Nobody Reads Books Anymore

Or do they?

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I hate to admit this.

I haven’t read a book in a very long time.

If you pressed me to tell you how long, I’d draw a blank.

“I couldn’t tell you,” I’d say.

Book reading — a once beloved pastime of mine — is the last thing on my mind these days.

And this is coming from an author. I’ve published 6 books. Mostly poetry. But a few short stories too.

I witnessed the rise of e-books, heralded in at a record pace with Amazon’s Kindle. Other competitors jumped on board, not wanting to miss out on the money.

However, if I’m being honest here, I don’t like reading books anymore. They’re too time-consuming to keep up with a daily or weekly habit.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not giving up on books. I’m certain if there’s a must-read book I’ll come across in the upcoming years, and I’ll want to read it from cover to cover.

But lately, nothing has crossed my radar.

And it’s not like I don’t have time to read books. I do. As a writer and author, I’m my own boss.

Most days, my schedule is wide open. Thanks to making smart investment decisions and relocating to the Philippines, where the cost of living is cheaper.

I could load my Kindle with hundreds of books. But would I really read them?

Probably not. At least not any time soon.

The Future of Book Publishing

What does the future of books look like?

Well, since our world has moved toward easily digestible content, I believe it’s having an impact on long-time readers of traditional print books.

It started with the move to electronic books on computers and portable devices. Then heightened with other media, like YouTube and TikTok.

But unlike me, most people don’t have hours and hours every day to read a book. They have jobs. They have kids. They have responsibilities to attend to.

You know, things that prevent them from finding the time to enjoy a good book.