten older, so I think audiobooks also work well because they drown out a lot of random background noise.

I can still easily go through a book in a day.

[socalwingfan]

I read a couple of books a week on average - much more than when I was younger. I bought a Kindle thinking I wouldn’t like it - now I can’t imagine buying a paper book - so convenient to have them all in one small space. My wife listens to audiobooks but I can’t stand them - don’t have the attention span like when I am physically reading

[cam_wmh]

Audiobooks, on decent-length solo trips, are the best.

[Dion]

As a youth I used to read a book or sometimes 2 a week. Anything Sci Fi related was my interest.

Now it's stricly books on hockey, golf or any sports related material. One a month is where i'm at now.

[GGG]

I can’t read except on vacation. I binge books so will start reading and the next thing it’s 4 in the morning and I’m almost done. They don’t even have to be good books. So when I go on a lazy vacation I find a good mix of books to read after whatever activities are done for the day.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by socalwingfan

I read a couple of books a week on average - much more than when I was younger. I bought a Kindle thinking I wouldn’t like it - now I can’t imagine buying a paper book - so convenient to have them all in one small space. My wife listens to audiobooks but I can’t stand them - don’t have the attention span like when I am physically reading

Yeah I have a Kobo and vastly prefer it to physical books now, way easier to read on, has a built-in light for reading before bed, I can change the font size, and no more filling up book shelves. Plus my wife doesn't see how many books I've bought but haven't read


I've tried listening to audiobooks on long drives but find I can only pay attention to one for about an hour and even then I miss a lot.

[GreenLantern]

I have struggled with this recently as well, and was wondering what is wrong with me. Good to know there are other people struggling to focus on a single book..

I've got three on the go right now, Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson, I just can't finish it... I've got 200 of the 1200 pages left.

Val Kilmer's autobiography, one of my favourite actors of all time but I am honestly a little let down by it. I guess the movies that I found so impactful and engaging were just pay checks to him..

Sapiens, which is an incredible book, but I find some of my views very conflicting with the author, which again is a red flag for me. I used to read a book by someone then research what the complete opposite opinion was and read that, to make sure I had a well rounded view.

Now I find myself just angry at stuff he says and I don't want to read his opinion anymore.

That is something that has definitely changed with age, I blame social media and it's echo chamber rabbit hole it sends us down... willingly... willingly?

[McG]

I can’t remember the last book that I read. I’m embarrassed to say that.

I used to be a crazy reader even through universities and especially with travelling. I used to get a lot of hand me down books from my parents but that’s not a thing now either.

Weekly trips to chapters and returning with bags of books especially the discounted bins were a thing for us as a family. We really ended up with a problem when we wanted to move. We gave away so many books…

I’m wondering myself about what has happened. I know that the light required to read bothers my wife. And yet I love my iPad.

I just seem to be so busy these days!

[Regulator75]

I read it as Reading and Raging, so yes it has...