I read books for personal enjoyment, basically never for learning or self-improvement or anything like that. I only ever read one book at a time and mostly in the evening before going to sleep.

I’m in my early thirties. My reading speed varies quite a lot based on the book and my mood, but I’ve definitely noticed that I’ve become “worse” at reading in recent years. Too many digital distractions I guess. That said, if I do manage to read for 2 hours before going to sleep, I sleep so much better than if I watch a movie or doomscroll on Lemmy or whatever.

I mostly read sci-fi and fantasy, sometimes historical novels. I think this year I’ve finished 4 books so far, and dropped one quarter-way through. There were definitely years where I’ve managed way more.

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.

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 will be 40 in February. I read daily. But what I read daily is this shit. Posts and comments. Memes and news articles. Maybe someone’s fanfic on Tumblr.

Been getting into furry focused visual novels after getting bored and checking out Adastra since I had heard of it years ago and never actually played it, and I just haven’t been able to get enough of Howlie’s work since (finish The Smoke Room so you can get back on Khemia, please! 😩)

I like sci-fi and romance. Adastra was both and has been the best fucking thing I’ve ever read.

I haven’t read an honest to God book since Ready Player One initially came out.

I love books

My biggest recommendation is to avoid asking for recommendations online, particularly in reading - centric communities.

People love to pretend their favourite books are classical just through sheer pretentiousness

The most genuine people you’ll find in life are the ones that are perfectly happy to admit they fucking love a trashy thriller

I read my first book in 11 years, I finished it 2 weeks ago. It’s The Expanse. I loved the series and someone gifted me the first book.

My trick? I commute by train and have my book with me everywhere I go. If there’s waiting to be done, there’s reading time.

I tend to go through phases in which whenever I find a bunch of books I’m really interested in, I’ll read a ton. But, once I finish those, I’ll read less for a while. I think my top speed if I’m really invested in what I’m reading is around 800 pages a day, but I never sustain that for long because I run out of book.

I pretty much exclusively read fantasy, with a focus on books with hard magic systems, progression elements, and/or some sort of cultivation (which itself is a progression element).

When I was a kid, I struggled with reading for years because I wasn’t interested in anything I read at school. I only really started reading a ton when I found books I was interested in (fantasy), which in turn made me a lot better at reading from all the practice.

Somewhat more recently, I’ve started reading webnovels in between traditionally published books, which is nice because you get a continuous drip of content. I also generally just read on my phone, as it’s very convenient to pop out a book wherever I am. I like physical books too, but I don’t tend to get through them as fast because I can’t fit them in my pocket and take them with me everywhere.

My experience is that if you want to develop a habit of reading a lot, you should focus on finding something you enjoy, as it’s a lot easier to make a habit of doing something you like than something you don’t like.

Got to around 30 yrs old

I realized that I, on paper, really like non-fiction books. In practice, I really only like fantasy and space operas (different than sci-fi)

Every night before bed, I read 10 pages or a chapter. Whichever comes first. Can always read more, but not less.

So to answer,

Almost every night Fantasy / space opera Mid 30s, father I’ve added audiobooks to my commute The most important part (I think) is figuring out what you like, and then setting a small but achievable routine

I used to read (books, newspapers, cereal packets, everything, even fricking Cosmo) a hell of a lot before t’internet. Now I struggled to read a magazine in one sitting. I have a diet of RSS feeds and the linked articles.

I’m thirty years older, as we all are pre- post- net, so that probably has an effect but it’s upsetting me how little I read (read) now.

I have a old Kindle (circa the first paperwhite series) which I find is devoid of battery power whenever I pick it up and I forget to replace it on my wireless phone charger (buy the kindle a wireless charging client with a microUSB plug from Amazon/AliExpress to put between the cover you necessarily bought and the Kindle) when I remove my phone.

Thinking buying a dumb phone might be the way forward to kill my died of short articles which maybe killed my attention span.

Because of how important reading is

Reading itself isn’t what’s important, it’s mental stimulation that is. And more importantly stimulating different parts of the brain.

Mostly audiobooks, 2x speed, a lot of hours a day. I do use an ereader sometimes. I’ve started collecting (just regular hardcover, mostly) physical copies of some of my favorites, but I don’t really read them like that. When possible I read entire series from beginning to end consecutively. Audiobooks and visual reading are generally different books.

Mostly mystery, in a wide variety of settings, tones, levels of intensity, but some pure fantasy. Nonfiction is mostly psychology, but some science, other stuff as well. (180 new books this year), but I re-read as much as I read new. I don’t set goals or anything, just use the “goal” to see the number each year out of curiosity.

Mid-30s, IDK. I read a bunch as a kid, then stopped the habit through high school and college and took a while to get back into heavy reading.

My sleep-routine is that I read (usually my kindle) in bed at night.

It’s kind of great both because I like reading, but also because it makes me fall asleep.

I spend most of my day reading, as a translator. But it’s almost always stuff that I wouldn’t read, if not being paid to.

If counting only books that I read for fun, I guess it’s ~2 books/month? Typically fantasy light novels. I also read a fair bit of manga (~5 chapters/day).

Beyond those LNs I think that the last book I’ve read was in September; Um Copo de Cólera (lit. “a glass of rage”), from Raduan Nassar. Short but good first person story.

I’m almost 40. I’m… tired. I don’t read stuff to feel myself cultured; I read stuff when I need to (because of my job) or when I feel in the mood to do so.

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

Audiobooks, baby. 1.75x speed (1.25x speed if there’s a heavy accent involved or it’s information dense).

I try to never do chores without an earbud in and a book or podcast going. (Makes dishes so much more enjoyable.)

Edit: spy books by John Le Carre really revived my love for books in older age.