A101 Team Our phones don’t need to distract us from reading – in fact, they could help us to read more.
Among Americans, book readership has hit record lows. 24% of U.S. adults haven’t read a book in the past year.
According to the American Time Use Survey, only 19% of Americans read for pleasure on a given day. This number has fallen 30% since 2004, and it’s easy to point to one probable cause for the drop: the rise of smartphones.
This is troubling – a free society requires educated, thoughtful citizens. But smartphones don’t need to crowd out the important act of reading. Here are five apps you can download on your smartphone today to help you read more.
1. Goodreads
Think of Goodreads as a social media network for books. Goodreads allows you to create lists of books you are interested in, helps you track your reading progress against personal goals, and provides recommendations based on which books are on your shelves. It also helps you share your reviews of books with your friends.
By comparing your reading progress to your personal goals (and the progress of your friends), it helps make the challenge to find time to read feel more like a game.
2. Kindle
You don’t need to buy another device to read books on your phone – Amazon’s Kindle Books can be read in a free app. Not only that, this app will preserve your highlights from every book you read in one easy page.
While many readers swear by the physical feeling of having a book in your hands, there are plenty of features ebooks bring to the table for serious readers: x-ray features that help you find the first time a character is mentioned, easy dictionary lookups for new vocabulary, and more.
3. Your local library
Today’s public libraries have kept up with the times, and many local libraries have vast digital collections of books you can easily check out, read, and return on your phone. Which app is used varies by library (some common ones include Overdrive, Hoopla, or Libby), but the functionality is similar.
The best part? No late fees! When borrowing from your local library’s digital collection, most apps just delete the book from your phone when the loan expires. Find out which app is used by your public library on their website – or ask your librarian.
4. Audible
Who says you have to read to read a book? Amazon’s Audible gives you access to a massive library of audiobooks to which you can listen while in the car, at the gym, or just doing chores around the house.
5. Rooster
If you feel like you can never find the time to read, Rooster might be the app for you. It breaks up what you are reading in to 15 minute installments and sends them to you everyday.
BONUS: Project Gutenberg
This one isn’t really an app – but it’s a powerful tool. Project Gutenberg collects free ebook versions of public domain books in one searchable place. If you’re looking for a classic read, you can likely find it here for free. Thousands of years of wisdom await readers at this website.
