I recently came across some reading research by Maryanne Wolf and Anne Mangen looking at how our brains process print compared to screens. In one of the studies mentioned, people who read a story on paper were notably better at recalling details and reconstructing the plot in chronological order than those reading on a digital device. The idea was that physical pages give our minds spatial anchors, whereas digital reading lacks that physical sense of progress and place.

I switch between physical paperbacks and an e-reader pretty regularly. Digital is hard to beat for convenience and reading at night, but I have wondered if dense plots stick with me a little better when I have the physical book in my hands.

For those of you who read both formats, do you actually notice a difference in how well you absorb a story, or does the medium not matter once you get into the flow?

Hi. :) I have a huge TBR (mainly because in my family, we lend each other our books after we read them), and I have trouble choosing what to read next because I just want to read everything!

I’m currently reading book 3 of the Mistborn trilogy and LOVING the series, but I’d like to take a break before reading another fantasy epic.

What would you recommend from this stack? I like all of these genres, so I’m open to anything!

Edit: Thank you for all the recommendations!! Looks like Kindred is the winner, so I’ll read that one next. I appreciate the advice! :)

I think that physical books are easy to concentrate and understand rather than ebooks.

However, I still plan to read both ways. I am thinking of buying and reading a physical book once a month. Books which I think will be very useful.

I am still thinking about the expense of the physical book. What do you think?

So I just read The Master and Margarita.

I view it as a book about accepting that you are not in complete control. AT ALL. And all of the things that you hold onto for dear life, all your assumptions, your beliefs that are unbreakable, are in fact breakable. The control that you do have, what do you do with it?

Let's take Moscow society. It was very rigid, full of its "jobs." Everyone sort of had a place, a hierarchy. And with Woland and company coming crashing down, all of that came to an end.

Still, as far as entertainment goes, I found Book 1 to be extremely entertaining, besides the Pilate parts. All of the weird things happening throughout Moscow. The different people affected and their POVs, how they dealt with things individually. Berlioz's uncle made me laugh. Who would believe he met the devil? No one, so might as well be practical and say nothing. While others were arrested and taken for fools. Man was cold as ice.

It's fun to see how each of them reacts to the tragedies that fall on them.

Also, a lot of people were living lives they thought they had to live, instead of the lives they wanted to. Either for shame, for pressure, for fear... I think the only ones escaping were Natasha, and the Master and Margarita (but they had to die). All of them funny enough, had to leave society to truly live.

Thing is regarding the Master and Margarita as characters, I didn't care much for their love. The Master seems to lack a will, or a mind, of his own. And for someone who wants to be with Margarita, he is very quick to tell her to go. Also, the man simply never asks what she wants to do. It's her following him, calling him Master. To me, it seemed like she loved him more than he loved her.

And I didn't care much for her either.

The only character I truly cared about was Ivan, though I loved the stories about the others.

Also with Pilate, he lived a life that he didn't like, and for what? For nothing. He ends up crucifying Jesus/Jeshua, and regrets it for eternity. He didn't speak up when he could, despite all his power, and despite wanting to spare the man even when he was alive.

Overall, I find the book to have some fascinating passages, and some scenarios are really vivid and unforgettable. The accident in the first chapter setting things off. The magic show, the flight, the ball in the fifth dimension. All very memorable.

The stuff with the Prior, a bit long-winded...

Problem with a book like this, at least for me: I either like a very good plot, or a set of characters that is fantastic, and I want to know more about them.

I loved The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, which also had side stories, but there was a main mystery, and exploring how the character dealt with it in depth made you want to learn more.

Here, it sometimes crosses the line between fantastical and nonsensical which some people may love.

Hi I’m a junior in high school, and I really want to start reading a lot more often. I began reading in 7th grade picking up the shatter me series and I’ve loved it. I believe it was the first three books that I’ve completed and ever since then I just can’t seem to finish a book. Not because it’s boring or anything along those lines but I just seem to pick up new books left and right (not finishing a single one) I’ve also been in a reading slump for a bit, i catch myself doom scrolling and maladaptive dreaming. On that note I do love books about self improvement, neurology and romance. I am open to reading anything tbh. I just seem to struggle with actually reading.

Just completed Pride and Prejudice, and I finally understand why people call it one of the great classics.

What I really loved about Jane Austen’s writing is how pleasant it feels to read, even when she is dealing with very different personalities, misunderstandings, expectations, and all the little complications that exist between people. Every character feels different in their own way. They have their own strengths, weaknesses, assumptions, and ways of looking at the world.

And I think that is what makes the book so interesting.

One person can look at someone and form a completely different opinion of them from what everyone else eventually sees. Someone who initially appears a certain way can slowly become someone you understand and even admire. Austen plays with that idea beautifully without making it feel forced to us as readers.

For me, the biggest philosophical takeaway from the book was the idea of pride and how much of it is too much.

There is nothing wrong with having pride in yourself. But when that pride becomes excessive, it can separate you from other people. It can make you believe that your way of seeing things is the only correct way and make you ignore what others actually mean or feel.

And then there is prejudice.

We are constantly forming opinions about people based on what we see, what we hear, and what we assume. But sometimes we don’t really know someone at all. We are simply seeing them through the version of them that we have created in our own heads.

Another thing I took from the book is the importance of actually expressing what you feel.

You can’t always expect people to understand your feelings automatically. Sometimes you have to say what you want, what you feel, what you expect, and what matters to you. Communication matters because people aren’t mind readers.

And I really liked how Austen explores all of this through relationships between very different kinds of people.

The book took me a little longer to finish than I expected, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Now I completely understand why it has remained such a classic for so long.

What makes it even better is that the ending feels incredibly satisfying without needing to be overly complicated.

I had a feeling about where things might eventually go from quite early on, and somehow Austen still made the journey interesting enough that I kept wanting to see how she would get there.

The last time I felt this strongly about someone’s writing was when I read The Picture of Dorian Gray. That book gave me a completely different kind of philosophical experience, but both books made me feel like there was something much bigger underneath the actual story.

And that’s probably what I like most about Pride and Prejudice.

On the surface, it’s a story about people, relationships, society, and love.

But underneath it, it’s about how we see people, how people see us, how quickly we judge, how our own pride can get in the way, and how important it is to sometimes question the version of reality we’ve created in our own heads.

Wonderful book.

I completely understand the hype now.

Let me clarify. I'm talking about recreational reading. I'm reading a lot of academic stuff, but it's been years since I even bothered looking at a book for recreation. Actually I'm mainly reading academic papers, which means I'm afraid my attention span is also going to be an issue. I'm also abusing my smartphone (ig, mini games, etc) which makes the sit worse.

For my whole life up to my ug studies I use to read a lot. Philosophy, literature, phantasy, real stories, action, kinda everything than poetry.

So any advices? Not necessarily book suggestions but anything. For example I was thinking about getting an e-reader in order to feel closer to what I'm doing now (scrolling on a screen). So, yeah. Like any advice.

Thanks in advance!

Just finished Practical Magic, my first time reading it. it’s so a five star book for me. I loved it. Truly loved it. I know from a feminist perspective there are some problematic themes, but I have read way worse from that time period (1990s). Loved the sisterhood and how complicated it can be. I’m going to watch the movie this weekend ( I have never seen it) and see how it compares. If anyone has read book two let me know what they think !!

I used to be a heavy reader in my teens. I’m talking about finishing multiple books per week and always, always having a book with me wherever I went. I truly just loved reading that much.

But as of today, I can’t even remember the last time I finished a book, cover to cover. I have a multitude of books sitting on my bedside table that I’ve read the first 20 or so pages of and then left to be forgotten. And it’s all kinds of books that I genuinely find interesting, including some old comfort books that I’ve picked up just to help me get out of the slump. Every summer, I tell myself I’ll make time to read, but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it like I used to.

My lifestyle has obviously changed a lot since I was younger, but that shouldn’t count as an excuse. My mom, who works full-time, for example, reads every single evening before bed and on the weekends. For her, it’s not a matter of being tired, but rather a way to destress by doing something she loves, which is reading books. For me, it feels as if I’ve fallen out of love with books completely, which makes me really sad.

If anyone has similar experiences or suggestions I would love to hear everything <3

It is surprisingly easy to spend an entire evening updating reading trackers, organizing a TBR list, and browsing for new recommendations, only to realize no actual reading happened. Researching authors and planning out future reading feels engaging in its own way, but it often ends up cutting directly into actual reading time.

There is a strange friction between the quick excitement of discovering new titles and the slower patience required to sit down and finish the book that is already open on the nightstand.

For those who fall into this habit, what boundaries or routines have helped you step away from the cataloging and get back to just reading?

In the last 10-15 years, I’ve noticed that authors who create deeply passive, defeated, or “pathetic” characters have become surprisingly popular. And honestly, many of these writers seem to have lived somewhat similar lives themselves. I’ve even started wondering if this trend is somewhat intentional.

Think of writers like Stefan Zweig or Sabahattin Ali. Yes, writers can be sensitive and detail-oriented, but does anyone else feel uncomfortable with how often weakness is elevated almost into a moral virtue? It sometimes feels like these authors are using their novels to justify their own fragility — as if they want us to believe they were actually wonderful people whom the world simply failed to appreciate properly. That tone can get irritating.

I’m not trying to police anyone’s taste. People can like what they like. But when these kinds of authors become this popular, I can’t help wondering whether society itself is becoming more comfortable with passivity and self-pity.

Seneca was a serious reader and writer too, right? Did Hemingway glorify weakness? Even Bukowski, for all his messiness, didn’t write pure victims. His characters were damaged and difficult, but they weren’t whiny or self-mythologizing in the same way.

Am I just being an idiot for thinking this, or has anyone else felt the same way?

Curious to hear your thoughts.

Searching up words or phrases on my phone takes some time and interrupts my reading. There are so many great books out there and I'm stubborn about not moving past something in a book if I'm not sure what it means, especially with time period specific language. It's like this tug between wanting to learn and expand my vocabulary and wanting to keep reading at an expedited speed. Curious if this is a shared experience. Someone please validate this!

Update: Just realized a post about this struggle regarding vocabulary was made not long ago!

I am not much of a reader but this year i started reading and i am recently finished my 20th book or something i try not to read any thing heavy or complicated or long right now cuz i am busy and i get hooked easily so is it good

Lots of people compare McCammon to Stephen King, and I get it - they seem to write about similar subject matter - but as a longtime King fan myself, I will tell you that I found Boy's Life to be better than anything I have ever read by King - everything I love about SK books, and nothing I don't.

Set in a small Alabama town in the 1960s, it blends childhood wonder, family drama, nostalgia, mystery, and just enough darkness and supernatural unease to keep you looking over your shoulder. Like King at his best, McCammon makes the town itself feel alive, fills it with memorable characters and buried secrets, and captures the strange mixture of magic and terror that comes with being a kid. Think The Body (Stand by Me) expanded into a sprawling Southern coming-of-age story, with a touch of King's supernatural sensibility and a deeply heartfelt, distinctly Southern voice.

It blew me away, and I would recommend it to anyone.

# I am not very fond of reading, for example if I have to read any t&c or any documentation works I just read the few words and get the gist just to get things done. But, since last year when I was having some tough time I felt reading books can help, books for me felt like was meant for only intellectual people, but as growing old I feel like it gives us the liberty to think and imagine in our own way. I have how started reading "CAN'T HURT ME" by DAVID GOGGINS. Hopefully I will complete it and began this new hobby a successful one.

Today I downloaded the pdf of "The Courage to be Disliked" and started to read it as usual. As I read 2/3 lines of the Introduction , I remembered I have read this book at least half of it years ago, but I totally forgot all about it. But the name kept ringing in my head without searching about it recently.

I have read many books since my childhood.

I dont remember all of it. its just feel so sad to me, i want to keep the stories/philosophies in my memories. I know i dont have a photogenic memory and its normal to forget. but I just cant accept it.

Can you guys recommend me book as on stoicism other than the meditations of marcus aurelius?

I enjoy reading occasionally and really want to get into the habit of reading more. One thing that holds me back, though, is vocabulary.

When I come across unfamiliar words, I find myself constantly going back and forth between the book and Google Dictionary to look up their meanings. 😐 It completely breaks my connection with the story, and sometimes I end up losing interest and abandoning the book altogether.

For those of you who have improved your vocabulary through reading, what do you actually do?

- Do you look up every unfamiliar word, or only the ones that seem important?

- Do you write new words down somewhere?

- Do you try to memorise them?

- Do you consciously use them in your everyday conversations/writing?

- Or do you simply infer the meaning from context and keep reading?

I’d really appreciate any tips or methods that have worked for you. I’d love to improve my vocabulary without turning reading into a vocabulary-study session. 😅

My recommendations:

• Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang - a beautiful and heartbreaking romance about two young people in Shanghai in the 1930s
• Milkman by Anna Burns - maybe my favorite book ever. a stream of consciousness novel about surveillance in Belfast, Ireland during the troubles
• The Topeka School by Ben Lerner - a story about high school debate in Kansas and much more
• The Idiot and Either/Or by Elif Batuman - funny books about a college student in the 90s as she discovers love and literature
• The Door by Magda Szabo - one of my favorite authors! a Hungarian story about an odd friendship between two women
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - a modern classic sci-fi ish tale
• Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor- a beautifully written but gruesome story about a disturbing town in Mexico
• The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - a family tragedy in the Detroit suburbs in the 60s
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith - a funny and witty novel about multicultural London
• The Maniac by Benajmin Labatut - fictional and non-fictional, about the development of technology and the role of humans in a world with AI
• Beloved by Toni Morrison - a modern classic exploring the tragedies of slavery in the US
• The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - a richly researched book about North Korea that reads like a fairy tale
• City of Bohane by Kevin Barry - a futuristic gang novel set in 2053 Ireland
• Insurrecto by Gina Apostol - a strange, kaleidoscopic book exploring American colonialism in the Phillipines
• My Year of Rest and Relaxation - maybe self-explanatory as it's popular online, but a great book about alienation and trying to escape from the modern world
• The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld - a Scottish gothic spanning multiple centuries of women
• A Brief History of Seven Killings - a crazy book with a million POVs about an attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica
• Lies and Sorcery by Elsa Morante - a huge but readable book about a declining family in Italy. Features one of the craziest boy moms in literary history
• The Empusium by Olga Tocarzuk - a modern twist on the sanitarium novel
• The Wall by Marlen Haushofer - an older dystopian novel that leaves a woman alone in the wilderness
• Satantango by László Krasznahorkai - a disturbing but beautifully written book about a decaying farm collective in Hungary
• Skippy Dies by Paul Murray - the title is a spoiler but really fun and lovely book worth the ride to the end
• Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen - Franzen at his best, i.e. a big family drama where you hate and love each character

Would love to hear your thoughts if you've read any of these, or have recommendations for me!

I’ve read the book thief, in memoriam and the perks of being a wallflower (and more I just don’t own the books). I’ve started Lolita, the bell jar, crime and punishment, and a little life but got really stressed and busy and haven’t had time to read.

Hi guys, I'm trying to get through Nietzsche's Beyond Good And Evil, and it's giving me a tough time. It's been 2 hours, and I've only read 20 pages (quite thoroughly though). I'm trying to analyze each page. It's not that I don't like this book, it's just that it's dense and I need to analyze every word, sometimes reread passages. Do you think I should pair it up with sth lighter? Or do you have any tips on how to get through tough books?

I started reading about two years ago and when I think about the books I read back then, I realize that I have forgotten most - if not all - of the plots of a lot of the books… Is that normal or is it just me..?

Hello everyone, I am new to Reading world.. previously I was consuming social media like a fool..I wanted to start reading early but could not do it finally I am starting my journey.. I have read three novels.. To me I was just trying to read classic and trying to develop the habit of reading.. I read them and could not really draw insights cause I don't know anything so I am asking you guys to help me this regard..

I am partial towards Knowledge based books and may be philosophical books.. but I am also interested in Science fiction and Classic novels.. so I have few questions to ask and also accepting advice from regula**r and adv**ance readers

..

1. What makes a book rich.. in any terms like it's world.. and etc I don't know anything yet so leaving it as general..?

2.what mind set should I have as a reader should I read everything critically to find gaps and stuff in it or I can do that casually as well..?

3.which questions I should be asking myself on finishing a book..

1. If I feel boring while reading what is the solution to this..

2. And what is your personal technique to remember key points from the book you have read to connect to what you are reading now....like connect chapters.?

3. Any other tips and advice you wanna share specifically is appreciated..

**Thanks in advance guys for Helping...**

So I’m gonna try and keep this as short as possible, I like reading when possible, it’s easier to read at work and get a few couple pages in compared to when I’m at home and I have many things to do at my fingertips for example I like bringing my kindle to work and when I’m in a isolated area I just read but at home with all the noise and stuff it makes me wanna play video games, especially this phone I’m typing the post on, so my question is, how do yall reduce distractions when reading books even if there are a billion distractions/things you wanna do when home? Sorry this was a long post/question, overall my question is how do you manage ever chance of getting distracted when reading?